African Union owes Uganda sh45b
Feb 13, 2009
THE African Union (AU) owes Uganda more than $23.9m (about sh45.4b) for the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the defence minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, told Parliament on Tuesday. He said the AU owes $1.6m in allowances, $6.4m in pre-deployment expenditur
AU owes Uganda sh45
THE African Union (AU) owes Uganda more than $23.9m (about sh45.4b) for the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the defence minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, told Parliament on Tuesday. He said the AU owes $1.6m in allowances, $6.4m in pre-deployment expenditure and $250,000 in death compensation.
Kiyonga said $5.8m is a debt resulting from depreciation of equipment the army took to Somalia, $120,500 in injury disability compensation and $9.6m for self-sustenance. He said the United Nations Security Council had renewed the authorisation of the AU to maintain a mission in Somalia for six months. A battalion has about 850 soldiers. If Uganda and Burundi deploy a battalion each, there will be over 5,000 troops, still short of the 8,000 needed to keep peace in Somalia. Kiyonga was reporting on the security in Somalia.
ODIT hands over office
The outgoing chairperson of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises committee, John Odit (Erute South), on Wednesday handed over office to new chairperson Reagan Okumu (Aswa County). Odit handed over a Nissan pick-up truck, fridge, stationery, furniture and a computer to Okumu.
The committee handled the controversial sale of 463 acres of land by security minister Amama Mbabazi and businessman Amos Nzeyi at Temangalo in Wakiso district. During the investigations Odit (UPC) was fired after he travelled to Iceland with President Yoweri Museveni. Okumu requested members to put party affiliation aside because tax payers need accountability for their money.
Kayihura defends police over Balaalo clashes in Buliisa
Neither the army nor the Police aided the Balaalo (pastoralists) in grabbing land in Buliisa district, the Police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, told MPs on Monday. Kayihura said the Police only played its role of restoring law and order and protecting the citizens. “We acted to prevent the fight between the Bagungu and the pastoralists from escalating,†Kayihura said.
He was testifying before the parliamentary committee investigating conflicts between the Balaalo and Buliisa residents. In April 2008, two people died and Buliisa MP Stephen Birahwa was among those injured during the clashes. The President offered the pastoralists land in Kyankwanzi in Kiboga district in March 2008, but the pastoralists rejected the offer.
scribes on police brutality
Journalists who were allegedly beaten up by Special Police Constables at Namboole National Stadium last year, on Wednesday pinned Police over torture. Appearing before the parliamentary committee probing Police brutality, two journalists from WBS television said the officers assaulted them on August 27 last year while on an assignment at the stadium. Francis Tumwekwasize and Timothy Sibasi said they were assaulted by the officers as they were covering a story on the sanitary condition of the stadium.
Sibasi said the ‘mob’ held them for about 10 minutes before dispatching dogs to attack them. He accused commissioner Rabani Muhebwa of commanding the assault. “Muhebwa commanded the mob to charge at us. They beat us and we sustained injuries and when he realised I was in a bad state, he ordered the mob to stop,†Tumwekwasize said.
Surveyors petition Speaker
Two hundred surveyors petitioned the Parliament to intervene in a row they have with the national registration body. The group accuses the Surveyors Registration Board of refusing to certify them as professionals.
“We have lost faith in the registration process and some have resorted to other means of earning a living,†read the petition.The petition said double standards, an ambiguous Surveyor’s Registration Act and conflict of interest are some of the issues they raised against the board, which they recommend should be disbanded.
The petition is copied to President Yoweri Museveni, the lands, housing and urban development minister, the education ministry and the National Council for Higher Education. Uganda has 450 graduate surveyors who qualified mainly from Makerere and Kyambogo universities.
The petitioners insist that several graduates have had their applications rejected despite fulfiling the requirements.
Next week...
Parliament has suspended plenary sessions for two weeks to enable leader of the opposition Prof Ogenga Latigo and other opposition MPs to attend the ongoing Forum for Democratic Change delegates’ conference at Namboole stadium. The Speaker, Edward Ssekandi said committees should utilise these two weeks to complete the pending bills and forward the reports for debate in the Parliament when it resumes.
THE African Union (AU) owes Uganda more than $23.9m (about sh45.4b) for the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the defence minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, told Parliament on Tuesday. He said the AU owes $1.6m in allowances, $6.4m in pre-deployment expenditure and $250,000 in death compensation.
Kiyonga said $5.8m is a debt resulting from depreciation of equipment the army took to Somalia, $120,500 in injury disability compensation and $9.6m for self-sustenance. He said the United Nations Security Council had renewed the authorisation of the AU to maintain a mission in Somalia for six months. A battalion has about 850 soldiers. If Uganda and Burundi deploy a battalion each, there will be over 5,000 troops, still short of the 8,000 needed to keep peace in Somalia. Kiyonga was reporting on the security in Somalia.
ODIT hands over office
The outgoing chairperson of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises committee, John Odit (Erute South), on Wednesday handed over office to new chairperson Reagan Okumu (Aswa County). Odit handed over a Nissan pick-up truck, fridge, stationery, furniture and a computer to Okumu.
The committee handled the controversial sale of 463 acres of land by security minister Amama Mbabazi and businessman Amos Nzeyi at Temangalo in Wakiso district. During the investigations Odit (UPC) was fired after he travelled to Iceland with President Yoweri Museveni. Okumu requested members to put party affiliation aside because tax payers need accountability for their money.
Kayihura defends police over Balaalo clashes in Buliisa
Neither the army nor the Police aided the Balaalo (pastoralists) in grabbing land in Buliisa district, the Police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, told MPs on Monday. Kayihura said the Police only played its role of restoring law and order and protecting the citizens. “We acted to prevent the fight between the Bagungu and the pastoralists from escalating,†Kayihura said.
He was testifying before the parliamentary committee investigating conflicts between the Balaalo and Buliisa residents. In April 2008, two people died and Buliisa MP Stephen Birahwa was among those injured during the clashes. The President offered the pastoralists land in Kyankwanzi in Kiboga district in March 2008, but the pastoralists rejected the offer.
scribes on police brutality
Journalists who were allegedly beaten up by Special Police Constables at Namboole National Stadium last year, on Wednesday pinned Police over torture. Appearing before the parliamentary committee probing Police brutality, two journalists from WBS television said the officers assaulted them on August 27 last year while on an assignment at the stadium. Francis Tumwekwasize and Timothy Sibasi said they were assaulted by the officers as they were covering a story on the sanitary condition of the stadium.
Sibasi said the ‘mob’ held them for about 10 minutes before dispatching dogs to attack them. He accused commissioner Rabani Muhebwa of commanding the assault. “Muhebwa commanded the mob to charge at us. They beat us and we sustained injuries and when he realised I was in a bad state, he ordered the mob to stop,†Tumwekwasize said.
Surveyors petition Speaker
Two hundred surveyors petitioned the Parliament to intervene in a row they have with the national registration body. The group accuses the Surveyors Registration Board of refusing to certify them as professionals.
“We have lost faith in the registration process and some have resorted to other means of earning a living,†read the petition.The petition said double standards, an ambiguous Surveyor’s Registration Act and conflict of interest are some of the issues they raised against the board, which they recommend should be disbanded.
The petition is copied to President Yoweri Museveni, the lands, housing and urban development minister, the education ministry and the National Council for Higher Education. Uganda has 450 graduate surveyors who qualified mainly from Makerere and Kyambogo universities.
The petitioners insist that several graduates have had their applications rejected despite fulfiling the requirements.
Next week...
Parliament has suspended plenary sessions for two weeks to enable leader of the opposition Prof Ogenga Latigo and other opposition MPs to attend the ongoing Forum for Democratic Change delegates’ conference at Namboole stadium. The Speaker, Edward Ssekandi said committees should utilise these two weeks to complete the pending bills and forward the reports for debate in the Parliament when it resumes.