Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has been granted bail after spending four days at Luzira Prison.

Mr. Kyagulanyi was ordered to pay a cash bail of Shs1 million as one of the bail conditions. Buganda Road Court One Magistrate, Ms. Esther Nahirya was in charge of the case. Following the bail, court fixed May 23rd as the hearing date of Kyagulanyi’s case.

In addition to the cash bail, the three sureties of Bobi Wine were each charged a non-cash bond of Shs10 million. The three included former ethics Minister, Ms. Miria Matembe, Kasanda North MP, Patrick Nsamba and Kasanda County MP, Gafa Mbwatekamwa.

Unlike the previous cases where Kyagulanyi had appearing in court for hearing, Thursday’s case was conducted under video conferencing. Bobi Wine was placed in the virtue court at Luzira that was connected to the Buganda Road Court via video conferencing. Proceedings were followed on the large flat screens installed in court.

The technology of using video conferencing in courts was launched last week to allow suspects attend court proceedings while in prison.

A number of people including several members of parliament had assembled in the court at Buganda Road early this morning waiting for the case to kickoff.

Bobi Wine was arrested on Monday as he was heading to Kibuli police where he had been summoned for interrogation. Although the initial cause of Monday’s interrogation was believed to be concerning the MP’s clash with police on Easter Monday, he was rather charged with offenses he committed in July 2018.

After his arrest on Monday, Bobi Wine was sent to Luzira prison until today (Thursday)

According to prosecution, Bobi Wine together with several others still at large including his brother Mr. Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu held an illegal protest contrary to section 116 of the Penal Code Act. The said protests were organized to challenge the Mobile Money and Social media taxes that had been introduced by the government.

Earlier on Thursday, security was heightened in Kampala as the MP was expected to be brought from Luzira to Buganda Road Magistrate Court to face charges.

President Museveni has today received two Bombardier CRJ900 jets at Entebbe International Airport.

The two aircraft first went through the common tradition of water canoeing that is performed when a country or company receives new planes.

There were ululations from guest present and those in the company of the president as they celebrated the revival of Uganda’s national carrier that has been grounded for over 18 years.

Both planes are labeled Uganda Airlines on their sides, which confirms that finally, Uganda has got herself a national carrier once again. The two aircraft have registration number 5X-KOB and 5X-EQU.

Among the dignitaries that attended the event included Works and Transport Minister, Monica Azuba Ntege, Uganda National Roads Authority boss Allen Kagina, among others.

Before the bombardiers were finally sent to Uganda, they were first tested at Montreal Mirabel International Airport in Canada. The 8-minute video clip showing the test flight caused excitement among Ugandans as they watched it on YouTube.

On their way to Entebbe, the two bombardiers flew out of Canada on Friday heading to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. From here they headed to the Netherlands in the Southern city of Maastricht before connecting to Cairo in Egypt and then straight to Entebbe.

As part of the plan to revive the Uganda Airlines, Uganda ordered four CRJ900 regional jets last year with today’s two arrivals part of that package. According to the manufacture’s, Uganda’s revived airline will be the first carrier to use the new CJR-series atmosphere cabin in Africa. The new model atmosphere cabin sets new standards of passenger experience in the regional jet market segment.

This new atmosphere cabin design enables passengers to carry and store an oversized roller bag within the aircraft cabin bins, which reduces the need for checking of bags at entry points.

The arrival of the first two planes comes after the government has spent Shs280 billion through a supplementary budget that was approved by parliament recently. The CJR900 will be managed by the Uganda National Airline Company on a dual-class configuration with their 88 seating capacity divided as 76 for economy class and 12 for business class.

Some of the key features of the CRJ900 new interior include larger passenger living space, more spacious lavatory, wheel-first roller bag capability and increases cabin connectivity options.

There have been divided opinions on the revival of the national carrier with opposition from some of government departments like the Central Bank. However, the government insisted that there was need for a national carrier to promote tourism and build the national image.

What is Good Friday?

Good Friday is Christian-celebrated day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his death and the redemption of Christians. It is the Friday that precedes the resurrection Sunday and falls within the holy week in Christianity. Some Christian Communities refer to Good Friday as Holy Friday or Great Friday. Christians celebrate Good Friday to remember the pain and persecution that Jesus went through in order to redeem them from their sins. It is used as a day for Christians to renew their faith in Jesus and follow Him as a way of showing gratefulness for what He did.

What happened on Good Friday?

Good Friday is hugely earmarked as the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross for the redemption of Christians from their sins. However, before the crucifixion, several events happened on the same day that include the betrayal and handing over of Jesus to the soldiers by Judas Iscariot, the persecution of Jesus, denial of Jesus by His disciple Simon Peter, the trial of Jesus by the governor and chief priests, among others.

Who observes/celebrates Good Friday?

Good Friday is celebrated by many members of several Christian denominations. These include Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostals, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, and Reformed traditions.

How is Good Friday Celebrated?

The various Christian denominations that observe Good Friday celebrate it with fasting and Church services. The Catholic also perform the “way of the cross”, in addition to the Church service by selecting some members to carry the cross to different points in the demarcated journey as a way of imitating how Jesus carried His cross. During the Church service, holy communion is shared by eating the bread and drinking wine, which represent the body of Christ that was bruised and His blood that was shed for people respectively. Priests and Pastors also use the Good Friday Church service to call and encourage people (altar call) who have not yet confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior to do so.

When is Good Friday celebrated?

The date of Good Friday changes each year on both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. The variation in the dates is a result of the disagreement between Eastern and Western Christianity over the computation of the date of Easter.

What about Easter Sunday?

Easter Sunday, also called Resurrection Sunday among Christian communities is a day that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. According to the Bible in the New Testament, the resurrection happened on the third day after the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus. Easter Sunday is the climax of the 40-day fasting period (Lent) among Christians which is coupled with prayer and penance. Christians believe that the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday marked the final event of their redemption from their sins and acquiring of eternal freedom and peace from God. This explains why the day is heavily celebrated with joy and feasting coupled with praising and worshipping in Churches worldwide among the Christian communities.

What happened on Easter Sunday?

According to the Bible, early in the morning of the third day after the burial of Jesus, Mary the mother of Jesus went to the tomb where he had been buried to take there some fragrance and other items of honor. However, upon reaching, Mary found the tomb open and the stone rolled away. She saw an Angel sitting on one of the stones in the tomb who told her that Jesus whom she was looking had resurrected from the dead. She ran and told Jesus’ disciple who also ran to the tomb to confirm the news. Later on, Jesus appeared to them and confirmed His resurrection from the dead and the news started spreading everywhere.

What about Easter Monday?

Easter Monday is the following day after Easter Sunday. Christians observe Easter Monday as a continuation of the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

How is Easter celebrated in Uganda?

Uganda, being largely dominated by Christianity (85%), all the Easter events starting from the beginning of the Lent period, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are widely observed. All the three days are observed as public holidays in Uganda. There are Church services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday all Church across the country to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus respectively. There are several entertainment events including music concerts, sport competitions, and festivals organized across the country to celebrate Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Uganda’s Supreme Court has upheld the removal of the 75-year age limit allowing President Museveni to run for presidency in 2021.

President Museveni, currently at 74 years can now seek re-election 1n 2021 following the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the ruling given by the constitutional court on the amendment of the constitution.

With the panel of 7 judges, 4 judges ruled in favor of upholding the amendment while 3 ruled against.

The decision from the Supreme Court ruling dismissed the challenge from the petitioners who had appealed against the ruling from the constitutional court to remove the age cap of 75 years for presidential aspirants.

In 2017, Article 102(b) of the Ugandan Constitution that barred anyone below 35 years and above 75 years to stand for presidency was amended by the Parliament amidst stiff challenge from the opposition MPs and moderates from the ruling NRM party. The Members of Parliament from the two opposing sides were involved in brawls on the floor of Parliament as the amendment was achieved having been backed by 317 MPS that satisfied the three quarters required.

President Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since seizing power as a rebel leader in 1986, is now free to seek re-election in 2021 presidential elections and as many times as he wants thereafter following the Thursday ruling.

Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana described the ruling as “a big win for Uganda”.

“On behalf of myself and all the people of Uganda, I am highly indebted. This was the most reasoned judgment, well balanced. Their Lordships expressed their views and we respect all the views and at the end of the day, we are extremely happy that justice has been done. I want to congratulate the people of Uganda and I want to congratulate the members of the NRM,” he said. “We are elated. This is a sign of how democracy has taken root in the country,” he added.

Kampala Mayor, and a lawyer for the petitioners, Erias Lukwago while commenting on the ruling said: “it is democracy that suffers”.
“It is a disappointment, but in Africa, it is a miracle to win against a sitting government,” he said.

Many observers had expected the ruling to in Museveni’s favor but they were surprised by the narrow margin of the decision as described by Kasen Male Mabirizi, who was one of the petitioners and an activist from Uganda Law Society. “The ruling was so close. Museveni will take a lesson from it,” he said.

Museveni’s Life Presidency?

In 2005, the constitution was amended and a two-term limit was scrapped to allow president Museveni to stand for re-election and he went on to claim the third term. This was followed by the recent removal of the age-limit that could prevent Museveni from running once he reaches 75 years. All these moves have been described by his critics as a way of opening up the possibility for him to rule for life.

Contradiction?

President Museveni was quoted to have once said that leaders who “overstayed” were the root of Africa’s problems. However, in 2016, while contesting for the fifth term, the president said it was not the right time for him to leave since he still had work to do.

Overstay?

There has been growing discontent among Ugandans especially the youth of which majority Museveni is the only Ugandan president they have seen in their lifetime. This has been evident as these young Ugandans have rallied behind the pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine who has taken the front in challenging Museveni’s government recently.

Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and the MP for Kyadondo East, speared headed recent protests in Uganda including against the age-limit amendment, mobile money and social media tax, among others. He recently told CNN in an interview that he was “seriously considering” challenging

Uganda has spent nearly two decades without a national flag carrier but the handover ceremony on Tuesday in which Uganda received a pair of CRJ900 Bombardier aircraft is a confirmation that the Pearl of Africa has now put an end to that embarrassing trend.

The new planes are expected to land at Entebbe International Airport for the first time on Tuesday next week, opening a new chapter in the country’s aviation industry. The handover ceremony took place at Bombardier’s Mirabel, Quebec facility on Tuesday.

Transport Minister Eng. Monica Azuba Ntege said that to get here past mistakes had to be avoided. “There was a careful evaluation of several elements such as the aircraft fleet mix”, she said during the handover ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by officials from Uganda Airlines and Bombardier Commercial Aircraft together with the company workers who build the CRJ900 aircraft.

Last month the Parliament of Uganda approved the request by the government for a supplementary budget of Shs280 billion to buy the new planes.

The Uganda government through the Uganda National Airline Company ordered for four planes in July last year and the two aircraft, part of the package are regional jets that were designed for “excellent cost efficiency and network flexibility”, according to the Bombardier president Fred Cromer.

While speaking during the colorful handover ceremony, Mr. Cramer said, “Since its launch, the CRJ series family of regional jets has led to the development of regional markets around the world. The CRJ has revolutionized aviation with proven efficiency, reliability and profitability. Our latest enhancement is the new Atmosphere cabin, which sets new standards for customer comfort and experience in the regional jet market”.

The new aircraft have got two-class configuration, that is Business Class and Economy Class with a seating capacity of 12 and 64 people respectively. The two planes have already been registered with the Civil Aviation Authority with registration numbers 5Xkob and 5Xequ

The Ugandan team led by Transport Minister Ms. Azuba were received in Quebec by Uganda’s high commissioner to Canada Joy Ruth Acheng.

The CEO of Uganda Airlines Ephraim Bagenda and the Permanent Secretary of Works and Transport Waiswa Bageya were also part of the delegation that traveled to North America with a special task of checking the conformity of the aircraft according to the contractual specifications.

In part of his remarks, the Bombardier president said, “deeply appreciative that the Ugandan government chose our aircraft for the revival of its national flag carrier”. He assured Uganda that the CRJ900 will “contribute to Uganda Airline’s growth and success”.

The Sudanese army says it will make “important announcement” as the president is believed to have stepped down and consultations underway to set up a transitional council, according to government sources.

Sources from the military and the government say that the embattled president has been relieved of his duties. President’s Bashir’s fate become very uncertain as army tanks rolled onto the streets of Khartoum early today.

This morning the state media said the Sudanese army is expected to make “an important announcement”, following several months of protests against the president.

Without giving further details, a television anchor on state media said “The Sudanese army will issue an important statement soon. Wait for it”.

Immediately after this communication from the state media, tens of thousands of Sudanese ran to the streets of Khartoum as they waited for the announcement from the army. Some jubilant demonstrators could be seen on top of two army tanks moving through the capital.

There was reported heavy gunfire near the military headquarters which also house the president’s official residence and the ministry of defense. Protesters have been having a defiant sit-in at these headquarters since Saturday last week. They have been singing and dancing to revolutionary songs while in the sit-in.

The unrest which seems to oust president Bashir started in December last year sparked by the rise in bread prices. However, the protests grew stronger over the following months to become the biggest challenge to Bashir’s 30-year rule in Sudan.

Reports coming from Khartoum indicate that there is a heavy security presence on the main streets of the city. A lot of military trucks can be seen around the capital while several other roads have been blocked especially those leading to the army headquarters leaving a few roads for protesters.

Thousands of people in a jubilant mood have been seen pouring into the sin-in area. The Sudanese Professionals Association, a group spearheading the nationwide protests urged the residents of Khartoum to come in large numbers at the army headquarters.

“We call on our people from across the Khartoum capital and the region around to immediately go the sit-in area and not leave from there until our next statement is issued”, said the group. They also added that they are not ready to accept a military government to succeed president Omar al-Bashir.

Two men have been arrested as suspects regarding the kidnapping of a US tourist, Sue Endicott and a Ugandan guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge last week on Tuesday in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Sue and Paul were kidnapped by four gunmen on the evening of 2 April while they were having a game drive in the park before they were released on Sunday.

The gunmen demanded a ransom of $500,000 when they called using the cell phones of the victims.

The statement from the Uganda police indicated that the two victims were rescued from the Democratic Republic of Congo through a joint effort from the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) and other security agencies.

There are other reports indicating that the US military also helped to provide support to the local forces in form of intelligence, surveillance, among others to rescue the victims.

On Monday this week, Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola handed over Ms. Endicott to the US Embassy in Kampala.

The two suspects that have been arrested include Hakim and Kwarishiima. According to sources, the two were arrested from Kanungu district after being tracked using a device that was placed in the ransom money they received before they set the victims free.

A tweet from police on Tuesday said, “The joint security actively investing the kidnapping incident and successful recovery of an American tourist Ms. Kimberly Sue Endicott and a Senior Tour Guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge-Remezo, has made some arrests of suspects, on suspicion of being involved in their kidnap”.

The police spokesperson Fred Enanga confirmed to URN that there were some arrests made in regard to the kidnap though he did not give more details.
“I can confirm that there were some arrests but I am yet to get details. I will brief you when I get the information,” Enanga said.

On Monday the US president Donald Trump had tasked the government of Uganda to arrest the kidnappers and bring them to justice.

“Uganda must find the kidnappers of the American tourist and guide before people will feel safe in going there. Bring them to justice openly and quickly,” tweeted president Trump.

The American tourist and a Ugandan driver guide have been rescued after spending 5 days in abduction. The duo was kidnapped by gunmen last week on Tuesday in Queen Elizabeth National park in western Uganda as they were enjoying an evening game drive in the savanna park.

Kimberly Endicott, 35 and Jean-Paul Mirenge were released on Sunday evening after they were kidnapped by unknown gunmen on 2 April. After the kidnap, the kidnappers used one of the victim’s phones to call authorities and demand a ransom.

Yesterday the officials said that the victims were released unharmed, in good health and in safe hands of the security team.

Following the kidnapping on Tuesday, there was a heavy deployment of security teams including the military and tourism police that worked together to rescue the victims.

Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said that they were rescued by the Uganda security forces in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and that they are now in Kanungu district in Southwest Uganda.

However, there are reports that the victims were released after the tour company that had arranged a safari for Ms. Kimberly paid the ransom of $500,000 to the kidnappers as they had demanded.

The US President Donald Trump after learning about the release of the victims took to Twitter the celebrate the good news “Pleased to report that the American tourist and tour guide that were abducted in Uganda have been released. God bless them and their families!”

Although the president tweeted to exhibit his excitement about their release, last week the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the US government’s policy of not paying ransoms when talking about the incident in Uganda.
“Please remember that any payment to a terrorist or a terrorist regime gives money so that they can seize more of our people,” he said. “Even a small payment to a group in, say, Africa can facilitate the killing or seizure of tens or even hundreds of others, including Americans or foreign nationals in that region.”

Mr. Pompeo said this last Tuesday while at the event of families of US citizens held captive overseas even before the news of the tourist’s abduction was out. He added that he understands the anguish among the relatives of the victims but paying ransoms empowers the abductors and leads to more kidnappings.

Ms. Kimberly Sue Endicott who lives in Costa Mesa California was traveling with another elderly couple from Canada together with their driver Jean-Paul Mirenge. The elderly couple was left unharmed though kidnappers robbed some of their property and also ran away with the car keys.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s second largest national park after Murchison Falls national park in the Northwest. The park is one of the major highlights of Uganda safaris known for hosting a variety of wildlife species including mammals, birds, reptiles, and primates.

Away from the kidnap incident, the park has been very safe for tourists despite being near the border with DRC with numerous rebel groups operating in the Eastern part of the country near the border.

The insecurity in the region has paralyzed safari activities in Virunga national park where two British tourists and their drivers were kidnapped last year and released after two days. The incident led to the temporary closure of the park until February this year when it was reopened.

There has been a massive deployment of security personnel at the Uganda-Dr Congo near Queen Elizabeth National Park as security agencies from both Uganda and DRC intensify the search to rescue an American tourist and a Ugandan driver who were kidnapped in the park on Tuesday evening.

The hostages were kidnapped at gunpoint by four armed men while on their evening game drive in the park. The two kidnapped individuals were Ms. Kimbley Sue Endecott, 35 an America tourist and Mr. Jean Paul, a Ugandan driver who was guiding the tourists.

According to reports, the kidnappers are asking for a ransom of $500,000, equivalent to about Shs1.9 Billion in order to release the hostages. Together with the two kidnapped individuals, were other two tourists, Mr. Julius Martin and his partner Barbel who were left in the tourist van unharmed though the kidnappers took away the car keys.

The security forces deployed for the hunt are comprised of joint teams including forces from the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF), Counter-Terrorism forces and Tourism Police. The forces right away started the rescue mission in the area spanning 30 square kilometers between the park and the Uganda-DR Congo border to find the missing tourists and capture the kidnappers.

Uganda’s Deputy police spokesperson Polly Namaye said that they suspect that the kidnappers together with the hostages are still in Uganda. “We want to inform the public and all visitors in the country that the joint security teams have cut off all exit areas on the border between Uganda and the DRC in search for the victims”, he said. He added that although kidnappers had asked for ransom when they called using one of the victim’s phone, police have ruled out giving it to them.

“we are all in the national park and we hope to be successful. We have enough security personnel in the park but the criminals normally use the porous border entries to cross and cause havoc”, said the Kanungu Resident District Commissioner Shafique Ssekandi. He added that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martin Okoth-Ochola and other UPDF field commanders had also joined the hunt to rescue the victims.

Mr. Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, the chairperson of Kigezi tourism cluster called for increased security in the park to ensure the safety of tourists and other travelers. He said that attacks in the park have become rampant mentioning some of the recent incidents like in January when a resident of Munyaga Cell was kidnapped by Congolese militia who demanded a ransom of Shs2 millions. Later the victim was released after his relatives had paid Shs1.5 millions to the kidnappers.

The chairperson of Kihihi Sub-County where the incident happened, Mr. Nelson Natukunda urged the government to intensify security at the border to stop the militia from DR Congo crossing into Uganda. He added such militia should be stopped from accessing places like Queen Elizabeth National Park where they have continuously committed crimes against tourist and other Ugandans.

The Tuesday incident was not the first to happen in the area. In 1999, the Congo-based Hutu rebels attacked and killed 8 tourists who included Americans, Britons and New Zealanders in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Southwest Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s second largest wildlife reserve after Murchison Falls National Park in the Northwest of the country. the park is commonly known for incredible game drives that allow tourists to see all the African “big five” that include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, and the rhinos. The park is the home for the famous tree-climbing lions together with hundreds of other mammal species and birds. On the other hand, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the South of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the home to more than half of the global population of mountain gorillas. The park is well known for breathtaking gorilla safaris in its steep and rugged terrain coupled with thick vegetation.