Tag: GreatLakesNews

{As Ugandans join the rest of the world to celebrate Easter today, religious leaders have asked newly elected leaders to embrace the spirit of service with humility and treat everyone equally regardless of their social or political affiliations.}

“In that way, they will be able to unite their constituents and mobilise them to join hands with the government in implementing the national development agenda and other government policies and programmes,” said the church leaders in a statement issued under Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC). UJCC is the umbrella body of the Catholic, Anglican and the Orthodox Christians in Uganda.

While delivering Easter message at their offices in Nsambya, Kampala, UJCC executive secretary, Rev Fr Dr Silvester Arinaitwe also called for prayers for the Supreme Court justices as they deliver judgment in the presidential election petition in which former presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi is challenging the results that declared President Museveni winner of the February 18 elections.

“The Supreme Court is the last frontier of justice and we do hope that the justices of the Supreme Court will rise up to the occasion. Let us support them with prayer,” said the statement.

After hearing the petition, the judges are expected to deliver their verdict on Thursday, March 31.
Fr Arinaitwe decried election related violence, especially in Kasese District.

“…Election-related violence has claimed the lives of more than 22 people in Bundibugyo and Kasese districts. This is a worrying development. We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died in the attacks. In the same vein, we express solidarity with those who have been affected in one way or another by the violence,” he said.

Fr Arinaitwe also asked the police to end the incarceration of Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, arguing that all peace loving citizens have the obligation to question every form of human rights abuse and challenge all systems and structures that perpetuate human rights violations.

He asked the Uganda Human Rights Commission to invoke its legal mandate to take necessary action in order for the government to comply with the obligations to protect and promote human rights.

“We would like to reiterate our call for an all-inclusive national dialogue that will bring together government leaders, Opposition political leaders, representatives of civil society and other stakeholders,” said Fr Arinaitwe, adding that the call by church leaders seeks to advocate for love and peaceful co-existence and to seek to reconcile those who are at loggerheads.

“We can come together as brothers and sisters to discuss and build consensus on issues that have led to the polarisation we are witnessing in the country. We would like to appeal to all those in leadership positions to rally their constituents to embrace the message of reconciliation and to accept our call for dialogue,” he added.

{The move by a group of leaders from Northern Kenya to form a new political party delinked from the existing two major blocs, Jubilee and Cord, is being seen as a move to isolate National Assembly leader Aden Duale and clip his powers.}

The lawmakers and governors coalescing around Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow are meeting on Tuesday to finalise details of a party they hope will bring all political leaders from pastoralist communities under one roof.

Speaking to the Nation, Mr Kerrow said the executive committee which draws representative from 17 counties had its work cut out, signalling another rebellion front for the ruling Jubilee coalition besides the dissenting voices in the South Rift.

The MPs said they were against the merger of political parties under the Jubilee umbrella, charging that the move would farther drown out their voices.

“We are against the merger because the Jubilee government has continued to ignore our plight,” Mr Kerrow said.

Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and former Kwanza MP Noah Wekesa are leading a process meant to collapse into one all the parties loyal to Jubilee.

The leaders — who include MPs, governors and senators from Isiolo, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Laikipia, Samburu, Tana River, Lamu, Kajiado and Narok counties — recently attended the Pastoralist Leadership Summit held at the Samburu Simba Lodge in Isiolo County and expressed their displeasure at the government.

But Mr Duale downplays the development, saying pastoralist communities were founding members of Jubilee and they had much to show for their support for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.

“What shows that we are key stakeholders in the Jubilee government… other than the Sh168 billion sent to 14 counties inhabited by pastoralists in the past three year?

“Look at my position, that of Senate Speaker (Ekwee Ethuro), majority whip (Kato ole Metito), Foreign Affairs minister (Amina Mohamed), Interior Cabinet Secretary — the list is endless,” he enumerated.

The majority leader said they had been able to find “water and pasture” in Jubilee and were not going to leave.

However, he will have to mount a stinging defence to retain his clout and do Jubilee’s bidding in the North.

THIRD MOST POWERFUL

In the pecking order, Mr Duale is the third most powerful figure in Jubilee’s political hierarchy.

An affront on him is likely to attract counter-insurgency measures from the establishment.

He is also the chairman of the North Eastern Parliamentary group.

Senator Kerrow was in December 2015 arrested and forced to issue an apology after accusing the government of killing and burying terrorist suspects in mass graves in Mandera.

Some in Jubilee say his lead role in crafting the political vehicle is a way of getting back at Jubilee.

“We will be asking our members to contest on that party’s ticket next year since we are independent of the existing parties,” he said, adding that they already have the support of 85 MPs and 17 senators.

The move will likely attract other political players on a hunting expedition, such as Cord, to reach out to the new group for support in next year’s elections.

A fortnight ago, Mr Duale organised a forum in Isiolo where President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto asked the pastoralist leaders to support them.

In the 2013 elections, Jubilee took the majority seats, both parliamentary and gubernatorial, outwitting the opposition. Cord appears keen to make inroads.

Keen to woo the region, President Kenyatta unveiled a Sh6 billion Equalisation Fund to assist marginalised areas in providing basic services and to make up for long years of marginalisation.

But Mr Duale said Jubilee had been able to help the region shed the “marginalised” tag often synonymous with Northern Kenya before promulgation of the new Constitution in 2010 that ushered in devolution.

{After buying cosmetics from a shop on Duster Street on Wednesday, Betty Katushabe, a woman in her late 50s, entered her car and placed the handbag containing her mobile phones on the co-driver’s seat.}

Given the heat wave the country is experiencing, she started the engine and immediately lowered the window screen to get some fresh air. Then hell broke loose.
A man pushed his hand into the car and grabbed her bag. She reacted very fast and grabbed the strap on one side and both started pulling the bag in opposite directions.

As she struggled with the criminal, her foot pressed hard on the accelerator pedal and the car shot forward knocking dead Andrew Batte, a Tropical Bank manager for corporate credit.

The incident is just a microcosm of a wider endemic crime problem, growing in Kampala Metropolitan area– the theft of smartphones that affects many affluent Kampalans.

Both national and Kampala statistics show rampant thefts of smartphones, especially when motorists are stuck in traffic jams, near entertainment places and quiet streets.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Mr Patrick Onyango, says cases of snatching Smartphones on jam-prone spots in the city are skyrocketing.

“All other crimes in Kampala Metropolitan Police area are falling except theft of mobile phones. Most of these thefts are committed during rush hours whenever there is traffic jam,” Mr Onyango said.

Snatching of mobile phones is most common along Entebbe highway, followed by a stretch between New Taxi Park and Busega township, Bombo Road and Gayaza Road.
At least 86 cases of theft of mobile phones were registered in Kampala in December last year with a total value of Shs50.3m. But only phones worth Shs5.9m were recovered. Of the 86 cases, 29 were taken to court where five convictions were secured. The rest are pending investigations or prosecution.

In January, the cases shot to 104 resulting in a total loss of Shs76m. Mobile phones valued at Shs7.6m were recovered by police. Only 32 cases were taken to court, five of them ended with convictions, four were put away and the rest are still under investigation.

The Kampala statistics for February this year show 84 cases were registered where victims lost mobile phones worth Shs47m. Police recovered phones worth Shs7.5m. At least 34 cases were taken to court and one conviction secured while the rest are still under investigations.

Police statistics show low recoveries, which is attributed to the time and criminal tactics smartphone thieves are using.

Most of the recoveries depend on skills of an individual police officer rather than the equipment availed to them by the police.

Mr Onyango said since the victims of phone thefts are targeted when they are moving and in areas whose geography they are unfamiliar with, they tend to continue with their journey and report at convenient police stations.

“Many victims want to report at Kampala Central Police Station or Criminal Investigations Directorate because they believe that the officers will act faster and that they have the required equipment to track the stolen phones,” Mr Onyango said.
Ideally, a crime is supposed to be reported where it was committed.

Bi-annual police reports for between January and June in 2014 and 2015 also show high cases of mobile phone thefts.

{{Where the stolen phones end up
}}

In 2014 – between January and June – 5,287 mobile phones were stolen in Uganda compared to 4,027 that were stolen in 2015. Most of these stolen phones end up in markets in neighbouring countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Most people fall victim to thieves when they are inside vehicles and cannot get the time to pursue the criminals or seek help instantly. Even those who have attempted to chase the thieves end up being assaulted by those criminals.

Most of the cases under police investigations point at delinquents operating in groups.
The group chooses a member who appears weak in that he will not raise suspicion if he comes closer to someone holding a smartphone.

The boy will then snatch the phone from the unsuspecting victim and walk away.
“As he walks away, he is being monitored by his fellow gangsters, who are usually able-bodied. When a victim attempts to run after the boy, the gang will attack and beat him or her up,” Mr Onyango said.

Despite the heavy presence of both the police and army on all the main roads in the city, the offence still remains rampant in Kampala Metropolitan area.

{{Police report}}

Statistics from police show that over 600 suspects engaged in this type of theft have been arrested since December 2015.

“Some of these are children. They are taken to juvenile prisons where they often escape and return to their old habits,” Mr Onyango said.

He said these criminals have ventured into a new territory – at entertainment centres and events.

“They deploy spies in bars and discotheque who monitor those using Smartphones. So they wait when that person has been called and they quickly link up with their accomplices outside because they know when people are called, they tend to go out, where there is no noise, to answer their calls,” Mr Onyango said.

As soon as the victim comes out, one gang member grabs the phone and runs closer to his fellow delinquents who protect him.

Mr Ronald Nahabwe, a victim of the criminal gang, said he was calling a colleague on a phone in Nakulabye when a teenager grabbed his phone and walked away.

“At first, I thought it was my friend who was teasing me. Then I found out it was a stranger simply walking away with my phone. I followed him to get it back. That is when a gang attacked me hitting me everywhere before they vanished,” Mr Nahabwe said.

{{Police did not recover Mr Nahabwe’s mobile phone.}}

Police advised victims not to follow the thugs who snatch their phones since it may lead to death or serious injuries from retaliatory attacks by the criminals. Police advised such victims to instead inform the nearby police to deal with them.
Police said they are now deploying officers in hotspots during rush hours.

“In the morning, we deploy officers in areas we know are affected by traffic jam and do the same in the evening,” Mr Onyango said.

Notorious spots where your phone could be snatched

Ben Kiwanuka-Clock Tower-Kibuye stretch:

axis are often held in traffic jams for more than an hour. Most taxis, if not all, have no air conditioning which forces passengers to open windows wide for fresh air. Phone snatchers take advantage when passengers are using their phones near the open windows.

Kabuye-Katwe-Kalitunsi-Clock Tower

The stretch has slow vehicle traffic and has many getaway alleys which the criminals use to run away.

Ben Kiwanuka Road (Arua Park)

People operating in this street literally never go to sleep. It is always busy. But at night, criminals roam the streets. Despite the street lighting, muggers are there in big numbers. It is the main terminal for South Sudan-bound trucks.

Hoima Road (known as Namirembe Road)

It is a busy road/street with three major bus terminals, and a taxi park. Even deep in the night, public service vehicles continue to drop passengers. Criminals target unsuspecting people, snatch their property and run into slums of Kisenyi, where it is very difficult for the victims to pursue them.

{Crucial police documents, including court files, and ammunitions were burnt down after a fire razed Longonot Police Station in Naivasha.}

The Friday night inferno destroyed a wooden report office that was used by police officers to store important documents and ammunitions.

Officers at the scene said six G3 rifles were destroyed in the fire that also gutted down three houses belonging to the officers.

“The lights kept on flickering prior to the fire incident, which started at the wooden report office and spread quickly to the adjacent houses,” said a junior police officer.

Also burnt down was a holding cell. There were no suspects inside the two cells during the midnight fire incident.

Some of the affected officers said they did not manage to salvage anything. One of the officers said he was only able to evacuate his family members.

“All I have are the clothes that I am wearing, nothing else,” he muttered.

A witness, Pastor Peter Kariuki, was among the first people to arrive at the scene.

He said their efforts to put off the fire was frustrated by strong winds at the time.

“We tried all we could but the strong wind, coupled by the wooden structures, made it impossible to put out the fire,” he explained.

Mr Kariuki said firefighters from Naivasha arrived almost half an hour later and managed to put out the fire before more houses could be burnt.

Naivasha police boss Titus Mathuku said initial investigations indicated the fire might have started as a result of an electric fault.

“Several guns and ammunitions were also destroyed but no one was hurt,” said the OCPD.

When the Nation arrived at the scene on Saturday, heavily armed police officers were guarding the area as others sifted through the debris, perhaps in search of more ammunitions and guns.

A makeshift report office had also been set up, with one officer manning the “crime desk.”

{The country’s population has increased by slightly more than 10 million people between 2002 and 2014.}

According to the National Population and Housing Census 2014 final results released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) yesterday, the country’s total population is 34.6 million persons, slightly lower than the 34.9 million that was projected in the provisional results released in November 2014.

The change, according Ubos, is a result of tightening loose ends and getting rid of ghost entries following thorough verification.
The growth in population represents an increase of 10.4 million persons between 2002 and 2014 census.

This is the 10th census since Uganda came into existence. The first census was conducted in 1911 by the colonial administration and the total population then was registered as 2.5 million. Other censuses were subsequently conducted in 1921, 1931, 1948 and 1959 still by the colonial administration. The first census conducted by the independent government was in 1969, and subsequently in 1980, 1991, 2002 and 2014.

According to the report launched yesterday by President Museveni, the population of women compared to men has remained higher, with a difference of about a half a million. The male population is 17,060,832 while the female are 17,573,818, totalling to a population of 34, 634, 650.

The census enumerated 7.3 million households countrywide, with the majority of the households (75 per cent) residing in rural areas. Thirty per cent of the households are female-headed. In average, each household has about five people.

In terms of age distribution, the census found that youth of 18-30 years make up 22.5 per cent of the population, and those of 15 and 64 years make up 49 per cent. Only 2.7 per cent are aged above 65 years.

Dependency burden
Age-dependency ratio is an indicator of the economic burden that the productive population must bear. According to the report, populations with very high birth rates coupled with low death rates have a high age dependency ratio.

Overall, the age dependency ratio currently is 103. This implies that for every 100 economically active persons there are 103 dependents. The dependency ratio active age is 110 for males and 97 for females.

Marital status
The National Population and Housing Census 2014 final results also showed that about 22 per cent of the population above 18 years were never married while 65 per cent were married/ cohabiting.

Fertility
Fertility refers to the reproductive performance of a woman in her reproductive life. One measure of fertility is the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), which is defined as the number of live births a woman would have if she survived to the end of her child-bearing age (15-49 years) and experienced the current observed age specific fertility rates.

The TFR affects the rate of growth of a given population. The TFR declined from 7.1 children per woman in 1991 to 5.8 children per woman in 2014.

Child mortality
Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the probability of dying in the period from birth to the first birthday while under-five mortality rate is the probability that a new-born child will die before reaching his or her fifth birthday.

The IMR was estimated at 53 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014, showing an improvement from 87 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2002.

{Former devolution minister Anne Waiguru ordered that an events company be paid Sh44 million for organising a function that did not take place, MPs investigating corruption at the Youth Fund heard Thursday.}

A director at the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Mr Clement Ayungo, told the Public Investments Committee that the board chairman, Mr Bruce Odhiambo, told him that Ms Waiguru had instructed him to ensure payments were made to Saverin Holdings Ltd although a rebranding event it was supposed to organise had been cancelled.

“He (Odhiambo) told me he had received a call from Anne or State House, I can’t recall who but it was one of them, and told me to pay for the event which the minister had herself cancelled,” he said.

The committee also heard that Ms Waiguru ignored the advice of the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission that the suspended Youth Fund chief executive Ms Catherine Namuye was unfit to hold a public office since she had “serious integrity issues.”

Ms Namuye and Mr Odhiambo have been adversely mentioned in connection with the loss of the fund’s Sh180 million.

Ms Waiguru denied knowledge of the anti-corruption commission advice and also denied any relationship with a director of the fund, Mr Michael Wamai, whose firm Lukenya Earth Movers won a Sh137 million contract with the National Youth Service (NYS), which is subject to investigations in connection with the Sh791 million NYS scandal.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH

MPs also questioned Mr Ayungo on the death of Mr Simon Mwangi a driver at the Youth Fund, who died in mysterious circumstances, when the two attended a “pool party” at the South Coast.

PIC chairman Adan Keynan said Mwangi’s death had something to do with the loss of the Sh180 million, but Mr Ayungo protested, saying his death was an accident, which happened as they swam in the wee hours of the night at the Kivuli Cottage.

Ms Waiguru appeared to heap the blame on the suspicious transactions on his former Principal Secretary Peter Mangiti, who he accused of failing to inform her of the fraudulent activities.

“He may have told me verbally which was informal. All formal communications should be in writing and I don’t remember seeing any,” she said.

Her statement was in contrast to Mr Mangiti’s own testimony in which he accused his former boss of trying to interfere with investigations by insisting that investigations into the Sh180 million loss be handled internally, although three investigative agencies were already probing it.

The former CS said however that she only ordered for an administrative report in addition to the ongoing investigations by the EACC, anti-banking fraud unit and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and that she did not at any point demand that the internal process takes precedence.

Mr Keynan asked Ms Waiguru to explain what action she took upon learning of the alleged fraud through a copy of a letter by Mr Odhiambo suspending Ms Namuye.

The former CS, who resigned under public pressure following corruption allegations at her ministry, said she became aware of the suspected fraud three weeks before she quit the Cabinet by which time she couldn’t have done anything.

“The EACC was already investigating the matter. What was a minister supposed to do? If I had done anything maybe you would now be telling me I was interfering with investigations,” she said.

The former powerful CS told the MPs that she would have been reluctant to be a whistleblower on the suspected fraud, since those who sounded the alarm on corruption ended up being treated like the culprits.

{Three people died in separate incidents yesterday after being struck by lightning in Sumbawanga and Bukoba districts.
}

In Sumbawanga, lightning struck and burnt to ashes, a Standard Four pupil, Maria Pangani (14) from Swaila Primary School in Mkwamba Ward, Nkasi Distrct, Rukwa Region on Tuesday evening.

The deceased was studying through the Memkwa programme at the school.

In Bukoba two children from the same family died on the spot when they were struck by lightning in Kumubuga village, Murusagamba ward, in Ngara District.

Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Jacob Mwaruanda, confirmed that the incident occurred on March 22, this year, at around 5:00 pm at Swaila Village in Nkasi District in the region.

Reports from the scene of incident had it that disaster struck when the deceased’s mother threatened to punish her daughter after discovering that she was secretly possessing a Techno smartphone.

It was further alleged that the deceased’s mother grilled her daughter seeking to know where she got that expensive phone. However, her daughter refused to reveal the person who had given her the device.

Narrating the incident, the Swaila Village Chairman, Mr Juvernary Mmanzi, said that on that material evening the deceased’s mother demanded an explanation from her daughter who had given her the smart phone.

According to the deceased’s mother, she was baffled and greatly shocked after discovering that her daughter was in possession of a smartphone. She declared that she (the mother) could not afford to purchase it.

“The perturbed mother grilled her daughter who refused to disclose where she got the phone. It was at that juncture the the mother threatened to accuse her to the village local government.

The defiant girl fled and went to hide in the bushes for fear of being sentenced to jail, ” added Mr Mmanzi. Suddenly, a lighting that accompanied heavy rains struck the girl who was hiding in the bush and reduced her into ashes.

The reports had it that shortly later anxious villagers mounted a search for the girl and found her burnt body in the bush but her skirt was intact.

They also found the smartphone and some guava fruits in the pocket of the skirt. Mr Mwarunda said postmortem reports had confirmed that lightning was the cause of her death.

Her body was then given to relatives for burial. In Bukoba , The Medical Officer in-charge for Murusagamba Hospital, Dr Jacob Henry, identified the deceased as Dativa Cosmas (8), who was in Standard Two at Kumubuga Primary School and Bahati Cosmas (5).

Moreover, the medical officer said two people were admitted to the hospital in connection with the lightning incident. He named them as Cosmas Tingabangwa (36) and Deogratias Cosmas (12), who were in stable condition.

Three weeks ago, three students at Kanazi Secondary School in Ngara District were killed by lightning as they were attending classes. Sixteen others sustained minor injuries.

Meanwhile, police in Bukoba District are investigating an incident where a 15-year old girl (name withheld) was allegedly raped at Kishanje village in Bugabo Ward.

Regional Police Commander (RPC) Augustine Ollomi named the suspect as Remigius Kambuga (33).

He said the offence was committed on March 17, this year, when Kambuga allegedly entered the house where the girl was sleeping and raped her, threatening to kill her if she raised alarm.

The suspect will be arraigned when investigation is completed, he said.