A few days to the annual Kampala Capital city Authority Festival scheduled for Sunday 2nd October 2016, the organizers have introduced a new innovation to spice up the event.

In this year’s event, the city dwellers are going to be entertained by over 50 rally drivers who have confirmed participation in the rally that is going to be held on Kampala streets as the carnival goes on

Announcing the Festival rally at City Hall Kampala, the Executive Director of Kampala Jenifer Musisi said this is one of the ways through which KCCA is giving give back to city dwellers who have supported them throughout this period.

“This time a lot of improvements have been made and we shall have maximum security for everyone’s safety,” she said.

Mr John Dumba the chairman for the organizing committee of the 2016 city festival revealed that this rally

concept in the festival was developed last year and will be tried out this year henceforth if it is successful.

“On the eve of the festival at Nakawa- Naguru estates people will enjoy various rally drivers participating in the race free of charge,” he said.

Dumba added that in 2014 over 500,000 people participated in the city festival whereas in the 2016 the number increased to over 4 million people.

He also clarified that KCCA does not incur any cost in this event but the sponsorship comes from various companies and sponsors like Shell which has injected 50 million in this year’s event.

One of the rally drivers who have confirmed attendance Leila Mayanja Blick promised her supporters a tremendous show since she has already started preparations for this event.

The Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Rev. Fr. Simon Lokodo has said that the police will continue to thwart any activities intended to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) movement in the Uganda.

Lokodo sounded the warning in a statement released on Wednesday September 21^st, in response to the news about the ‘Gay Pride Match’ scheduled to take place on Saturday September 24^th.

“The Gay Pride Match is criminal and illegal as they have not been cleared by the Uganda Police Force, and are against the laws of the Republic of Uganda; specifically the Penal Code, which is built on precedents, set in many other countries,” Lokodo’s statement reads in part.

“Government will not condone the promotion of the illegal activities of the LGBT movement and through the Uganda police will work to ensure that the criminal and illegal activities of the Gay community are halted.”

Police, in August raided a gay party at Club Venom in Kabalagala, during their annual celebration of the Gay Pride Week where about a dozen people, majorly the event organizers were briefly detained.

The raid attracted international criticism, with the United States government through its Kampala Embassy warning that this was an addition to Uganda police’s continuous undermining of the rights of Ugandans.

Lokodo, in his statement noted that the festivities are aimed at, promotion, exhibition and recruiting people to join this LGBT movement, which he said is against the law and demeans African cultural values.

“In our society, our African values and cultures consider sexual activity to be private and personal, and it is not conducted in public. Certainly, neither is homosexuality. It is for this reason that the promotion of ‘gay’ activities is unwelcome.”

He warned the organisers to stop their activities immediately saying that they will be arrested and prosecuted in the courts of law.

The minister however noted that “there is no violence against the LGBT community in Uganda – contrary to some claims made loosely by proponents of this movement.”

Prisoners from Nyabuhikye Prison in Ibanda district on Monday evening were involved in a terrible accident after the vehicle they were traveling in failed negotiate a corner and overturned.

The accident happened at the Saza Hill as the prisoners were being transported to work on farms in Bisheshe.

Ibanda police commander in charge of traffic Doe Isingusa told Chimpreports that 19 prisoners are currently admitted at Ibanda Hospital, and others at Ruhoko trading center, many of them in critical condition.

The police boss blamed the accident on over speeding, revealing that the driver of the truck was found to be drunk. The driver is currently on the run and being hunted.

He also called upon prison officers to pay attention to the condition of the vehicles in which prisoners are moves.

According to OC Nyabwihikye Prison Unice Abuwa, one of the prisoners died on spot, while a few those who sustained minor injuries are set to be discharged.

The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Hon. Adolf Mwesige has thanked the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Zhao Yali for the cooperation in defence between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Uganda.

Hon. Mwesigye was Tuesday hosting the ambassador for a dinner at Nanjing Restaurant in Kampala, where he commended the strong partnership between Uganda and china in areas of Defence cooperation.

He also presented a souvenir to H.E Zhao in recognition of the outstanding contribution he made towards building a strong relation between the Ministries of Defence of Uganda and China.

H.E Zhao noted during his speech that the relationship between china and Uganda in defence has strengthened over the years and continues to yield good results adding that  and that he would miss Uganda.

Zhao Yali was posted to Uganda in 2011 where he has served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Uganda.

The dinner was also graced by the minister of state for Veteran Affairs, Hon. Lt. Col.  Bright Rwamirama, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Rosette Byengoma, the Chief of  Defence Forces, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala and other chiefs of the Uganda People’s Defence  Forces[UPDF].

The People’s Republic of China has remained one of the key partners that support the UPDF in the fields like training, equipment’s and many other things towards building a strong relation between the ministries of defence of Uganda and china.

Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) under the administration of Lira Municipality legislator, Jimmy Michael Akena is weighing legal action against Orient Bank, accusing the institution of illegally freezing the party accounts.

The party administrative Secretary, Higenyi Kemba told Chimpreports on Wednesday that, “The whole closure of the UPC accounts in Orient Bank is an action of sabotage orchestrated by the Milton Obote Foundation (MOF) group led by Peter Warubiri whose game plan has always been to kill the party and the its properties.”

“On the orders of a letter written by Warubiri, the Bank went ahead to close the UPC accounts despite a High Court ruling that upheld the status quo of the Akena administration and the Electoral Commission’s letter informing them of the new leadership of the party,” Kemba said.

This move Kemba says affected the party, in that its candidates were denied access to funds that would have enabled them put up a strong competition during the election campaigns.

“We were running the accounts from June last year up to January when the Bank took a decision to freeze our accounts without any earlier notice,” he said.

In their letter to the UPC, the Bank notified them that they wouldn’t access the account anymore until Court pronounced itself on rightful party leadership.

“We want Orient Bank to unblock our accounts on grounds that we are the rightful owners of those accounts since we are the recognized signatories,” Kemba warned.

He threatened that in case the bank fails to adhere with their request, they will deal with it firmly through all means possible.

“These means are not limited to taking legal action against them and calling upon all our members to close their accounts with the bank and boycott all its services.”

All efforts to reach Orient Bank Kampala Road Branch Manager didn’t mature since his known contacts were unreachable.

Ibanda Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Erastus Tukamuhebwa has vowed to apprehend potential contenders in the MP race for Ibanda Municipality, who are involved in premature campaigning activities of any kind.

The RDC made the threat at his office yesterday after hearing that  some of the hopefuls in the race are already dishing out money to people and continue to pin campaign posters in all corners of the town when the Electoral Commission has not even announced whether or not the election will take place this year.

Tukamuhebwa says that the warning also follows numerous complaints from residents that they are being threatened by campaign agents of a one Tarsus Rwaburindore.

The RDC further warned other hopefuls that include Innocent Bakamuhara, and Deus Murinde among others who are allegedly giving money to voters that these face arrest and prosecution.

Speaking to Chimpreports at Palm Gardens in Ibanda however, one of the MP contenders Innocent Bakamuhara denied the accusations saying that the posters of him are those that he used when he was running in another race in the past elections.

Ibanda is one of the 19 Municipalities that were created by government last year, each of which will have a representative at Parliament.

Religious leaders from Eastern Uganda have welcomed the proposal by government to draft a National policy on religious and faith based organizations in Uganda, calling for its fast tracking.

The policy aimed at promoting and fostering a healthy relationship between religious and faith based organizations and the government for harmony and mutual cooperation is viewed by religious leaders as a timely remedy to the ‘mushrooming, quack and fake self-proclaimed’ spiritual leaders.

During a consultative meeting on the development of the religious and faith based organization policy in Uganda for eastern region held at the Source of the Nile Hotel Jinja on Wednesday September 21^st, religious leaders suggested government should include measures to fight corruption and quack organizations infiltrating the public.

The Bishop of Busoga Diocese Rt Rev Paul Moses Naimanhye observed that unless it’s mere politicking or the policy is later politicized after its enacted, the intention as proposed is good because currently, it’s impossible for government to harmonize, regulate and monitor the operations of faith based organizations under the current framework.

“Government had erred in the constitutional provision for freedom of worship while silent about the policies for checks and balances to regulate the freedom which has given every individual liberty to start up a place of worship with sometimes ill motives of extorting money from the public. We believe the said policy will stipulate regulations to this effect” Bishop Naimanhye said.

The Bishop of Mbale Diocese Rt. Rev Patrick Gidudu said; “it’s the only way to check on the relevancy of the religions around since many are engaging in dubious acts like it was the case for Kibwetere. This
organized body can give faith organizations a forum for cooperation”

He however challenged government to strengthen its monitoring role to all religious organizations saying many may present good intentions to the government but later act to the contrary.

“This is likely to be  similar to the interreligious council we already have in place only that another party, the government, is now involved and is responsible for oversight role” said Sheik Sinani Muwanika, the
regional Khadhi for Busoga sub region.

The director for ethics and religious affairs in the directorate of ethics and integrity in the office of the president   Rev Canon Aaron Mwesigye told participants that the policy will offer guidance on the role of religion in public sphere, drawing directly from the 1995 constitutional values of citizenship, human rights equality, freedom from discrimination, and freedom for conscience, religion, thought,
belief and opinion.

“We have so far experienced challenges that arise from the policy being misunderstood and, viewed with suspicion by both traditional religious organizations and Pentecostals” he added.

According to Shem Byakagaba, a consultant with the directorate of ethics and integrity, the policy will address lack of comprehensive and harmonized policy framework for religious organizations, their registration, need for transparency and accountability in their operations, their functions visa vie the state and promotion of unity and cooperation.

It was among others attended by the Rev Fr Stephen Luwangula, the head of the Orthodox Church in eastern Uganda, the Bishop elect for Central Busoga Diocese Venn Rev Patrick Wakula and retired head teacher Patronella Lujwala.

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee was shocked yesterday when officials from the Government Analytical Laboratory presented a fake land title for its head offices in Wandegeya-Kampala.

Led by the Director Kepher Kuchana, the team was thrown out on Wednesday by Legislators following audit queries raised in the 2013/14 Auditor General’s report that found that the entity isn’t in possession of its genuine land title.

Together with the team from Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kuchana presented the purported land title to the committee which was found wanting after thorough scrutiny.

The loopholes in the title were unearthed by the committee Vice Chairperson Gerard Karuhanga who found that the title didn’t bear the acreage of the land where the Government laboratories are sitting.

In his defense, Kachuna explained that the land didn’t bear details of acreage since it was acquired in 1962.

However, Masaka Municipality MP, Mathias Mpuuga shot Kuchana down telling him to admit he forged a land title to get off the hook with the inquiry.

“Some of us have handled land titles of all kinds and it is the first time I am seeing a land title that doesn’t have acreage. He is peddling a forged title that he can’t submit anywhere,” Mpuuga noted.

Left with no choice, Kachuna promised to return the land title back to the Uganda Land Commission to have what he deemed a mistake rectified.

The Government Analytical Laboratory top management was also ordered to refund Shs48M that was meant for the purchase of DNA reagents which were never purchased.

The Committee also ordered the Internal Affairs Undersecretary Aggrey Owunyi to refund a total of Sh637M that was budgeted for Amnesty Commission but was never disbursed.

This was after Owunyi failed to account how the money was spent and the particular activities that the money was spent on.

As part of the ongoing digital migration process, Ugandans are set to start paying to listen to radios, the way it is with televisions, Chimpreports has learnt.

Uganda officially migrated to digital from analogue in June last year, a process that requires TV set owners to purchase digital terrestrial decoders installed on their sets to receive digital signals.

Addressing broadcasters during the National Association of Broadcasters Annual General Meeting at Hotel Africana, Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director, Godfrey Mutabazi, said that in 2 years’ time, the country will move from analogue to digital radios.

“Two years from now, radio will also go digital .We shall have pay radios. We are still doing research together with Makerere and other Universities about the same issue but in 2 years it will be here,” Mutabazi said.

“There will be digital signals that these radio stations will have to pay for because whoever gets a license for signal distribution will demand something,” he added in an interview to Chimpreports.

Mutabazi cited that there are not so many people in Europe catching the stations like BBC free of charge apart from those in disadvantaged areas.

“In order to access that signal, you must pay some money. We must understand that slowly free things are disappearing.”

Emphasis

The UCC boss said digital migration is a technology that must be accepted by everyone, and that there are no shortcuts.

“There was a time we had Short Wave and when we migrated to Frequency Modulation, people never complained of it. People didn’t say anything about the migration. Why now talk ill of digital migration, something we have been working on for the last 10 years?”

Mutabazi said digital migration was conducted properly according to the law, stressing it must be done and complied with by all people.

He noted that these directives originate from Geneva and UN member countries which are expected to implement them and that as a member of the Northern Corridor Integration body, Uganda cannot sit and watch.

“For you to have a radio set or television, you have to be rich and buy it. It then makes no sense when you say you want a free signal,”Mutabazi wondered.

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has described as ‘psychologically disturbing’ and ‘baseless’, reports that he is quietly benefiting from a secret state fund, Chimp Corps report.

Lukwago said such reports were part of ‘heavily funded’ efforts by some government officials to malign him.

Media reports recently indicated that Lukwago had met with Gen. Salim Saleh and agreed to have his house rebuilt at the whopping Shs 3bn.

“I refused to meet the Kaguta family even when my office was closed but these reported have affected me psychologically. I have stood clear of any such engagements with any member of the First Family and even those in government,” Lukwago told journalists on Thursday at his office at City Hall.

“Even the dialogue structured by the former Prime Minister (Amama Mbabazi), I never attended them personally but sent my legal team. I insist that I will never meet any individual in those circles concerning the politics of the city and the country.”

The angry Kampala Lord Mayor, who had earlier before the beginning of the press conference indicated was not feeling well, exhibited anger, saying it was absurd that some people were behind media reports intended to drive a wedge between him and the public.

He said despite being affected psychologically by the reports, he would not waver but rather continue with his resolve to fight for the rule of law.

“I know the intention of the masterminds is to kill our morale and they are funded to do this but we shall not be moved by such stories,” charged Lukwago.

”I have  worked for the last 19 years since I finished school in 1996 and started practicing law and have won a number of both big and small cases. I was Member of Parliament for Kampala for 5 years. Can’t I use my savings for those yeas to construct or renovate my house?” he wondered.

The Mayor, who was in his first term of office toppled on charges of incompetence, said he has lived an honest life throughout his entire career adding all he has got is through his own sweat.

Lukwago said there ought to be an apology and compensation or else he intends to sue the sections of the media that published the ‘malicious’ reports about him.

A top businessman in Kabale Municipality Bernard Turyasingura has been fined Shs. 50 million by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) for stealing water for the last two years.

NWSC officials reportedly found an illegal connection at his hotel, Kirigime Guest House on Tuesday afternoon during the ongoing operation to crackdown on illegal underground drilled water sources in the Municipality.

Lenny Otai, the area NWSC manager Kabale branch says that illegal underground water pipes used to connect water were found at the hotel.

Stephen Owino, another Engineer with the corporation also says they were forced to carry out investigations after finding out that for the last two years, the Guest House was paying monthly water bills of less than Shs 200,000 compared to what they used to pay before.

Owino says that officials also found ten water tanks of 1000 liters each full of reserved water yet it has been a dry season.

Owino says NWSC estimates to have lost up to 00millionshillings for the last two years the Guest house has been illegally connected.

After unearthing the illegally connected water, Bernard Turyasingura, Guest House the proprietor admitted to have been aware of it and signed an agreement to pay a Shs 50million fine.

Owino believes this will serve as a lesson to the rest of the community.

Barely a month after 17 year old Mustafa Lule attempted suicide by jumping off one of Kampala’s tallest buildings, Mabirizi complex, another Ugandan has Thursday jumped off a building at Garden City mall.

The youngster seemingly in his early 20s survived although he sustained severe injuries on the left shoulder, the head and the back. He has been rushed to the hospital.

He has been rushed to the hospital

Ugandans have since taken to social media, blaming the rising suicide attempts on the skyrocketing rates of youth unemployment in the country.

“All this (suicide attempts) is caused by the stress levels we have. Lack of jobs, cash etc. I am sure more suicide attempt cases will follow,” said a one John Bosco.

People watch from the balcony in shock as the jumper is carried away to the hospital

The jumper didn’t leave any suicide note and hence, the reasons for his actions have not been established.

Uganda Communication Commission Executive Director Eng. Godfrey Mutabazi has said that despite the Ugandan media being one of the most liberalized, he feels irked by some people who misuse social media platforms.

Mutabazi who was speaking during the National Association of Broadcasters’ Annual General Meeting on Thursday at Hotel Africana in Kampala said it is disheartening to see people trading insults and unfounded allegations using social media yet this ought to be a platform for proper communication.

“Uganda was the first country in Africa to liberalize the media but people insult each other on social media and the only way to regulate social media when misused is to close it because those companies are not based here,” Mutabazi said.

The UCC Executive Director however said there is need of independence by the country so as to be able to crackdown on whoever misuses social media but said this can only be possible if the country gets its own social media platforms.

“Facebook or twitter is all based in America and if the only way to stop misuse is through going to America to tell the judges about it then we are in danger. People here are so excited about new technology and the freedom of speech given to them but this is spoiling our brothers and sisters.”

“The solution is through encouraging innovation. Instead of focusing on facebook and twitter which are foreign, we need to encourage innovation and create our own platforms,” Mutabazi urged.

He noted that if the country can create its own platforms, there can be independence and regulations citing Kenya which he said is trying to do something of the similar to social media.

Mutabazi however urged media houses to always be professional in the way they disseminate information to the public or else they risk losing trust from their audience adding that Uganda Communications Commission will at all times try to ensure they comply with the required standards.

“You may employ the comedians and other people with good voices but they should be professional,” he advised.

The National Association of Broadcasters’ chairman and NBS television CEO Mr. Kin Kariisa said that media ought to have some guidelines to follow or else it would become a nuisance to the public.

“Some people use these media houses to abuse others which needs everyone in the industry to come together to streamline and create standards,” Kariisa noted.

“We need to work together as stakeholders to give people the content they want or else we risk sinking  so low to become jokers and mediocres.”

Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago has said government owes him arrears totaling to Shs560 million that accumulated when his office was illegally closed for 3 years.

Lukwago was thrown out of office in December 2013 after being impeached by city councilors over incompetence related issues.

Addressing journalists on Thursday at his office at City Hall in Kampala, Lukwago said he had won the case before Justice Lydia Mugambe and his payment was given a go ahead by parliament but noted that up to now he has not been paid.

“Not even after Parliament issued a directive that I be paid .I won the case in court and the Attorney General had promised to file a petition against the ruling but up now I have never received anything,” Lukwago said.

“I want to insist that I am not seeking for a favor but my legal entitlement .They should pay me for the 30 months I was out of office illegally.”

The Kampala Lord Mayor said in the 30 months he was entitled to a Shs16 million monthly salary plus Shs2.5 million in allowances per month stressing these arrears ought to be paid to him for being kept out of office illegally.

Another Shs70 Million

Lukwago   revealed that government also owes him Shs75 million as damages for a case he recently won together with Aruu County MP Hon. Odonga Otto for being illegally arrested by police during the ‘Mabira’ demonstration.

He said that despite his efforts to get his payment from government proving futile, he would continue in pursuit of the same until he gets what belongs to him.

Justice Yasin Nyanzi in July ordered government to compensate Lukwago and Otto for malicious arrest over an unlawful traffic offence.

President Yoweri Museveni has said education and rural transformation can help empower the girl child and push women’s progress for a better society. He said marginalizing girls in the field of education would lead to unbalanced growth.

“One of the important guiding principles of the NRM Government in Uganda is zero tolerance to discrimination against our women and girls in policy implementation and service delivery. This principle is very well articulated in our Constitution which guarantees equality, gender balance, affirmative action for marginalized groups and accords women full and equal dignity of person with men,” he said.

Speaking at a high-level event on September 21^st, during the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, during which the UN Women launched a new public private partnership to close gender data gaps for SDGs monitoring and accountability to support its flagship programme initiative, “Making Every Woman and Girl Count”.

Museveni who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education Janet Kataha Museveni and their daughter Natasha Museveni Karugire, highlighted the challenges Uganda faces and the policies his government has put in place that have made a difference to women and girls.

“We have introduced universal education so that girls can go to school. In a traditional society, it is the girl who goes to collect water. That burden is reduced when you bring water to the village,” he said.

The President said Uganda has embraced the principles of sustainable development as stipulated in the 2030 Agenda.

“We have localized the agenda in our National Planning Frameworks. We have already demonstrated leadership in aligning the gender equality commitments in the SDGs in our Party Manifesto, the National Vision, the National Development Plan, our Sectoral Plans and legislated it in our Public Finance Management Act, 2015,” he said.

The event co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a five-year programme that will invest much-needed resources and expertise, focusing on 12 pathfinder countries, to generate, prioritize and use gender data.

It will assist countries in making evidence-based and targeted policies to fully implement and track progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Uganda’s population currently estimated at 36.6 million is predominantly rural with only 15% living in the urban areas. Women constitute 51.2% of the population with a sex ratio of 95 males per 100 females. This implies that if development is to be fair women’s contributions in social political and economic spheres should not only be solicited but should be deliberately promoted for equitable and sustainable development

In her remarks, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed, “Without gender data, there is no credible path to achieving the SDGs. Right now, we do not have data to monitor 80 per cent of the indicators for SDG 5, on gender equality.”

Melinda Gates, co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, believes that we cannot close the gender gap without closing the gender data gap. “Gender data is foundational to all this work. We can’t make good decisions without good data,” she said. When asked about a top priority, Ms. Gates said, “I would collect data on women’s unpaid care work”.

A week after World Bank suspended further release of financial aid towards government projects citing low absorption and poor implementation, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has noted that government is ‘handling this problem’’ through specific reforms.

On Thursday afternoon while meeting foreign donors, Rugunda said government is looking to undertake major reforms including; strengthening the office of the chief government valuer, improving project readiness, speeding up processes of approval and land acquisition.

“Cabinet has looked up the matter of absorption of funds from World Bank, African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank following the drastic decision by World Bank to stop funding,” the Prime Minister said.

The suspended USD 1.5 billion was meant to fund projects in the sectors of water, agriculture and public works. According to World Bank Country Manager for Uganda, of the Ugsh 8 trillion threshold, only 10% was being absorbed.

Rugunda added; “It is critical that we enhance performance assessment mechanisms through strengthened systems of public finance management as well as improving oversight.”

The head of the local development partners Ms. Jennie Barugh remarked; “We need to ensure more transparency and accountability and we look to you (government) to lead out joint efforts to achieve results. Out of 60 projects implemented, 81% of these were unsatisfactory and went beyond schedule.”

Earlier on Thursday morning, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija sounded a strong caution to public servants in sectors that have a low absorption saying they will no longer be allocated funds. He also said that government Ministries, Department and Agencies that do not possess strategic plans will also not receive funds from Ministry of Finance.

According to the overall government performance, implementation of projects improved slightly to 60% in 2015 from 58% in 2014.

However, an average of 72% of all externally funded projects had an unsatisfactory performance between 2011 and 2015. This was coupled with among other barriers low absorption and slow implementation. External funding from World Bank, Africa Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and others to Uganda over the 5 year term amounted to USD 7.3 billion.

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has clarified that the money used to procure medals for over 1,000 current and old legislators, was secured four years ago and not picked from this year’s highly scorned legislature budget.

Kadaga together with the Presidential Awards Committee have organized a Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony for MPs who served since independence in October 1962 to October 2012. The event is scheduled for Monday, 26^th September 2016 at Serena Hotel Kampala.

“Some media houses have reported that Parliament is spending 600m for the function but I want to assure the nation that the programme was catered for 2012,” She said.

According to the Speaker, the members of the 9^thParliament were particularly supposed to be awarded medals during the Labor Day Celebrations of 2013 but it was postponed.

Kadaga also stressed that the medals will come with no monetary gifts. “It should be noted that there is no cash prizes attached to the medals.”

ChimpReports understands that Parliament is going to foot the bills for the venue and the cocktail for the over 1000 guests at the 5 star hotel. The Presidential Awards Committee under Ministry of Presidency shall take care of the rest of the budget.

Some of the prominent names to be awarded the medals are former army Chief of Staff under President Milton Obote’s government, Maj. Gen. David OyiteOjok, former Prime Minister George Cosmas Adyebo, former party presidents Dr. Kizza Besigye, his wife Winnie Byanyima, Ssebaana Kizito, Paul Ssemogerere, former Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya and Kampala Lord Mayor EriasLukwago.

Government has denied ever promising any financial gift to the Uganda Cranes team as a token of appreciation for making it to the continental competition the African Cup of Nations.

Uganda Cranes made it to AFCON 2017 after defeating Comoros with one goal down which was a historical victory after almost 40 years of non-fruitful campaigns.

Ever since the victory on September 4, a lot of allegations have been spreading that government promised to give each player USD10,000 but turned round and gave only USD1000 which has angered the public.

This prompted the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga to order Government to come out and clarify on the matter while contributing to a motion to pay tribute to the team moved by Ajuri County legislator, Hamson Obua.

In his response, the State Minister for Sports Charles Bakabulinde told the house that government has never made any financial promise to the team revealing that if there will be such an arrangement, the whole country will be clearly notified.

“Government never promised to give $10, 000 to each Cranes player and therefore has never given $1000, all this has just been rumour making rounds,” Bakabulinde told the house on Thursday.

The Shadow Minister of Sports, Allan Sewanyana told ChimpReports that it’s so good that now the matter has been clarified by government which is his job as the opposition to cause it to say the truth.

“Am happy that government didn’t promise anything to the team because it has propagated on lies and propaganda that they have done so many things for the team yet actually nothing has been done to appreciate the players,” Sewanyana said.

“The public should now know that their government has not given anything to the boys a part from now what Parliament has passed a contribution of Sh500, 000 from each member.”

The government under the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development on Thursday handed out Shs 43billions to the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) with hope to address the challenges women face in undertaking economically viable enterprises.

UWEP was first declared by the President in March 2015 during the International Women’s Day in Kabale district. In February last year at the Uganda media center it was launched by the Prime Minister Rt. Hon Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and given 3billions for the start.

The program has been dubbed a lifeline initiative by the Government of Uganda to not only improve women’s access to financial services but also equip them with skills for enterprise growth, value addition and marketing of their products and services.

The women shall be availed interest-free credit to initiate or strengthen their enterprises. Upon payback, the money will be extended to other women and the sequence will continue in that revolving modus.

Speaking at a workshop organized by the Ministry of Gender at Grand on Thursday in Kampala, Brenda Kafuko the National Coordinator UWEP stressed that when women are targeted for development, the entire nation is targeted.

In Uganda, women are constrained by limited access to affordable credit as they attempt to start and grow their own enterprises. They earn less than their male counterparties with 31% of women financially excluded compared to 28% of men in the formal sector.

The workshop was attended by local leaders mainly from the central region, while many other meetings will be held in all the other regions to disseminate information on the Programme to key stakeholders that include District Political and Administrative Leaders and Technical Staff from all 116 Districts and 41 Municipalities in the country.

During the meeting at Grand Imperial Hotel, the stakeholders expressed concern on what will be done to ensure that the program attracts as many women as possible. These were advised to personally drum support for the program.

At the event, the Gender Minister Hon Peace Mutuzo warned the leaders against trying to embezzle the program funds, stressing that accountability will have to be followed to the dot.

“I encourage all women to join this program with vigor. Once you borrow the money the first one year is will be interest free and the next years you will have to pay a small interest. Please be truthful as you borrow and pay back the money. Most people don’t want to pay back government money” Hon Mutuzo said.

Police in the Rwizi region is will be joining the rest of the regions to celebrate the oncoming national community policing week.

The police force is celebrating its transformation from the old colonial policing methods to the new community based one.

The Rwizi region police spokesperson Ibin Senkumbi while addressing the media yesterday said the police week celebrations in the area will run from 27th September to 3rd October this year.

Senkumbi said the activities in the week will include Evaluation, Rectification and building Police Force through pro-active policing that will make members of the community come closer to the police force.

“Just like in other parts of the country, we will be celebrating a police week in Mbarara; and we invite everybody who has issues with police, complaints, clarification or any kind of information to come to us during this week,” he said

Ibin said that interaction with people, a police clinic and addressing people’s concerns will be taking place during the police week through our the region.

“So whoever wants to know what police does, want to enter anywhere including our cells will have a free access; so long as people are well intentioned,” Senkumbi said