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As it happened: Uganda Today - Thursday, October 31

Oct 31, 2019

MPs condemn the recent episodes at Makerere University during Thursday's plenary at Parliament. Meanwhile, the university says examinations will begin as planned on November 18 and that there will be no extension to the semester.

ROLLING NEWS THROUGHOUT THE DAY


Presented by Joseph Kizza

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@joekizza 

(Scroll down the page for updates)

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5:00pm |   Good evening!

I will leave it here for today. Will be back on Friday.

For now, the MPs in Parliament continue to discuss the Makerere saga. Earlier in the day, the university management issued a statement saying that the examinations will begin as planned - on November 18 - and that there will be no extension to the semester.

Find more and related stories HERE.


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4:47pm |   'MUK should rescind suspensions'

Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi says the one way to calm the tensions at Makerere University is, to begin with, rescind the suspension of students.


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4:20pm |   MPs want suspension of MUK students lifted

Legislators are bearing down on the recent developments at Makerere University. Buhweju MP Francis Mwijukye, for example, says that letting the divisive 13% fees increment stay will trickle down to the MPs themselves, with parents putting them on pressure.

He takes a swipe at the intervention of the army in the student protests over the fees policy, saying the move was "barbaric".

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3:45pm |   House is in  session

Makerere University is high on the agenda.


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3:33pm |   Your health matters

Hey good people, early detection saves lives.


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3:27pm |   45 years ago today

Here is a reminder of what happened four-and-a-half decades ago  . . .


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3:20pm |   WATCH: An Otafiire, Mafabi duel in Parliament


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2:55pm |   Thugs steal retired bishop's car

By Henry Nsubuga:

The retired bishop of Mukono diocese, Elia Paul Luzinda Kizito, woke up Thursday morning to the realisation that thugs had leapt into his compound and stolen his vehicle.

Luzinda says he was shocked to find the gate at his residence wide open and his car, a grey Noah (UAW 393S), missing from the compound.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Patrick Onyango, confirmed the development, saying they are investigating the robbery.

Mukono diocesan secretary Rev. Canon John Ssebudde told New Vision that this is the fifth car owned by the clergy to be stolen since July this year.


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2:37pm |   Keep your sugar intake in check

Do you usually find it irresistibly difficult to hold yourself back from heaping more spoonfuls of sugar into your tea or coffee?

Are you even aware that salty/savoury snacks and processed foods can contain lots of sugar?

Try checking yourself with this very informative graphic that I have chanced on on the World Health Organisation Twitter page. Your health matters.


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2:20pm |   Prof. Nawangwe on Makerere situation

Enjoyed your lunch/brunch? Bet you did.

Right then, let's turn our attention to the university sitting on one of Kampala's hills.

 

Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the university's vice-chancellor, earlier today issued a statement on the current situation at the main campus.

Here it is:

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For close to one week, there have been demonstrations on [the] main campus by students protesting the fees structure approved by Council in 2018.  These demonstrations started after a meeting between the University Management and the Guild Representative Council. 

At that meeting, management had conceded to practically all the student demands, including suspension of surcharges for late payment of fees and late registration.  Management had however requested the students to await a meeting of Council, which would discuss the petition submitted to the Chairperson of Makerere University Council regarding the fees structure. As it were, the students were not patient enough to await the meeting of Council and decided to start demonstrations which culminated into riots.

On October 29, 2019, the University Council held an emergency meeting and decided to halt any further increment on functional fees, but kept the 15% increase on tuition fees for the next three years. This decision was apparently not acceptable to a section of the students and a few continued with their riots mostly off campus.  The situation on campus is gradually normalising.

Despite the isolated demos and riots, most of the university activities continued normally although the rioters managed to disrupt a few classes.

Management wishes to thank the students and lecturers who continued with normal activities despite the isolated disruptions.  Management calls upon all students and staff to resume classes immediately.  Security for those carrying on with their duties will be provided.  Examinations will commence as planned on November 18, 2019 and there will be no extension to the semester.

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1:25pm |   Rolex for lunch ... Anyone?

For some strange reason, I have been thinking today is a Friday. Well, looks like I am getting this deceptive TGIF vibe on the wrong day.

Anyways, more than half of the day is behind us and that means one thing. Lunch time!

By the way, am I the only one who is feeling like a classic rolex now?

Whatever it is you are having for lunch, allow me to say "Bon Appétit!"

 


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12:57pm |   Discussing education

Earlier this afternoon, a panel discussion got under way as part of the Education & African Futures Conference in Kampala.

The topics discussed are the future of education in light of changes in works and industry, education for social change, education curriculla in light of global change, skills education for African futures and trend of distance learning.

Mpalanyi Ssentongo took some photos . . .

 

 

 
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12:40pm |   A sneak peek into Makerere University campus

New Vision's Timothy Murungi, armed with his camera, has taken a stroll inside Makerere University's main campus to check out what is happening there in the aftermath of days of student protests over the university's fees policy.

"Lecture halls are deserted, with a student or lecturer occasionally showing up, and leaving after finding an empty room," he says.

There is also Police presence on the campus, he adds. It's a bit like a walking through a ghost town, with mininal activity observed.

 

 

 
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11:59am |   Kenzo 'heart-broken but not searching'

Eddy Kenzo met with President Yoweri Museveni at State House, Entebbe on Tuesday, a week after his heroic return from the US where he won an award. Although he has mentioned that he will oblige to an invitation to Rema Namakula's introduction ceremony, the musician appears to still find it difficult to deal with the heartbreak.

"I am single, heart-broken and confused, but not searching because I am still angry," he tells reporters in Kampala.


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11:54am |   'If invited in good faith, I will attend Rema's introduction'

 

By Lawrence Mulondo:

Multi-award-winning musician Eddy Kenzo has addressed a press conference in Kampala, during which he has opened up on such matters as the introduction of his former lover and fellow musician Rema Namakula.

He says: "If I am invited to Rema Namakula's introduction ceremony in good faith, I will go and support my life friend Namakula as I know it is a 'gown' she has always wanted. No-one knows Rema like I do, I have spent five years with her - eating and sleeping together."


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11:25am |   Traditional healer reports murder suspect

By Harunah Mugerwa:

After allegedly killing his mother, 51-year-old Sulaiman Katongole from Bukomansimbi district reportedly sought the services of a traditional healer in a shrine to help clean up his mess with so-called charms.

But upon learning of his alleged crime, the traditional healer, best known in the area as Jjajja Bamweyana Ssekatawa, secretly tipped off the area Police. The Police swung into action and found that the traditional healer had already bundled up the suspect, awaiting Police's arrival.

DPC Felix Muginzi confirmed the arrest, which happened at around 2:00am Thursday.

The suspect is under detention at Lwengo Police, before his transfer to Bukomansimbi district to be charged. He is a resident of Nakatete village.


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11:05am |   MPs, civil society review Parliament's performance

Civil society actors and legislators are reviewing the performance of the 10th Parliament during the 3rd Annual Legislative Sector Review.

The three-day review, which kicked off on Wednesday, is themed Legislating for good governance and sustainable development.

Jane Kibirige, who is the Clerk to Parliament, says the resolutions from this review will feed into the next phase of the sector's strategic plan.

"The timing and discussions of this 3rd review are critical to the works of Parliament in three ways: first, it focuses on the mid-term performance of the 10th Parliament,…feed into the design of the priority areas of the sector and the formulation of the next strategic plan," she is quoted by Parliament as saying.

 

 
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10:40am |   Radio death: Troy to appeal sentence

The lawyer of convict Godfrey Wamala, aka Troy, has said his client will appeal against his 12-year jail sentence for manslaughter in the death of musician Mowzey Radio, which occured early last year.

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10:29am |   Museveni opens judicial dialogue

 
(Source: State House Uganda)

During the judicial dialogue, President Museveni called on state and non-state actors who are devoted to the promotion of justice and human rights to holistically address the causes of injustices and human rights abuses that are deeply rooted in the social, economic and cultural set up of the African society. He said that the issue calls for much more than merely dealing with the legalities.

He told the conference that opened at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala that it was impossible to address issues of justice and human rights of the African people in isolation of their economic, social status and cultural set up because they are the leading causes that are closely related to human rights' violations on the African continent. The 3-day conference has attracted participants from 43 African countries.

Museveni told the African Judicial Dialogue, which is running under the theme ‘Tackling Contemporary Human Rights Issues: The Role of the Judiciary in Africa', that human rights abuses cannot just be addressed by mere legislations because most of the causes of human rights abuses are not of legal nature.

"There are fundamental human rights such as the right of access to food, shelter, clean water, clothing, education and health. These cannot be addressed legally but rather by developing the economy to enable the state to support her citizens," he said.

"Man has not only been abused by fellow man. He has also been abused by nature such as floods, drought, diseases, famine and earthquakes, among others. These can only be addressed by development solutions and not by legislations."

Museveni, therefore, stressed that those devoted to safeguarding human rights, need to remind themselves of the strategies that can help the economies of Africa become vibrant so that the African population can transform from peasant to middle class society to be able to overcome most of the human rights abuses. He emphasized the need for the economic and political integration of the African continent, as one such intervention, that all Africans in the leadership positions and in the academia need to work so much to promote in order for Africa and her people to prosper.


The President, however, said that there were other political and social rights that could be safeguarded by legislations but added that most African countries are faced with a danger of imposing on their people and their laws, liberal concepts of the developed world that cause a clash of African and European cultures; that has made safeguarding of human rights in Africa hard.

"The legal system in Africa is merely transplanted from the West and needs to be harmonised. Some people are, for example, against the death penalty but for me, I am for the laws of Moses of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Laws should be aligned to society otherwise some laws may end up being an injustice to the population," he noted.

"Some of our cultures have been outlawed but people have ignored the laws and continued to practice their cultures because they see no harm in them. So, the existences and practices continue; which shows that those who designed the laws never did enough consultation to put people's cultures and norms into consideration because not all African practices are bad," he noted.

The President of the African Court on Human and People's Rights, Justice Sylvain Ore, commended President Museveni and the Government of Uganda for being champions in safeguarding human rights on the African continent as manifested by Uganda's ratification of all the protocols aimed at safeguarding human rights including the one that established the African Court on Human and People's rights.

He observed that Uganda's hosting of the largest number of refugees in Africa is another indicator of the country's commitment to promoting human rights. He further commended Uganda for contributing to justice in Africa by being a leading contributor of Judicial Officers to the leading Continental judicial organs.

Chief Justice Bart Katureebe commended the African Human and People's Rights Court for choosing Uganda to host the 4th judicial dialogue, the first ever to be hosted outside the Court's headquarters in Arusha Tanzania.

He said Uganda's judiciary is looking forward to benefiting from the dialogue especially in handling cases related to human rights violation. He thanked President Museveni for finding time out of his busy schedule to open the conference noting that it showed his commitment to the promotion of human rights in Uganda and the African continent.


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10:23am |   Museveni opens judicial dialogue

On Wednesday, President Yoweri Museveni officially opened the 4th African Judicial Dialogue in Kampala.


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9:54am |   Radio death: Troy get 12 years for manslaughter

Family and friends of the late Mowzey Radio have been at the court for the sentencing.

His mother, Jane Kasubo, also made appearance, donning a black shirt imprinted with the message 'Justice for Radio'. Others wore shirts with similar messages of solidarity.


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9:47am |   Radio death: Troy gets 12 years for manslaughter

Court has sentenced Godfrey Wamala, aka Troy, to 13 years, three months and four days in jail for manslaughter in the death of musician Mowzey Radio.

He will serve his term in Kigo Prison, New Vision's Julius Luwemba reports.

Singer Radio (Moses Ssekibogo) succumbed to injuries sustained in a reported brawl at a bar. The one half of the sensational Goodlyfe Crew died in hospital days after the incident.

That was on February 1, 2018.

Troy was accused of assaulting the singer. On Monday this week, trial judge Jane Frances Abodo acquitted Troy of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter.

He had spent one year and eight months behind bars.

 

 
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9:35am |   Parliament to discuss Makerere matter today

When Parliament sits this afternoon, it is understood the first item on the agenda will be the Makerere University question.

Scenes of protests and arrests at the university's main campus were broadcast by several news outlets in recent days as students protested against the institution's fees policy.

From Parliament's update on Twitter, the Speaker of Parliament directed the internal affairs ministers and the UPDF spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire to appear during Thursday's plenary to "answer for actions and presence of the Police and army" at the university.


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9:15am |   Today's Ras Toon

Makerere University remains a staple of local news agenda over the recent unrest at its main campus in Kampala over its fees policy.

The university has since suspended nine students, who according to the institution, "have destroyed university property, injured fellow students and property for businesses operating outside".

Twenty-six others have been issued a warning.

The university management listed the names of the suspended and warned students on its official webiste on Wednesday, and asked them to collect their letters from the Office of the Dean of Students.

Makerere also took to Twitter to clarifiy that "there were no teargas canisters thrown in the library as portrayed by different media platforms".

The editorial cartoon of Thursday's New Vision touches on Makerere.


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8:42am |   Twitter to ban political advertisement



Twitter says it will stop accepting political advertising globally on its platform, responding to growing concerns over misinformation from politicians on social media.

Chief executive Jack Dorsey tweeted that while internet advertising "is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions."

The move comes with Facebook under pressure to apply fact-checking to politicians running ads with debunked claims.

We've made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought. Why? A few reasons…🧵

— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019


Dorsey said the new policy, details of which will be unveiled next month and enforced from November 22, would ban ads on political issues as well as from candidates.

"We considered stopping only candidate ads, but issue ads present a way to circumvent," he said.

"Additionally, it isn't fair for everyone but candidates to buy ads for issues they want to push. So we're stopping these too."

Dorsey said the company took the action to head off potential problems from "machine learning-based optimization of messaging and micro-targeting, unchecked misleading information, and deep fakes."

FULL STORY HERE


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8:25am |   Mowzey Radio death: Sentencing Day

Today, court is expected to sentence Godfrey Wamala, aka Troy, who was on Monday found guilty of manslaughter in the death of musician Mowzey Radio.

Troy was on Monday acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter in Entebbe.


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8:10am |   Good morning

Right then, now that we are back on course, let's see out this final day of the month.

Good morning everyone. Welcome to this live page, which I will update throughout the day to keep you abreast of the goings-on around the country.

Don't forget to refresh this page for updates.


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8:00am |   How time flies!

It is the last day of October, ladies and gentlemen.

But hey, how did we get here so fast? Didn't the month just start the other day?

 

October has been so fast that some of us got knocked over trying to catch up . . .

 

. . .  but the most important thing is that we pick ourselves up, clean up and get back on the road. November is only hours away.

 

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