Kanyeihamba raps Museveni
Mar 27, 2009
SUPREME Court judge Justice George Kanyeihamba has criticised President Yoweri Museveni for retaining ministers who have been implicated in corruption.
SUPREME Court judge Justice George Kanyeihamba has criticised President Yoweri Museveni for retaining ministers who have been implicated in corruption.
Kanyeihamba said the President was under pressure to give ministerial jobs.
The judge, speaking at a dialogue on corruption at Parliament on Wednesday, said the laws on corruption were strong, but their implementation was weak. "Why do you (Parliament) approve every candidate he (the President) throws at you?†he asked on Wednesday.
Citing the Global Fund scandal where billions of shillings were misappropriated, Kanyeihamba said the highest prevalence of corruption was in the Government. He however did not name any minister.
He urged donors to emulate Oxfam, an international aid agency, which channels funds for social programmes through civil society organisations.
KCC leases Nakawa housing estate land
PART of the land meant for the Naguru-Nakawa housing estate project has been leased to Naguru Hospital, MPs heard on Tuesday.
The local government accounts committee heard that in August 2001, Kampala City Council (KCC) leased 1.22 hectares of land on plot 2 on Estate Road and plot 50 on Lugogo bypass for a structure to a hospital whose owner was unknown. The hospital structure is yet to be built.
According to the Auditor General’s special report into KCC land and revenues for the financial year, 2000-2007, the land which was leased out for about sh80m has since been sold to Janet Kobusingye at sh1b.
Appearing before the committee chaired by Abdu Katuntu, KCC town clerk Ruth Kijjambu could not tell the directors of Naguru Hospital nor give any details on Kobusingye.
“I request that we are given time to look into records and establish the Naguru directors and more (information) on Kobusingye,†Kijjambu asked the committee chairman.
In the report, the Auditor General also discovered that KCC leases land to non existent companies, something the MPS suspected might be a "group of mafia allocating themselves council land".
UCC not consulted on
phone tapping Bill
Officials from the national communications regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) told MPs that the telephone tapping Bill was in conflict with several sections of the already existing laws governing operations in the sector.
UCC said the proposed Bill contravenes the Constitution and the Uganda Communications Act.
Hodge Ssemakula, the commission's legal affairs director, told MPs on the information and communications technology committee that some provisions in the Bill would cause confusion if not amended.
The officials also revealed that the body was not consulted during the drafting of the Bill. UCC becomes the latest organisation to oppose the Bill, after the Uganda Law Society, telecommunication service providers, and human rights groups like the Human Rights Network.
If passed into law, the Bill will authorise security agencies to legally intercept private communication, including conversations, postal letters, e-mail and bank transactions for security reasons.
MPs disagree on new ICT body
There was a disagreement in the House on Tuesday over the creation of a new body to regulate the use of information and communications technology.
During the debate on the National Information and Technology Authority Bill, 2008, opposition MPs argued that the Government’s intention of creating the proposed National Information and Technology Authority would be duplicating the role of the UCC and the Uganda Broadcasting Council (UBC).
Shadow ICT minister Luis Opange urged the Government to merge the three bodies. ICT committee chairman Edward Baliddawa told MPs that the committee had agreed with the proposal.
However, ICT state minister Alintuma Nsambu said UCC's role was to regulate the telecom industry while the new body would be responsible for information technology.
between the roles of the UCC and the new body.
Gaba market vendors petition Parliament
OVER 450 stall owners and vendors of Gaba Market in Makindye East division yesterday petitioned Parliament over the mismanagement of the market.
In a petition presented by their MP, Michael Mabikke, the vendors accused some members of "hijacking their association". They said Gabriel Musisi, Charles Kyagaba, Gamwero Kigozi, Christine Sentamu and Mugisha Kanywanyi had failed to remit sh106m collected in market dues since 2004.
The vendors said an agreement between their association and Kampala City Council (KCC) provided that management of the market is left to the association on condition that they remitted sh2.2m to KCC per month.
They said the group formed another company, which was negotiating with an Indian investor to sell the market land for sh2b.
The vendors said they had lodged a caveat on the land, which was illegal removed, adding that the land title also disappeared from the lands registry.
Kanyeihamba said the President was under pressure to give ministerial jobs.
The judge, speaking at a dialogue on corruption at Parliament on Wednesday, said the laws on corruption were strong, but their implementation was weak. "Why do you (Parliament) approve every candidate he (the President) throws at you?†he asked on Wednesday.
Citing the Global Fund scandal where billions of shillings were misappropriated, Kanyeihamba said the highest prevalence of corruption was in the Government. He however did not name any minister.
He urged donors to emulate Oxfam, an international aid agency, which channels funds for social programmes through civil society organisations.
KCC leases Nakawa housing estate land
PART of the land meant for the Naguru-Nakawa housing estate project has been leased to Naguru Hospital, MPs heard on Tuesday.
The local government accounts committee heard that in August 2001, Kampala City Council (KCC) leased 1.22 hectares of land on plot 2 on Estate Road and plot 50 on Lugogo bypass for a structure to a hospital whose owner was unknown. The hospital structure is yet to be built.
According to the Auditor General’s special report into KCC land and revenues for the financial year, 2000-2007, the land which was leased out for about sh80m has since been sold to Janet Kobusingye at sh1b.
Appearing before the committee chaired by Abdu Katuntu, KCC town clerk Ruth Kijjambu could not tell the directors of Naguru Hospital nor give any details on Kobusingye.
“I request that we are given time to look into records and establish the Naguru directors and more (information) on Kobusingye,†Kijjambu asked the committee chairman.
In the report, the Auditor General also discovered that KCC leases land to non existent companies, something the MPS suspected might be a "group of mafia allocating themselves council land".
UCC not consulted on
phone tapping Bill
Officials from the national communications regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) told MPs that the telephone tapping Bill was in conflict with several sections of the already existing laws governing operations in the sector.
UCC said the proposed Bill contravenes the Constitution and the Uganda Communications Act.
Hodge Ssemakula, the commission's legal affairs director, told MPs on the information and communications technology committee that some provisions in the Bill would cause confusion if not amended.
The officials also revealed that the body was not consulted during the drafting of the Bill. UCC becomes the latest organisation to oppose the Bill, after the Uganda Law Society, telecommunication service providers, and human rights groups like the Human Rights Network.
If passed into law, the Bill will authorise security agencies to legally intercept private communication, including conversations, postal letters, e-mail and bank transactions for security reasons.
MPs disagree on new ICT body
There was a disagreement in the House on Tuesday over the creation of a new body to regulate the use of information and communications technology.
During the debate on the National Information and Technology Authority Bill, 2008, opposition MPs argued that the Government’s intention of creating the proposed National Information and Technology Authority would be duplicating the role of the UCC and the Uganda Broadcasting Council (UBC).
Shadow ICT minister Luis Opange urged the Government to merge the three bodies. ICT committee chairman Edward Baliddawa told MPs that the committee had agreed with the proposal.
However, ICT state minister Alintuma Nsambu said UCC's role was to regulate the telecom industry while the new body would be responsible for information technology.
between the roles of the UCC and the new body.
Gaba market vendors petition Parliament
OVER 450 stall owners and vendors of Gaba Market in Makindye East division yesterday petitioned Parliament over the mismanagement of the market.
In a petition presented by their MP, Michael Mabikke, the vendors accused some members of "hijacking their association". They said Gabriel Musisi, Charles Kyagaba, Gamwero Kigozi, Christine Sentamu and Mugisha Kanywanyi had failed to remit sh106m collected in market dues since 2004.
The vendors said an agreement between their association and Kampala City Council (KCC) provided that management of the market is left to the association on condition that they remitted sh2.2m to KCC per month.
They said the group formed another company, which was negotiating with an Indian investor to sell the market land for sh2b.
The vendors said they had lodged a caveat on the land, which was illegal removed, adding that the land title also disappeared from the lands registry.