The 10,000m world champion Joshua Cheptegei has broken another record of 10km marathon in Valencia, Spain after setting a new time of 26 minutes and 38 seconds.

The 23-year-old Ugandan reached this milestone after surpassing the previous record that was by Kenya’s Leonard Komon in 2010 by six seconds.

In October, Cheptegei was crowned 10,000 meters’ world champion in Doha, Qatar and this came in addition to the 10km cross country world title that he had won in Denmark in March.

Cheptegei is increasingly distinguishing himself as a record breaker having broken the 15km road world record in 2018 after running for 41 minutes five seconds in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

From the start, Cheptegei looked that he was headed for the record running at an average pace of two minutes and 40 seconds per kilometer and this saw him pass through 5km in just 13 minutes 24 seconds.

Cheptegei expressed his joy after learning that he had set a new world record. “What a year it has been, I knew that Valencia was going to be a really fast course, one of the fastest in the world. So to get to achieve what we came here for is something really special. This year has made me so happy,” he said.

“World Cross Championship in Denmark, 10,000m world champion in Doha and now the world record here in Valencia,” he added.

Natalie E. Brown is the incoming United States Ambassador to Uganda who will be replacing Deborah Ruth Malac the outgoing ambassador who has been working at the mission since November 2015.

According to the U.S Department of State, Ms. Brown is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor.

Before her appointment in Uganda, Ms. Brown served as the Chief of Mission of the U.S Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea since 2016. Before this, she served as Deputy Permanent Representative and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S Mission to the United Nations Agencies in Rom, Italy between 2013 and 2016.

From 2010 to 2013, Ms. Brown worked as Deputy Chief of Mission of U.S Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia where she witnessed the Tunisia Revolution, an intense 28-day uprising against the government over corruption, social inequality, and employment that eventually led t the ousting of former president Ben Ali in January 2011 who had ruled the north African country for 22 years.

In a statement that listed Ms. Brown’s demonstrated competence for her nomination as the U.S ambassador to Uganda, the Department wrote, “In a career that has spanned almost three decades, she has garnered experience in both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy with a strong focus on Africa. That experience coupled with her distinguished record of leadership, make her an excellent candidate to serve as U.S Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda.”

Earlier Career

Ms. Brown’s earlier saw her take on several roles in the Middle East including serving as the Economic Counselor of the U.S Embassy in Amman, Jordan and as the Political Chief of the U.S Embassy in Kuwait.

While in Washington, she served as a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department Executive Secretariat’s Operations Center and as an International Affairs Officer in the Office of the UN Political Affairs in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

Ms. Brown’s experience in Africa does not stop in Tunisia, she had previously worked as the State Department’s Desk Office for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in the Office of West African Affairs. Other assignments in Africa included the one in the U.S Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the U.S Embassy in Guinea Conakry.

Education background

Ms. Brown graduated with a B.S from the Georgetown University of Foreign Service, Washington, D.C. in 1988. She obtained her M.S from the U.S Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, VA, in 1999. She has received various State Department awards for her performance. Ms. Brown is a capable linguistic who speaks several international languages in addition to English including French, Arabic, Italian, German, Amharic, and Tigrinya.

Ms. Brown is described as a resilient crisis manager who possess vast experiences in various disciplines after working in different parts of the world. Brown talked about her versatility in Women in Foreign Policy, “I’ve done a little bit of everything, from ordering supplies for the embassy to managing assistance funds. I’ve spent the past three decades on food security issues with the UN agencies charged with increasing agriculture production and reducing hunger,” said Brown.

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has made to this year’s ‘TIME 100 Next’ list of the most influential people in the world.

The platform ‘TIME 100 Next’ is a new list, part of an ongoing expansion of the flagship “TIME 100 franchise’- that carries out annual highlights 0f 100 global rising stars shaping the future of business, politics, entertainment, sports, health, science, and more.

Bobi Wine was listed under the category of ‘phenoms’ together with 16 others as individuals who have managed to achieve a lot in a short period of time.

The musician-turned politician was mostly for among others his revolutionary approach to the politics of Uganda especially after declaring that he will challenge President Museveni in the upcoming 2021 presidential election. That has been viewed as a bold step considering that the legislator just joined the political field just two years ago after winning a parliamentary bye-election.

In their statement regarding Bobi Wine’s inclusion in the list, ‘TIME 100 Next’ wrote;

“Ugandan pop star Bobi Wine spent his career singing about social injustice. In 2017, he decided to take things a step further by r unning for, and winning, a seat in parliament. Now the 37-yeal-old singer, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has set his sight higher, announcing in July that he will take on President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled for the past 33 years through a combination of deft politics, questionable election practices and constitutional manipulation. “Eighty percent of our population is under the age of 35,” Wine says. “They deserve a leader who works for the future of Uganda, not for himself.” Wine’s growing popularity amounts to peril. He has been jailed, beaten, and charged with treason – proof, he says, that the President is running scared well in advance of the 2021 election and that change is on the way.”

In response to his listing, Bobi Wine said that it was humbling in a tweet, “this is exceedingly humbling. Dedicating this recognition to the young people of Uganda, especially the ghetto youth. May this be a reminder & encouragement that you’re not what your detractors say you are. You are what you choose to be.” Said Bobi Wine.

Democratic Party President Nobert Mao also congratulate Bobi Wine in a tweet, he said, “Our very own Bobi Wine has made it to the list of “TIME 100’. He’s in the category of “phenoms” ie. People who achieve a lot very quickly. Congratulations.”

Kenyan filmmaker Wauri Kahiu (artists) and South Sudan’s Model Adut Akech (advocates) are the other East Africans who made it to list in their corresponding categories.

In January 2019, Uganda adopted the use of the new passport known as the International East African e-Passport. The new passport replaced the old East African and International Machine-Readable Passport.

The East African e-Passport was launched by the East African heads of state in March 2016 during the 17th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State in Arusha, Tanzania where they also directed the commencement of its issuance.

Earlier issuance

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the issuance of the International EAC e-Passport commenced even earlier in December 2018 with the initial issuance to those applications that were submitted under the old passport dispensation.

Ugandans who had submitted their applications before the commencement date were required to pay a top up fee of UGX 100,000 so as to make the required UGX 250,000 in order to obtain the e-passport. The ministry said that the top up requirement was not applicable to applications that were submitted under the Express Service.

By the end of January 2019, the full commissioning of the centralized passport system was expected to have taken place according to the ministry and the new passport enrolment and delivery system rolled out at local regional centers and Uganda Missions abroad in a phased manner.

Categories of the e-Passport

The new e-Passport is presented in 3 different colors each representing a different category and these include sky blue for ordinary passport, green for service passport, and red for the diplomatic passport.

Important Features of the e-Passport

The International EAC e-Passport is embedded with an electronic chip which contains biodata and biometric information of the holder. The passport also has significant features of national importance including the Coat of Arms, the Crested Crane, the Mountain Gorilla, the Independence Monument, Murchison Falls, and a Fisherman.

Advantages of the e-Passport

Among the advantages of the e-Passport include

Using e-gates for self-clearance
Automated issuance of boarding passes
Quick passenger processing worldwide, and
Compliance with international security standards

Fees structure for the e-Passport

The Ministry of Internal Affairs set the following fees structure for the e-Passport

Ordinary Passport (48 pages) at UGX 250,000

Service Passport (64 pages) at UGX 400,000

Diplomatic Passport (64 pages) at UGX 500,000

The following fees are also applicable as far as the e-Passport is concerned

Express Processing Service (UGX 150,000)

Courier service for applicants abroad (UGX 10,000)

Certification of passport (UGX 30,000)

Fine for replacement of lost or damaged passport (UGX 100,000)

Procedure for application

The Ministry provides the following procedure for the application for the e-Passport

• Dully filled application form
• Attach original and copy of the National ID of the recommender
• Attach original and copy of National ID or National Identification Number
• Attach copies of academic documents for proof of profession (where applicable)
• Attach proof of payment of prescribed fees
• Attach a copy of birth certificate, adoption order consent letter from parents/guardians in case of minors
• Attach other information that may be relevant to the application
• When the passport is ready, the applicant will be alerted to proceed and pick it up

Manual Application

Applicants are required to fill an application form providing all the necessary details and then proceeding to the bank to make payments before preceding to the nearest Passport Center to submit the application and undertake biometric enrolment. Applicants will be informed when their passports are ready so that they can pick from the place of enrolment.

Online Application

Applicants are required to follow the following procedure while applying for the e-Passport online

Fill out an online form which also acts as an assessment tool for the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)
• Schedule an online interview with the passport office in any of these areas, (Kampala, Mbale, Mbarara, Gulu, and all Uganda Missions abroad) for purposes of enrolling applicant’s biometrics
• Print out the application form with the Payment Registration Number (PRN), and proceed to the bank to pay the passport fee
• Proceed to the enrollment center for the scheduled interview
• Internal processing of the applicant’s information takes place after the interview and a passport printed out for successful applicants
• Applicant is alerted when the passport is ready to proceed and pick it up
• Where the applicant is not successful, he or she shall still be issued a notice

All applicants are required to have a National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA)

Phase-out the old passports

The Ministry of Internal Affairs designated a transitional period of two years to allow a gradual phase out of the old passport. The transitional period runs from the full commissioning date and after all Ugandans will be required to travel with the new International EAC e-Passport.

Ugandans with valid Machine-Readable Passports are allowed to use them for international travel until the end of the transitional period (January 2021). After the end of the transitional period, only the international e-Passport shall be valid for international travel.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has announced changes in the flow of traffic in the city center directing motorists to new diverse routes.

Motorists who use Entebbe road are the most affected with the new traffic changes with the taxis that use this road being relocated to Usafi Park from the Old Taxi Park.

KCCA has also suspended parking along Ben Kiwanuka and Burton streets meaning that both taxis and passengers who have been meeting here will also be heading to Usafi Taxi Park. The new traffic flow changes will commence this Friday according to KCCA.

Usafi Taxi Park is off-Entebbe Road, behind Usafi Market, about a kilometer from the city center and the Old Taxi Park

Among travelers who are affected include those going to Entebbe, Kawuku, Kajjansi, Zana, Namasuba, Kasenyi, Ndeeba-Swmbule, Kibuye, and Ndejje who will have to board and get off from Usafi Taxi Park hence walking for almost a kilometer from or to the city center.

This is not the first time KCCA has attempted to shift Entebbe Road taxis to Usafi Park, the first attempt failed when both passengers and the taxi operators refused to use the park, reciting criminals that the place is allegedly infested with as the main obstacle.

KCCA is planning to fill the vacuum left in the Old Taxi Park by the departing Entebbe Road taxis with those going to Ggaba and Makindye areas including Muyenga, Kasanga, Salama, and Buziga. Initially, these taxis have been parking along Ben Kiwanuka street as they call for passengers.

According to KCCA, the major reason behind the new traffic changes is to allow the Queensway Flyover Project to commence though the authority promised to make amendments where necessary in due course.

New traffic flow in the city center

According to the new plan, parking along the sides of Ben Kiwanuka Street up to Kyaggwe Road will no longer be allowed and the street will be turned into one-way. The street has been commonly used by traders especially those in Kikuubo market for wholesale businesses for loading and offloading merchandise.

Among the new changes, Burton Street between Ben Kiwanuka Street and Willian Street (initially one-way) has been opened to tow-way traffic for all motorists.

Like along Ben Kiwanuka Street, motorists will not be allowed to park on the roadside of Burton Street meaning that passengers going to Nakawa-Banda-Kireka-Mukono, and Port Bell-Luzira routes who have been finding their taxis here will have to boad and alight from the Old Taxi Park.

Buxton Street, connecting Sikh Road to Burton Street via Mega Standard Supermarket will now be one-way for motorists exiting the city to Entebbe side or all the way to Jinja Road.

The section of Sebaana Kizito Road (Nakivubo Place Road) between Namirembe Road and Nakivubo Mews has also been opened for two-way traffic to enable motorists from the Old Taxi Park connect to Kafumbe Mukasa Road and through to Ring Road.

A new road is also being constructed near Ham Tower to connect Sebaana Kizito Road to Kafumbe Mukasa Road.

Kenya’s marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge has become the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours after beating the mark by 20 seconds in Vienna, Australia.

Kipchoge, 34, ran the 42.2km (26.2 miles) in one hour 59 minutes 40 seconds in what was dubbed “Ineos 1:59 Challenge” in Vienna on Saturday.

After the marathon, Kipchoge said he felt so good to have managed to beat the barrier.

“I am feeling good. After Roger Bannister in 1954 it took another 63 years, I tried and I did not get it – 65 years, I am the first man – I want to inspire many people, that no human is limited.” Said Kipchoge.

Kipchoge record will not be recognized as the official marathon record since it was not in open competition while those who participated were just a team of rotating pacemakers.

His team of pacemakers dropped back towards the finishing line allowing Kipchoge to splint over the line making history on the home straight as he was being roared on by a large crowd.

In 2017, the Olympic champion missed out on setting his desired by just 25 seconds at the Italian Grand Prix circuit at Monza.

After crossing the finishing line, legged on around while celebrating with the crowd before embracing his wife Grace and kids. He grabbed the Kenya flag before he was mobbed by his pacemakers who included many world’s best middle and long-distance runners.

The four-time London Marathon winner was so proud to have made history and contributed to the beauty of the sport.

“This shows the positivity of sport. I want to make it clean and interesting sport. Together when we run, we can make it a beautiful world”. Said the Kenyan.

At halfway in the marathon, Kipchoge was 10 seconds ahead of schedule and he appeared to slow a bit later before regaining his pace in the final stages.

Among his 42-member team of pacemakers included Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz, Olympic 5000m silver medalist Paul Chelimo, among others.

“They are among the best athletes in the world – so thank you, I appreciate them for accepting this job, we did this one together”, Kipchoge applauded the pacemakers.

In the initial stages of the marathon, he received water and energy gels by bike from his coaches instead of having to pick them from a table as par the rules in the normal competition marathons. These aids are partly the reason why this feat will not be recognized as the official marathon record since they are not allowed under the rules of the IAAF, athletics’ world governing body.

Kipchoge is the current holder of the official marathon world record of 2:01:39, which he set in Berlin, Germany in 2018.

Two siblings from Uganda, Esther and Ezekiel Mutesasira are the winners of the first edition of East Africa’s Got Talent competition.

Esther and Ezekiel, aged 14 and 11 respectively beat off competition from other 5 groups of finalists after performing ‘When you believe’, a rendition of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. The duo walks home with the winner’s cash prize of $50,000 (Shs184m).

Their performance impressed both the judges and fans who took to twitter to commend them using the hashtag #EAGTFinale.

The first edition of the contest drew completion from four regional countries including the hosts Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.

The singing duo beat off competition from other three local rival groups from Uganda in the final including Comedic Dance Group, Dance Alliance Network, and Jehovah Shalom Acapella. The other finalists included Kenya’s Janella Tamara, and Spellcast and Rwanda’s Intayoberana Cultural Troup.

Among those impressed by the duo’s performance included the Uganda president Yoweri Museveni who took on twitter to congratulate the teenagers referring to then as ‘Bazukulu’ (grandchildren).

“My grandchildren have told me about our talented bazukulu Esther and Ezekiel, who have won an East African Talent completion this evening. I am told they are very good singers. I congratulate them”. The President wrote.

Popular opposition leader and Member of Parliament in Uganda, musician-turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine also congratulated the winners

“I’ve personally watched and followed the #EAGT show but in bits because of busy schedules and I must say I was impressed by Esther and Ezekiel. You outdid yourself and the win was indeed well deserved. You made Uganda proud”. Wrote Bobi Wine.

East Africa’s Got Talent is part of Got Talent franchise owned by English entertainment businessman Simon Cowell.

The show started with a bit of drama back in August when the Burundi government accused Rwanda of illegally playing Burundi’s famous traditional drums in the competition. It was alleged that the drums were played by Burundian refugees living in Rwanda who had taken part in the talent show.

Uganda’s team of athletes at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar has continued to perform well in various disciplines.

Early this week, Halima Nakaayi won Uganda’s first gold medal at this year’s Championships after clocking one minute and 58 seconds in the women’s 800m final at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

Yesterday, two other Ugandans also continued to add more pride to the Pearl of Africa with Winnie Nanyando qualifying to the finals of the women’s 1500m while Ronal Musagala, the national 1500m record holder is also through to the semifinals of the men’s 1500m.

Musagala made 3:36.54 to advance to advance to Friday’s semifinals while Nanyondo progressed to the final after making 4:01.30 in the semifinals.

Musagala was placed in Heat 3, which was the last of the 3 qualification rounds and he and his rivals were advantageous to have watched the first two groups race giving them what to do in their final race.

Heat 1 was won by Norway’s Jakob Interrogation at 3:37.67 who was closely followed by all the seven runners in the group who also managed to register 3:37 mark.

Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot won Heat 2 with 3:36.82 followed by UK’s Josh Kerr who managed 3:36.99 and the rest were a second or more slower.

Musagala’s group was the fastest of all the three Heats and the Ugandan had to press a little harder to squeeze himself into the sixth place avoiding being part of the mathematics of determining next six fastest finishers.

Musagala is ow warming up for Friday’s semifinal which will kick off at 8:05pm local time.

Nanyondo booked her place in the final of women’s 1500m after coming number one of the two non-automatic qualification spots.

Nanyondo had finished fourth on Monday in the women’s 800m final which was won by her compatriot Halimah Nakaayi, turning her focus on the longer race. She will hope to qualify for Saturday’s final at 8:55pm local time.

Nakaayi restores Uganda’s glory

The gold medal won by Halimah Nakaayi on Monday saw her becoming the first Ugandan woman after Dorcus Inzikuru to become champion at this international event. The prize is also Uganda’s first middle distance medal at track. Her one minute 58 seconds saw her bag the $60,000 (Shs218 million) winner’s prize.

Dorcus Inzikuru, the other female Ugandan to win gold at the event was champion in the steeplechase in the 2005 edition in Helsinki.

Peruth Chemutai, another Ugandan who represented the country in the women’s steeplechase final finished fifth. The race was won by Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech who opened up with a long gap right from the start going on to take the $60,000 winner’s prize.

Nakaayi and Nanyondo went to Doha in the best form of their career and the duo opened up the championship by claiming the first and second spots respectively.

Earlier in the build-up to the championships, Nanyondo had twice broken the national record of 1500m following setting new national 800m, 1000m, and mile indoor records.

Nakaayi had also set a new national record of 1:58.39 in the 800m and she followed it up with another one in the mile of 2:34.88. Her ambition for a medal in Doha was underlined when she won bronze in All African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

Previous winners at the championships

Nakaayi’s gold medal will be added to those won by her predecessors for Uganda from the championships. Davis Kamoga won silver at Athens in the 1997 edition becoming the first Ugandan to win a medal at the championships. Dorcus Inzikuru won gold in the steeplechase in Helsinki in 2005, Moses Kipsiro was a bronze winner in Osaka in 2007 before Stephen Kiprotich’s famous marathon gold medal in Moscow in 2013 while Solomon Mutai won bronze in the corresponding event in Beijing in 2015 and Joshua Cheptegei was the latest Ugandan medalist before Doha after winning silver in London in 2017.

Uganda is hosting this year’s Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) that brings together parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and decision-makers from all commonwealth nations. The conference takes at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort from 22 to 29 September 2019 under the theme, “Adaptation, engagement, and evolution of Parliaments in a rapidly changing Commonwealth”.

Despite this year’s being the 64th CPC, Uganda will be hosting it for the second time in history with the first having taken place in 1967, just 5 years after attaining independence from the British colonial government.

Yesterday (Sunday), delegates from several commonwealth countries started to arrive in the country with Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga present at Entebbe International Airport to receive the guests for the week-long event.

Commonwealth Parliamentarians are expected to address a range of issues during the conference including the evolution of parliamentary democracy and global challenges like climate change, sexual harassment, among others.

This year’s event is hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Uganda branch together with the Parliament of Uganda.

This annual Conference brings together Parliamentarians and other key decision-makers from the Commonwealth to tackle some of the major challenges facing today’s parliaments and to create networking opportunities.

Among the delegates in attendance include the CPA Executive Committee, headed by its Chairperson, Emilia Lifaka, who is the Deputy Speaker of Cameroon’s National Assembly.

Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament Hon. Rebecca Kadaga is the CPA President Designate (2018-2019) and will be acting as the host of this year’s event.

The discussions will focus on key issues including the ever-increasing scrutiny of parliaments and the declining public trust in parliaments and at the same time offering members an opportunity to benefit from several aspects. These benefits include supportive learning, professional development, and sharing of best practice with the parliamentarian and other leading international organizations.

A number of additional conferences and meetings will also take place during the event including the 64th CPA General Assembly, 37th CPA Small Branches Conference, 6th triennial Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), meetings of the CPA Executive Committee, and meetings of the Clerks at the Table (SOCATT).

There will be elections for the new heads in different departments including the chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), the CPA treasurer and the chairperson of the CPA Small Branches who will serve for the next 3 years.

Several conference plenaries and CPC workshops for parliamentarians will also take place at the conference with some focusing on gender, youth and the CPA Small Branches.

A wide range of topics will be discussed during the workshops and they include; innovation in parliament, the role of parliament in facilitating persons with disabilities including candidates, legislators, and the electors. Others include the impact of science and technology on the work of parliament, strategies to curb youth unemployment and combatting rapid urbanization and rural decline. The likely impact of United Kingdom ‘Brexit’ on CPA Small Branches, fostering a culture of respect, fairness and dignity, the role of parliament in the doctrine of the separation of powers, and enhancing transparency and accountability. Other topics include the Post Legislative Scrutiny (PLS), and how the updated CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures has been used to strengthen the capacity of CPA Legislatures.

Uganda is going through a turbulence of security crisis involving both high profile and civilian killings as well as mass kidnaps that have really caused panic among the citizens.

There have been at least two other gruesome killings around Kampala in a period of less than a month including one that involved the killing of a social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa who were abducted at Busega, a city suburb and later their bodies were found in Mukono. Another involved the shooting of a Rwanda national Merina Tumukunde and Joshua Nteireho along the Entebbe Expressway.

There have also been several cases on kidnap across the country where kidnappers abduct people and demand for a ransom in order to release the victims while others are just found dead or even disappear completely after their abduction.

Some high-profile killings have robbed Ugandans of their leaders in several departments like police, judiciary and legislature. Among the key names to fall victims include former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kawesi, State prosecutor Joan Kagezi, former Arua Municipality Member of Parliament Ibrahim Abiriga, former Buyende District Police Commander Mohammad Kirumira, among others.

The massive killing of women in the country that commonly occurred in the areas around Entebbe, which left almost 30 women dead also went without any clarity about the cause and or even revealing the assailants and their motives.

The religious sector has been targeted by the assailants who have gunned down several Muslim leaders in the same format like other victims leaving their followers puzzled and searching for justice.

But what could be the major reasons for these continued killings and kidnaps that have left Ugandans living in fear and panic about their fate.

The investigations by the police and other security organs have not really yielded much in terms of identifying the real assailants and their objectives. Therefore, the public has been left to speculate about what could be the reasons behind the atrocities and the following points have commonly been pointed out.

Political factors

Political reasons were pointed out to be responsible for the killing of the high profile names in the country like Kawesi, Kagezi, Abiriga, and Kirumira. Some claims point out that some of these victims had political opponents who decided to eliminate them since they considered them to be a threat to their offices and money-fetching fortunes. Kawesi and Kirumira and the key names mentioned in this case.

Others like Kagezi were suspected to have been killed due to her role in the judiciary where she was handling some high profile criminal cases including the ones over terrorism. Kagezi was handling the case involving the suspects of the 2010 terrorist attack at Lugogo where over 76 people were killed in bomb blasts while watching the World Cup Final. Her murder was therefore seen as a move by the assailants to jeopardize the evidence and investigations into that case

The murder of Abiriga was linked to several factors including his political opponents who might have had interest in his position while others claim that he was eliminated because he was linked to the rebel group of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Rebel activity-related factors have also been mentioned to be responsible for the assassination of Muslim clerics. Allegations indicate that those killed were also linked to rebel groups especially the ADF though others also claim that their death was due to internal misunderstandings and conflicts in the Muslim faith by those who considered them to be opponents.

Poverty and unemployment

The high rate of poverty and unemployment in the country has been mentioned as one of the major causes of murders and kidnaps in Uganda. Majority of Ugandans are poor with many having no defined sources of income while majority of those unemployed are graduates from tertiary institutions who have failed to find what they can do for income even after getting qualifications.

It is strongly pointed out that poverty and unemployment have caused too much frustration among these young people of who some have resorted to killing or kidnapping those they think they can get money from. Several murders like the recent one of Joshua and Melina along the expressway have been linked to this. Some reports indicated that the victims had large sums of cash in the car which was targeted by the assailants who decided to end their lives in order to run away with it.

Several kidnap cases have also been attributed to poverty. This was mainly evident in the murder of businesswoman Susan Magara early last year when her kidnappers made several calls to her parents and relatives demanding for a ransom of about $1 million. The assailants finally ended her life when her parents delayed to send the money. Many other kidnaps related to the one of Magara followed, which even included school-going children who were abducted in order to fetch money from their parents.

The kidnap syndrome has also led to neither twist whereby some Ugandans have resorted to kidnapping themselves in order to get money from their parents and relatives. Many of these cases have been foiled by the police and majority are young men and women who are unemployed and are looking for money in order to meet their personal needs.

There have been allegations that some police officers exchange their guns for money from those who want to use them in robbery and later return them to the officers. This is attributed to low salaries given to these officers though some people point out that some of them are just greedy.

Insecurity

Insecurity in the country has also been blamed for the on-going killings and kidnaps with many blaming the government for failing to beef up the required security in the city and the nearby areas to check on these cases. The recently deployed Local Defence Unit operatives who are in charge of preventing crime especially at night have done very little to prevent these murders and kidnaps while some have been reported that they themselves take part in causing more insecurity as they resort to robbing people of their property like cash and mobile phones.

The CCTV cameras that were also recently installed by the government on the streets of Kampala and the surrounding areas have also been criticized that they only help to show what happened but do not prevent the crimes from happening.

Security agencies especially the police and other related organizations like the Internal Security Organization (ISO), and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) have been blamed for failing to arrest and produce the real culprits who commit these atrocities in order for them to face justice. Until today Ugandans still don’t know those who murdered their leaders and relatives including those murdered four years ago like Joan Kagezi. Ugandans fear that the assailants have taken advantage of this security weakness to continue committing more crimes since they know that there is no enough intelligence in the country to arrest them. Many of the suspects who are always arrested after these atrocities are later released after security agencies failing to produce the required evidence that pins them to the crime leaving the real killers free to continue with their evil.

Hatred and conflicts among people

Some killings have been attributed to social misunderstandings and conflicts among different social groups. Some of these conflicts are as a result of commercial factors involving business dealings while others are social in nature suspicion and mistrust among couples.

Some aggrieved individuals from these conflicts tend to take the law in their hands and get rid of their opponents either by killing them themselves or by hiring others to execute the job on their behalf.

Some of the murders that involved women were suspected to have been influenced by their partners who suspected them to have love affairs outside their relationship. Others were suspected to have been victims of conflicts they had in business over commercial property like land, money, buildings, and merchandise.