Zimbabwe’s first post-independence president Robert Mugabe has passed away from Singapore where he has been receiving treatment since April.
Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s family have confirmed his death.
“It is with utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former president, Cde Robert Mugabe,” Mnangagwa twitted.
Mugabe’s health started deteriorating immediately after his removal from office in November 2017.
Mugabe became Zimbabwe’s first leader after the country secure independence in 1980 from the UK. He became prime minister after winning the first election in 1980 before he abolished the office in 1987, becoming president instead.
Mugabe’s early years and rise to power
Mr. Mugabe was born on 21 February 1924 in at Kutama Mission northwest of capital Harare in a catholic family. In his early years, Mugabe was described as a loner and a learning enthusiast who always carried books even when he was tending cattle.
He concentrated even the more on his studies after his father who was a carpenter left the family when he was 10 and at the age of 17 he qualified as a schoolteacher.
Mugabe joined Fort Hare University in South Africa where he met many Southern Africa’s future black nationalist leaders who also inspired him to join politics. Initially, Mugabe was an intellectual who embraced Marxism even before he joined university.
In 1964, Mugabe was imprisoned for more than a decade without trial after criticizing the colonial government of Southern Rhodesia.
While he was still in prison in 1973, he was appointed as the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), of which he was a founding member.
He started a guerrilla movement after he was released that directed raids to the colonial government basing in Mozambique and he also led some negotiations on behalf of the rebels with the government to end the crisis.The negotiations led to the renaming of Southern Rhodesia to the independent Republic of Zimbabwe and soon afterwards Mugabe secured an overwhelming victory in the country’s first election becoming prime minister.
How his leadership soured
Over the decades of Mugabe’s leadership, he started facing some criticism internationally as many started seeing him as a dictator. This escalated even the more in 2000 when he seized white-owned farms and gave them to black farmers a move that caused economic disruptions including weakening Zimbabwe’s currency strongly.
There was growing violence and oppression in Mugabe’s leadership and it increased in the following years and in 2008, following his loss in the first round of the presidential election, his soldiers launched brutal attacks to the opposition forcing his rival to pull out of the contest.
Due to international pressure and economic collapse in Zimbabwe, he accepted power-sharing with his rival Morgan Tsvangirai in 2009, installing him as prime minister.
In 2017, following growing discontent among people of Mugabe’s rule and amid concerns that he was grooming his wife Grace as his successor, the army helped his former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa and forced him out of office.
Recently before his death, Mugabe has vowed that his body should not be buried in the national cemetery of Zimbabwe which is reserved for national heroes. He also said that current president Emmerson Mnangagwa who succeeded him should not attend his burial once he dies.
The much-reveled annual festival of Nyege-Nyege in underway today at Nile Discovery Beach up to 8 September.
The four-day festival will feature a variety fun activities including music, dance, eating and drinking. Among the variety of music genres to entertain revelers at the event include Afro-house, Kudros, Kwaito, hiplife, zouk bass, tuarege, among others.
According to the organizers of the event, the festival is aimed at empowering Ugandan creative industry and promoting the country as a home of creativity.
“The festival has over the years contributed tremendously not only to the government but the locals too, in terms of creating employment before, during and after the event”, said Derrick Debru who is a co-founder of the event.
What to expect at the event?
Music
Over the years, Nyege-Nyege has been known as an event where music enthusiasts go to quench their thirst and this year will not be any different.
The music artistry at the event sees musicians coming together from different corners across the continent. There are five stages where over 300 artists will perform to the audience
This years’ event, unlike the previous ones that have been featuring more of underground musicians, revelers will also enjoy music from top local artists like Sheebah Karungi and Pallaso.
Dancing
Dancing at the Nyege Nyege festival has always been one of the major attractions as dance artist are always joined on the stage by other dancers from the audience and they battle it out till the end.
There will be disco dance artists like Moss Trix, Erik Sama, Eric Egesa, among others whom fans will be looking forward to join on the stage.
Cultural diversity
A variety cultural performances are showcased at the festival with cultural groups from across Uganda given a platform to perform. The cultural performances usually catch the attention of tourists who attend the event as they get chance to watch a variety of performances from different tribes that in actual sense they wouldn’t find in one place even with their money willing to pay.
What is Nyege Nyege all about?
According to the organizers of the festival, Nyege Nyege stands for peace, love, and abundant joy. They add that the event also stands for fun and curiosity for underground music, and musicians in Africa and those who want to know the continent better.
The organizers always want to push boundaries with a sense of inclusivity and an invitation to wonder. They want fans to have the best time of their life in those four days as they discover more about Uganda, the Peal of Africa.
When and how did Nyege Nyege festival start?
Nyege Nyege started as an act of sheer collective madness in the rainy season of 2015 though it has since moved to the dry season.
The festival has drastically gained popularity since its inauguration and now it is considered the most important 4-day international music festival in East Africa.
The management and organizers of the event underline that the primary purpose of Nyege Nyege is to showcase all the exciting developments on the East African scene, promote darling projects and give a real voice to the underground to attract both revelers and musicians alike.
According to reports and data of 2018, over 1,400,000 people are living with HIV in Uganda. Of these, 770,000 are women aged 15 and above, 510,000 are men aged 15 and above while 100,000 are children between the age of 0 and 14.
The percentage of people living with HIV among adults in Uganda (15-49 years) is 5.7% with 53,000 new infection cases reported while 23,000 died from AIDS-related illnesses.
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), AIDS cases were first reported in Uganda in 1983, and by 1986, 900 cases had been reported, rising to 6,000 two years later. By early 1990s, Uganda was already among the African countries that the epidemic had hit worst.
In response, the ministry reports that the country took an open stance to HIV and was among the first countries on the continent to establish a national AIDS Control Program (ACP) and the National Committee for the prevention of AIDS (NCPA).
The government of Uganda also worked with the financial and technical support from international organizations like WHO and ACP to launch the first multi-sectoral mobilization campaign that disseminated HIV prevention messages across the country at a time when there were a lot of myths about the epidemic.
Due to the high rate in the rise of HIV infection, an urgent need for people to know their status was created. However, the only option for people to know this was offered by the National Blood Transfusion Service which carried out routine HIV tests on the blood donated for transfusion purposes.
As the awareness rose among the population, there rose a great need for testing and counseling services and this led to the formation of the AIDS Information Center in 1990 to provide these services taking into consideration the knowledge and consent of the people involved.
Several local non-government organizations like The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), Uganda Red Cross, the National Blood Bank, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Nsambya Home Care, and others worked hand in hand with the MOH to establish the AIDS Information Center.
Other approaches developed to fight the epidemic
The adoption of a multi-sectoral AIDS Control Approach in 1992 and the formation of the Uganda AIDS Commission in the same year have helped to develop a national HIV/AIDS policy. Through this, a variety of approaches have been adopted to help fight the epidemic. These range from promotion of condom use to abstinence from sex and other related programs.
In 2000, the MOH implemented Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and safe infant feeding counseling programs to further the country’s efforts in establishing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS program.
In establishing the AIDS Information Center that offered voluntary HIV counseling and testing services (VCT), Uganda became the first country to do so in Africa.
Uganda also adopted an overarching policy know as “ABC”, that promoted abstinence, monogamy and condom use to curb the spread of HIV in the country.
How has been the progress?
According to UNAIDS, there has been progress in the reduction of AIDS-related deaths in Uganda since 2010. A 58% decrease has been registered, from 56,000 deaths to 23,000 deaths with the number of new infections also decreasing from 92,000 to 53,000 in the same period.
However, Uganda stiff faces a difficult task in achieving the 90-90-90 targets that envision, by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status will be accessing treatment, and 90% on treatment will have suppressed viral loads.
In comparison to the targets, UNAIDS reports that in 2018 in Uganda, 84% of people living with HIV knew their status, 72% were on treatment and 64% were virally suppressed.
However, some people have dismissed these figures that show a significant decrease in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Uganda calling them “dramatic”. They argue that HIV in Uganda is rather at an alarming increase.
With all the effort to combat the epidemic, Uganda still faces a big challenge in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS. More effort is still needed in extending the HIV control services to vulnerable communities like fishing villages and more sensitization and education is still needed to convince people who fear to test and know their HIV status to do so.
More attention to special groups like sex workers, drug users and homosexuals in relation to fighting the spreading of HIV among them is also needed.
Road accidents in Uganda are on record as one of the highest in Africa something that taints the country’s good reputation as one the best tourist destinations for wildlife safaris. According to reports, road accidents are one of the major causes of deaths in Uganda together with communicable diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Last week, about 3 major road accidents were reported including two that involved 2 YY buses in Mbale and Iganga killing at least 11 people. Another accident happened in Rubirizi district, western Uganda involving a fuel tank that burst into flames after ramming into four commuter taxis leaving at least 16 people dead and property destroyed.
These accidents are just a portion of the very many that happen on a daily basis in different parts of the country commonly involving vehicles and motorcycles.
But what exactly causes these rampant road accidents that are claiming the lives of many Ugandans, and what can be done to stop them?
Reckless and careless driving
On many occasions, the police have reported reckless driving as the primary cause of road accidents in Uganda. For example, this was pointed out as the cause of the recent accident in Iganga where a bus driver was trying to overtake and he ended up in a head collision with a commuter taxi killing all the 10 people who were in the taxi.
Reckless driving involves over speeding the vehicle beyond the maximum speed permitted along that particular road, overtaking other vehicles where it is not necessary and obstruction of drivers through talking on phones while driving, playing loud music in the car and lack of focus.
Drinking and driving can also be brought under this category. This is also a very common practice in Uganda. This majorly happens late in the night when people exploit the opportunity that traffic officers are away from duty resting and they take their vehicles while drunk. Drunk driving has resulted into a lot of accidents that have claimed many lives.
Reckless driving is primarily attributed to the vehicle drivers who are in full control of the vehicle and therefore it is their sole responsibility to ensure that they drive carefully to avoid causing these avoidable accidents.
Narrow and old roads
Uganda is facing this infrastructural problem. Our roads were constructed in an old fashion to cater for a few cars that were in the country by then. Today the number of cars in the country has out used the quality and capacity of the existing roads.
Overtaking on Ugandan roads is riskier than never before because there is no enough space for a vehicle to overtake another. This is why those who try to do it sometimes end up causing accidents.
Skidding along the roads has also become common of recent with the Kampala-Masaka highway frequently mentioned as a slippery road that causes cars to skid. This is also a result of the road being too old and over-used which makes the tarmac so smooth losing any kind of friction that holds car tyres firm stopping them from skidding.
The problem of narrow and old roads can only be solved by the government through the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) by rehabilitating the existing roads through widening them in addition to constructing new ones to avoid over-using the few ones that are in place.
Speed humps should also be thought of and put in place in areas where they are needed like along highways where accidents usually happen. This helps to control over-speeding. Sometimes you drive a very long distance along highways without finding any speed humps. This encourages drivers to over-speed vehicles which sometimes ends up in an accident.
Unqualified drivers
There are very many drivers out there busy driving vehicles without the necessary qualifications. Most of these are young men who have exploited the loopholes in authorities regarding licensing and carting out operations to arrest them.
A lot of road accidents have been caused by these unqualified and unlicensed drivers given that most of them don’t know much about the traffic rules and also possess little skills in driving.
It may not be wrong to say that the responsibility to stop unqualified drivers majorly belongs to the traffic police who have to step up and ensure that every driver on the road is qualified and licensed to do so. Individuals are also called upon to be responsible and avoid driving cars if they don’t qualify to do so in order to save both their own lives and others.
Mechanically poor vehicles
Mechanically poor vehicles can breakdown anytime along the journey causing accidents. Some drivers have a tendency of taking long without servicing their vehicles or taking them for regular checkup by the mechanics. A car engine should always be in a good condition, while the driver should always ensure that important components like oil, water, fuel, brake fluid, are in the right amounts every time before they move the vehicle. The general body of the car should also be examined well always.
The traffic department of the police should always ensure that all cars on the road are in proper mechanical conditions while stopping all those that don’t fulfill the required mechanical standards.
Corruption
Corruption is a serious indirect cause of road accidents in Uganda. Unfortunately, this majorly involves traffic officials who should be working hard to ensure the safety of travelers along the roads. Some of these officials have gone on to accept bribes from the culprits they arrest due to bad driving and other offenses while letting them go, causing accidents later on.
This is a call for transparency and integrity among the officials to ensure that they don’t allow any driver who doesn’t qualify to drive and also not allowing any vehicle that doesn’t deserve to be on the road. There is no sum of money given that equals the human lives that are always lost through these accidents that can be controlled.
In conclusion, road accidents are such a big threat to human life in Uganda without reasonable doubt and stopping them is a collective effort of all the stakeholders. From motorists to passengers and to pedestrians and together with the authorities, we all have a role to play if we are to succeed in this struggle.
Uganda’s international diplomat Winnie Byanyima has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
Ms. Byanyima has been serving as the Executive Director of Oxfam International since January 2013.
A press statement from the UNAIDS read, “UNAIDS warmly welcomes the appointment of Winnie Byanyima as its new Executive Director. Ms. Byanyima ha more than 30 years of experience in political leadership, diplomacy, and humanitarian engagement.”
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres appointed Ms. Byanyima as the UNAIDS Executive Director and United Nations Under-Secretary-General following a comprehensive selection process. Ms. Byanyima was finally recommended to the Secretary-General by the UNAIDS Committee of Co-sponsoring Organizations.
Ms. Byanyima said she is honored to be joining the UNAIDS and said that she understands the challenge ahead in her new position.
“I am honored to be joining UNAIDS as the Executive Director at such a critical time in the response to HIV. The end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is a goal that is within the world’s reach, but I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge ahead. Working with all its partners, UNAIDS must continue to speak up for the people left behind and champion human rights as the only way to end the epidemic.” Said Byanyima.
Speaking about Ms. Byanyima, Mr. Guterres acknowledged her vast experience in working with several international agencies.
“Ms. Byanyima brings a wealth of experience and commitment in harnessing the power of governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector and civil society to end the AIDS epidemic around the world.” Said Guterres.
Before being appointed as the Executive Director of Oxfam in 2013, Ms. Byanyima served as the Director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme for seven years.
Winnie Byanyima’s Profile
Background and education
Winifred Byanyima was born on 13 January 1959 in Mbarara District, Uganda to Boniface and Gertrude Byanyima.
Byanyima attended Mount Saint Mary’s College Namagunga in Mukono district for high school before going to the University of Manchester in the UK where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering.
With this academic award, Byanyima became the first female Ugandan to become an aeronautical engineer. She later obtained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cranfield University where she specialized in energy conservation.
Professional career
Byanyima worked as a flight engineer for Uganda Airlines following the completion of her training as an aeronautical engineer.
Byanyima left her job and joined the armed struggle in 1981 following the declaration of the bush war by Yoweri Museveni. Both Byanyima and her husband Kiiza Besigye were combatants in the National Resistance Army (NRA) during the war.
After the NRA won the war in 1986, Byanyima was appointed as Uganda’s ambassador to France in 1989 up to 1994. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Uganda Constitution in 1995.
Between 1994 and 2004, Byanyima served as a Member of Parliament representing Mbarara Municipality for two terms.
After her tenure in Parliament, Byanyima was appointed director of the Directorate of Women, Gender and Development at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In November 2006, she was appointed director of the Gender Team in the Bureau of Development Policy at UNDP where she served until January 2013 when she was appointed Executive Director of Oxfam International.
Marriage and children
Winnie Byanyima is married to Kiiza Besigye, an opposition politician in Uganda and former president of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party in Uganda. The couple has only one child, a son named Anselm.
Liverpool and Norwich to kick off the new Premier League season
Football fans around the world especially those who follow the English Premier League will be excited to hear that the new season, 2019/2020 is finally starting today.
Liverpool and newly promoted Norwich City will play the first fixture of the new season tonight as Anfield and both clubs will be looking to register a strong start to the campaign.
What should fans look out for in the new season?
Introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be used this season in the Premier League
The English Premier League is one of the last leagues among the five major European Leagues to embrace the new technology of VAR since its introduction 3 years ago.
The Football Association (FA) has finally accepted to introduce the technology in the 2019/20 Premier League season.
The VAR will be always come to into play whenever the referee deems it necessary to consult to make decisions in key moments of the game.
Among the key areas where the VAR will be consulted include deciding on goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity.
New additions, new strength
Harry Maguire, Nicolas Pepe, and Ryan Sessegnon are some of the new top signings this season
All the major sides in the English top flight with a huge following worldwide have strengthened their squads in this summer’s transfer window with some pulling up some exciting signings to give their fans so much anxiety.
Both Manchester United and Arsenal have made incredible signings with United bringing in Harry Maguire from Leicester City at a world record fee for a defender (80 million pounds). United have also recruited young right-back Aaron-Wan-Bissaka and talented young winger Daniel James from Crystal Palace and Swansea respectively.
Arsenal have also broken their transfer record by signing highly rated winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille, France at 72 million pounds. The Gunners have also added David Luiz and Kieran Tierney to strengthen their defence while Dani Ceballos has joined on a season-long loan from Real Madrid as a temporary replacement of Aaron Ramsey and young Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli has also joined.
Defending Champions Manchester City have also strengthened their squad to stand as a team to beat by bringing in Spanish midfielder Rodri from Atletico Madrid and defender Joao Cancelo from Juventus.
European champions and last year’s runners up Liverpool have not done much business this summer though their squad still looks strong and intact and they will be hoping to pick up from where they stopped last season to challenge for the tittle.
Chelsea have also not enjoyed this summer’s transfer business given their transfer ban though they managed to sign Mateo Kovacic on a permanent deal from Real Madrid. They have also been boosted by the in-coming of talented American Forward Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund whom they had signed in January. New manager Frank Lampard will hope that his squad remains competitive like last season to fight for some Silverware despite losing some key players like Eden Hazard and David Luiz.
Tottenham have also enjoyed one of their best transfer markets after the acquisition of some exciting talents in Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, Giovani Lo Celso on loan from Real Betis and Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham.
Other clubs have also strengthened well in the transfer window with some like Everton, Leicester and Wolves hoping to break into top six this season.
Will Manchester City make it three in a row?
Manchester City have won the last two Premier League titles in a row
It is now 10 years since 2009 when Manchester United became the last side to win three Premier League titles consecutively between 2007 and 2009. However, this record may be broken by their rivals Manchester City who look determined to add a third title in a row. City are the winners of the previous two campaigns and if they get this one, then their dominance of the league will be justified.
Will this be Liverpool’s season finally?
Liverpool are still looking for their first-ever Premier League title
Last season Liverpool came so close to winning their first-ever Premier League title but they were unfortunate to lose it to Manchester City by just one point having registered a record of 97 points for runners up. If the Reds can reach that level this season, who knows, it may be just enough for to be crowned champions.
How will Frank Lampard fare in his debut season as Chelsea manager?
As the new season kicks off, all eyes will be set on Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s new manager who came as a replacement of Maurizio Sarri. Lampard was very successful as a Chelsea player before he left the club in 2014 to join US club New York City, Manchester City and later start his managerial career at Derby County.
Lampard has come in at a very tricky time at Chelsea when the club is under a ban to sign new players for at least two transfer windows and he will need to use the available players in the best way possible if he is to register any success for the club in his debut season as manager.
Will Solskjaer manage to bring back Manchester United into the top four?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping to bring back Manchester United into the top four this season
Another manager in the hotspot this season will Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who has a huge task ahead of him to bring back the Red Devils into the top four this season or even contest for the title.
United finished sixth last season 32 points behind winners Manchester City and 5 points behind Tottenham who finished fourth and Solskjaer will be hoping his team can bridge that gap this season to secure champions League football again.
Arsenal revolution?
Arsenal have failed to qualify for Champions League in the previous three campaigns
This is going to be Arsenal’s fourth consecutive season in Europa League and this means no champions league football. However, this bad history may be about the change following the Gunners ambitious transfer business this time.
The Gunners have made some promising deals in the transfer window and now their squad looks much stronger than the previous few seasons. The acquisition of talented players like Nicolas Pepe, Dani Ceballos, Kieran Tierney, David Luiz and Gabriel Martinelli is expected to lift the club to an advanced level.
A top-four finish will be the Gunners main target this season so that they can restore champions league football and if they can do better than that it will be their bonus.
Will the top six be shaken up this time?
Everton are one of the teams that are gearing up for the top six this season
Last season there was a big gap between the top six and those teams that occupied the following positions. Wolves were seventh but were 9 points behind Manchester United in the sixth.
Clubs like Everton, Wolves and Leicester City who tried to break into the top six last season will be striving to find that breakthrough this term given their ambitious transfer business. They recruited strongly and this sounds a warning to any top six-member who may slip up.
How will the relegation battle be?
Aston Villa are one of the promoted sides that will be hoping to stay in the top flight this season
Aston Villa, Norwich and Sheffield United are the three promoted side in this season’s campaign and they will be expected to do their best to survive in the top flight.
Last season’s survivors like Brighton, Southampton and Burnley might have learned a good lesson that they have to take all their chances in order to maintain their position otherwise any small mistake may see them being eclipsed.
However, as we start the new season, the relegation battle will be much open and it is just a matter of who will slip up and then they will see their door into the Championship next season.
Who will win the golden boot?
Aubameyang, Salah, and Mane shared last season’s Premier League golden boot
Last season was record-breaking in terms of the golden boot winner with three players sharing the prize having all netted 22 goals. The winners included Arsenal’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mohamad Salah.
Potential contenders included Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero who missed out by just one goal, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.
This race is open again this time and who knows, may be one of the above may take it or we may end up seeing another surprise striker coming up to claim it. Let’s watch this space.
The Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II today marks his 26th coronation anniversary at Nkumba University, Entebbe.
The coronation celebrations kicked off yesterday with the Kabaka visiting the headquarters of Mamba and Ffumbe clans in Busiro, one of the 18 counties that make the Buganda Kingdom which is also hosting this year’s 26th coronation anniversary.
According to the kingdom officials, this year’s coronation anniversary aims at promoting education and healthcare among the people in Buganda Kingdom. This has been evident as several healthcare programs have been arranged in different parts of the kingdom offering services like Hepatitis B testing and vaccination, HIV testing and counseling, among others.
This year’s celebrations have also been graced by the presence of the Sultan of Sokoto Caliphate in Nigeria who came with a delegation as a special guest of Kabaka Mutebi.
The Kingship of Buganda was restored in 1993 and the coronation of Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II took place on 31st July that year at Nagalabi Buddo currently in Wakiso district. The Central government under president Museveni decided to restore the Kingship of Buganda after it had been abolished by former President Milton Obote in 1966 forcing the then king Edward Muteesa II, father of Mutebi to be exiled in England where he later died.
Over the 26 years under Kabaka Mutebi’s reign, the Kingdom of Buganda has registered several achievements including the successful restoration of administrative units at all levels of the kingdoms like counties, sub-counties, villages, and clans. The kingdom has also been able to set up several media houses like radios Television and a telecom company.
Economically the Kingdom has set up several commercial buildings including Masengere at Bulanga Mengo, the main headquarters of the kingdom, Muganzirwaza at Katwe in Kampala, among others. Several development projects have been promoted by the kingdom including cooperatives, donation of agricultural inputs like coffee to farmers as well as promoting saving groups among the youth.
On the tradition and cultural note, the Kingdom has successfully restored the Kasubi tombs (the burial ground for the kings of Buganda) that had been completely burnt down but now they stand in a more modern version. This has not only helped to uphold the culture and the history of Buganda but also promoted tourism that fetches revenue for the kingdom.
In addition to setting up supportive measures, Kabaka Mutebi is always heard in his several speeches calling upon the youth and the young people in Buganda to ensure they attain education as well as living healthy lives. His effort to fight against HIV among the youth saw him being recognized by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/Aids (Unaids) in 2017 who appointed him as its goodwill ambassador in the fight against the epidemic.
While speaking during his visit to the Ffumbe clan headquarters at Bakka, Busiro county yesterday, Kabaka Mutebi called upon clan heads to be visionary leaders in order to restore the heritage and culture of the kingdom.
“The task of restoring our heritage and culture that had been destroyed, developing our people at all levels, requires visionary clan leaders because they are respected people and their respective clans are seen as role model,” said Kabaka Mutebi.
Kabaka also called upon the youth to be decisive and get involved in matters of interest.
“This is an era of competition and winners must be educated and having good conduct. Be decisive because your parents have enabled you to attend school to be useful to the entire nation,” he added.
Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine the leader of the People Power political pressure group launched a national coordination team on Wednesday.
The team will be in charge of mobilizing supporters and coordinating all the necessary activities in different regions ahead of the 2021 general elections.
The appointed committee will also be responsible for identifying, recruiting and harmonizing candidates from these regions vying for several political posts in the upcoming elections.
The meeting in which the coordination committee was appointed took place at Bobi Wine’s home in Magere, Wakiso district on Wednesday.
The People Power Spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi said that they had intended to have this meeting in a hotel but they failed to secure a place sine all the hotels contacted turned them down due to fear of government’s response for hosting Bobi Wine.
“We were not supposed to be here today for this press conference. We should have been at one of the hotels but we roamed town for the last couple of days seeking to get space but all of them declined, especially when they got to know its People Power”, he said.
The committee comprises of members from different political parties as well as those from diaspora. Mr. Ssenyonyi said that all members are there for a better country.
“We have leaders here from the NRM and some are in Parliament but they are here because we all want a better country. We also have members from DP, FDC, Jeema… People Power is also about empowering women. President Museveni says that he has empowered women but in many ways, he has disempowered them. We are keen on changing that”, he said.
Arua Municipality MP Kasiano Wadri said that the involvement of members from other political parties will not affect multiparty democracy but it will rather empower all parties.
“Multiparty democracy has principles. People Power has come to empower all political parties and not to break them. We are coming up with something new because we can’t behave normally in an abnormal situation. Multipartism can’t be killed by what you see here. We are all here for a common cause. This is a consortium, we are here to foster a common goal”, he said.
The committee teams that were appointed were regional based and are responsible to coordinate activities in their respective regions.
The committee list is as below
Kampala Metropolitan
Hon Medard Lubega Ssegona (Team Leader)
Hon Wakayima Musoke
Naluyima Betty
Samuel Lubega Mukaku
Semugooma
Greater Luweero;
Hon Lutamaguzi (Team Leader)
Hon Brenda Nabukenya
Nanyanzi Shifa
Former Luweero Mayor
Sekabira Lawrence
Greater Mubende;
Hon Patrick Nsamba (Team Leader)
Hon Kalwanga David
Kawuma Digo
Kabuye Frank
Sumaya
Greater Mpigi;
Hon Muwanga Kivumbi (Team Leader)
Aisha Kabanda
Hillary Kiyaga(Hilderman)
Teddy Nambooze
Sadam Gayira
Greater Mukono;
Hon Lulume Bayiga (Team Leader)
(Mayor of Mbiko, Kiwanuka Abdullah
Patriko Mujuka
Simbwa
Greater Masaka;
Hon Mathias Mpuuga (Team Leader)
Hon Sewungu Gonzaga
Hon Florence Namayanja
Dr. Abed Bwanika
Katerega Muhammad
WestNile;
Hon Kasiano Wadri(Team Leader)
Hon James Acidri
Hon Oguzu Lee
Habib Asega
Asara Night
Acholi;
Hon Lucy Akello (Team Leader)
Hon Gilbert Olanya
Hon Anthony Akol
Olenga Anthony
Okema Santo
Bugisu;
Hon John Baptist Nambeshe (Team Leader)
Anthony Wameli
Wetaka Abas
Sam Mali
Robinah Nadunga
Busoga;
Hon Asuman Basalirwa (Team Leader)
Hon Paul Mwiru
Mercy Walukamba
Bigirwa Moses
Basakana Hannington
Bukedi;
Hon Nabulindo Agnes (Team Leader)
Hon Catherine
Sanya Wycliff
Mukasa Abdullah
Yusuf Mutembule
Rwenzori;
Hon Winnie Kiiza (Team Leader)
Hon Robert Centenary
Wakibanahi Joram
Ndungu James
Musabingo
Youth Wing;
Hon Francis Zaake(Team leader)
Angella Namirembe(Deputy-Central)
Bosmic Otim(Deputy-North)
Sasi Marvin(Deputy-West)
Mariah Natabi(Deputy-East)
Institutions;
Roy Semboga (Team Leader)
Muhumuza Umaru
Milkah Nabacwa
Tunduru Jonathan
Magulu Mpagi
Women Wing;
Flavia Kalule (Team Leader)
Hon Robinah Ssentongo
Hon Anna Adeke
Nusifa Nakato
Aturinda Agnes
PWDs
Pastor Robert Mpala Isabirye (Team Leader)
John Luwago
Kisimizi Nuhu
Arts & Entertainment;
Nubian Lee (Team Leader)
Swengere
Ronald Mayinja
Flavia Namulindwa
Informal Sector;
Nyanzi Fred Ssentamu (Team Leader)
Nnazzinda Sifa
Okello Richard
Ande Kibirige
Muwanguzi Andrew
Uganda the pearl of Africa is unlimitedly blessed by nature. Everywhere you go, something amazing awaits you. Church Hill Winston dubbed this small country Africa’s pearl due to its magical features and incomparable beauty. Past travelers who have been on Uganda safaris go back testifying how Uganda offers it all to meet, satisfy and exceed every traveler’s expectations. A combination of favorable weather, endangered wildlife, hospitable people, beautiful landscapes, lakes, and rivers make a complete safari package to offer you a lifetime experience. However, despite the many tourist spots and attractions Uganda has, some places stand out as exceptional. These you cannot dare miss visiting them if you want your Uganda tour to be lively and memorable. We bring you the top 5 places that every traveler must visit in Uganda for a memorable experience. These include:
Bwindi forest national park
Bwindi forest is the most visited national park in Uganda according to Uganda tourism statistics. It’s undeniable that over 90% of tourist arrivals in Uganda visit this impenetrable forest. But what’s the secret? The endangered mountain gorillas that roam in this thick jungle are a key attraction for most travelers in Uganda. Situated in southwestern Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to over 600 mountain gorillas, which is half of the world’s surviving gorillas habituated in 17 families. Gorilla groups in Bwindi are split into four sectors that make up the park (Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the East, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south). The gorilla families in Bwindi are Mubare, Habiyanja, Rushegura, Bikingi, Kahungye, Katwe, Christmas, Bweza, Nshongi, Mishaya, Nkuringo, Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguliro, and Busingye. Each family is unique in its own kind. Interestingly, gorilla trekking in Uganda is quite cheap at $600 per permit compared to $1500 in neighboring Rwanda.
Besides gorilla trekking Uganda, Bwindi forest is a center for experimental gorilla habituation experience. Here travelers take part in training wild gorillas making them familiar with human presence and ready for trekking. Habituation experience is 2-3 years of taming mountain gorillas to get used with people. Unlike in gorilla trekking where people spend an hour with gorillas, gorilla habituation is a four hours gorilla encounter. This gives travelers ample time to learn, observe ad enjoy the company of endangered gorillas in the jungle.
Gorilla watching in Bwindi is complemented by Batwa community visits, bird watching an forest walks which give travelers a natural feeling of a natural tropical rain forest.
Murchison Falls National park
Do not miss visiting Murchison falls, Uganda’s oldest and largest national park situated in northwestern Uganda. The park is named after the mighty “Murchison Falls” formed when the Nile River squeezes through 7-meter gorge before plunging 43 meters down. Also, Murchison Falls Park has a high concentration of wildlife, which includes elephants, lions, giraffe’s buffalo, hippos, Uganda kobs, L’Hoest gazelles, waterbucks, impalas, Topis, warthogs, and leopards among others. Game drives via the park I best way to see these animals grazing, hunting, and browsing for food. More so, enjoy a boat ride at the bottom of the thunderous Murchison waterfalls, enjoy the fresh cold breezes, watch out for birds and animals on the river banks and a permanent rainbow at the bottom of the falls.
Kidepo Valley National park
If you want to taste the true wilderness, visit Kidepo valley national park located miles away from Kampala city. Located in extreme northeastern Uganda, Kidepo National park is Uganda’s least visited park which gives travelers an off beaten wildlife experience. In 2017, CNN named kidepo valley national park as Africa’s 3rd best national park based on its beautiful sceneries and undulating landscapes. Kidepo Park is also referred to as a long-forgotten Eden, a hidden gem that most travelers to Uganda have often missed out. The park is home to countless animals such as rare cheetahs, wild dogs, defassa waterbucks, giraffes, buffalos, bat-eared fox, impalas, Oribis, striped hyenas, lions, leopards, warthogs, hippos, Jackson’s hartebeest, aardwolf, elands, bohor reedbucks among others. Also, enjoy a cultural walk to Manyata cultural village to learn about Karamojong, their traditions, norms, and beliefs. A traditional dance is performed by locals as a welcome to their area. Animal rearing is the major activity done in the area, mil and meat are the key food.
Queen Elizabeth national park
The ease of access, the abundance of wildlife and beautiful sceneries make Queen Elizabeth National Park a must-visit destination in Uganda. The park spreads over 1978 square kilometers of land ranking as Uganda’s second-largest national park after Murchison falls park. Also, Queen Elizabeth Park is home to numerous crater lakes which include Katwe for salt mining, Lake Bunyampaka, Lake Munyayange for flamingos, Lake Nyamunuka whose waters heals animals from injuries among other crater lakes. Travelers to Queen Elizabeth national park have a variety of activities to do, which include game viewing, boat cruising, mongoose tracking, nature walks, and lion tracking. The ishasha sector south of Queen Elizabeth national park is home to famous tree-climbing lions, which you should no miss. Kyambura gorge shelters chimpanzees hence the best spot for chimpanzee trekking. Among the animals to see in Queen Elizabeth national park include elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, impalas, Topis, Oribis and hippos among others. The park is also a birders paradise sheltering numerous bird species on the shores of Kazinga channel and in the forested areas of the park.
Source of the Nile River –Jinja
A day trip to explore the source of river Nile, the longest river in the world is worth doing. A Uganda tour to jinja offers travelers a variety of adventurous travel experience, which includes bungee jumping, white water rafting, kayaking, boat cruising and even swimming for those who know. Enjoy the calm waters of the Nile, raft on the strong rapids of the Nile river and have fun. Travelers to jinja also have a chance to enjoy horse riding which makes you safari a complete package.
In general, Uganda the pearl of Africa offers it all you are looking for on a trip. Book a safari to Uganda today, enjoy a close encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas, go game viewing and water activities with Africa Adventure Safaris.
Today the Buganda Road Magistrates Court has given bail to Bobi
Wine’s promoter Andrew Mukasa also Known as Bajjo of Bajjo Events.
Bajjo has been in jail since he was charged with offensive
communication and inciting violence. He has been detained since June 15 when he
was picked by security officials from Centenary Park while he was addressing
journalists on a marathon that he had organized to raise funds for Bobi Wine.
Bajjo and many other Ugandans from a range of categories including politicians, journalists, and many others have been victims of the new wave of politics in Uganda that rose with the coming of the now Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine.
Many have been arrested, tortured, beaten and imprisoned including Kyagulanyi himself while others have lost their lives like the late Yasin Kawuma, Bobi Wine’s former driver who was shot dead during the Arua Municipality Parliamentary by-election fracas last year that involved stoning of President Museveni’s car.
How Bobi Wine entered Uganda’s politics
Bobi Wine addressing his supporters in Kyadondo East in one of the rallies
Bobi Wine hit the political scene in Uganda in 2017 when he
won the Kyadondo East Parliamentary by-election and entered the Parliament of Uganda.
Before Kyagulanyi joined politics, he was seen as a mere musician though some
of his songs were politically charged something that showed he might be having
some interest in politics.
Politics is not a new chapter in Bobi Wine’s family as his
brother Eddy Yawe, also a musician stood for parliamentary election for Kiira
Municipality in 2016 though he badly lost to FDC’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda.
Leading opposition candidate?
Kiiza Besigye and Bobi Wine are the two leading opposition politicians in Uganda
Since he entered politics in 2017, Bobi Wine has gone on to
become the leading opposition leaders in Uganda overtaking even some of the
long-standing opposition figures like Dr. Kiiza Besigye in popularity. Besigye has
been the leading opposition contender to take on president Museveni though he
has lost to him four times since 2001 in presidential elections.
The People Power wave
Bobi Wine has always stressed from the constitution that power belongs to people
Kyagulanyi’s fast rise in Uganda’s politics has led to the
birth of a pressure group known as “People Power” which many see as a political
party though it is hasn’t been registered with the Electoral Commission.
Bobi Wine himself is the brainchild of the People Power movement as he has referred to the constitution of Uganda that says that power belongs to people. The more he emphasized it, the more it became a slogan among his supporters and today it is being used to refer to everyone who supports him.
Several politicians and those who are aspiring for several
political offices have already come up to identify themselves with the People
Power movement having seen the impact the movement has already created among
people country-wide.
Presidential Candidate?
Bobi Wine has made it clear that he is considering challenging president Museveni in 2021 elections
The huge popularity that Kyagulanyi has gained has seen many Ugandans rank him as the suitable opposition candidate to challenge president Museveni in the 2021 presidential election. Bobi Wine himself, while in an interview with CNN declared that he is “seriously considering challenging president Museveni in 2021 presidential elections.” However, this proposal of Bobi Wine being the leading opposition candidate to challenge president Museveni seemed to create some friction between his supporters and those who still think that four-time former presidential candidate Kiiza is still the ideal man to represent the opposition against Museveni who has been in power for 33 years.
A reckon of hope for the youth
Young people have been a great force behind Bobi Wine’s fast-rise in politics
Majority of the people that Bobi Wine has won over are the
youth who view him as a savior and they hope that he has the potential to
restore them and revive them for prosperity.
This was so evident in the previous protests that Bobi Wine has been spear-heading including the one against social media and mobile money taxes last year. These protests attracted thousands of youth who joined him on the streets of Kampala before they were dispersed by the police with tear gas and arresting some.
The youth and other Bobi Wine have also been staging several
protests in different parts of the country demanding Bobi Wine’s release on all
occasions when he was detained by the police including the Arua fracas and
recently when he was arrested on Easter Monday.
Panic in the government
Police and other security agencies have been used by the government to suppress Bobbi Wine and his supporters
Several traces of panic in the government caused by the threat posed by Bobi Wine’s growing support. Some of the panic moves from the government against him including, several arrests banning all his music shows during the festive seasons and detaining him at his home to stop him from talking to his supporters.
There were rumors that the government was also planning to bring
a bill to parliament requiring all aspirers of top political positions to be
tested and establish whether they have ever used drugs. This move was widely criticized
with many pointing out that it was targeting Bobi Wine who is thought to have used
drugs while he was still staying in the ghetto trying to build his music
career.
Division among top political parties
Several politicians from different political parties have joined Bobi Wine
The rise of Bobi Wine has also caused some damage in some of
the top political parties in the country with many of their prominent members
coming out clearly and declare that they now belong the People Power pressure
group led by Bobi Wine which is viewed as another political party in making.
Some of these members have gone on to declare that they will
be standing for political offices under the People Power ticket something that
has left their party leaders puzzled.
This has been worsened in cases where some party members are
threatening to stand against their fellow party members for the same office,
this has created a big dilemma in such parties.
Uganda has 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, 5 community wildlife management areas and 13 wildlife sanctuaries with rich biodiversity including over 1,000 species...
Tree climbing lions are found in Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This sector offers game drives which have the highlight...
