Officials from the Ministry of Local Government who in 2012 reportedly swindled Shs4.2bn meant for LC1 chairpersons have yet again been implicated in the theft of Shs10bn for LC 5 chairperson vehicles.

The information came out during the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee meeting on Friday where it was discovered that 10billion shillings meant to procure 112 light duty vehicles has already been released and indicated as spent but the cars are nowhere to be seen.

The Committee chaired by Soroti District Woman MP Angelina Osege tasked the officials to respond to the Auditor general’s report last year, which among others implicated them in the loss of the money.

“This Committee understood from the Auditor General’s report that the ministry was allocated money for the LCV chairperson vehicles. The money was also released but there is nothing to show as far as vehicles are concerned,” Ms. Osege said.

The officials who included the former Acting Permanent Secretary, Patrick Mutabwire had no immediate answer to tell the Committee and instead asked for time to prepare themselves.

However the Vice Chairperson of the Committee who is also MP for Ntugamo Municipality Gerald Karuhanga told the sitting that all the officials who were involved in the saga should be hunted and made to return the money to the Consolidated Fund.

“There is no anyway tax payers’ money to the tune of 10bn can disappear like that. Everyone involved in the matter should be found and forced to return the money,” Karuhanga said.

The youthful legislator recalled that Ministry of Local Government is well known to have misappropriated money meant for bicycles for LC1 chairpersons.

The findings of the Inspector General of Government’s report of October, 2015 also indicated that Mr. Mutabwire, the then acting Permanent Secretary participated in unexplained diversion of funds, and sanctioned false payments to a large number of employees in the ministry that were channeled to their personal bank accounts purportedly to carry out official work.

In 2013 several officials from the Local Government ministry including the former Permanent Secretary were committed to Anti-Corruption for the lost of Shs4.2bn that was fraudulently wired to a private company as 40 percent down payment to supply 70,000 bicycles.

President Uhuru Kenyatta this week formally launched Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb Amina Mohamed’s candidature to become the African Union chairperson.

The President launched the bid at a gathering of African diplomats at State House, Nairobi.

He described Amb Amina as a focused public servant who is known for the positions she has taken on issues affecting Africa and Kenya.

The President said the Foreign Affairs CS is a consensus builder who will bring a lot of experience to the African Union.

“She is an individual who brings people together. She is an individual who is organised and will help us organise the African Union. She is a lady of courage and valour,” said President Kenyatta at the meeting attended by envoys from African countries based in Nairobi.

Uganda’s representative Speciosa Kazibwe bid for the AU seat failed miserably in the recent elections held in Kigali, Rwanda.

She eventually pulled out of the race despite being supported by the East African region.

A section of Kenya’s envoys to foreign countries also attended the meeting.

“I request you to lend your support for the candidature of Amb Amina with a promise that you will get a servant who will work for each one of us,” said President Kenyatta.

The President said he nominated Amb Amina after wide consultations with many other African Heads of State and Governments and believes that her candidature will promote African consensus.

Speaking at the event, Amb Amina said she will strive to ensure that Africa’s dignity is never tampered with if she gets elected as the chairperson.

She said she will ensure the African Union delivers a better life for Africans.

“We (Africans) have in the main been politically emancipated. We are working hard to ensure we are economically emancipated. We also need to ensure that our institutions, systems and mechanisms are emancipated and that is what I hope you will allow me to work on,” she said.

Amb Amina said Africa needs to speak with consensus in order for its voice to be heard and respected internationally.

“We have to start talking about ourselves as Africans because that is how the world sees us,” she said.

The Foreign Affairs CS said she will bring to the AU the experience she has built in her years as a public servant in Kenya and as a senior official of the United Nations.

The CS said Kenya’s foreign policy under President Kenyatta has been focused on Africa and its contribution to ensuring Africa’s voice is heard on the international stage is recognised.

She cited President Kenyatta’s advocacy for Africa’s integration and the fight Kenya spearheaded for Africa to be respected by institutions dealing with international justice.

“If we act collectively we will be able to deliver for the continent,” said Amb Amina.

The function was also attended by Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abdisalem Omer.

The Kyabazinga of Busoga, William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope Gabula IV will will  host thousands of youths from Busoga at the belated celebrations of his 28th birthday
anniversary slated to take place at his Igenge palace.

According to the 1st Deputy Prime Minister in Busoga kingdom Prof Mohamed Lubega Kisambira, the Kyabazinga chose to use his birth day celebrations to interact with the youths and advise them to become responsible citizens who will transform the region.

Prof Lubega says, they have extended invitations to youth leaders at all levels of political leadership, students under Abasoga Nseete student’s association and leaders of various youths organizations and associations to meet the Kyabazinga and reap knowledge and advice from him.

Addressing the media on Friday evening evening at Bugembe kingdom headquarters, Prof Lubega said the Kyabazinga has much hopes and expectations in the youths because they are still vibrant, energetic and eager to cause change that probably our parents or grandparents failed to.

According to Alex Luganda, the chairman organizing committee, distinguished qualified personnel will address youths on issues of economic and financial empowerment.

He says youths will also be given opportunity to tour around the Kyabazinga palace.

“This is beyond a party but rather an opportunity for youth to interact with the king who is also still youthful and sensitize them on entrepreneurial skills and knowledge”

The state minister for youth and ICT in the Busoga kingdom administration Veronica Kagona said that Kyabazinga has also invited his friends from UK and within Uganda to treat youth with visual impairment at the function.

“We also have a team from Uganda Health Marketing Group coming to specifically address youths about their health” she added.

Kyabazinga was born on November 1, 1988 and his belated anniversary will be celebrated under the theme; “Youth, an engine to Busoga’s development”

The government is expected to bring to Parliament a number of bills to amend the Constitution and the most notable is the one to remove the presidential age limit currently at 75 years.

In August, ChimpReports broke the news of a then silent private members bill meant to remove the retirement age for judges, scrap the restricted two-term tenure for the Electoral Commission topmost officials among others.

The bill that was days later moved by Nakifuma county Member of Parliament, Ssekitoleko Kafeero was instantly viewed by many as a calculated plan to lift the presidential age limit.

It was later to be thrown out by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who said any amendment of the Constitution should be comprehensive but not piece meal and she asked the government take charge.

According to sources, The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Attorney General’s office that already had plans for constitutional reforms, immediately embarked on paper work when Ssekitoleko’s Bill flopped.

This website also understands that there was already a plan B to be executed by the Justice ministry in the event of failure of Ssekitoleko’s project.

On the political front, ChimpReports has exclusively learnt that 30 Members of Parliament from Buganda have already been courted to do the mobilization in the region where the project is supposed to start from.

The 30 MPs according to a source, met with Security Minister Gen. Henry Tumukunde on Wednesday last week in Kampala.

The meeting was to conclude on the amount of money to be given to each them. We understand that each has already asked and insisting to be given Shs1.5bn for them to do the job.

“We wanted to iron out the economic bit before we hit the political field,” one of the MPs told this reporter.

The meeting however did not reach a common ground since the MPs were offered only one third of the demanded amount.

“We were told there is no money and only Shs500m can be given to us in cash. No conclusion yet but we are to internally decide,” the source added.

The 30 MPs are to meet this weekend to reach the final decision at a location we have decided to withhold.

The Wednesday meeting was not attended by all the 30 but slightly above a half and all were given transport refund.

ChimpReports is yet to get a comment from Gen. Tumukunde as his phone was answered by an aide who told us that he is out of the country.

After Buganda, MPs from other regions are also going to be engaged to mobilize the grassroots to support the removal of presidential limit.

President Yoweri Museveni is now 72 and not eligible to stand in the next election in 2021 under the current legal regime.

The Bugabula South MP, James Kakooza who successfully moved the motion in 2005 to lift the presidential term limit is again said to be the main figure in the presidential age limit removal.

The Kampala Central MP, Mohamed Nsereko who currently has a good following within the young legislators is also said to be close to the project.

Meanwhile the former Police Spokesman Simeo Nsubuga is already in the group. When contacted on phone, Mr. Nsubuga denied attending the Wednesday meeting and  described the reports as false.

All is not well for Sarah Kulata, the interdicted commissioner for Land Registration in the Ministry of lands.

The High Court in Kampala yesterday dismissed an application filed by the commissioner, in which she sought orders to halt an investigation by a committee instituted to look into her alleged fraud and corruption.

Kulata contends that the said committee is acting on the disputed recommendations contained in a report made by the UNRA commission of inquiry, which commission she accuses of breaching principles of natural justice.

Presiding Judge Henrietta Wolayo ruled that  she could not stop the disciplinary proceedings against Kulata as part of it is based on the 44 complaints registered  by the IGG from the public other than the whole UNRA report of inquiry.

Justice Wolayo also ruled that the law provides Kulata with an avenue within which she can challenge the outcome of the disciplinary committee in case she disagrees with the findings.

Kulata claims that the committee instituted to investigate her cannot  purport to use the UNRA report which  she is challenging before the High court on grounds that the commission first called  her as a witness and then turned  around to  make a report recommending that she is  investigated for fraud in the Lands registry.

The Parliament is set to call back its members from recess to converge on Monday to pay their last respect to the departed Maj. Gen. Julius Oketta.

Gen. Oketta who was until today serving as the Vice Chairperson of the military led Operation Wealth Creation died on Saturday from Kadic Hospital Kampala where he was rushed after complaining of chest pain.

ChimpReports has learnt that an emergency meeting was convened at Parliament on Saturday at 11am by the house leadership purposely to look into the burial arrangement and bringing of Oketta’s body to lay in state and a special sitting for the tribute.

READ ALSO: EXCLUSIVE: UPDF General Quits Parliament

According to a source who attended the closed door meeting, the Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda informed the gathering that the government is ready to bring Oketta’s body to Parliament on Monday.

“The Right Honorable Prime Minister told us that the body of Gen, Oketta will be in Parliament on Monday 7th November 2016,” a source told this reporter.

The program of the day on Monday is customarily divided in two to accommodate both the laying of body in State and a plenary session afternoon to be chaired by the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah and the motion for the tribute is to be moved by Rugunda.

“His body is expected to lay in State at 10am and at 2:00 a plenary sitting to be steered by the Right Honorable Deputy Speaker. Dr. Rugunda is preparing the motion for the day,” the same source said.

When contacted on phone, Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore confirmed the development

“The body of Gen. Oketta will be at Parliament at 10am for viewing and 2pm for tribute,” Mr. Obore said.

Gen. Oketta served as army MP for 10 years from 2005 to 2016 when he decided not to stand. This website broke the news of his quitting Parliament in March this year.

The western Ibanda district leadership has issued a directive to restaurants and bar owners to start hiring workers after signing contracts with them.

The directive is aimed at countering the reported growing cases of maltreatment of workers and to provide better working conditions.

The resolution was arrived at during a meeting that was held at the Municipal Council Hall between stake holders and Ibanda Town Clerk Justine Barekye as well as the RDC Elliusto Akatuhebwa on Friday.

Speaking to ChimpReports in his office after the meeting, the RDC revealed that he had been receiving complaints from workers especially women who work in the bars and hotels that they don’t get paid and yet they work night and day.

He said some of the workers told him that they were being forced by their employers to sleep with their customers.

He mentioned one bars implicated in these practices as De Green Bar, whose workers have gone 5 months without pay.

“These young women are being treated like what we hear about Ugandans in Arab countries,” he said.

The Municipal Clerk Justine Barekye revealed that bars and restaurants in Ibanda have been given a period of one month to register their workers and formalize their employment.

President Museveni has said government is ready to provide the expensive solar irrigation equipment to farmers around the country in a bid to facilitate them in agriculture.

Speaking to residents at Kandago village, Bukinda subcounty in Kabale District on Saturday afternoon, Museveni said farmers ought to adopt new farming methods, other than the ancient ones in order to improve on their wealth.

“Wealth starts from homes and expands to the villages and people can become wealthy through agriculture. This however needs people who are calculative while carrying out farming,”Museveni said on Saturday.

“This new method of solar powered irrigation can help farmers do agriculture even in drought. They can use solar powered machines to pump water used for irrigation and farmers will not complain of the drought.”

Museveni moves around the garden.

He said that in the past, there was irrigation of using water from highlands to low lands but said this time round, people can use solar generators to pump water from low lands to high lands and their crops can survive.

Museveni said that this pilot project has kicked off in 12 areas around the country stressing that government is ready to invest money to see it succeeds and helps farmers.

“Farmers like me can afford to buy the solar machines at Shs 60 million but many other people in villages can’t afford. Government will provide them throughout the country because one pump can be enough to support a village.”

He however cautioned farmers against carrying out agriculture in swamps which he said are crucial in modifying the climate.

Rutaro earns Shs43 million a year from his garden

Museveni took time to visit a 2 acre garden owned by Charles Rutaro, a secondary school teacher on whose garden the solar irrigation system is being piloted.

Rutaro told the president that using solar irrigation, he is able to grow tomatoes, apples, fish, cabbages, tree tomatoes and passion fruits and earns Shs43 million a year.

The secondary teacher with 30 years’ experience told Museveni that he is able to pay over Shs18 million in school fees for his 7 children at university, all courtesy of proceeds from the 2 acre farm .

The executive director Foundation for Human Rights and Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (FHRI/CCEDU) , Livingstone Sewanyana has urged Ugandans to embrace electoral reforms, if they want to see new leadership.

“The mandate of the current Electoral Commission is soon expiring and we don’t want history to repeat its self,” said Mr Sewanyana.

“77% of MPs research shows, want to be included in choosing the new EC, which shows they are ready for transparency” he said.

While addressing the media at Moon Land Gardens Nsambya on Friday, Sewanyana said as FHRI/CCEDU, they are ready to carry on with sensitization of the masses on such tenets of a good democracy.

A set of electoral reforms pushed last year by civil society and the opposition were rejected by government ahead of last February’s general elections.

“Not all hope is lost: much as it did not work out last year, we have a lot of room to improve,” said Sewanyana.

It was all pomp and glamour on Wednesday, November 2^nd as Crane Management Services (CMS), a Real Estate company under Ruparelia Group unveiled a 13 floor building in Kampala.

Named ‘The Cube’, the building is located in Kiseminti, Kamwokya with a desirable neighbourhood dominated by continental restaurants, hangouts spots and pretensions of corporate facilities like banks and offices for different organizations.

The building was officially opened by Rajiv Ruparelia, the CMS Managing Director who was escorted by the Sudhir Ruparelia, the Chairperson of the Ruparelia Group of Campanies.

Ruparelia Group Chairman, Sudhir Ruparelia (L) shares a light moment with some of the guests

The cube is a complex commercial space designed to cater for all possible needs of the modern day businessman and its neighbourhood is ideal for any business to blossom.

It has 132 shops, 3 passenger lifts, 2 car lifts, 100 car parking slots (modern suspended, mechanically elevated car parking system), a sky viewing terrace, and a Modern high tech fire detection and suppression system.

It also has office space at the top, space for a casino, a lounge and many more exciting features that will make your stay enjoyable.

The building has 3 passenger lifts and 2 car lifts

The building is 57.3 meters high making it the tallest in the area, giving the inhabitats a magnificent view of Kampala at the comfort of their seat.

CMS boss Rajiv Ruparelia serves food after the official opening of the building

Some of the invited guests serve a meal

A horrible amateur video showing Kampala Capital City Authority enforcement officers battering a woman carrying two young children has emerged.

The video that was uploaded on social media platforms mainly facebook and twitter on Friday night has gone viral attracting condemnations from hundreds of thousands of viewers clicking almost every passing minute.

Half a dozen KCCA officers pounced on the yet to be identified woman at downtown Kampala where she was selling merchandize in likely a non-selling area.

She was brutally grabbed with a child of about 1 year tied behind her back, ferociously dragged on the mud for about 6 meters and outrageously thrown into the double cabin pickup.

The vehicle later sped off towards KCCA headquarters in the city center as astonished onlookers remained speechless on the streets.

The KCCA leadership and vendors have been in conflict since last month when the authority ordered them off the streets of Kampala.

The vendors who were not offered alternative selling area rejected the move and remained on the street pavements, walkways and under the veranda of shops and offices.

The Executive entered the matter and the minister for KCCA, Betty Kamya appealed to the vendors to abide by the decision and stop selling on the street.

Her appeal however fell on the deaf hears as vendors continued with their activities.

In the last week of October police was forced to use live ammunitions and teargas in downtown Kampala to quell the situation that was getting out of hand between vendors and KCCA enforcement officers.

The Minister for General Duties Mary Karooro Okurut has warned journalists against publishing stories that are aimed at degrading women’s status in the public, thereby advising them to ensure they produce balanced stories that uplift women’s standards.

The minister was Friday speaking at the launch of the first ever Gender Media Awards, which are being organized by the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), at Imperial Royale in Kampala.

The awards event is aimed at appreciating gender sensitive media personnel, and at the same time encourage those degrading and ignoring women in their stories to change.

The minister said at the launch, “Most of the media outlets in the country today are quite unfair to women, when you look at our newspapers content and the material broadcast on both radios and television.

“I was shocked one time when I watched a young boy and a girl dancing bend over together on one of our Television stations; I engaged the manager and he told me that they were trying to get the viewers’ attention,” said the minister.

Speaking at the event, The Executive Director of UMWA Margaret Sentamu revealed that one
of the reasons for organizing the awards was to reward the people who have worked hard in bridging the gender gaps in their reporting.

“We are working hard to ensure that Gender sensitive reporting training is introduced in all media training institutes as well as more gender training to all practicing journalists. At the same time we are working hard on bringing and maintain more women in the journalism field” added Masagazi.

These Awards have different categories that include Best News story, Best Feature story, Best Specialized Report, Best Photograph and Best Cartoon on the side of Print Media.

For Radio there is a category for Best New story, Best feature story and Best Documentary whereas for the Television there is Best New story, Best Feature story, Best Documentary and Best Visual or Image

According to Masagazi, there is going to be a panel of experts who are following up various
media houses in Uganda to choose the best media houses with the best reporting on Gender related issues.

Entries opened on 1st October 2016 to all journalists whose stories were published between the period of September 2016 up to those February 2017.

Participants can pick the forms on the UMWA website http;//www.umwamamafm.co.ug

The Award ceremony will be held in May 2017 at the venue to be communicated.

The winners will walk away cash prizes, paid up Holiday trips, Commemorative Plaques and certificates.

Police in Ibanda is hunting for a ruthless man who injured his own brother in what locals believe to be a homicide attempt.

Innocent Kananura, a resident of Bukuto village in Kigarama Ward, Ibanda Municipality is said to have used panga and hack his brother Moses Ayebazibwe.

The victim says he brother attack him accusing him of urinating on his land, and injured him on his arm with a machete.

This incident happened last weekend and after getting medication, Ayebazibwe reported his brother to Kigarama police.

On Friday morning, police raided the house of the suspect but he escaped and fled before being arrested.

It is said that when police left, Kananura once again attacked his brother with a machete but residents intervened quickly to save him.

The Prime Minister of Uganda, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda has praised fallen Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Deputy Coordinator, Maj. Gen. Julius Oketta as person who has made tremendous contribution to the country.

“Oketta has made a very big contribution to the country. He respected the will of the people, believed in institutions and set an example to emulate, for both civilians and the soldiers,” said Dr. Rugunda.

“His contribution has gone beyond the borders of Uganda and his expertise has been resourceful across Africa like commanding African Union force in containing Ebola in West Africa,” he added.

Rugunda made the remarks on Sunday afternoon while visiting the family of the fallen UPDF General in Najjera, Wakiso District.

He noted that “Oketa was a man of the people, contributive when his opinion is needed. He helped Parliament to do its work effectively.”

Gen. Oketta who was also serving as the Director National Emergency and Coordination at the Office of the Prime Minister, died on Saturday morning at Kadic Hospital in Kampala after a serious heart attack.

Dr. Rugunda interracts with Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt. Gen. Charles Angina

The Prime Minister said that preliminary reports indicate that Oketta’s death was triggered by a blood clot although they are still awaiting a full post mortem report.

“Reports point to a blood clot as the cause of death but that is not conclusive. Avoid anything speculative until a full medical report is released.”

“His untimely death is a big blow to the country and the best tribute we can pay to him is to ensure that what he worked for and the programs he started are effectively executed and completed.”

He extolled Oketta for his role in resettlement of people under the Office of the Prime Minister noting that his demise “leaves a big challenge for us to ensure that the good work he has put in place continues.”

Captain David Livingstone Okumu, the deceased’s Military Assistant has described Gen. Oketta as a hardworking man who was easy to work with.

Gen. Okatta’s Military Assistant, Capt. David Okumu speaking to press on Sunday

Okumu said that the General didn’t have any known sickness and that the news of his death shocked him so much.

“Afande was not suffering from anything at the time. Earlier in 1996, he was involved in an accident and had a blood clot but was treated in France and it went away,” said Okumu.

“He was again involved in an accident last year, as he was following the President’s convoy to Gulu but he didn’t sustain any injuries.”

Captain Okumu has worked with Oketta since 1989, when the general was a Regional Reserve Force Commander.

A 20 year old driving student on Sunday evening accidentally drove into Lake Bunyonyi and died.

Godfrey Ahimbisibwe, son of Justus Kurama a resident of Kekubo in Northern Division, Kabale Municipality was killed in the accident at around 7pm yesterday.

The deceased, it is said, was learning to drive in his father’s Toyota Corona which veered off the road and plunged in the lake.

Rescuers were not hasty enough to save the youngster from drowning.

According to one of the eyewitnesses Drake Diaz Owoyesigire, Police were called in but failed to retrieve the body and it was the residents who jumped in the waters after 2 hours and pulled the body out with ropes.

Ahimbisibwe according to locals, decided to drive by himself, to the shore of Lake Bunyonyi to visit his father where he runs a business.

Dickens Bindeeba, the Kabale District Police Commander says that although police was alerted, they had no solution because they don’t have marine officers at the station.

This is the second such incident on Lake Bunyonyi in a period of three months. On 22nd of August this year, five family members drowned after their canoe capsized.

The victims were reportedly travelling from a party in Mushebeya,Kamuganguzi Sub County, to their home in Kabirago Ndarura village, Rubaya Sub county, Kabale District when the tragedy occurred.

You are free to nominate candidates but these must exclude Yoweri Museveni, Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye and Norbert Mao.

Send the name of your preferred candidate to info@chimpreports.com or giles@chimpreports or WhatsApp (+256705340477). You can as well post your comments on our Facebook and 

Chimp Corps will as well do interviews on the streets in different parts of Kampala to pick people’s nominations.

The nomination phase will run for four days (November 7 – 9, 2016).

The preferred candidates will then be unveiled before the public this Saturday.

Special Analysis

Uganda secured her independence from British colonialists 54 years ago.

National elections were held in April 1962 and resulted in the party of Dr. A. Milton Obote, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, winning the largest number of seats, although not an absolute majority.

Dr. Obote became Prime Minister and formed a Cabinet in coalition with the Buganda traditionalist Kabaka Yekka (KY) Party.

Under this coalition Government, the Independence Constitution was amended in September 1963 to allow for the election by Parliament of a President and Vice President. While remaining within the Commonwealth, Uganda’s new President replaced the Queen as head of state.

Sir Edward Frederick Mutesa II, hereditary King (Kabaka) of Buganda, was elected President of Uganda.

In succeeding years, the UPC-KY coalition deteriorated, and the UPC gained strength in Parliament by virtue of defections from both the KY and the opposition Democratic Party.

Supporters of the unitary state concept and those in favor of a loose federation disputed over the proper role of the central Government.

Complicated political maneuvering in late 1965 and early 1966 came to a head in February 1966 when Dr. Obote suspended the Independence Constitution, assumed all powers of government, and deposed the President and Vice President.

In April of that year a new Constitution came into force. Under it Dr. Obote became an executive President with wide powers, and the Kingdom of Buganda was deprived of its semiautonomous powers.

The 1966 Constitution was soon superseded by another, Uganda’s third since independence, adopted in September 1967 after long discussion in a Constituent Assembly.

Uganda was proclaimed a Republic, and wide powers were given to the country’s executive President, Dr. Obote to head a unitary state.

All of the traditional kingdoms, including Buganda, were abolished. That kingdom was divided into four districts, which like all of Uganda’s 18 districts are tightly controlled by the central Government.

Conflict

The hostility between Central government and Kabakaship hit its peak in 1966 with Obote directing then army Chief Amin Dada to raid Mengo; leading to Kabaka Mutesa’s fleeing to exile.

Despite the struggle for power being between Obote and Buganda Kingdom, Amin – a “third force” emerged as president as the former was attending a conference in Singapore in 1971.

The development marked the beginning of a tumultuous political journey for Uganda with Obote supporters mobilising arms to remove Amin from power.

It took another ‘third force’ – which included Tanzanians and Ugandans in exile to oust Amin.

On returning to Uganda in the wake of Amin’s defeat in 1979, Obote was accused by the Democratic Party of rigging in 1980 elections.

A political battle ensued between UPC and DP.

Another ‘third force’ – UPM under Yoweri Museveni decided to take up arms, using the rigged election as its justification.

Museveni era

Museveni would later take power in 1986 after the overthrow of Milton Obote by the Okello Junta.

Museveni faced military resistance by rebel movements in Northern, Eastern and Western Uganda which he ably crushed into oblivion.

The contest for power was between Museveni and the rival military groups.

However, a ‘third force’ emerged in 2001 led by Dr Kizza Besigye – who broke ranks with NRA.

This group would later include the late Eriya Kategaya, Suleiman Kiggundu, Amanya Mushega, Beti Kamya, Miria Matembe, Winnie Byanyima, Sam Njuba, John Kazoora, and Augustine Ruzindana among others.

This force ably mobilised against Museveni – threatening his hold on power in the hugely competitive elections of 2001 and 2006.

However, the political resistance against Museveni was weakened significantly in 2011, with opposition performing poorly in the election.

This group however, gained momentum in 2016 with the participation of former premier Amama Mbabazi.

Political pundits will agree that Mbabazi was seen as a moderate force between the polarizing and antagonistic camps of Besigye and Museveni.

Many saw in him a transition from the radicalism and uncompromising politics of Besigye’s wing and Museveni’s stellar resistance against change.

It is widely held in corridors of power that had Mbabazi started mobilisation much earlier to effectively sell his candidature across the country, he stood a better chance of blocking Museveni from securing a win.

But Mbabazi’s domestic challenges, disorganization in The Democratic Alliance coupled with defections in Go Forward camp could not allow Mbabazi exploit the vacuum that would have propelled him to the highest political seat in the land.

The Mbabazi ‘third force’ could not take off as expected.

Political transition  

Meanwhile, Uganda is set for yet another set of presidential elections come 2021.

As things stand, Museveni cannot seek reelection as he will have clocked the mandatory 75 years as provided by the Constitution.

As the country moves toward what could be a historic political transition, many are wondering who could take the much-coveted seat.

ChimpReports has decided to run a poll to allow people especially the youth reveal whom they think can take Uganda forward minus the 1986-ers who have dominated Uganda’s politics for the last three decades.

You are free to nominate candidates but these must exclude Yoweri Museveni, Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye and Norbert Mao.

Send the name of your preferred candidate to info@chimpreports.com or giles@chimpreports or WhatsApp (+256705340477).

Chimp Corps will as well do interviews on the streets in different parts of Kampala to pick people’s nominations. The nomination phase will run for three days (November 7 – 9, 2016).

The preferred candidates will then be unveiled before the public this Saturday.

Teachers of the troubled Bridge International Schools (BIA) and their pupils this morning stormed the Parliamentary Building, seeking MPs intervention in their predicament.

Last week, the High Court in Kampala ordered closure of the foreign owned low budget schools totaling 63 in number, for failure to adhere to Ugandan education standards.

The teachers and pupils emotionally protested the closure of their schools, while engaging with security at Parliament’s Main Gate.

These were by publication time still locked outside the parliamentary building, inside of which a special sitting was being held to honor the deceased Gen Julius Oketta who passed on late last week.

The teachers and pupils, some of who were in tears told press that while their schools were cheaper, they provided much better education compared to most of Uganda’s Universal Primary Education Schools.

The schools last week lost a court application they filed against the education ministry’s decision to close them down for failure to comply “with the basic requirements and minimum standards for schools in Uganda.”

The Education Minister Hon Janet Museveni declared on August 9, 2016, during a parliament session, that the Government will close at the end of the term (September 2016) the schools operated by the largest and most controversial chain of commercial private schools worldwide, Bridge International Academies (BIA).

The Ministry’s decision was based on “non-respect of national standards by BIA, particularly in regards to health and safety,” according to Ms Museveni.

“Our Ministry found that most of the submissions about the schools were true and deserved attention. The schools started in 2013 and are located in 63 sites out of which only one was licensed by Kumi Municipal Council. The schools’ legal status was not established except in for the one in Kumi Municipal Council site. The schools never underwent the criteria for registering and licensing international schools,” said Ms Museveni.

“My Ministry has however been closely monitoring the schools prior to the time that matter was raised here in parliament. It was found out that the infrastructure of the schools is still in a bad shape, yet interim period required for schools to have permanent structures expired,” she added.

Speaking to Chimp reports at Parliament, the School Manager of the Nansana Academy Phiona Akuya said she was appalled by the government decision.

“We are wondering despite the First Lady and Minister of Education, Janet Museveni visiting our schools recently, her report on the status of our schools has not been publicized; we need her voice aired out.”

Akuya said. “The closure of our schools is simply political. We believe, together with our teachers and children that the schools are providing the best education,” noted Lillian Akwi a parent at the school.

“I rather hire a teacher to teach my child at home than take her to UPE schools whose standards are below that of bridge schools,” She said.

Police led by Kampala Metropolitan DPC Joseph Bakaleke blocked the group from accessing Parliament and advised them to return to the house another day in an organized manner.

“Take pupils home, put in writing all you concerns and come back tomorrow to my office; we shall look for relevant people to handle your issues,” Bakaleke advised parents.

Police in Kampala on Monday morning was involved in running battles with a group of Makerere University students who were demonstrating over the university closure in the city centre.

The students who were carrying mattresses, suit cases and clad in red gowns carried placards that demanded that the Ivory Tower be opened soon.

“Closure of the university is a violation of our right to education. It is only making us as students suffer,” yelled the students as they marched to the Constitutional  Square.

Students demonstrating in the city centre

However, police swung into action arresting 4 of the students before detaining them at the Central Police Station.

President Museveni early last week ordered for immediate closure of Makerere University following a standoff between lecturers and management over payments forcing the former to lay down tools until the impasse is solved.

Students say closure of Makerere is equivalent to murdering Academics of Africa

Addressing journalists at the new Kawumu State Lodge in Luweero, Museveni said he would not tolerate the ‘undisciplined’ lecturers whom he said wanted to hold government at ransom over a simple issue.

“It is not a good attitude to paralyze the country. We will not tolerate any from of indiscipline at work. This is Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo,” the angry Museveni warned on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a group of 7 Makerere University students on Thursday gave an ultimatum to government in which it ought to open the Ivory Tower or else they would mull action.

The group led by Simon Wanyera, a member on the Makerere Guild Representative Council said the decision to close the university was not fair to them since they had fulfilled their obligation of paying tuition and reporting for studies, stressing, lecturers were to blame for the impasse.

Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Service and Local Government were last week mortified by scenes of people in Kisoro District drinking water from a septic tank.

The committee members led by their chairperson and Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, toured the south western Kisoro district to meet and talk to local leaders about the local government sector.

During the tour on Thursday, the MPs stumbled upon a community of Batwa people that live a few meters behind  the district headquarters, whose living conditions they found appalling.

The MPs were shocked by the Batwa’s living conditions

The Batwa people MPs were told, have no access to clean water and depend almost entirely on water they fetch from septic tanks.

Peninah Zaninka the chairperson of the Batwa village said that the district leaders have abandoned them which forced them to use septic tank water.

Zaninka said the group has been homeless since they were chased away from Echuya Forest in 1991.

The MPs also learnt that the group has not a single toilet they use.

The Septic Tank where the community fetches drinking water

Jovia Kariisa the Ibanda district woman MP said what she saw was unbelievable, and called for an emergency government intervention.

“This cannot be; perhaps the president should hear about this,” she remarked.

The MP urged the local leaders in Kisoro to do something about the abandoned community and also for fellow MPs to intervene.

The Batwa community live like this, a few meters behind the Kisoro District Offices

The Batwa situation according to Kariisa, could easily have Uganda dragged before international human rights bodies.

However, according to the Kisoro District Chairman Abel Bizimana an NGO named United Organization for Batwa Development in Uganda a few years built houses for the Batwa community but they rejected them “because they make a lot of noise when it rains.”

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has revealed that  South Sudan’s conflict, which has spawned one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises, is continuing to generate vast suffering and huge volumes of displacement.

UNHCR data for the month of October shows that on average 3,500 people fled to neighbouring countries each day – Uganda, DRC, Ethiopia and Sudan.

In these countries, national authorities and other humanitarian actors are racing to create safe and humane conditions for new arrivals. Nine out of every ten are women and children.

According to the UNHCR report, the biggest part of this outflow has been into Uganda, which has seen around 2,400 new arrivals every day since the beginning of October and over a quarter of a million new refugees since the re-eruption of violence in Juba on July 7th.

Most of the arrivals are from the Equatoria regions of South Sudan. They report armed groups harassing civilians, killings and torture of people suspected of supporting opposing factions, burning of villages, sexual assaults of women and girls and forced recruitment of young men and boys.

In recent weeks, refugees have been increasingly using informal border crossing points, reportedly due to the presence of armed groups along main roads. Many refugees report having had to walk through the bush for days, often without food or water.

A new settlement, Bidibidi, which was opened in August, has become one of the largest refugee-hosting areas in the world. It is now home to 170,000 South Sudanese refugees.

Providing immediate, life-saving assistance, including food, water and shelter, remains UNHCR’s key priority. But severe underfunding is hampering our efforts on the ground.

Water supply is also a major challenge in Bidibidi, where needs are fast growing. Steps are underway to identify urgently-needed water sources in the camp as currently water is being trucked, at great expense, from a treatment plant around 50km away.

In Ethiopia, some 36,600 new arrivals have been registered since early September. Arrivals have been at an average of 630 people every day.

A new refugee camp, Nguenyyiel, with capacity to accommodate 50,000 people, was opened on 20 October after existing camps in Tierkidi, Jewi and Kule became full. Shelter as well as basic water and sanitation services have been put into place and some 6,200 refugees have already been relocated to Nguenyyiel.

The vast majority of arrivals are from Upper Nile, citing conflict and the fear of renewed fighting as their main reasons for leaving, while those fleeing Jonglei state mostly mentioned food shortages.

Over 85% of the new arrivals are women and children and 65% are children under 18. Over 1,300 unaccompanied children and 6,200 separated children have been registered. Interviews show that many children continue to flee alone, either because their parents are dead or because they were abandoned by or got separated from their family members during their flight.

In Sudan, the number of South Sudanese refugees has now passed the quarter-of-a-million mark. Most refugees arrive in the White Nile state, with some 2,000 new arrivals per month, but sporadic flows into South and West Kordofan states, and East Darfur have also been recorded.

Although east Darfur has received the largest influx, with more 47,000 refugees as of mid-June 2016, most refugees are spread across the country and live outside of organized camps or settlements.

Most refugees entering Sudan, especially women, children and elderly people, arrive in a very poor state. Many have fled areas facing emergency levels of acute malnutrition and have been further weakened by the insecurity and their difficult journey during the rainy season.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, refugee numbers have gone up, with an influx of 60,000 people, most of whom has arrived since July 2016.

Refugees are settled along the border with South Sudan, where armed groups remain active in some areas. According to our teams on the ground, most refugees arrive from Yei, in Central Equatoria State, with hardly any belongings.

The Ituri province is facing the biggest refugee influx. This week, UNHCR started the transfer of an estimated 40,000 refugees from remote border areas. For the time being, refugees will be sent to Biringi, a site located near the city of Aru, in the northeastern Province of Ituri, while two other sites have been identified. The operation is facing major logistical challenges as many roads are in a very bad state.

Another 4,000 refugees who moved by their own means from the border to Meri in Haut-Uele Province, have been provided drinking water and other basic services. The World Food Programme started a distribution to this group last week.

Refugees in all sites will be given plots of land, construction materials, household goods and agricultural tools to help them become self-sufficient.