Known for her raunchy dance moves, singer Karole Kasita has been doing music professionally for the last four years having started as a member of S & S band, before leaving to start a solo career. A song titled 'More Time' is one of those tunes which catapulted her to stardom and from then like […]
The post “I Want To Reintroduce Myself”-Singer Karole Kasita Gears Up For Maiden Concert appeared first on Chano8.
Eastern Uganda has been neglected, the EU ambassador to Uganda Attilio Pacifici has said.
Pacifici who is also the head of the EU delegation expressed concern that little effort has been made to exploit eastern Uganda's tourism potential and attractions through deliberate marketing and infrastructural development leaving the region to wallow in abject poverty.
According to official government estimates, most of Uganda's poor people are found in eastern Uganda and is also the region with the highest inequality rates.
"We have so many people that come to Kampala and then go north-west and leave a lot of wealth to the private sector that side. In the East, despite its beauty, it's been neglected and we should all think about it," Pacifici said.
Some of the eastern Uganda tourism attractions include Mabira forest in Jinja, source of Nile River in Jinja, Mt Elgon national park, Sipi falls in Kapchorwa, the rocky Lolui island, Sigulu island, Mt Elgon among others.
"There are shortages in terms of accommodation that the private sector needs to tap into. Let's make this area easy for tourists because there's room to bring more businesses here – a reason we chose it for this year's retreat," he added.
Pacifici said this at the opening of the first-ever four-day retreat for the eastern part of Uganda at Mt Elgon hotel in Mbale yesterday Monday.
Mbale district LC V chairman Bernard Elly Mujaasi said the retreat will help advance the region's tourism sector by attracting development partners.
"Already, the Austrian ambassador offered to set up a cable car unit system that will join Bududa to Mount Elgon and Sipi Falls. If we can pull that one off, we can attract more tourists to the East," Mujaasi said.
Commenting on the inadequate accommodation, Mujaasi agreed with Pacifici that it's an area that has been neglected.
"Some of the premium big hotels are Mount Elgon hotel, Wash and Wills and Mbale resort. Unfortunately, most of the middle class of the east are concentrated in Kampala which is giving us a problem. They need to come back and invest in such facilities especially in areas near Mount Elgon," he said.
According to the EU press advisor, Emmanuel Gyezaho, the annual retreat is an opportunity for ambassadors to take time off their busy schedules to reflect on various issues of a selected region.
"It is very rare to have all of them free at the same time…This retreat is a unique activity to get all ambassadors in one spot because they regularly meet in Kampala but only deliberate as a group once every year outside the capital," Gyezaho said.
He added that retreat also offers a platform for ambassadors to internally brainstorm about EU's cooperation with residents and the government of Uganda so that they can better plan and strengthen their relationship.
In 2013, the EU took a decision to meet with people in various regions. The first retreat was later held in Arua in 2013 before extending to Kisoro, Gulu, Karamoja, Hoima, and now, Mbale. The delegation that set off to Mbale today comprises nine ambassadors to Uganda from Belgium (Dr Roswitha Kremser), Denmark (Nicolaj Hejberg Petersen), France (Jules-Armand Aniambossou), Ireland (William Carlos), Netherlands (Henk Jan Bakker), Sweden (Per Lindgarde), Italy (Massimiliano Mazzanti), Austria (Dr Roswitha Kremser) and the EU ambassador also head of delegation, Attilio Pacifici. The Austria head of office of the Austrian Development Agency, Dr Roswitha Kremser, is the only female on the delegation.
RETREAT ACTIVITIES
On Monday evening, the ambassadors engaged the Mbale LC V chairman Mujasi, chief administrative officer Esau Ekachelan and district security officers. They also met NRM leaders in the district while all opposition party leaders have been scheduled for Thursday in a separate closed-door meeting.
On Tuesday, the delegation will meet civil society organisations on issues related to governance, accountability and human rights, female genital mutilation and gender-based violence. They will also visit the EU-funded 10MW Tororo solar power plant. After Tororo, they will proceed to Malaba one-stop border.
"The whole idea at this border is to interact with customs officials to better appreciate inter-regional trade and discuss opportunities and challenges at this busiest inland post in the region," Gyezaho said.
Tuesday activities will conclude with a visit to a flagship programme of the EU dubbed "Spotlight gender project" in Tororo that gives a second chance for girls who dropped out of school due to early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
On Wednesday, ambassadors will extend to the Kiprotich National High Altitude Training Centre in Teryet, Kapchorwa. Gyezaho said they will meet the state minister for sports, Charles Bakkabulindi, the International Olympic Committee and previous athletics champions with Joshua Cheptegei as the main attraction.
Cheptegei recently broke the 10km road world record in Valencia, Spain after setting a new time of 26 minutes and 38 seconds. In October, he was crowned 10,000m world champion in Doha among other prestigious awards.
The day will end with a guided tour of the Mount Elgon Park with Uganda Wildlife Authority before ambassadors interact with masses in Mbale through a radio talk show on local-based Elgon FM.
nangonzi@observer.ug
Hundreds of teens from different parts of Kampala and its suburbs as usual spent their Saturday at the 1st Street, Kampala Industrial Area based MTN Warehouse where the 2019 edition of Buzz Teeniez Awards took place. The youngsters, all looking smart and fresh in their best casual clothes and footwear, ready to party, began arriving […]
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Under his Amber Heart Foundation, which his nonprofit organization he registered in 2018, veteran musician Bebe Cool is on a nothing but a serious mission to end tuberculosis in Uganda After his 2018 Golden Heart concert whose theme was to collect money to fund young children who had heart related diseases. Bebe Cool donated Ug […]
The post Bebe Cool Dedicated To Kick TB Out Of Uganda After Receiving USD 400,000 Grant appeared first on Chano8.
More than 100 police officers from the ranks of police constable (PC) to inspector of police (IP) have been retired on medical grounds.
In a message signed and released by message authorising officer ACP Emmanuel Muheirwe, 19 IPs, 21 sergeants, 23 corporals and 30 PCs have been retired due to deteriorating health.
The retirement of over 100 police officers has been approved by directors human resource management and welfare. Muheirwe's message contains one officer at the senior rank category who is assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Patrick Baguma attached to Mbarara Central Division police station.
Since 2014, police has retired over 1,000 police officers on medical grounds. Manpower audit records of 2018 showed more than 2,000 police officers were no longer active in the last five years because they were on various medical treatment while over 4,000 others had deserted the force in five years.
Although reigning inspector general of police Martins Okoth Ochola has not released manpower audit report, it was reported by the media that the audit put police numbers at 38,000 police officers way 44,600 which former IGP Gen Edward Kalekyeezi Kayihura mentioned in his hand over-report.
This is believed to be the reason that prompted Ochola to order for the recruitment of 4,500 probation police constables (PPCs) and 500 learner assistant inspector of police (LAIPs) who are currently undergoing training at Kabalye police training school in Masindi district.
YE Deus Ndugwa yazaalibwa nga 14, July, 1997 e Lyantode. Yasomera ku Kitebi Primary School ne Makindye Secondary School gye yasomera okuva mu S1 okutuuka mu S4. Alina omwana mulenzi Daniel Jayden gwe...
When Rajiv Ruparelia through the Ruparelia Foundation gave 8-year-old rapper Fresh Kids a Vacancy at Kampala Parents School (KPS), many people said that basing on the fact that he was coming from a school, (St Agnes Primary School, Kawanda) whose standard is lower than KPS', he wasn't going to catch up easily As if that wasn't enough, […]
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The Supreme court has upheld a 12-year jail sentence handed to the former NSSF managing director David Chandi Jamwa for causing the government a financial loss of Shs 3 billion.
Jamwa was first handed the sentence in 2011 by the then Anti-corruption court judge John Bosco Katutsi for having sold NSSF treasury bonds to Crane bank before maturity on October 4, 2007.
However, he appealed the conviction and the sentence before the Court of Appeal, where it was upheld by a panel of three judges; Steven Kavuma, Kenneth Kakuru and Apio Aweri.
Through his lawyer David Mpanga, Jamwa proceeded to the Supreme court where he argued that it was illegal for the Court of Appeal to reevaluate evidence of the Anti-corruption court thereby convicting him of abuse of office.
He also argued that the Court of Appeal erred in law and fact by giving him an invalid judgement because some of the judges who signed the decision had long vacated the same court. The judges that had vacated include Steven Kavuma and Apio Aweri who has since been promoted to Supreme court.
However, in the judgement read on Friday, three Supreme court justices; Lillian Tibatemwa, Paul Mugamba and Eldard Mwanguhya upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal while two others; Dr Esther Mayambala Kisakye and Jotham Tumwesigye dissented to the sentence and conviction.
The majority judges ruled that they have no doubt that the first appellant court on revaluation of evidence was satisfied that the offence of financial loss had been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
"Not a single piece of evidence so evaluated has been faulted before us and there is ample evidence to justify the conviction. We find no valid reason to depart from their findings", reads the majority judgement.
The judges add that after re-evaluation of the mitigating factors by the appellant, they have found that the Court of Appeal legally sentenced Jamwa to 4 years imprisonment for the offence of abuse of office. They have thus dismissed his appeal and upheld the sentence of the lower courts.
However, the dissenting judges argued in their minority judgement that the decision of the Court of Appeal was invalid because it was delivered on January 15, 2018, when some of the panel members had long vacated the same court.
The dissenting judges add that Justice Kakuru alone couldn't constitute the quorum to reflect the mind of the Court of Appeal as had been constituted in as far as the constitution is concerned.
"It is our view that that the judgement which was delivered by Justice Kakuru on January 15, 2018, is invalid and of no consequence. It is our view that the case be sent back to Court of Appeal to correct the errors pointed out in this judgement."
Jamwa who has been out on bail and after receiving the judgement, he was escorted to the Supreme court registry by prison wardens as he did some work on his laptop waiting for documents sending him to Luzira where he is to start serving his 12-year sentence.
