Today the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) will mark 33 years after the end of the liberation struggle that brought the incumbent government in power.
This year’s celebrations are to be conducted in Tororo district at Muwafu primary school in West Budama Constituency. 200 selected individuals will be awarded with medals for their distinguished service towards the development of the country.
The celebrations have been organized under the theme “A moment of glory that set a new chapter for unity, peace and prosperity in Uganda”. President Yoweri Museveni will preside over the ceremony.
In 1986, the National Resistance Army (NRA) rebels led by president Museveni took over power after 5 years of fighting in the bush war overthrowing the military government of Tito Okello Lutwa.
Mr. Museveni declared the bush war in 1981 after being dissatisfied with the results from the presidential elections in which he accused the then president Milton Obote of rigging the votes.
After his victory, Mr. Museveni was sworn in into power on 26th January 1986. In his inaugural speech, the president promised that his government was going to be different one from all African governments and promised to bring about fundamental change in the country.
After 33 years in power, the NRM government has been trying to deliver to fulfill the promises the president made to Ugandans as he came into power.
Some of the key achievements NRM has registered include the restoration of peace in the country after putting an end to civil wars that had destabilized the country since gaining independence in 1962 up to when NRM took over power in 1986. Others include improvements in the education sector with the introduction of free education at Primary and secondary level, free medical care in public hospitals and infrastructural development featuring distribution of electricity in urban and rural areas as well as the construction of various roads around the country, among others.
However, the NRM government has been sharply criticized for the failure to live to its promises in various sectors of the country. Among the major points of criticism include widespread corruption almost in every sector, high rates of unemployment especially among the youth, high poverty levels among citizens, failure to organize free and fair elections, President Museveni’s overstay in power, among others.
Nevertheless, the NRM government continues to reign in Uganda under mixed feelings among the nationals with some still commending it for the achievements registered so far while others have totally lost trust in its rule thus staging sharp opposition. It is increasingly becoming clear that the government’s popularity among the people is reducing each day as more accusations of mismanagement of the state are continuously directed towards the leaders.
Democratic Republic of Congo’s opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi has been sworn in as the country’s new president succeeding Joseph Kabila.
The new president takes over power in DR Congo’s first ever peaceful transfer of power in almost 60 years since the country gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
The swearing in took place in the capital Kinshasa on Thursday and it was attended by Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta who was the only outside head of state present out of the 17 who were invited.
Tshisekedi has been finally sworn after a bitterly disputed election that saw fellow opposition leader Martin Fayulu challenge his victory in the court after rejecting the results in which Tshisekedi was declared winner by the electoral commission.
After the elections, several sources including the country’s influential Catholic Church came out to declare that Fayulu had a landslide victory in the elections but he was denied by the backroom deal between Tshisekedi and former president Joseph Kabila.
There were several calls for a recount of the votes made by Fayulu and other parties including the regional blocs SADC and the African Union but they were all ignored by the electoral commission that decided to uphold the status quo.
Exhaustion!
During his inauguration speech, Tshisekedi collapsed on the podium after feeling faint but he shortly returned to continue and he stressed that he was exhausted from the long presidential campaign and the emotion of the day.
While addressing the excited and jubilant crowd, Tshisekedi said “We want to build a strong Congo, turned toward development in peace and security, a Congo for all in which everyone has a place”.
The first peaceful hand over of power is deemed by many as a sign that DR Congo is becoming more democratic though others are still critical of the conditions under which the transition is conducted.
Former president Joseph Kabila called upon all Congolese to rally behind Tshisekedi and support him and assured his successor that he could call on him for advice at any time.
Father’s legacy?
As he comes into presidency, Mr. Felix Tshisekedi is mostly known as a son of the late veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi who is remembered for his long term fight for democracy in DR Congo until he passed on in 2016.
Etienne Tshisekedi was the founder of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in 1982, a party Felix Tshisekedi leads currently.
A challenging office?
Felix Tshisekedi comes into power amidst speculations that the outgoing president Joseph Kabila remains a big stronghold in this new government and he may continue to exert control indirectly.
The new president’s party, UDPS, is also poorly represented in parliament something that is likely to give him hard time to implement his views and policies. Likewise, in the army and the police there are senior echelons who were appointed by the old regime and any attempt to remove them would be seen as a sign of the new government trying to become independent.
Waterspout hit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda
Residents of Kabale and Rubanda districts were yesterday 20th January 2019 frightened by the waterspout that hit lake Bunyonyi. The incident happened a few minutes after a heavy down pour that rained at 4:00pm. Waterspout is a rare occurrence, which happen once in very many years. For instance, its believed that the last waterspout happened over 20 years back meaning that it was a new experience for all people aged 25 years and below in kabale district. The incident was scaring but at the same time exciting especially to those who had never seen it. Lots of videos for the funnel-like shaped whirlwind that molded a vorte from the thick cloud over the lake close to Harutinda landing site.Due to fear, some people were seen trying to relocate from near the scene to further areas while those with motorcycles and cars drove to kabale town for safety. Waterspout is locally known as “eshata” in rukiga which natives believe can be chased by screaming loud. For that case, local people in the nearby areas were heard and seen shouting loud to scare it away and avert the dangers likely to come with it.
Was it a tornado or waterspout?
Much as some people were calling it a tornado, the incident that happened at lake Bunyonyi was a waterspout. A waterspout is a category of tornado, a whirling column of air and water mist which form when cumulus clouds grow rapidly rising hundreds of feet into the air. It is normally weaker and do not suck up water. Regarding tornado, it mostly occurs on land and is much stronger that it destroys the whole area damaging properties and gardens leading to death of people and animals. Waterspouts differ depending on their formation some connected to cumulus congestus cloud, others to cumuliform cloud and others to cumulonimbus cloud. A waterspout is therefore a non-super cell tornado over water. Waterspouts Eyewitnesses reported that the visible white colored funnel from the water surface to the overhead cloud appeared at about 6pm lasting for over 30 minutes.
What happened before?
The whole afternoon of 20th Jan 2019 was rainy for that people of Kabale and Rubanda districts which share borders of lake Bunynonyi. Rain started at around 4pm accompanied by lightening’s and thunderstorm. It poured for roughly 2 hours stopping at 6pm. This was followed by a waterspout when the cloud contacted the water surface; a circular light-colored disk appeared with spiraling movements for close to 2 minutes, which called for an alarm from locals. The cloud then reduced slowly in thickness before disconnecting from the water surface.
About lake Bunyoyi
Leaving alone the waterspout, lake Bunyonyi is one of the must visit travel destinations in southwestern Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi is known as a home for “little birds” which reside on the shores and swamps around the lake. The lake was formed as a result of laves flow that emerged from the eruptions of the Virunga volcanoes and is the second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika. Lake Bunyonyi comprise of 29 islands each with a unique history and interesting facts. The islands on lake Bunyonyi include Bushara Island, Akampene Island, Kyahugye island, Njuyeera island, Bucuranuka island, and Bwama island among others. Some of these islands are occupied b local people and others used for agriculture.
What to see and do on lake Bunyonyi
Travelers to lake bunyonyi have a variety of unique attractions to see and tourism activities to take part in. These include swimming, community visit, canoeing to islands, bird watching, batwa pygmy visits, bamboo walk and chilling among others. Experienced local guides who have been born and raised in lake Bunyonyi help you explore the community and tell you detailed facts about this wonderful lake. Most people on Uganda safaris visit Lake Bunyonyi as a complement to gorilla watching trips in Bwindi forest national park a home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. For more Uganda safaris, contact
In conclusion, witnessing a waterspout on lake Bunyonyi was an exceptional but scaring experience for the local people. The incident will be one of the stories told to future travelers to lake Bunyonyi and kabala district as a whole.
President Yoweri Museveni has issued a directive to stop issuing trade licenses to new betting companies that want to open business in Uganda while licenses for existing companies will not be renewed.
According to the state minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Mr. David Bahati, the President says that betting has diverted the attention of the youth from hard work.
If implemented, the ban will not only affect betting companies but also those who participate in betting majorly the youth that had resorted to the practice as an easier way of earning income.
Football is the major sport where most of Ugandans who participate in betting place their bets mostly on European Leagues while others include games like wrestling, boxing and horse race.
Sports betting companies have become so numerous in Uganda with over 20 companies operating in the country. There has been a rising trend in the number of betting companies since mid 2000s when the business first hit the ground in Uganda.
The president’s directive to ban sports betting companies comes in the wake when several Ugandans have been crying foul of the exploitation of these companies. Among these include the parents whose children who are mostly university student have lost their tuition through betting. Most of these opt to first channel the money meant for tuition into betting with hope of making more money out of it, unfortunately surrendering the whole of it after losing the bet.
Other major out-cried distractions of the practice in Uganda include causing laziness especially among the youth who wake up early to go to the betting centres to start analysing which bets they can win. Poverty is also another dangerous associated feature as people keep betting almost all the income they earn from other activities and they end up losing it all.
However, on the positive side, there have been some beneficiaries of betting in Uganda and these among others include those employed by the betting companies as tellers, cashiers, technicians, among others. We can’t forget the lucky stars of the gamble who have won cash ranging from as low as UGX 10,000 to over UGX 100,000,000. Such people have gone on to establish developmental projects out of the money won including setting up businesses, constructing houses, buying land, among others.
On top of all that, betting companies have been one of the top tax payers to the Uganda Revenue Authority and the body has been increasing the tax charged these companies every year. Owners of premises where these betting companies operate from have also been receiving huge amounts of money through rent.
Makerere 69th Graduation Ceremony
There is jubilation at Makerere University as academicians celebrate the long awaited 6th grand graduation ceremony with their families and loved ones. The graduation ceremony is set for four days starting from 15th to 18th January 2019. In total, 13,333 graduands are to be awarded with different honors. Of these, 56 graduands are to receive PhD’s, 1,254 Masters Degree, 101 postgraduate Diplomas and 11,939 will receive undergraduate diplomas and bachelors degree. Also, congratulations to 364 students who attained first class honors with the Cumulative Grade point Average (CGPA) of 4.40. The overall best student for the 69th graduation ceremony is Miss Namuwaya Hajarah Ali who scored a CGPA of 4.94 in the bachelor of business computing of Makerere University Business school (MUBS) followed by Galiwango Kasozi Steven with a CGPA of 4.84 in the bachelor of Science and Technology at Makerere University. 53.3& graduands are male while 46.7% are female. Other prominent people that attended the first day of graduation First lady (Janet Museveni), Hon. Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, Chancellor Prof Ezra Suruma, Lorn Magara the chairperson council, Rt.Hon. Danaiel Fred Kidega the vice chair, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe the Vice chancellor, and the Mace bearer among others. The president was also awarded
with an outstanding Scholarly Authorship award handed over to him by prof. Ezra Suruma the Chancellor of Makerere University. His Excellency was also recognized for his authorship of Katondoozi which is the first thesaurus of Runyankore.
The Colleges To First Graduate On 15th Are:
College of Agricultural and environmental sciences (CAES)
College of Education and external studies (CEES)
College of health sciences (CHS)
College of natural sciences (CONAS )
Colleges Graduating On 16th January 2019 Are:
College of business and management sciences (CoBAMS)
College of Computing and information science (CoCIS)
College of veterinary medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB)
The Graduands On 17th January Include Are
Makerere University Business School (MUBS)
The Last Colleges To Graduate On 18th January 2019 Are
College of engineering, Design, art and Technology (CEDAT)
College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS)
School of Law (LAW)
What is required?
As always, each graduand is required to bring two guests who must have an invitation card from the university. Also, graduands are expected to have fully cleared with their Academic Units, Halls of residence, university library, hospital, police station and Finance department among others. All the attendees are prohibited from possessing Cellular (mobile phones, alcohol, Dangerous weapons, Canned food and drinks, Cameras (Video and still cameras), pocket radio, firearms, Large bags, Cells/batteries and chemicals and bottled drinks among other similar objects.
How much is Graduation fee?
For you to appear on the graduation list, all graduands are believed to have paid the graduation fees, which include:
Graduation 40,000shs
Certificate 30,000shs
Transcript 30,000shs
Convocation 10,000sha
Total =110,000shs
The graduation fess for the Post graduates (Masters and Patgraduate Diplomas) are
Graduation Fee 40,000shs
Certificate Fee 30,000shs
Transcript Fee 30,000shs
Convocation fee of 10,000shs for those who have not attained a degree at Makerere University.
Total is 100,000shs and 110,000shs for Non members of the Convocation.
Graduands in Doctor of philosophy by coursework and dissertation are to pay
Graduation 40,000shs
Cylinder 50,000shs
Certificate 30,000shs
Total s 150,000shsgruadands in doctor of philosophy by research are to pay
Graduation 40,000shs
Cylinder 50,000shs
Certificate 30,000shs
Total = 120,000shs
International students doing both undergraduate and postgraduate are required to pay a fee equivalent to $130. The breakdown is
Graduation $60
Certificate $30
Transcript $30
Convocation $10
Total $130.
In his speech, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the president of Uganda congratulated the graduands and appreciated his co-authors for promoting the Katondozi book to the standard. In the similar manner, Prof. Ezra Suruma urged the newly graduands to fight and strongly defend the dignity of the African nations and African people.
Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi has won the Democratic Republic of Congo presidential elections according to the results declared by electoral commission.
The poll results so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) indicate that Tshisekedi leads with 38.57% of the vote and he has been provisionally declared president elect of the of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The lead in polls puts Tshisekedi on top followed by another opposition candidate Marin Fayulu while Emmanuel Shadary, the ruling coalition candidate who was backed by outgoing president Joseph Kabila comes third in the race.
The reported turnout is standing at 48% and the full results indicate that Tshisekedi has 7 million votes, Martin Fayulu 6.4 votes and Emmanuel Shadary has 4.4 million votes.
If Tshisekedi is finally declared winner, DRC will witness the first handover of power in 18 years and he will be the first opposition candidate to win since the country gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
Initially the final results from the election were expected last Sunday but the commission asked for more time to finalize the counting and compilation process.
Mr. Tshisekedi who is a son to the late veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi addressed his supporters at his party headquarters in Kinshasa and paid tribute to Mr. Kabila saying that he should no longer be seen as an adversary but rather a partner in democratic change of the country. He has promised to prioritize the fight against poverty immediately after his swearing in.
There were jubilations and shouts of joy near the electoral commission’s office as results were announced. There has been a succession crisis in the country since 2016 when Mr. Kabila was supposed to step down after the expiry of his two terms. It was not until late last year when he declared that he would step down and not contest in this year’s presidential elections.
According to the arrangements of the electoral commission, the final results are scheduled to be announced on January 15th and the new president will swear in three days later. In case of aggrieved candidates who may not agree with the results, they could go on and challenge through an appeal in the constitutional court.
Among other challenges, Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest sub-Saharan nation has been entangled majorly by political instabilities especially in the Eastern region of the country and the new president will be put on the spot to see how he can solve these problems.
Several rebel groups have seized and occupied many areas in the Eastern region of this mineral-rich nation causing various insecurity concerns including the closure of the Virunga national park that was well known for its famous mountain gorillas tracking safaris.
Traveling is inseparable from our daily happy life. Thousands of travelers drive thousands of miles while other fly from one region to another to explore and enjoy life in a new environment. A valid visa is one of the key travel requirements most travel destinations require from in coming travelers. Each day, Uganda receives hundreds of travelers for. Each day, thousands of travelers check in for Uganda safaris to enjoy gorilla safaris in Bwindi forest/Mgahinga gorilla national park, game-viewing safari, cultural encounters, birding holidays and mountaineering safaris among other activities. In the same way, Ugandans travel abroad for tourism, business, pilgrimage as well as visiting friends and relatives. For Ugandans intending to travel abroad, we bring you a list of 68 countries, which allow Uganda nationals to visit and sty for a specific period of time with no visa. 15 of these countries are in African continent making it easy for Ugandans to enjoy and experience African beauty with neither restrictions nor hustles.
Countries that allow Uganda travelers with no visas are Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Eritrea, Swaziland Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Similarly, the outside African countries where Ugandans can travel to and stay without visas include Antigua, Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, St Vincent, Grenadine, Vanuatu, St Kitts, Nevis, Jamaica, Granada, Fiji, Micronesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong in China. However, the visa free stay is limited to a specific period of time varying from country to country. Ugandans travelling to Malaysia Ugandans are allowed to stay for two months while those to the Philippines stay for only a month. Ugandans travelling to Singapore with no visa are allowed to only stay for 15 days after which their stay is claimed illegal. Ugandans to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania are allowed to stay for a maximum of 90 days while Eswatini allow Ugandans with no visa to stay for 30 days. Besides countries which give visas on arrival include Cape Verde, Comoros, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Senegal, Togo, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cuba, Iran, Laos, Macao, Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Palau, Qatar, St Lucia, Samoa, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. 14 of these countries are Africa
What is required to get a visa on arrival?
For those planning to get visas on arrival, one must have valid passports and other related travel documents that tell details about who he/she the traveler is. Other requirements include a confirmed return air ticket, confirmed hotel booking and a proof of enough money to spend. Ugandans to Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore are allowed to only stay for 1 month, 2 months and 15 days respectively.
Countries which require visa before one gets there
Not all countries allow travelers without Visas. We bring you a list of countries which don not allow travelers to entre their borders without valid visas. These are Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Guinea, Sudan, South Africa, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Principe, Sudan and South Africa. Ugandan travelers are reminded that there is no access to nay of these countries wit out a visa.
Uganda’s passport rank 11th in Africa
Based on the assessment of visa restrictions and Visa-Free scores, Uganda’s passport has been ranked 11th in Africa and 64th in 198 countries of the world. Just as Uganda, Morocco’s passport was ranked 65th. On contrary, Kenya and Tanzania passports are doing very well ranking in the 8th and 9th positions in Africa and 62 and 63 positions respectively in the whole world. This means that traveling to Kenya and from Kenya or Tanzania is much easier than Uganda or Morocco. Travelers from 39 African countries are allowed to visit and stay in Kenta without a visa for a specific period of time while nationals from other 3 countries obtain visas upon their arrival in Kenya. Tanzania allows nationals from 42 countries to visit and stay for without visas while nationals from 28 countries obtain their visas upon their arrival. This indicates that Kenya and Tanzania are undeniably doing well compared to Uganda in terms of ease and restrictions to travel.
Which countries rank top in passport rankings
Seychelles ranks number one with limited passport restrictions to travel. The country allows nationals from 133 countries to enter and stay in its borders without visas while travelers from other 33 nationals receive their visas upon arrival in Seychelles. Its only nationals from 62 countries of the world required to have visas before they allowed to visit Seychelles.. The four leading counties are Seychelles in the 27th potion, Mauritius 44th, South Africa 57th and Botswana in the 58th position. Mauritius allow nationals from 99 countries to visit without visas while people from 33 countries get their visas upon arrival. Its only nationals from 66 countries restricted from visiting Mauritius with no visas. South Africa require nationals from 100 counties to first get visas but allow nationals from 63 counties to visit and stay with no visas and at the same time give travelers from 35 countries visas upon their arrival. For those to Botswana, travelers from 46 counties are allowed to visit and stay with no visas while those from 28 countries get their Visas on arrival. Its only nationals from 122 countries that must attain visas before they are allowed to visit and stay in Botswana.
Travelling is fun and worth doing, get yourself valid passport visa and other destinations, visit any destination of your choice and enjoy your happy moments at affordable rates.
We are counting only hours to finish 2018 and crossover to 2019. 2018 has been a year of mixed feelings to Ugandans in general while at individual level each Ugandan has got their own story from the outgoing year.
At country level, there have been major public highlights that have caught the attention of many dwellers of the Pearl of Africa and they have not gone unnoticed. 2018 has been dominated by both positive and negative highlights and Ugandans will always reflect on them to remember it.
Singer Mowzey Radio’s Death
Moses Nakintije Ssekibogo commonly known as Mowzey Radio passed on 1st February 2018 from a blood clot in his brain sustained in an altercation at a nightclub in Entebbe. Radio had become one of Uganda’s top music performers after forming a formidable music partnership with his long-term friend Weasle Manizo (Douglas Sseguya) under the Goodlyfe Crew umbrella. He will always be remembered for his thrilling voice through some of his favorite songs including “Ability”, “Bread and Butter”, “Lwaki Onumya”, “Magnetic”, among others.
Susan Magara Murder
Ugandans fell into a cold again in late February when the country was greeted by the cold murder of Susan Magara, a 28-year old businesswoman in Kampala. Her murder followed a series of unsuccessful negotiations between her family and the eventual murderers who were asking for a huge ransom of money in order to release her. She was kidnapped early in February and the kidnappers kept threatening her family to send the ransom before killing her and dumping the body around Kigo 0ff Entebbe Expressway. Her brutal murder attracted wide public sympathy as many individuals and the government came out and strongly condemned the act while urging the police to work hard and bring the criminals to face justice.
Firing and arresting former IGP Kale Kayihura
In March, Ugandans where once again shocked by the sudden sacking of the then Inspector General of Police, General Kale Kayihura. President Yoweri Museveni issued the sacking notice and he immediately replaced Kayihura with the new IGP Okoth Ochola. However, Kayihura’s fate was not yet done as he was subsequently arrested by the UPDF later in June on charges concerning misuse of office. He was detained at Makindye military barracks for about two months before he was released on bail in August. Kayihura had increasingly become unpopular among Ugandans as police chief due to the increasing insecurity cases that involved murder of several women in different parts of the country and persecution and torture of opposition politicians, among others.
Uganda’s medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
The month of April was dominated by good news in the field of sports for Uganda. The Pearl of Africa scooped a total of 6 medals including 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronzes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia. Athletics king Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei dominated the show after winning two gold medals from men’s 5000m and 10000m events respectively. Stella Chesang also won the gold medal from the women’s 10000m event.
FIFA World Cup 2018
Although Uganda was not part of the 32 teams that took part in the competition that was hosted by Russia, Ugandans went on to enjoy the tournament in high gear. Ugandans had diverse interest in this tournament ranging from supporting their favorite teams to winning bets placed on games played in the tournament. Earlier on the Pearl of Africa had also got a chance to welcome the World Cup trophy during its international tour before it was taken to Moscow. In the end France were the winners of the world’s most prestigious football trophy and Ugandans who were behind them were full of jubilations.
Introduction of social media tax
2018 has also seen one of the most strange and unpopular tax being introduced in uganda where Ugandans are now charged for using social media platforms including Facebook, Whatsapp, twitter, among others. This controversial tax was introduced as a bill in Parliament and it was subsequently passed by the members to be implemented by the Uganda Communications Commission through the Telecom Companies. Being effected from the 1st of July, Ugandans have since been charged Ugx200 per day to use these platforms. Although the tax was strongly criticized both locally and internationally, the government was determined to charge its citizens for social media use and the unpopular tax has been upheld to date.
The Age-Limit Verdict
The long awaited case verdict was also finally released in July. This followed the petition that was made to the Constitutional Court challenging the amendment of the Uganda Constitution by Parliament late last year that saw the removal of the presidential age-limit and extending the tenure of the incumbent MPs and Local Councils by 2 years. The final ruling that was presided over by 5 constitutional judges upheld the removal of the presidential age-limit hence making way for president Museveni to stand again for re-election in 2021 though he will be above 75 years that were unlawful before the removal.
Local Council Elections
This year Ugandans also voted their Local Council One leaders for the first time in 15 years. The disputed elections finally took place with a couple of controversies around the country including postponing in some areas due to several irregularities. Another notable highlight in these elections was the method used to vote that saw Ugandans lining up behind their candidates, a system that was criticized as backward and divisive. Nevertheless, regardless of the irregularities, the local leaders were subsequently elected and stated their new term in office.
Arua Municipality Parliamentary By-election Fracas
The disputed by-election will not be forgotten soon given the events that prevailed before and after it. It all began with the stoning of one of the cars in the presidential convoy which was followed by massive violence that saw one Yasin Kawuma a former driver of the Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine shot dead from the car. More arrests were also made including MPs land former MPs led by Bobi Wine, Francis Zaake, Gerald Karuhanga, Mike Mabike and the then MP elect Kasiano Wadri together with dozens of civilians who were subsequently charged of treason and remanded in Gulu. However, it was the alleged brutal torture of the MPs in the hands of the security forces that invited both local and international outcry. Several protests and riots were staged in arious parts of the country demanding for the immediate release of the arrested MPs. Tear gas, bullets and several arrests were all used to disperse these protests. Finally the detained suspects were brought to court and later released on bail while those that sustained several injuries through the torture were allowed to go abroad to seek specialized treatment including MPs Robert Kyagulanyi and Francis Zaake.
Assassination of MP Abiriga and Mohamad Kirumira
The mysterious big-name murder in Uganda continued this year with the gunning down of two other popular personalities causing more grief among Ugandans. In June, former Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga was shot dead in his car while going back to his home in Kawanda, a Kampala suburb. In September, former Buyende DPC Mohamad Kirumira was also gunned down while in his car near Busega. Just like before, all the security agencies in the country were not able to arrest the assailants and nothing substantial concerning these murders has been presented to the public up to date.
Gen. Mugisha Muntu Breakaway from FDC
Former Forum for Democratic Change President Gen Mugisha Muntu officially announced his breakaway from the FDC to start a new political party. Muntu pointed out differences in ideology and in the approach to takeover power between him and other FDC leaders as the major causes of his breakaway.
Uganda Cranes Return to AFCON 2019
Another good news in the sports sector as the national football team, the Cranes made another great step forward to qualify for the continent’s major football tournament. Uganda qualified with a match to spare after defeating Cape Verde 1-0 at Nambole stadium to book a place in next year’s competition. Ugandans will be hoping to see the Cranes perform better than their previous outing in 2017 where they crashed out of the tournament at group stage level.
Lake Victoria boat cruise accident
Another sad news greeted Ugandans late in November as an estimated total of about 40 people perished in Lake Victoria following the sudden collapse and sinking of the boat that was carrying revelers to Mutima beach in Mukono districts. The same accident was also survived by big name personalities in Uganda including prince David Wasajja, a brother to the king of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. Others included singer Irene Namubiru and businessman Kiyimba Freeman. The government declared a day of mourning for those perished that also included the lowering of the national flag at half-mast.
Crowning of Uganda’s Quiin Abenakyo as Miss World Africa
This helped to ensure Ugandans finish he year on a positive note as her very own daughter Quiin Abenakyo (22) was crowned Miss World Africa in the final ceremony of the Miss World competition. Abenakyo successfully made into the top five finalists in the competition that saw her going on to win the continental crown hence sending Ugandans into massive jubilations as all the media platforms in the country were dominated by her name. She was the first Miss Uganda to make it to that level in the competition and to achieve that crown.
Christmas in Uganda means so much more than celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. In other words, many Ugandans use the day to do all sorts of stuff ranging from traveling upcountry to visit their loved ones and organizing various events to arranging family reunion programs and many more.
The Christmas Spirit gets every Ugandan in their own unique mood but in the end we all find ourselves in the same hangouts while rubbing shoulders with each other as we try to shop, travel, feast and dance for Christmas. This is how the Christmas spirit gets every Ugandan dance to its tune.
Shopping
Ugandans flock the shopping stores around the country to buy stuff for Christmas ranging from foodstuffs and drinks to clothes and gifts and the shopping list is endless. For traders, they use this high season to hike prices for their products and services and they still get them consumed. For instance in the capital Kampala in busy shopping centers like Kikuubo and Awino markets prices for some items especially those for wear including clothes and shoes are doubled yet you still find buyers lining up to pay. The city center especially downtown is almost impassable on the last three days to Christmas as people are busy shopping for Christmas.
Travelling
Ugandans especially the city dwellers are accustomed to travelling back to their villages for Christmas. This is the only time they have to visit their parents and loved ones in villages since they spend a full year in Kampala working for a living. It is against this background that transport operators in Kampala use this opportunity to reap big from this situation as they hike the charges by doubling or tripling the normal rates. They justify this exploitative act by saying that those travel to villages don’t return immediately hence driving empty vehicles back to Kampala.
Food and eating
Perhaps the most expected and celebrated moment of a Ugandan Christmas. This is the moment for every food item and drink that was shopped to be unveiled but now in a ready form and ready for consumption. A typical Ugandan Christmas meal in the village gets everybody seated around the serving point while the men hold the privilege of sitting on the high table a they are served by the ladies in the family. A full Christmas meal can involve about six different dishes served to everyone at once ranging from foodstuffs that include cereals, plantain, legumes to vegetables and meat plus drinks inclusive. Leaving food on a plate is the best indicator that someone is fully satisfied while those who want more are taken care of immediately until they want no more. Sharing Christmas food with strangers and the needy is also a common characteristic of a Ugandan Christmas. The point is that no one lacks what to eat or drink on Christmas day. Food is freely given to anyone who visits any home on the fat day while those who shopped in excess of what they can consume gladly give the proceeds to the vulnerable family they know around.
Church attendance
The real Spirit of Christmas is finally revealed as Christians flock their local churches celebrating the birth of Christ hence allowing their Churches to register the highest attendance on this fat day. Shockingly most religious Ugandans think that on Christmas day Church is a must attend and one counts the fully celebrated if they added Church prayers to it earlier in the morning. For traditional Christians in villages, this is also their best day to put on their brand new wear pieces since they hardly get any outing throughout the year as they are busy engaged with farming and other local economic activities.
Partying and Entertainment
Usually after the main Christmas meal, next on the menu is partying and socializing with friends. Every small town across the country is usually flocked by revelers and there is no disappointment because several entertainment events are organized ranging from music concerts, discos to karaoke, comedy shows and live performances. Big name artists in the country stage music concerts in Kampala’s main clubs and in major towns across the country to entertain their fans. There is no place for boredom on Christmas in Uganda with at least each and everyone being able to find something funny or consoling to engage themselves with.
Family gatherings and meetings
Once city dwellers get back to their ancestral villages, they this opportunity to amend and reconcile everything that might have not gone well in the family. Now that almost each and family member is present, family meetings are held to sort out every difference and also to lay plans for the future and this is strong point that brings I more cohesion and unity among the ever scattered family members.
One may wonder why Ugandans rank among the top to celebrate Christmas in style in the whole world but perhaps the country’s strong Christian history is responsible for this. Uganda is such a great Christian nation with Christians making over 80% of her total population of about 40million people.
President Museveni has this afternoon launched the construction of a flyover at clock tower in Kampala in a bid to control traffic congestion along the Kampala Entebbe road.
The Flyover construction is a joint project between the Uganda government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which is estimated to cost Shs224b. the whole project is expected to be completed within three years with actual construction starting in January next year.
The project plan involves construction of a half-kilometer long clock tower flyover, widening the road from Shoprite via Queens Way to Katwe adding more lanes for half a kilometer. The plan also involves improving Nsambya, Mukwano and Ggaba roads starting with the section from Clock Tower.
The early acquisition of land by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) for the construction of the flyover will help to quicken the project according to the Executive Director of UNRA Ms. Allen Kagina. Japanese construction company Shimizu Konoike JK was awarded the contract the to construct the Flyover.
UNRA is trying to improvise new diversions to reduce the congestion expected during the construction. Entebbe road where the flyover is to be constructed has the second highest traffic jam intensity in Kampala after Jinja road.
The same agency (JICA) will also fund the second flyover to be constructed at Wampewo Roundabout near Centenary Park to reduce traffic jam along Jinja Road.
The traffic problem in Kampala
Traffic jam is Kampala’s biggest problem especially along the two highways to Entebbe and Jinja. Motorists are usually held up for over 30 minutes before they reach the city center in the morning or leave it the evening. The data from World Bank shows that traffic congestion costs the country over Shs2.8 trillion per year.
Diversions
Upon commencement of construction, there will be traffic diversions at several points including Kafumbe Mukasa Road, Entebbe Road and Mengo Hill Road to allow the construction process to go on well. All roads connecting to Kafumbe Mukasa road will be closed and traffic will be diverted to Kisenyi Road. From Entebbe, traffic will be diverted at several points before accessing the city center including at Zzana Roundabout, Namasuba to Stella stage and Kibuye Roundabout. Likewise traffic to Mengo Hill Road will be diverted to Kisenyi and Kibuye Roundabout.
Once the project is accomplished it is expected to bring about benefits and relief to motorists that will supersede all the inconveniences they will go through during the construction process.
The improvement in the city transport also comes as good news to travelers that come for Uganda safaris who are usually caught up in the city traffic as they go for their tour destinations and as they go back to Entebbe Airport for their return flights.
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