People Power will consult even without Police clearance- Joel Ssenyonyi

By Paul Waiswa Many of People power pressure group plans have been sabotaged by security operatives more so the Police on grounds that they lack the minimum requirements set to grant them permission to stage their consultation meetings. We must be destined for serious battles between Police and People Power Movement. Joel Ssenyonyi, the spokesperson […]
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Omutuuze alumirizza ssentebe okumenya bbaala ye

Yagambye nti poliisi y'e Kikajjo ng'ekwataganye ne Yusufu Ssentamu, ssentebe w'ekyalo baayingiridde ebbaala ye ne bagimenya ne boonoona ebintu ebyabbaddemu. Yagambye nti abaserikale baakonkonye ku bbaala...

Engeri gy’olonda ebinyumira omukolo

Ate oluusi waliwo okwambala ekisaazisaazi n'otuuka ku mukolo n'ojulirira ettaka okukumira, anti nga totuukanye na nnyambala y'abalala b'osanze ku mukolo. Moureen Mulema omukugu mu kwambaza abakyala...

Minisita Muyingo akubirizza amatendekero okussa essira ku masomo agalina akatale

MINISITA w'ebyenjigiriza ebyawaggulu J.C.Muyingo asabye abakulira amatendekero okusomesa abayizi amasomo aganabayamba okuvuganya mu katale ke mirimu. Bino abyogeredde ku matikkira g'ettendekero lya...

Nigeria registers 1st coronavirus case as Africa braces for pandemic

Nigerian officials have confirmed a case of coronavirus in the country, the first confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa is braced for a potential coronavirus pandemic as experts warn health systems on the continent could be overwhelmed. However, experts say the apparent delay in the virus reaching Africa has given health officials precious time to prepare.
   
According to Nigerian officials, the confirmed case is an Italian national who works in Nigeria and returned to Lagos from Milan, Italy earlier this week. He is now being treated in a Lagos hospital, and is said to have no serious symptoms.

The case has raised fears of a potential coronavirus outbreak in one of Africa's most densely populated cities. Single cases of the coronavirus have been detected in Egypt and Algeria, but so far, there has been no large-scale outbreak on the continent. The World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned Thursday that no country can assume it is safe from the virus.  

"This virus doesn't respect borders. It does not distinguish between races or ethnicities," he said. "It has no regard for a country's GDP or level of development. The point is not only to prevent cases arriving on your shores. The point is what you do when you have cases."

The apparent delay in any African outbreak has given the continent time to prepare. Until this month, only two laboratories in the whole of Africa were able to test for the coronavirus. The World Health Organization says now more than half of sub-Saharan countries are equipped to diagnose the virus.  

"It's not as extensive as we need it to be, and the testing that's going on in countries isn't as complete as we'd like it to be," Dr Jennifer Nuzzo is from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told VOA. "But the fact that we've been able to stand this up in relatively short amounts of time, I think represents progress."

A man wearing face mask walks at the Yaba Mainland hospital where an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on Tuesday from Milan on a business trip

It's feared that an undetected outbreak could rapidly escalate into a health crisis. Around 80 per cent of people with the coronavirus have only mild symptoms, meaning the true prevalence is likely underreported. Most fatalities have occurred in those with underlying health problems.

But a pandemic in Africa would overwhelm medical facilities, says  Dr Nathalie MacDermott of King's College London.

"It's an issue when it comes to managing other medical problems. So, that means that people with heart disease and things aren't necessarily able to visit the hospital or to get an appointment," she said. "And subsequently, we could see increased mortality from other medical problems, simply because they can't access the health system."

Experts say many African nations must improve disease surveillance and operations to trace the spread of infection. They also warn that in the event of a global pandemic, the international community must be ready to step in and help countries with weaker health systems.

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Ssemaka ow'emyaka 56 atudde senior 6 ne mutabani ne basibagana mu bubonero

Bya Florence Tumupende SSEMAKA ow'emyaka 56 alina abaana mukaaga mu mukyala omu bwati ng'enjogera ye nnaku zino bwegamba yoomu ku bayizi abaatudde ebigezo bya senior 6 n'akonoola obunero 7. Naddy...

Team Uganda upbeat ahead of Castle Lager Five-a-side tournament

By Alex Balimwikungu The third season of the Castle Lager Five-aside tournament, dubbed as the continent's biggest amateur football tournament, will be officially launched this Friday (February 28) in Lagos, Nigeria. During the event, to be attended by invited top artistes and former football stars from across the continent, organisers and sponsors are expected to […]
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Poliisi ennyonnyodde entabula y'ebidduka ku mukolo gw'okutuuza omulabirizi

Bya Joanita Nangozi   POLIISI y'ebidduka ennyonnyodde entambula y'abantu abagenda okwetaba ku mukolo gw'okutuuza Ssaabalabirizi omuggya Dr Steven Kazimba Mugalu ogw'okubaawo ku Ssande eno e Namirembe. ...

Bobi Wine spits fire at Dan Kyeyune funeral

Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has called on the youth to 'do something' to counter the continued murders by security operatives against opposition supporters.

An emotional Bobi Wine made the remarks while at the burial of Daniel Kyeyune in Namayumba village, Nakaseke district on Thursday. Kyeyune was shot in the head reportedly by a Local Defense Unit personnel in Nansana Municipality on Tuesday evening as he and other People Power supporters, returned from the burial of Rita Nabukenya who was reportedly knocked down by a police patrol truck in Nakawa on Monday this week. 

Nabukenya who was dressed in People Power attire was knocked dead while on her way to the blocked Bobi Wine consultation meeting in Ndeeba. Bobi Wine said those security officers killing Ugandans should remember that they live within the same communities, their children go to the same schools as other Ugandans, they shop from the same markets. 

"To you gun-toting soldiers, you were never born with those uniforms, you were never born with those guns. We can also fit in those uniforms. Don't think that you are any different from us. You have the same blood and can feel the same pain as us. Continue doing what you do but very soon time will come when we shall fight back. Don't behave as though you live in heaven," a bitter Bobi Wine said.

Bobi Wine said those who have been asking him on what to do next, know exactly what to do to 'snitches' who continue to betray the struggle and sell out members of the opposition.

"When you're trying to escape out of prison and there is always that guy who reports your plans to the warden, don't you know what you do to such a person? You know what you and that is exactly what you should do to those killing you," he said.

Bobi Wine also said berated Luweero residents for giving President Museveni all the avenues to exploit and humiliate them even further after using their jungles and child soldiers to shoot his way to power.

"Don't you know those people shooting your relatives? Don't you know who killed Ziggy Wine, don't you know who killed Sweet Pepsi, don't you know what to do to such people? So then why are you asking me for what to do next?...You people who go on kneeling down for Museveni's envelopes instead of joining the struggle, you are going to die...This struggle was started by Dr Kawanga Ssemwogerere and advanced further by Dr Kizza Besigye. We have everything in our favour. Ugandans have never been this united...We can't promise that we shall remove Museveni from power on such a date, but whatever action you do in your own way contributes to the struggle," he added. 

Bobi Wine said he has no sympathies for the silent Ugandans who see all the corruption, state murders and claim they prefer a peaceful Uganda instead of engaging in the struggle, saying there can never be peace if there is no freedom.

"I would have sold out already," he said.

"I have been offered lots of money but I have young children, I have to be certain of their future. I don't want them to live in the kind of uncertainties that our generations have lived," he said.

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Abaffamire ya Nkoyooyo batabuse ne baziikula omulambo

Bya MUKASA KIVUMBI ABA FFAMIRE y'eyali Ssaabalabi­rizi w'ekkanisa ya Uganda, omu­genzi Bp. Livingstone MpalanyiNkoyoyo baguddemu ekikang­abwa oluvannyuma lw'abantu abatannategeerekeka okuziikula omulambo...

Nyanzi collapses as she receives Freedom of Expression Award

Former Makerere University research fellow and scholar, Dr Stella Nyanzi collapsed on Thursday while receiving the Oxfam Novib/PEN International Award for Freedom of Expression for 2020.  

The ceremony was organised by the Ugandan PEN, a subsidiary of the PEN International, a global association of writers at the Uganda Museum library. Nyanzi explained that while in prison something happened to her, saying she was undergoing a traumatic experience and wanted to recover.    

"I have a weak body but my mind is strong. I was boxed while in prison," said Nyanzi as she was gathered by her lawyer, Isaac Ssemakadde and feminist activist, Annet Namata alias Nalongo Nana. Dr Danson Sylvester Kahyana, the president Ugandan PEN, said Nyanzi's continued lapses were "the cost of freedom and part of the damage she acquired."    

 

When she was being acquitted of cyber harassment last week, Nyanzi collapsed as Uganda Prisons Service officials battled with her supporters who were blocking her forceful return to prison to formally sign out of Luzira prison. 

Nyanzi has widely published on themes of gender and sexualities, cultural development, health, and law. Oxfam Novib/PEN International Award is given to writers and journalists annually in recognition of their significant contribution to freedom of expression despite the danger to their own lives.  

 

Although Nyanzi was awarded in absentia on January 18 at a ceremony held as part of the opening night of Writers Unlimited Festival at The Hague, Netherlands, an empty chair was used to represent her. 

When Kahyana who is also a senior literature lecturer at Makerere read to Nyanzi the speech by Carles Torner, the director of PEN International that was sent in on Wednesday, February 26, she broke down, reminiscing her life in the cells.    

 

"I don't have to agree with Stella. Personally, there are many things that I don't agree with, but I have to support her to say those things because it is my duty as a Ugandan to uphold the Constitution. My supporting Stella Nyanzi is not just because I am a member of PEN, it's also because I am a Ugandan who must uphold the Constitution and it says freedom of speech is something we must have," Kahyana said.

The teary Nyanzi kept on seeking solace from her daughter Barack. She said; "When Danson was in Luzira to break the news to me about the award, I remember I was seated on the floor and he was telling me I was given an award on an empty chair."  

 

"In Luzira, women prisoners get beaten for sitting on chairs, so when I received a letter that I was awarded on an empty chair, I felt sad," she added.

According to Nyanzi, she was supposed to write her acceptance speech but every time she wrote, the chits got stolen and others confiscated by the prison authorities.  

 

"I wrote against difficult odds. The surveillance there was hyper. The snitches were numerous. The punishment for exercising my freedom to write was severe," says Nyanzi.

 

She however says she sneaked it out inside a piece of bread during one of the days she came to court. 

"I celebrate Oxfam Novib and PEN International for nominating and awarding me this honourable award. Who am I to receive The Freedom to Write Award of 2020? I am a convicted prisoner who writes graffiti on prison walls, writes poems to be sneaked out of prison gates, and writes an award speech denied permission by the prison leadership. I am deeply grateful for the award," reads Nyanzi's award acceptance speech.

 

She says her last fourteen months of incarceration are a confirmation of the degeneration of freedom of expression in Uganda.

 

"These days I no longer take for granted the freedom to write. Writing is one form of expression…Freedom to write is a priceless component of a free society. I have been horrified that democracy in my country has degenerated so dangerously. That one can be arrested, charged, prosecuted, sentenced to a maximum prison…If anyone doubted that Uganda is a repressive regime my last 14 months of detention confirm that I live in a repressive dictatorship. Can one believe that am locked up in prison for simply writing a poem?" said Nyanzi.    

Isaac Ssemakadde, said representing Nyanzi was his, "greatest honor of being a lawyer." He said they had opened a website "Be Bold like Nyanzi" in celebration of her stand against injustice.  

Nyanzi's life in prison  

Nyanzi has despite our efforts to secure her interview on her life in prison declined on grounds that she is still unstable as she is still on treatment and recovering from prison trauma. Nevertheless, Nyanzi shared some of the memories including when she was put in solitary confinement. 

She says she was denied visitors in prison for extended periods and some of her regular visitors were banned from returning to the maximum-security prison, where she was confined for nearly 15 months.

 

Nyanzi was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in jail for cyber-harassment by the Buganda Road court Grade One magistrate, Gladys Kamasanyu.  This was after she wrote a birthday poem about, President Yoweri Museveni's mother criticising his nearly 35-year rule. 

The poem was published on her Facebook page, in 2017. While in prison, Nyanzi says, "I was been beaten, punched, kicked and bruised by prison staff. My remission was reduced to ten days. I was even locked up in solitary confinement while handcuffed and nude for five days. And yet I kept on writing most nights I spent in this prison."  

She says she used the handcuffs binding her hands together to scratch huge indelible writings into the three walls of the scary cell of solitary confinement in the "condemned" section of Luzira Women Prison. 

These graffiti read, "YOU CAN HANDCUFF MY BODY BUT YOU WILL NEVER HANDCUFF MY SPIRIT – STELLA NYANZI" "LIBERTY WITHOUT FREEDOM IS STILL CAPTIVITY – STELLA NYANZI" and "SOY LIBRE – STELLA NYANZI."    

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Abawala babuutikidde abalenzi mu bya senior 6

Bya  AHMED MUKIIBI, KIZITO MUSOKE, MARGARET ZALWANGO EBYAVA  mu bigezo bya S.6 eby'omwaka 2019  bifulumye   ng'abayizi abaabituula  bataddewo likodi  ey'okuyita  mu bungi okusinga emyaka gyona egiyise....

Legislator Peter Sematimba passes A’level with 13 points

By Ahmad Muto Busiiro South legislator Peter Ssematimba who sat his UACE exams last year at Kakoola High School in Luwero district has scored thirteen (13) points from a combination of Literature, Divinity, Fine Art and Computer. Sematimba decided to sit for the exams after being dragged to court in the past over his academic […]
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Kabakko ayogedde ebya Sheebah ne Jeff Kiwa ku kabaga ka Sophie Love

OMUYIMBI Kabakko (akutte akazindaalo) akkakkanyizza emitima gy'abawagizi ba Sheebah Kalungi (mu katono) abangi gwe babadde balowooza nti yasoowagana ne maneja we, Jeff Kiwa (ataddeko gaalubindi mu katono)...

Cost of China-built railway haunts Kenya

Kenya this week is celebrating 1,000 days of standard gauge railway (SGR) operation, with 13,000 trains covering 6.3 million kilometers. The Chinese-built railway moves people and goods from the port of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi, and also to a small town in Naivasha.

As the government boasts about the country's most expensive infrastructure project since independence, the $3.2 billion cost has moved front and center. Many Kenyans think the country got a raw deal compared to its neighbors, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

"I would like once again to applaud Africa Railway Cooperation Company Limited for having attained a high point of operations on Madaraka Express passenger and freight services," said Asava Kadima, the human resource manager of the Kenya Railways Corporation.

"In regards to the ongoing developments I have just highlighted, I would like to say that the future of the railway sector in Kenya is defined, poised to be better.  Many benefits have already been realized."   

As the celebration was going on at the Nairobi railway station, many Kenyans continue to question the cost of the line that started to operate in 2017. Kenya borrowed more than $3 billion from China to build the 472-kilometer railway from Mombasa to Nairobi. It borrowed another $1.5 billion for a second branch from Nairobi to Naivasha.

Critics of the projects say they are putting the country into a debt crisis and making it indebted to China. Okiya Omtata is an activist who challenged the government in court to make a deal with China public since 2013.

"What happened with the SGR, the loan from Exim Bank of China was paid to a contractor, so it never came to Kenya. What came to Kenya was a debt," he said.

"There was the question of the proposer of the project being the implementer and also overseeing, which also is a conflict of interest that arose. The other question was, was it standard gauge or Chinese gauge railway if you look at the contract, it's a Chinese standard. So we cannot go to Brazil and buy spares for this. We must buy things from China. We are being tied to China forever."

Omtata has petitioned the court to terminate the railway deal with the Chinese. He also argues the cost of the railway construction was inflated. Kenyan media reports $1.3 million was paid to five engineers supervising the construction of the Mombasa — Nairobi railway line.

The Kenyan government has not yet made public what they agreed upon with the Chinese constructors on the railway project. Kenya's head of Transport in the parliament, David Pkosing, says people need to petition the Parliament.

"Let them petition the parliament and tell us this is inflated for this reason we know. They have no evidence. People, when they don't have evidence, they create rumors and peddle what I call fake news," he said.

Speaking to Kenyan journalists in 2019, China's ambassador to Kenya said Chinese law protects the commercial interest, and it was not up to him to agree or disagree with secret dealings between his country and Kenya. Omtata has not received a ruling yet, but he hopes the law will catch up with some government officials in the future.

"Currently we have article 225, clause six, which requires that if you mess up while in public office, and public funds are lost whether you are a politician or a public servant, you are liable whether in office or out of office. So we hope we will be able to follow up on these people," he said.

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while visiting Ethiopia, warned African leaders about countries that breed corruption, dependency and do not train African workers. 

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Aba Miss Uganda batongozza okugaba paadi mu masomero

Mu kawefube w'okulaba nga abaana ab'obuwala tebava mu masomero nga tebannamalako, Ab'ekitongole kya Miss Uganda Foundation basse omukago n'aba AFRIpads okutalaaga amasomero nga bagabira abayizi abawala...

TZ star Harmonize Punched on Stage By Fan

By website writer A video has emerged online of Tanzanian artist Harmonize getting a good punch in the face from a fan while performing live on stage. The video shows Harmonize on stage with his entourage performing for a crowd when one of the fans jumps up to the stage and gives Harmonize a punch […]
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When Janet, MPs faced off

The two-weeks-long bitter standoff between parliament and the ministry of Education ended dramatically last Thursday when First Lady and line minister Janet Museveni showed up in the House to address the MPs' uproar over the recently rolled-out revised ordinary level curriculum.

MPs triggered the standoff when they nudged Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to halt the implementation of the curriculum until Ms Museveni herself addressed their concerns.

The first lady was expected to appear before the House last Tuesday but she skipped the plenary session, triggering an angry backlash from MPs and Kadaga. She, however, showed up a day later and offered her apologies.

--------------------Apology--------------

"Please allow me to begin by informing this house that on Tuesday, February 18, we were not able to be here because we already had information from the Clerk to Parliament that we were to be here today, Thursday, the 20th of February," Ms Museveni said, adding: "Therefore, we were confident that there was no problem until we learnt later that our presentation was on the order paper for Tuesday. However, Hon [Rosemary] Seninde was in Parliament that day, so I believe she explained the mix-up which was not intended. We regret any inconveniences." Ms Museveni said the ministry could not stop the rollout as ordered by parliament without a cabinet decision.

"We, therefore, had to consult Cabinet first, and we were guided not to halt the rollout because it was too late to change the plan…" she said.

The minister then gave the background to the curriculum review process, the objectives, new aspects, the justification, implementation strategy and its benefits. 

Ms Museveni also responded to questions raised in her absence by MPs on February 4. Yudaya Nangonzi strung together an abridged version of the minister's response.

Is this a curriculum review or reform?

This is a review, and not a total reform/overhaul because the subject-based approach has been maintained. The subjects and content have remained the same.

Changes have been made to exclude obsolete content and to include contemporary knowledge and use of ICT in the teaching and learning process. The major changes are in the methodology to make the teaching learner-centered and assessment to include formative and the world of work.

Are you ready for the program or not? The ministry is excited about this new learning approach. We are learning every day and leading this new curriculum rollout to breathe new life into schools and make learning authentic.

You need to begin with Early Childhood Development (ECD) at the grassroots before implementing this.

The review of curricula at all levels was supported by the government White Paper (1992).The review started with the design of the ECD learning framework in 2005.

In the same year, the ministry embarked on the review of the primary curriculum (thematic for P1 -P3 and Competence Based Curriculum for P4-P7). The implementation of this curriculum, which is currently in operation started in 2007 with P1 (Thematic) and the first examination was conducted in 2013.

Primary one actually doesn't have cumulative assessment; so, why start with secondary education?

At primary level, continuous assessment was introduced during the review of the curriculum in 2005 to cater for the cumulative assessment. Learners in schools, which follow the ministry guidelines, carry out continuous assessment.

Teachers and head teachers were trained to record progress of their learners using key competences clearly set out in the Teacher's guide to the curriculum. Schools are expected to use these records to report on the performance of the learner, weekly, monthly and termly.

There are structures under the Core Primary Teachers Colleges through the Coordinating Centre Tutors to support schools facing difficulties in assessing and keeping records of their learners. It is the same practice the ministry has implemented at secondary level for continuity but this is referred to as formative assessment.

The ministry needs to know what the learners want. Stakeholders are unaware of what's going on.

A needs assessment was carried out by the1987-89 Education Review Commission, which led to the 1989 policy review commission. That birthed the Government White Paper of 1992 that recommended the review of curriculum at all levels of education. NCDC conducted a labour market survey in 2012 to inform the curriculum development.

This guided the centre on the kind of generic skills needed in the labour market and these have been integrated across subjects. The ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) in 2007 conducted a study and a report titled; Uganda Secondary Education and Training Curriculum, Assessment and Examination was developed. This report informed the curriculum review.

The ministry needs ample time to plan for materials. Those distributed were inadequate.

Materials expected in schools include the curriculum framework, syllabuses, textbooks and Teachers' Guides. The curriculum framework and syllabuses have been distributed to all schools both private and government and the prototypes and teachers' guides for all subjects are currently being distributed to schools in both soft and hard copies.

The procurement of the new textbooks under the MoES is in the final stages. These have been developed based on the textbook specifications and exemplar prototypes provided by NCDC.

The same prototypes were used to train teachers and the exemplar prototype textbooks developed by NCDC will be used by schools to teach S1 content as we finalise the procurement and distribution of textbooks from publishers by July 2020. Teachers are also supposed to make lesson plans using a variety of other resources.

You are saying it's going to be student-centered learning, so where are the computer centers for research?

Student-centered learning does not necessarily mean use of computers. Learner-centeredness implies the learner is part of the process of knowledge creation.

The teacher facilitates that process. This helps the learner to be a critical thinker, innovative and creative. Research can be carried out by conducting field work and using the library. Learners can read about something, discuss it and use the knowledge gained to solve a societal problem. The revised curriculum is promoting the use of ICT as a pedagogical tool.

The ministry needs more time to train teachers. Training S.1 teachers isn't enough.

Teacher training has taken a phased approach – using a cascade model starting with: 21 lead trainers, 90 national facilitators, 1,600 master trainers and 20,000 subject teachers.

In a curriculum review process, training of teachers is a continuous process referred to as; refresher training for teachers, Continuous Professional Development (CPDs) or support supervision where teachers are coached and mentored. This method of building support for teachers offers a good start for continuous support during the implementation process.

MoES has started with S1 teachers (one from each broad specialization of; Sciences, Humanities, Vocational, Languages and the Director of Studies) because the rollout starts with S1 learners. Since the rollout is phased in approach, there will be continuous training at school level.

Why is Agriculture not a compulsory subject yet agriculture is the backbone of the country?

The basic concepts of Agriculture are sufficiently covered at this level through other subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geography. 

At primary level, learners are exposed to concepts of agriculture in Integrated Science. Development in the world today is steered by knowledge economies with forecasts of the job market being in the area of technology and innovation.

We are in the 4th Industrial Revolution era and with time, the job market will be skewed more towards technology-related disciplines. Nonetheless, O-level is basic education where learners receive basic concepts. On the other hand, government has, in its structure, a career progression/path for agriculture under Farm schools, Agriculture institutes and vocational institutes where learners who wish to specialize in agriculture as a vocation can enroll.

Not all upcountry secondary school teachers were able to attend the trainings because they did not receive information about the training.

The communication to teachers was channeled through their head teachers using the head teachers' association (ASSHU) and the Science and Mathematics programme coordinators (SESEMAT).

All schools, government and private, were required to send four to five teachers irrespective of the geographical location. Nonetheless, the ministry plans to train all teachers in a phased approach.

Picking four teachers per school, training them for three days, and then expecting them to train other teachers is impractical. Of the 14 subjects, only four are picked. How much time has been allocated to the four inadequately trained teachers to train other teachers of the 14 subjects?

The training took five days, not three. This training was to expose teachers to the methods of teaching a learner-centered curriculum and how to embed generic skills, values, and cross-cutting issues in the learning activities. Teachers were also exposed to methods of formative assessment. Most of the concepts across subjects remained unchanged.

Every teacher graduates with two teaching subjects, therefore; the four or five teachers meant that teachers for eight or 10 subjects were trained. The sustainable plan as we roll out the revised curriculum is to have more school-based training than the big national trainings. The training focused on a teacher from each broader area such as sciences, vocational, languages and humanities.

The Director of Studies was also trained. These teachers are expected to train other teachers in their respective areas at school level. Indeed, a number of schools have already engaged the master trainers to support their school-based training. The four or five teachers were identified by their head teachers during their annual conference in Arua in September 2019.

They were asked to identify teachers who would be competent enough to learn and be able to train other teachers and stakeholders like parents and learners in their schools.

As part of the Secondary Teacher Development Management System programme (STDMS) under the ministry of Education, there are plans to set up 73 centres in addition to the already existing 27, which have been used for the current training, to help support schools (through CPDs) during the implementation of the revised curriculum.

In addition to teachers who have been trained, the team of Master trainers totaling 1,600 – majority of whom were teachers – were trained by NCDC in January 2020 in three centres namely; Kololo SS, Nabisunsa Girls school and Seeta High Mbalala campus. These Master trainers have been part of the teams, which have been training their fellow teachers in the 27 training centres all over the country, during these five days.

The training has been marred by corruption. Teachers were promised a daily allowance of Shs 25,000 but got Shs 30,000 in total.

A written communication and the breakdown of the budget for stationery, meals and transport refund were sent to host head teachers (schools) and SESEMAT leaders.

On the first day of training, participants were told they would get a transport refund of Shs 30,000. Training is skills acquisition and government did not plan to pay teachers for gaining knowledge and skills enhancement. The other costs in respect of accommodation and meals were to be catered for by the host school in kind.

Who are the stakeholders involved in this reform and where is the evidence to support your claim that you interacted with MPs?

Consultations have been ongoing since the ministry embarked on the reform of the curriculum. Key stakeholders like the Parliamentary Committee on Education were consulted in 2016 and 2017.

They also came to the NCDC on August 29, 2018 to give their views on the proposed curriculum and implementation plans. NCDC presented the plan of piloting the curriculum in 20 schools. The advice from honorable members was that since the design of the curriculum had reverted to subjects from the earlier design of learning areas, then there was no need to stretch the already thin budget on piloting.

This advice was presented to the Curriculum Task Force of the MoES and after lengthy deliberations, the ministry appreciated the MPs' advice. 

The ministry decided to roll out the curriculum countrywide instead of piloting it in 20 schools. The other stakeholders consulted were: His Excellency the President in April 2018, vice chancellors from both private and government aided universities in December 2017, Vice chancellors Forum in 2016, Uganda Secondary Schools Head Teachers' Association (ASSHU), Deans of schools for Education from both private and government-aided universities and representatives from the National Teachers' Colleges in January 2018, Parents in 2019, representatives of Religious Institutions in 2012, and representatives of the Geography and History Associations in 2015.

Prior to the above, a labour market survey with employers was conducted in 2012 to get their views on the required skills for the world of work. The outcome from these consultations is what guided on the number of subjects on the curriculum menu, the renaming and re-organization of some subjects, the number of compulsory subjects at senior 1 and 2, and senior 3 and 4.

What are the assessment tools used or to be used for the learner?

Assessment in the revised curriculum is to change from one which has no clearly defined and documented standards (Norm-referenced) to one which focuses on pre-determined and clearly defined standards (criterion referenced).

Formative also known as classroom-based assessment is critical in the reviewed curriculum because it is going to be used to track the performance of the learner right from S1 to the end of the cycle. Each leaner will have a Student Identification Number (SIN) which will be captured on the learner record card.

The learner's achievements will be captured on the record card for all terms. This will be averaged and submitted to Uneb for use at the end of the cycle and will contribute 20 per cent of the total score. The end-of-term report on achievements gained by the learner in a summative way will be provided as is the case now.

For the pre-vocational subjects, the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) under the Ministry of Education will also assess the learners on specified competences from the syllabus and give them a workplace certificate. The learners will be assessed in S3 and then sit the UNEB examinations in S4.

There is no need for physical education to be compulsory because we lack very many things to implement a proper physical education programme.

Physical exercise is a vital part of the learning process. I would like to share the Finland example. Finish children spend far more time playing outside even in the depth of the winter and secondly; homework is minimal yet Finland is one of the leading countries in education globally.

What are the benefits of studying from 8 am to 3 pm?

This is an effort to get pupils to practice what they have learnt in theory even if it means discussing it in groups outside the class. This brings more understanding. 

How many students will a teacher be in charge of during the after-class periods from 3 pm…?

It is expected that a class has an average of 50 to 60 learners and depending on the approach used by the teacher, learners will have tasks, projects, innovations and activities to do during the after 2:55 pm period.

The teacher is expected to supervise. Every teacher will be required to supervise after class activities to ensure that learners are actually learning through research, group work, group discussions, co-curricular, and project work. There is also a guideline on how to manage the period after 2:55 pm. But once leaners have been trained to be responsible citizens through guidance and counseling programs, the teachers' roles will be simplified.  

Are we going to provide market for other countries to teach the new language on board, Swahili?

Uganda has enough teachers of Kiswahili. The 1992 government White Paper recommended teaching of Kiswahili and since then and earlier; universities and National Teacher's Colleges have been training teachers of Kiswahili. The trained Kiswahili teachers can service the approximately 5,000 secondary schools.

What are the assessment measures in case a learner changes a school during the years of study, how are the cumulative results assessed and stored?

Achievement records are kept either in soft or hard copy at school. Each learner will have a number, which will be captured on one's record card. The learner achievement will be captured on this card for all terms. In case a learner changes school, his or her score will be already reflected on the record card at Uneb using his or her SIN. The child is also expected to transfer with her record card from one school to another.

nangonzi@observer.ug

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Miss Uganda North America to ‘export’ Luganda to the USA

By Bayan Nalubwama Miss Uganda North America Vanessa Nansamba has revealed that she would love to advocate for Luganda teaching schools in America. According to Miss Vanessa,the schools will help in keeping Buganda culture strong for the generation to come. "I would love to advocate for luganda schools in America to keep the Luganda culture […]
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Law graduates from Rwanda petition Kadaga over failure to practice in Uganda

Ugandan law graduates from the Institute of Legal Practice & Development in Rwanda have petitioned the speaker Rebecca Kadaga over their failure to practice law in Uganda.

The students petitioned Kadaga, saying they have been rendered jobless after the Uganda Law Council (ULC) declined to accredit them upon their return to Uganda after studying the bar course from Rwanda. According to ULC Rwanda is not under the common law jurisdiction.

Rwanda's legal practice is premised on the civil law; widely used among Francophone countries, while Uganda practices common law, practiced under the Commonwealth countries. An example in common law is one is innocent until proven guilty, while in civil law, one is guilty unless proven innocent.

Most of the students studied their law degrees first in Ugandan schools like Cavendish University and Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) but went to Rwanda for the bar course to the Institute of Legal Practice and Development - the equivalent of Uganda's Law Development Centre (LDC) in Makerere.

 

The bar course is a postgraduate course which allows law graduates to practice as lawyers. Wahab Kasim says he has had to come back to LDC and do a bar course even after doing one from Rwanda because he was frustrated.

He says that although ULC says Rwanda is not under common law, it actually is and in the spirit of East African Integration, those who studied from Rwanda should be allowed to practice as Rwanda fully adopted common law practice.

He says Kenya has accepted people who studied in Rwanda, and Rwanda too has accepted Ugandans who studied in Uganda, but Uganda has left them on the streets.

 

"The lecturers are from common law systems, the content is common law, what we do at the Legal Practice of Institute is what is done in LDC. In fact, after the six months of studying, we are allowed to come to Uganda to be surveilled or to work under law firms and senior lawyers. Indeed some of us came back. It is six months of study, then 3 months of clerkship." said Kasim.  

Nalubwama Afwua, who studied at IUIU says it is not that they failed LDC in Uganda and opted to go to Rwanda, but some of them found themselves in Rwanda for different reasons. She says in any case, she doesn't notice any difference between those studied the bar course in Uganda and those who have qualified from Rwanda. 

Kadaga said this is an area that needs to be addressed. According to the speaker, for Ugandans to start practicing in Kenya, it took government intervention and hoped that this too shall be addressed. She says she will bring the matter before MPs so that the legal and parliamentary committee can scrutinize it.

Simon Peter Kinobe, a member of the ULC and president of Uganda Law Society says the problem with Rwanda is that they practice civil law but because of the East African integration, they also started practicing common law which leads to a mixup at times. 

According to Kinobe, it is not a matter of superiority, but the fact that Rwanda practices a different law system.

 

"We have had people from South Africa come to practice in Uganda, but we cannot allow them to practice because although South Africa is well advanced in law, it's a different jurisdiction of common and Roman-Dutch common law," he said.

Kinobe now says what some countries have been doing is to look at the papers of students who study out of the jurisdiction and ask them to study what they missed. There are about 200 Ugandan students who completed bar course from Rwanda.  

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Walukagga atadde akaka mu luyimba lwe olupya

    Oluyimba lwe yatuumye "Akanyomonyomo" lw'ogera ku mbeera eriwo ey'okunyigirizibwa, obutali bwenkanya kwossa n'ejjoogo.   Mu luyimba lwe lumu ayogera ku mbeera eyaliwo ng'abakungu okuva mu bbanka...

Photos: When Whispers Lounge Opened Its Counters To Kampala Party Animals

Kampala party animals have yet another reason to smile and excuse to party after party when a new hangout opened its doors to the public on Friday. Whispers Lounge located in Bugolobi is the brand new entrant into the fast-paced entertainment and hospitality world. The executive lounge owned by city businessman Elvis Sekyansi of Silk […]

The post Photos: When Whispers Lounge Opened Its Counters To Kampala Party Animals appeared first on Chano8.

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Pressure esse abafamire babiri omulundi gumu

OKUFA kw'omugagga kalanzi ku kanze aba famire ye ekiviriddeko omu okufa abalala ne batwalibwa muddwaliro nga bataawa. Ekikangabwa kino kyagudde  ku kyalo Bukoto mu muluka gwe Luteete mu ggombolola ye...

Eight workers injured in Tembo Steel Mills blast

Eight casual labourers attached to the Iganga based Tembo Steel Mills are nursing serious they sustained following an explosion at the factory. 

Ibrahim Mwanja, Amina Nakagolo, Wilfred Onyango, Geoffrey Egesa, Isaac Kisira, Dennis Mweyongera, Koren Namukwaya and Zakayo Ivurabe sustained burns on their bodies after they dropped a round-shaped metallic block in the furnace, which splashed hot liquid onto their skins. They are currently admitted at Mercy health center where they were rushed for treatment.

"We were immersing different metal pieces into the furnace and all seemed well until our colleague dropped a round metallic ball, which exploded like a bomb," Ibrahim Mwanja one of the victims said.

Nakagolo, another survivor said despite the fact that she is out of danger; she wants the factory management to offer them standard medical care.

"The hot liquid injured both my hands and it would be just fair if the factory offered us medical attention in a suitable government hospital with specialists to handle these burns," she said.  

Samuel Kawuuta, the human resource officer Tembo Steel Mills confirmed the incident, said it resulted from unauthorized water flow in the furnace.  

"Water is an important component in the softening of these metals. Part of the water accidentally poured into the hot furnace, causing it to burst instantly," he said.  

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Police battles Bobi Wine supporters in Ndeeba, Mulago

Business grounded to a halt in Ndeeba, a suburb of Kampala following running battles between police and People Power pressure group.    

Police fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse charged opposition supporters. It all started after police deployed heavily at Pope Paul Memorial Hall hotel in Ndeeba where Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, the People Power leader was expected to hold a consultative meeting on his presidential ambitions.  

Police blocked access to part of the road that leads to the hotel which ignited People Power supporters into protest. They started shouting at police questioning why it was blocking their meeting yet it was happening indoors as police has always ordered.  

Police chased the People Power activists forcing them to reorganise, a short distance from the roadblock at around Petrocity fuel station in Ndeeba. They were chanting "People Power, Our Power" while riding on boda bodas at high speeds.    

Others from nearby garages lit car tyres on the road causing a temporary blockage. Dauda Sserwadda, a car dealer in Nabunya Pope Paul Road, says they had not been able to attend to customers because of the chaos that forced them to close shop. He says police would rather deal with such issues calmly such that innocent people conducting business don't get affected in the process. 

Joel Nsubuga, a broker at one of the car garages said the protest affected their business as he could not lure potential buyers to his site. He says government should stop disrupting gatherings of the opposition because it disrupts business and abuses the human rights of Ugandans. Faridah Ibrahim runs a snacks stall in Ndeeba said she had to close shop when police started firing tear gas. She says this has affected her day's earnings. 

Bashir Ssenfuma and Steven Muwonge are some of the People Power supporters who were disappointed when blocked their meeting. They had come to the venue only to be stopped by heavily armed police. They condemned the decision of security to block their meeting, saying rather than frustrate their programs, government should address their grievances.    

Six people were arrested by police during the protests. Our reporter was unable to get a comment from police spokespersons about the incident as they declined to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, the protests continued to Mulago near Wandegeya after Bobi Wine's supporters stormed the City Mortuary demanding for the corpse of their colleague Ritah Nabukenya.

Nabukenya was allegedly knocked dead by a police patrol car in Nakawa, also a Kampala suburb as she tried to access court to attend Bobi Wine's court case against social media tax. She died from Mulago hospital where she had been rushed.

However, police denied knocking Nabukenya dead, claiming she was involved in an accident with another motorcycle as her boda boda attempted to overtake a police patrol vehicle. 

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Mayinja yeeganye eby'okuwagira NRM ng'ayimbira e Nakulabye

Omuyimbi Ronald Mayinja akubye emiziki e Mukono ne Nakulabye ne yeewuunya engeri abaayo gye baamusanyukidde n'okumuwagira.     Mayinja nga azina n'omuddigize  Yabadde ku bbaala za Labamba...

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Africa 66% ready to tackle coronavirus - WHO

 

Only 66 per cent of countries in Africa have put in place preparedness mechanisms to handle a case of coronavirus (COVID -19) if it arises, the African Union (AU) says.

A statement released on Sunday shows that the emergency meeting of Health ministers convened by the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa on Saturday assessed individual countries' readiness to tackle the disease and found critical gaps in their capacity to investigate alerts or be able to follow up with people in isolation effectively. 

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director for Africa who attended the meeting said only 66 per cent of the countries have strengthened their capacity to investigate alerts and have improved infection prevention in health facilities and in the community.

"WHO finds that there are critical gaps in readiness for countries across the continent," he said noting that WHO has deployed 40 experts to ten countries in Africa to support coordination, surveillance and laboratory disease control. 

"The threat posed by COVID-19 has cast a spotlight on the shortcomings in health systems in the African Region. We need urgently to prioritize strengthening the capacities for countries to investigate alerts treat patients in isolation facilities and improve infection, prevention and control in health facilities and in communities", he said in a statement.

Coronavirus continues to ravage China where the disease started in late 2019 with infections currently standing at 76,392  and 2,595 deaths. Outside China, the disease has affected 2,195 people in 28 countries with some 25 deaths. On Saturday, two new countries (Lebanon and Israel) reported cases of COVID-19.

WHO says preparedness for infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is a worthwhile investment when one considers the cost of responding to outbreaks. It gives an example of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that was estimated at close to $3 billion.

They say that preparedness efforts which countries had put in place for Ebola are paying off, helping even for coronavirus. For instance, in the nine countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they are using structures for screening and isolations units that were already in place and have only had to do small upgrading to manage suspected cases.      

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Bobi Wine supporter knocked dead by police van

By Paul Waiswa A supporter of Bobi Wine's People Power movement been knocked dead by a Police van According to Ssasi Marvin, a coordinator for People Power youth wing, Ritah Priya real name Ritah Nabukenya was knocked off a boda boda on which she was riding to court Monday Morning. "Comrade Ritah Priya Owa Kyagulanyi […]
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Beefudde abasawo ne bamufera obukadde 15

POLIISI e Kyotera ekutte abeeyita abasawo b'ekinnnasi abafere ku bigambibwa nti balina omukyala Faridah Nansubuga 37, gwe baafeze ne bamunyaga obukadde 15. Abakwate kuliko Hakim Walukagga eyeeyita Jjajja...

Okutuuza Ssaabalabirizi kuli mu ggiya

ENTEEKATEEKA z'okutuuza Ssaabalabirizi omulonde, Dr. Stephen Kazimba Mugalu ziri mu ggiya ng'ono agenda kutuuzibwa nga March 1, 2020 mu Lutikko e Namirembe. Ssentebe w'akakiiko akategesi era nga ye...

Gold exporters decry extortion by Entebbe Aviation Police

A whistleblower has petitioned the police chief, Martins Okoth Ochola, to investigate officers attached to Entebbe airport over extortion and illegal detention of gold traders.

In the dossier dated February 20 seen by The Observer, the whistleblower, who says is a concerned police officer, claims top police officials have made it a habit to extort bribes from gold exporters under the guise that the gold lacks proper documentation.

"I would like to bring to your attention senior officers who are tainting the image of Uganda Police Force by forcing people exporting minerals, especially gold, to offer bribes or else they forge excuses to delay or confiscate it," reads part of the dossier.

"I cannot mention names right now for fear of reprisals from my seniors but I pray you institute a probe into how senior officers at the airport have amassed a lot of wealth from extortion. I would like to meet you in person to furnish you with the details," she said. 

In recent years, gold has eclipsed coffee as Uganda's biggest export with more than $834m (about Shs 3 trillion) earned in 2019 alone, making it the leading individual foreign exchange earner.

Conversely, the gold export boom has also attracted immense interest from the Entebbe Aviation Police and according to the whistleblower; "many senior police officers have either become brokers/agents of gold smugglers or frustrate genuine traders."

INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE

Baker Kawonawo, the Entebbe division police commander, could not be reached for a comment but his deputy referred us to Entebbe Airport Aviation Police. When The Observer visited the station, officers declined to comment on the issue.

However, we found a complainant, Derrick Lukanda Kibirango, who was protesting that the aviation police confiscated his 10kg of gold destined for Germany on grounds that it lacked proper verification documents.

He added that the police went ahead to detain his three workers involved in the consignment. Meanwhile, the gold is being kept at the airport's customs custody.

According to the records, aviation police intercepted the gold, worth about Shs 400m, on February 17. The consignee is registered as Apollonia Schonberger.

"They demanded a certificate of verification of the gold origin but when I presented it, they refused to accept it until I give them a share but I will not budge because everything is clean," he said.

Lukanda showed The Observer original copies of Shs 77 million tax clearance certificates from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) dated January 27, 2020, the air waybill, verification of origin by the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as a certificate from the Department of Geological Survey and Mines.

"I know they are delaying me so that I pay them a bribe but I will not…but this delay is hurting my business because the recipient is going to charge me extra money."

Meanwhile, Tom Lugambi, the lawyer for the detained gold dealers, has vowed to bring concerned officers to book.

"We will not bow to pressure and give anyone a bribe because the gold possesses all the required paperwork," he said. "The continued holding of my clients after the expiry of 48 hours also violates their rights."

Reached out for a comment, Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, said he is not yet aware of the dossier but said police will investigate the matter when the file reaches the appropriate authorities.

"If the owner presented all the documents as required, there is no reason to continue holding the gold. All officers found to be colluding to hold the gold will be held accountable," he said.

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Kanyamunyu trial adjourned indefinitely

The trial of murder key suspect Mathew Kanyamunyu and his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari has been adjourned indefinitely after presiding judge Stephen Mubiru returned back to his duty station as Gulu resident judge.

Kanyamunyu and Munwangari are accused of shooting dead child rights activist, Kenneth Akena in 2016 after he reportedly scratched Kanyamunyu's vehicle around Lugogo in Nakawa Division. 

After hearing of the 13th prosecution witness, the trial of the suspects which was part of a special criminal court session presided over by justice Mubiru was this afternoon adjourned indefinitely after the session came to an end. Mubiru, now returns to Gulu to handle cases within his jurisdiction. 

As a result, the trial will now be pushed to another convenient session whose dates are not yet fixed, a development which might require that the trial starts afresh. John Paul Akena, one of the brothers to the deceased said that the adjournment spells doom because to them, it tantamount to the denial of justice. He, however, hastens to add that the family will continue waiting with hope for justice.   

Before the adjournment, the state prosecutors led by Jonathan Muwaganya presented their 13th witness; detective assistant inspector of police Steven Walimbwa who was the investigating officer in the alleged murder. 

He said that on November 12, 2016, he got instructions from his boss, detective assistant superintendent of police Godwin Agaba, the head of the Criminal Investigations Department at Jinja Road police station requiring him to go to Norvik hospital and take Akena's body to the City Mortuary for postmortem. 

Walimbwa said the examination was done by two doctors and he witnessed a projectile being removed from Akena's rectum and seven mops. He told the court that while there, detective Seargent Haruna Mugisha took pictures of the events in the presence of the deceased's brother. 

He added that later, he went to Wandegeya police station where fellow detectives handed to him some exhibits including Kanyamunyu and Akena's cars, two mobile phones, a bunch of keys, a knife, a right-handed shoe, black dress and navy blue trouser with its coat.

The court further heard that Walimbwa got an order from the directorate of public prosecution to release the car to Kanyamunyu which was done in May 2018.  Walimbwa narrated that he wrote to the commissioner in charge of private firearms in the ministry of Internal Affairs seeking to find out whether Kanyamunyu could have ever acquired a license to possess a firearm.  

But the commissioner in charge of firearms reportedly wrote back saying that they didn't have any record indicating that Kanyamunyu has ever applied for a gun or been licensed to have one.

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Chameleone Thankful His Brother Pallaso Is Still Alive, Rubbishes Those Calling It A Stunt

What started as fun filled video shoot later turned into a nightmare for Team Good Music boss Pallaso who after the shoot was mobbed by a group of xenophobic South Africans who beat him up using sticks and stones plus chasing him around the streets. As he nurses the wounds on his arms, back and […]

The post Chameleone Thankful His Brother Pallaso Is Still Alive, Rubbishes Those Calling It A Stunt appeared first on Chano8.

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Sam Mukasa ayingidde goloofa ye n’asoomooza banne!

Bw'oyogera ku bamaneja b'abayimbi mu Uganda abalina ke bekoledde, Sam Mukasa owa King Saha y'omu ku bbo. Mukasa asabukulidde goloofa gy'azimbye e Kawuku ku Ntebe Road eccamudde emikwano n'abawagizi...

DJ Kasbaby to entertain revellers at Drunk at Brunch party

By website writer  DJ Kasbaby who is one of the best DJs in Kampala will this Sunday get to work at Seven Trees in Kololo.  Kasbaby will be the main DJ at Drunk at Brunch Party that will happen for the first time. The party organised by ExW will have revellers Brunch and on top […]
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Rema Squashes Rumours About Disrespecting Her Husband -“How Can I?”

A few weeks after singer Rema Namakula introduced her new found love, one Hamza Ssebunya a lavish introduction ceremony that took place in Nabbingo, Wakiso district, rumours began circulating how Rema allegedly is the 'man' in the house who commands respect to Hamza This week, more recent rumours on the streets had it that, Rema […]

The post Rema Squashes Rumours About Disrespecting Her Husband -"How Can I?" appeared first on Chano8.

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Pallaso Hits Back At Critics Claiming He Pulled A Publicity Stunt Following Assault In SA

Right now the singer 'Pallaso getting assaulted by a group of xenophobic people in South Africa' on Wednesday evening news is one of the hottest topics of discussion. He narrowly survived death if his narration about way he was tortured is anything to go by. He broke the news about the hell that happened to […]

The post Pallaso Hits Back At Critics Claiming He Pulled A Publicity Stunt Following Assault In SA appeared first on Chano8.

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Harassing the president: Court orders immediate release of Stella Nyanzi

The High court has quashed the conviction and the 18-month sentence that was handed to Dr Stella Nyanzi by Buganda Road court magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu last year in August.

Kamasanyu convicted and sentenced Nyanzi of cyber harassment after she published a birthday poem on September 16, 2016 for President Yoweri Museveni's 74th birthday. Prosecution sued Nyanzi claiming the poem was too vulgar and ridiculed the person of the president. 

But now, Justice Henry Peter Adonyo has ordered for the immediate release of Nyanzi, saying the Buganda Road Magistrate's court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

Justice Adonyo also noted that the lower court violated Nyanzi's constitutional right to a fair hearing. The poem in question reportedly ridiculed Esteeri Kokundeka, the late mother of President Museveni.

In December last year, the High court also awarded Shs 50 million to the Makerere University researcher for the violation of her rights by the government when it blocked her from boarding the plane in 2017.

The Shs 50m award stemmed from an application challenging the infringement of her fundamental human right when the government secretly placed her name on a "no-fly list" and confiscated her passport. 

Nyanzi was blocked from leaving the country on March 19, 2017, to attend a scholarly conference in Amsterdam. By the time of the action, Nyanzi had already checked in at Entebbe International airport, but she could not get clearance from the immigration desk.

During the time police said it was investigating a possible case of offensive communication and cyber harassment against Nyanzi and she was required to assist police investigations, according to a letter from the Makerere University vice chancellor.

In a subsequent complaint to Joseph Obwona, the deputy director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Nyanzi indicated that her passport and boarding passes had been confiscated making her unable to travel. She demanded in vain to be removed from the no-fly list prompting her to run to court for redress.

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Legendary: Salvado Seals His Position In Comedy History Books After Celebrating 10 Years

The journey started 10 years ago as some would put it, as a joke. But for Patrick Idringi aka Salvado a qualified Telecom Engineer, it wasn't a joking matter when he quit his juicy job at MTN Uganda as Switch  engineer to pursue his dream career as a comedian. It all started in 2009 when […]

The post Legendary: Salvado Seals His Position In Comedy History Books After Celebrating 10 Years appeared first on Chano8.

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Zzina Awards 2020 Categories Unveiled As Nominations Open To Public

In every first quarter of a new year, one of Uganda’s leading urban-youth Radio stations Galaxy FM gets to recognize and reward the most outstanding Ugandan talents of the past 12 months at the now 7-year-old Zzina Awards. The open nomination process which will be conducted on the station's social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and […]

The post Zzina Awards 2020 Categories Unveiled As Nominations Open To Public appeared first on Chano8.

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Apartheid ‘not a crime against humanity’ - fmr S.Africa president

South Africa's final apartheid president, F.W. de Klerk, has found himself in the crosshairs of the powerful African National Congress - and many others - since he said he didn't believe the racist system was a crime against humanity.

While his comments - made earlier this month - have provoked outrage, African scholars have noted a sense of continental amnesia about the past, and say this misplaced nostalgia is not an exclusively South African phenomenon.

De Klerk was instrumental in ending apartheid, releasing Nelson Mandela from prison and ushering in democracy in 1994. De Klerk shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela for their role in ending the apartheid regime that treated the nation's non-white majority as second-class citizens.

'I don't fully agree with that'

45 per cent of today's South Africans had yet to be born when that happened. But the wounds of apartheid still run deep, as seen by de Klerk's heated exchange with state broadcaster SABC.

Reporter Manelisi Dubase pressed the former president to agree with the United Nations' classification of the system as a crime against humanity:

"I don't fully agree with that," de Klerk responded, adding, "I profusely apologize for [apartheid]. But there's a difference between calling something a crime, like genocide is a crime. Apartheid cannot be, that's why I'm saying this, cannot be, for instance compared with genocide. There was never genocide."

As Dubase then noted, thousands of people - most of them black were killed in internecine violence during apartheid. Additionally, countless protesters were killed in police detention or by police action, and millions of South Africans were subjected to daily indignities, restrictions and unfair treatment solely on the basis of their race.

De Klerk's comments have provoked widespread anger, including from the foundation of fellow Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu. Last week, parliamentarians from the youth-oriented Economic Freedom Fighters party protested De Klerk's presence during the president's annual speech.

And the African National Congress said the former president's comments were "a clear and deliberate attempt to incite race hatred."

"Apartheid was a brutal system of oppression and underdevelopment, and the United Nations in 1973 correctly declared it a crime against humanity," said ANC spokesman Pule Mabe.

"The nation is therefore indeed shocked, and we are all asking: Mr. de Klerk, was apartheid anything else than this definition by the entire world?"

Hate speech is not legally protected in South Africa, although the ANC did not explicitly call for punishment. The EFF, however, is calling for a case to be opened against De Klerk.

'It is my own fish; leave him to me'

Independent political analyst Ralph Mathekga said he is worried about what he sees as a continent-wide attempt to revise what is often painful history. He pointed to the nostalgia over recently deceased Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe, longtime Kenyan ruler Daniel Arap Moi, and others. 

"When I look at how we reflect on Mugabe, we reflect on some former dictators, it's almost like we're saying -- and this has actually been a Nigerian saying, 'It is my own fish; leave him to me,'" he told VOA. "It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Because if you look at the performance of those dictators, what have they achieved locally? There is no material benefit that justify this attempt to whitewash history."

Mathekga was a high school student when apartheid ended. When asked if he thought apartheid was a crime against humanity, his reply was swift.

"Of course, there was no doubt about it...Forget about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The killing, mass killing, of black people, in Thembisa, in  Katlehong, in Sebokeng -- I've seen those with my eyes, so I cannot imagine any system that has been as atrocious as apartheid."

De Klerk's foundation, which had initially supported his comments, on Monday withdrew them, saying apartheid was a crime against humanity.  

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Popular Rwandan gospel musician found dead in police cell

A popular Rwandan gospel musician who in 2015 was found guilty of conspiracy to murder or harm President Paul Kagame was found dead in a police cell Monday in the capital, Kigali, authorities said.

Kizito Mihigo, 38, an ethnic Tutsi survivor of the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them, killed himself in the morning hours, a police statement said.

The official account of a suicide was expected to be met with skepticism in a country where the government is frequently accused of targeting perceived critics.

Described by many as Rwanda's biggest cultural icon and a devout Catholic known for songs promoting healing and forgiveness, Mihigo had been pardoned in 2018 but was re-arrested last week. Police asserted that he had been trying to flee to neighbouring Burundi to join groups fighting the Rwandan government.

"He has been in police cell for three days as police investigated why he was crossing the border illegally and cases of bribery," police spokesman Eric Kabera said in a statement. He didn't respond to calls from The Associated Press.

Police said Mihigo had been allowed to meet family members and his lawyer. It was not immediately known whether he had been in a solitary cell. A family member declined to comment. The news of the death was met with disbelief.

The Rwanda Investigations Bureau tweeted on Thursday that the country's security organs had handed over Mihigo, saying the charges against him included illegally crossing to Burundi, joining terrorist groups and corruption.

Mihigo was arrested in 2014 and sentenced the following year to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of conspiracy to murder or harm Kagame and other top leaders. He was also convicted of complicity to overthrow the government and conspiracy to form alliances with negative groups to destabilize the country.

He pleaded guilty to all charges, leading the judge to say he was given a lenient sentence because he had made the court's work easy. He was pardoned in 2018 by Kagame alongside Rwanda's leading opposition leader, Victoire Ingabire. But last week, police said his attempt to escape constituted a breach of conditions of the presidential order, meaning the revocation of the pardon. 

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Black Roots Unlimited Serenades Revellers With Reggae Vibes At Ciroc Pop Night

Being Valentine's Day, Kampala party animals were treated to a Ciroc Pop Valentines Special Live concert at top Industrial Area-based night spot, Guvnor. The mood was buoyant as Black Roots Unlimited featuring Tonya Michelle Ahenda, Julius Sese and Lisa Sonia performed classic soul R&B love ballads. From the décor to Celine Dion to Mariah Carey, […]

The post Black Roots Unlimited Serenades Revellers With Reggae Vibes At Ciroc Pop Night appeared first on Chano8.

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Ugandan actress lands role in Hollywood movie titled Little America

By website writer Ugandan singer and renowned film star Susan Basemera also known as Zani Lady C is milling with Hollywood stars. Basemera who is based in the UK has continued to prove she is raising the Ugandan flag a notch higher. As you read this, she is one of the Africans that featured in […]
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Oulanya agugumbudde abazadde abataweerera baana

Supercars, houses and suits: Equatorial Guinea's first son and VP

Groups fighting graft in Africa see a ready symbol for their campaign in Teodorin Obiang, the playboy son of Equatorial Guinea leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

The slick-haired scion has a fondness for parties, supercars, fancy suits, jewellery, yachts and the company of hip hop stars, documenting many of his exploits on Instagram. The 50-year-old is the oldest son of Africa's longest-serving leader. 

As vice president, he has been groomed to succeed his father as head of a state awash with oil but mired in poverty and a reputation for corruption. Transparency International rates Equatorial Guinea 173rd out of 180 countries on its 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index.

A Paris court last week upheld a three-year suspended jail term against the younger Obiang and handed him a 30-million-euro ($32.9 million) fine for using public money to buy a six-floor Paris home and luxury cars.

He becomes the first African leader to be sentenced in France for allegedly ill-gotten gains, although his assets have also been targeted in the United States and Switzerland.

'Something exceptional'

Seemingly unabashed, within 40 minutes of the court's verdict, Obiang posted a video clip on social media showing him on a luxury motorbike in the capital Malabo.

In a profile by French TV at the turn of the millennium, he talked with pride of his wine collection, of buying 30 suits at once from top-market tailors and was filmed at the wheel of his cars, ranging from a Bentley and a Rolls-Royce to a Ferrari and a Lamborghini.

"I'm always looking for something exceptional," he said on camera to a jeweller who was showing him a watch worth more than 22,250 euros ($23,250).

Obiang was just 10 when in 1979 his father overthrew his bloodthirsty uncle, the dictator Francisco Macias Nguema. In the 1980s, the new leader's son was enrolled in the select Ecole des Roches in Normandy, northwest France, a school that prides itself on educating the offspring of leaders from all over the world.

Keen to live it up in Paris, Rio and the United States, Obiang was not even 30 when his father appointed him minister of Forests in 1997 in his tropical homeland. In the government post until 2012, Obiang was considered the godfather of the lucrative timber trade, but at the same time oil exports began to bring previously unimaginable wealth.

Most of the country's 1.2 million people live below the poverty threshold on less than two dollars a day, according to several economic indicators. In 2016, President Obiang — freshly elected with more than 90 per cent of the vote — named his son vice president.

Teodorin Obiang used this appointment to argue in vain at the International Court of Justice in The Hague that he had diplomatic immunity and could not be prosecuted in France.

'Relentless embezzlement'

In 2014, the US Justice Department forced Obiang to hand over more than $30 million in assets purchased with the proceeds of corruption. It estimated that he used his position and influence as a minister to amass wealth of more than $300 million.

"Through relentless embezzlement and extortion, [he] shamelessly looted his government and shook down businesses in his country to support his lavish lifestyle, while many of his fellow citizens lived in extreme poverty," it said.

The assets he forked over to settle the case included a $30-million mansion in Malibu, a Ferrari and various items of Michael Jackson memorabilia. In 2016, Swiss authorities seized 25 of Obiang's supercars and last year sold them at an auction, raising 21 million euros for social work in Equatorial Guinea.

And in 2018, the Brazilian police seized more than $16 million in cash and luxury watches in the luggage of a delegation accompanying Obiang.

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Gov’t asks court to dismiss suit against junk food

The government has asked court to dismiss a case in which it is accused of failing to protect Ugandans from the influx of junk food

Civil Society Organization Health Equity and Policy Initiative (HEAPI) and Anthony Odur, a health rights activist sued government in December last year saying that lives of especially children were being put in danger by the government's failure to regulate, among others, labels on food products and their advertisement. 

Also sued together with the government is the National Children Authority, Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). HEAPI sought for conspicuous healthy warnings on labels of unhealthy foods and beverages in their application. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to them, research shows that graphic health warnings on food packages similar to those used on cigarette or alcohol packs can prompt people to abandon pleasure-seeking impulses and choose healthier foods.  

But state attorney Samuel Tusubira says the suit is premature and misconceived because the Ministry of Health and various institutions have from time to time issued circulars that highlight the knowledge and attitudes of behavioural change to communities in food and nutrition-related matters. 

He cites policies that advance proper nutrition like the presidential initiative on healthy eating and healthy living and the food and nutrition policy of 2003 where the goal of government is ensuring that food accessed by the population is nutritious, safe and conforms to acceptable standards. 

Tusubira said the issue of deceptive and misleading advertisements is being addressed in the Consumer Protection Bill currently tabled before parliament.

He also noted that UHRC as the third respondent doesn't have a mandate to make any regulations or enforce regulations regarding the operations of restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and coffee shops and that they can only intervene by carrying out an investigation at their own initiative or on a complaint made against the violation of any human right.

Tusubira said the application is premature and wants it dismissed with costs.

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The post Tanzanian Star Harmonize Arrives In Uganda Ahead Of Africa Laughs Season 5 appeared first on Chano8.

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