Museveni pledges hospital upgrade in Kazo as URA seizes 4,300 smuggled phones and boda riders get scholarships

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to improve health facilities in Kazo district, Ankole sub-region, with the upgrade of Kazo HCIV to a General Hospital.

While addressing tens of thousands of people at the Kazo Model Primary School playground in Kazo District, Museveni said this hospital benefits the people of Kazo and neighbouring districts, and the work to upgrade it will commence soon.

President Museveni also said that, currently, construction of a medical store and a mortuary is ongoing at Kazo HCIV, funded by the World Bank.

Before the president's address, his brother, who is also the former party chairman for Kiruhura district, Sadrack Nzeire Kaguta, hailed the turnout of the party supporters, saying this is an indicator of the results that will come in January.

Kazo County member of parliament flag bearer Dan Kimosho said the turnout at the rally in Kazo was a clear manifestation of the achievements by the party and asked voters to turn up in big numbers on voting day.



URA seizes 4,300 smuggled phones

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) says it has recovered more than 4,300 smuggled mobile phones and arrested a key suspect behind the illegal smartphone trade in downtown Kampala.

URA says the targeted operation intercepted a large consignment of phones, a seizure estimated to recover over 500 million shillings in taxes and penalties.

Officials say smugglers are using new tricks such as hiding phones in clothes, hollowed-out laptops, and power bank casings. Others use long-distance buses and motorcycle couriers to avoid detection.

During verification, URA recovered 4,371 phones, including Nokia button phones and Samsung Galaxy models.

Boda riders get scholarships

In a bid to transform communities, the bodaboda leadership in the country has partnered with Clarke International University to provide scholarships to transporters and their dependents.

In this partnership, the university has dedicated 100 scholarships worth 78 million shillings to equip active boda boda riders, taxi and bus drivers, and their dependents with practical business and technology skills necessary to transition the transport sector from a purely informal transport service into a professionally managed, high-value enterprise.

Dr Ian Clarke, the proprietor of Clarke International University, urged all those concerned to make use of this opportunity to further their education, as this will help them serve their communities better.