Tag: GreatLakesNews

{Police constable Isaac Ssegawa of Police’s Special Operations Unit attached to Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) has been arrested after suspected car robbers implicated him for aiding their operations.}

The officer, who reportedly used to drive police’s black van christened “the Besigye van”, was arrested last night in Mbarara.

The van has been used to whisk Dr Besigye to police cells on the various occasions he has been arrested.

Ssegawa’s arrest came after two suspected robbers netted in Mbarara pointed him out for having aided their operations where they would steal cars and sell them to mechanics who dismantle them into scrap which is sold.

His luck ran out when two suspected robbers both residents of Mbarara District were arrested in connection to the disappearance of a vehicle UAE 822P belonging to a UPDF officer Peter Tumwine attached to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on May 20 this year.

The suspects are believed to have stolen the vehicle from the parking yard of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and drove it to Kampala.

Rwizi region police spokesperson Vincent Ssekate confirmed the arrest
and said that the three will be charged with aggravated robbery.

He said they were netted in the ongoing police operation to crack down the raising crime of car robbery in the region.

{All public leaders in the country, including President John Magufuli, will be subjected to five per cent income tax on their gratuity at the end of their tenure in office.}

Previously, the leaders enjoyed exemptions on their send-off packages through the Public Service Retirement Benefits Act of 1999. Finance and Planning Minister Dr Philip Mpango proposed waiving the immunity for lawmakers when presenting budget estimates for 2016/2017 in the National Assembly on June 8.

The proposal was bitterly ‘trashed’ by a section of MPs, with some suggesting that the head of state’s gratuity should also be taxed if the plan was “anything to go by’’.

The ‘bitter ending’ of the ten-day debate was reached on Monday by the minister when winding up the budget estimates. “Gratuity paid to all political leaders, including the president, MPs and ministers must be subjected to a five per cent income tax,” Dr Mpango announced yesterday.

The minister said then that the removal of the exemption was meant to promote equity and fairness in taxation much as majority of MPs opposed the decision. The opposition camp, on the other hand, supported the decision, stressing that it should be scrapped for all leaders.

Dr Mpango said the waiver on exemptions has been extended to all political leaders as it had been suggested by the lawmakers.

“In fact when I proposed the removal of the exemptions on gratuity to President Magufuli, he supported the decision, telling me he will lead by example by having his pension taxed,” Dr Mpango told the House.

He emphasised that leaders ought to live by example, adding that they have to make sacrifices to move the country forward. The exemption was contained in the legislation but it will no longer be the case in the future.”

The minister mentioned political leaders who will have their pensions subjected to five per cent income tax as including the President and the Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Others include Deputy Speaker, the Attorney General, Chief Justice, cabinet ministers and their deputies as well as permanent secretaries and Clerk of the National Assembly Since Dr Mpango presented the financial plan for the next fiscal year, many MPs have faulted the removal of the exemption, claiming that they earn meagre income of which they still use to support people in their constituencies.

The MPs, including the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, Ms Hawa Ghasia (Mtwara Rural-CCM), Mr Kangi Lugola (Mwibara-CCM) and Ms Vicky Kamata (Special Seats-CCM), are among lawmakers who spoke against the waiver when debating the financial plan.

They charged that the new arrangement will amount to double taxation against them since they are subjected to the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) income tax deducted from their salaries each month.

Suspended Kigoma Urban MP, Mr Zitto Kabwe (ACT-Wazalendo), posted in his Facebook wall to support the waiver last week, noting, however, that the move has come at the wrong time, bearing in mind that the tenure of the MPs comes to an end in 2020.

{{A quiet protest movement is spreading in Burundi’s schools where hundreds of students have been suspended in recent weeks for defacing pictures of President Pierre Nkurunziza in textbooks.
{}}}

{Scribbling on the presidential portraits contained in government-issue study guides is seen as an act of silent resistance against a regime that clings to power despite more than a year of deadly protests.}

Entire classes have been suspended for the defiant doodles, 11 have been charged with insulting the head of state and at least four were this week arrested and taken into police custody.

And yet the movement is growing as the government has struggled since early May to stem the acts of “incivility” that security ministry spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye blames on “political manipulation”.

The phenomenon has spread from the classroom to social media where users compete to lampoon Nkurunziza, mocking up images of him as a pirate, monarch or devil, or changing his name — which means “good news” in Kirundi — to Nkurumbi or “bad news”.

The ridicule infuriates Nkurunziza’s supporters, some of whom say the teasing amounts to treason. But for parents of the suspended school kids the arrests are an overreaction.

Schools in Burundi commonly have fewer than 30 textbooks shared by as many as 200 pupils, making it difficult to identify the classroom political artists.

“Nobody has their own book,” said the parent of one suspended student.

Emmanuel Niyungeko, the Nkurunziza loyalist who governs Muramvya where the 11 students were charged on June 3, justified the harsh punishment by saying the king is second only to God.

“The king of Burundi today is President Nkurunziza,” he said.

Some argue the crackdown has encouraged the defiance.

Alice Hakizimana, a well-known television host who now lives in exile, wrote on her Facebook page that “blind repression” has turned something “that began with a handful of schoolchildren into a national protest movement”.

Even some inside the regime believe the classroom scribblers are being badly handled.

“The way this crisis is being managed is the real national disaster,” said one member of the ruling party who did not want to be named.

Burundi’s political crisis began when Nkurunziza decided to run for a third-term last year, a move his opponents said was unconstitutional. Street protests and a failed coup followed, but in July Nkurunziza was re-elected.

The sporadic violence has not ceased and it is thought that over 500 people have died while around 270,000 have fled the country, becoming refugees.

Many opposition leaders as well as members of civil society and the independent media have gone into exile.

{Some locals have fled the area in search of food and water.}

More than 600,000 residents in West Pokot County are facing acute hunger following drought in the area.

Some locals have fled their homes in search of food and water.

West Pokot Deputy Governor Titus Lotee said North and Central Pokot sub-counties were the worst hit and called on the government to help the affected people.

“We have started distributing food but the 4,000 bags of maize is not enough,” he said while calling on humanitarian organisations to help in distributing relief food to the affected areas.

The Sh50 million promised by the national government to feed the population in the county was yet to be released, said the deputy governor.

According to Mr Lotee, the county government could not afford to fully respond to the situation as it lacked the capacity to distribute enough food.

Kacheliba MP Mark Lomunokol expressed concern over the drying of water sources which had left an increasing number of people facing starvation.

“There is completely no water in the area as all the water points have dried up. The situation has worsened and there is need for the government to urgently intervene,” he said adding that food stocks had been depleted.

“The food will not sustain locals till the next season of harvesting,” he said.

{{MAIZE WITHERED}}

Huge maize farms that had the potential of producing large harvests withered because of the little rain.

The MP appealed to the National Drought Management Authority and other concerned agencies to move with speed and put mitigation measures in place.

Sarimach Primary School headteacher Wilson Lonoki urged the government to urgently send relief food to schools in the area.

He said lack of food would force children to drop out of school.

“Children along the border go to school when there is food. Without food they prefer staying at home. This has really affected education standards in this area despite peace prevailing for a year,” said Mr Lonoki.

Two primary schools, Kasses and Ombolion, have been closed due to lack of food and water and the families have moved to Uganda.

{{SCHOOLS CLOSED}}

“Kasses and Ombolion primary schools are now closed. We don’t have food for our children. The prolonged drought has led to crop failure. Children walk more than 15 kilometres looking for water instead of being in class.

“Schools are affected by the situation and we fear that learning could be affected if the situation persist,” Mr Lonoki said.

The worst hit areas include Kodich, Kacheliba, Suam, Ombolion, Lonyangilem, Kasses, Kapchok, Alale, Kiwawa and Konyao.

Songok Sub-Location assistant chief Joseph Korkimul said the area has not received rains for a while. He expressed fears that they might lose more cattle if the situation continues.

“We are worried we might lose all our cattle due to drought because there is no pasture or water in this area. We have no other place to go with our cattle,” said Mr Korkimul.

He termed the current famine being experienced in the area as “beyond control” adding that locals were lucky to survive on one meal a day.

“This situation on the ground is dire and we ask for a quick intervention to avert a looming disaster,” he said.

{Tanzania has started to build its own helicopters in a project that will see the first batch of such choppers taking into the sky sometimes in 2018.}

Already, the prototype model, a two-seater aircraft is in its final stages of completion at the Mechanical and Engineering Department of the Arusha Technical College, which runs a fully-fledged factory producing various forms of machinery, including a prototype motor vehicle and a number of industrial engines.

But it is the Tanzanian-made new helicopter that seems to be turning heads here; “We are complementing President Magufuli’s industrialisation policy in pioneering the first locally made helicopters that will be available to ordinary residents at affordable prices,” explained the man behind the ATC chopper project, Engineer Abdi Mjema.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ms Maimuna Tarishi, who also toured the project over the weekend seemed surprised at the development and wanted to know when exactly the chopper will hit the skies.

“We are contacting the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) for the permission to fly the chopper for trials,” said Engineer Mjema.

He assured the PS that the future of the ‘affordable,’ chopper — to ease the country’s transport woes — is approaching. “The Tanzania-made helicopters will fly before 2020 — and specifically 2018, which is two years from now,” he added.

The idea was hatched two months ago by two engineers at the Arusha Technical College; Engineer Adisai Msongole, now serving as the ATC Bursar, and Engineer Abdi Mjema. The chassis as well as airframe for the pioneer chopper is ready — complete with a mounted flat engine.

“We had initially intended the two-seater helicopter to be used for surveillance, rescue and agricultural purposes. However, as the project takes shape, we may increase the airframes to carry more people for serious transportation,” said the engineer.

The helicopter is currently 50 per cent complete and features the popular gasolinepowered VW flat engine on board. The motors, manufactured by Volkswagen in Germany, are the same used to make the ‘Robinson’ helicopters in the United States. “Once we get the aviation authority approval, we shall complete the most sensitive part of the helicopter — mounting the main rotor.

This should be ready in threeweek’s time,” said Eng Mjema, adding that Arusha will set history as the first region to fly the first-ever Tanzanian manufactured helicopter in July 2016. With a non-pressurised cabin, the Prototype ATC helicopter has a flying ceiling of 400 feet for starters, taking into consideration that Arusha is already at a higher altitude.

But the flying height is set to increase with more complete and accomplished models. Most commercial choppers can fly up to 8,000 feet above sea level. On how many choppers the college can manufacture in a year once the project gets a nod from higher authorities, Eng Mjema said that depended on demand.

“But with serious work we can roll out up to 20 such helicopters in a year,” boasted the engineer.

The Rector of Arusha Technical College, Dr Richard Masika, had previously stated that, ATC was moving from being an ordinary college of technical, engineering and technological training towards becoming a fully-fledged factory, which will deal in vehicle and heavy machinery repair and manufacturing.

Next August ATC will be completing the first phase of Kikuletwa Hydropower Station Project and training centre setup, through which the college is going to churn electricity and hold training at the site based in Kilimanjaro Region.

{On April 20, residents of Kabaseke village woke up to shocking and devastating site of parts of human remains which had been dropped in a forest belonging to Aisha Namayanja.}

The herdsmen could not believe what they had seen. It was a human hand and a rib. One of the herdsmen, Gerald Mugera, tried to touch the bones, but feared. He made an alarm which attracted neighbours and the area LC I chairperson Francis Mujjuzi.

The dogs started howling from one side of the forest, Mugera called out loudly: “Speed!” (the name of one of the dogs), but the dog could not come out of the forest. Another energetic dog emerged from the nearby swamp, with a bone in its mouth and entered the forest. The herdsmen pursued the dog to find out why it was howling.

“On seeing us, the dogs all dashed away, reaching where they had converged, we saw a skull that appeared to be of a child. It was at this time that Kasenyi village chairperson [Mujjuzi] decided to report the matter to Kyotera Police Station,” Mugera reminisces.

It rained heavily that day and police headed by the officer in charge of Kyotera Police Station, Patience Baganzi combed the forest for more clues on possible homicide. They recovered only parts of a human skull. The team was not satisfied with the discoveries. They sought more.

The following day, another team led by Rakai District Criminal Intelligence and Investigations boss David Ibanda went back to the scene, checked and later left without anything of prosecution value.

Ibanda ordered his juniors to comb a nearby swamp where the dog emerged from. They followed the path and saw different clothes of children presumed to be aged about 12.
Deep in the swamp, the detectives recovered more human remains, which included skulls, teeth and other body parts.

During the search, women, who had accompanied police began wailing uncontrollably while others covered their faces in grief and disbelief.

Annet Nabasumba, a mother to Sharon Nassuna, aged 9, who had gone missing from an uncle’s home, looked at some of the clothes police recovered from the swamp. She said her daughter was among the dead.

“Sharon was wearing a blue skirt and a yellow sleeveless blouse at the time she went missing from her uncle’s home where she was staying during her holidays,” she said, adding: “We have been looking for her, but failed to trace her whereabouts despite placing announcements on radios.”

Mujjuzi said the swamp where the children’s remains were recovered had been used by several youth for brick laying and they had never reported any case of children being buried there.
“I was surprised to see children’s remains recovered from the swamp. It’s unbelievable,” he said.

Mujjuzi, however, asked police to also investigate the mushrooming traditional shrines in the area. He said the operators of the shrines could be behind the increasing case of child sacrifice and ritual killings.

According to Mujjuzi, the village has more than 10 traditional healer’s shrines. He advised parents and guardians to take extra care of their children and always report to police as soon as a child goes missing.
On April 25, police arrested a couple in connection with the mysterious death of Nassuna, who was reportedly killed for ritual sacrifice.

The suspects are residents of Kyotera Town and include Nassuna’s uncle from whose home the girl disappeared on December 20 last year. The man is also a driver on Kyotera –Mutukula route. Nassuna had gone to spend school holidays with her uncle.

“We all want to get rich, but I condemn the act of amassing wealth by killing children, making parents cry for the rest of their lives,” said Nabasumba, after burying her daughter’s remains, which were recovered by police last month.

{A woman died on the spot while a man died while being taken to the Kisii Level Six Hospital for treatment.}

Two people died on Saturday night while others were injured following a road accident after a bus collided head on with a truck in Migori County.

A woman died on the spot while a man died while being taken to the Kisii Level Six Hospital for treatment.

The two were among members of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church coming from a function in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County.

The bus, belonging to Mukuyu Mixed Secondary School, and which was carrying the church members, collided with the oncoming truck at Kuja bridge in Rongo Sub County at 7.30pm.

Migori County Police Commander David Kirui said it was by good luck that none of the vehicles plunged into the river underneath the bridge.

He said bus had 54 passengers on board.

Passengers who sustained injuries were taken to Rongo and Awendo hospitals for treatment.

The drivers of the two vehicles were among the injured, Mr Kirui said.

Mr Kirui said the accident could have been caused by the narrow tarmac road.

“We will interrogate the two drivers to tell us exactly what happened,” he said.