ROLLING NEWS
Presented by Joseph Kizza
@joekizza
(Scroll down the page for earlier updates)
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3:04pm | What next for Vipers?
Vipers will turn their attentions back to the league.
They are currently top of the table, four points ahead of second-placed and defending champions KCCA FC. Their (Vipers') last league game was a 1-0 home defeat to SC Villa.
Next up, the Venoms will be away at Mbarara City on Tuesday as they look to inject more gusto into their title-chasing ambitions.
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3:00pm | Vipers, Edward Golola part ways
It was an embarrassing exit from the Uganda Cup for 2016 champions Vipers, who failed to make it out the round of 64.
Golola had returned to the club for his third coaching stint at Kitende, but after being in charge for one year, his candle has burned out.
He first started out in the 2009/10 season, before returning for the 2014/2015 campaign.
Golola was former head coach Miguel Da Costa's assistant when Vipers won the league title in the 2017/18 season.
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2:45pm | Vipers sack head coach Edward Golola
Vipers SC have sacked head coach Edward Golola and his entire technical team, a day after being knocked out of the Uganda Cup by Buganda Regional League side Kajjansi United.
In a statement posted on Thursday, the top-flight club thanked "Golola and his team for their work" and wished them "success in the future".
Following Golola and co's departure, the Kitende-based outfit will appoint a caretaker technical team to take charge until the end of the season.
In the interim, the club will conduct "a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time coach.
The club's announcement comes less than 24 hours after the Venoms suffered a shock defeat to Kajjansi United, a tie decided by a penalty shootout after regular time ended 1-1. Kajjansi went on to win 8-7 on penalties.
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2:13pm | Mbabazi, Bukenya, Specioza invited to NEC meeting
Two former Vice-Presidents and two former Prime Ministers are among the five people invited to attend the NRM National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as special guests.
They are Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Dr. Gilbert Bukenya, Amama Mbabazi and Kintu Musoke.
Former Kampala Central MP and Kampala mayoral aspirant Capt. Francis Babu also makes the list.
The NRM Secretariat released a statement making reference to Article 12(2)P of the NRM Constitution as giving the national Chairman "the right to invite not more than five individuals who have made special contributions to the struggle to attend the NEC meeting".
President Yoweri Museveni is the NRM chairman.
It is understood that party's secretary general, Justine Kasule Lumumba, confirmed receiving the five names from Museveni.
Appearing on national TV on Wednesday, Lumumba confirmed that invitations to the five guests had already been sent.
The NEC meeting will take place on Friday in Entebbe.
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2:04pm | Deadly crash on Pakwach-Karuma road
News coming in is that a nasty Thursday afternoon motor crash on Pakwach-Karuma Road has reportedly claimed that lives of six people, with several others critically injured.
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12:58pm | In an RDC office (un)necessary?
| By Miriam Namutebi at Parliament: |
Opposition Bill wants office of the RDC's abolished. This is Article 203 in the Constitution. This was presented by Wilfred Niwagaba (pictured above), the shadow attorney general, before the legal committee on the Constitution Amendment Bill 2019.
He argues that in every district, there is a police commander, district internal security officer and secretary of defense and Chief administrative officer.
There are enough elected leaders in the district and therefore the RDC position is a duplicate of services and unnecessary, argues Niwagaba.
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12:35pm | Reviewing farming activities in Bunyoro
NAADS in Bunyoro sub-region is reviewing activities implemented in 2019 to assess the impact on farmers.
Dr. Scola Bwali, the zonal NAADS co-ordinator for Bunyoro, has told New Vision that all stakeholders in the region will meet Friday.
Today, technocrats from the agriculture ministry, Operation Wealth Creation and district leaders from Kibaale are inspecting beneficiaries for a snapshot of how the programme is being implemented.
Juma Seguya, a cocoa farmer in Kasungaire village, Nyamarwa sub-county, says he earns from sh3.8m to 4.2m per month from the sale of cocoa harvested from from eight acres.
He, however, said they have been attacked by cocoa wilt disease, which is affecting their output. He appeals to government to at least come up with a cocoa variety that is resistant or tolerant to the wilt disease.
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12:10pm | Opendi hands over office to Nabbanja
Sarah Opendi Achieng, the outgoing State Minister of Health for General Duties (left), has passed over the mantle to her successor, Robinah Nabbanja.
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11:47am | New rules for Elumelu entrepreneurship grants
Nigerian multi-millionaire investor Tony Elumelu. (AFP/Getty Images)
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has released new rules for people applying for its business grants.
Uganda is one of the top five recipients of the business grants, behind Nigeria and Kenya.
Launched in 2015 by Nigerian billionaire and United Bank for Africa chairman Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu, the foundation's entrepreneurship programme is the largest African philanthropic initiative on the continent.
Read more HERE.
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11:09am | Malac's successor exact arrival unknown
Here's more from the outgoing US ambassador to Uganda:
As you all know, the White House has nominated Natalie Brown, who is also a career member of the Senior Foreign Office, to be our next ambassador to Uganda. However, she has not yet had her Senate confirmation hearing - we expect that to happen in the coming weeks; we don't know exactly when that will happen, so we can't really speculate on when she might arrive.
After my departure, and until Natalie Brown is confirmed by the Senate and is able to arrive here and take up her duties as ambassador, the deputy chief of Mission, Chris Kraft, will be acting as the Charge d'Affairs and will be in charge of the US Mission here.
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11:06am | I have met dynamic, energetic and talented Africans'
Deborah Malac:
I do believe in the continent's potential. And I have believed more strongly for almost 40 years that there is so much more that can be achieved on this continent because I have had the opportunity to meet dynamic, energetic and talented Africans - not just in Uganda, but across the continent.
There is so much that is possible, and whatever I can do to help realise some of that possibility, I know that will continue to be a big part of my life, in some different capacity as I go forward.
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10:53am | 'I will miss Uganda' - Deborah Malac
Departing US ambassador to Uganda, Deborah Malac, is bidding farewell to Uganda at a press conference at the American Centre in Kabalagala.
She says she will miss the Pearl of Africa a great deal.
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10:35am | Police officers charged for alleged use of excessive force
Police in East Kyoga say they have arrested two of their officers on allegations of "gross misconduct and excessive use of force that caused physical harm during the control and disperal of illegal protestors in Soroti Municipality" on Monday this week.
They have given an account of what happened in a statement posted on theie official Twitter page. Here goes:
On January 20, 2020 at about 12:30pm, information was received of an unlawful gatehring at the Independent Gardens by the FDC party. They also hired a motovehicle that went making announcements and inviting the public to the gardens to attend the rally.
The DPC and his team proceeded and advised the gathering to disperse, since they had not formally notified the Police. And indeed they dispersed peacefully, under the leadership of Daniel Eigu, the LCIII chairperson of Kamuda sub-county.
After two hours, at around 2:30pm, a procession of four motorvehicles came driving along the main street of Soroti. These included a Toyota Hilux, red in colour (Reg. No. UAX 815R) with loud speakers; an Ipsum, white in colour (Reg. No. UAN627S); Landcruiser V8, white (Reg. No. UBF 042E) and Landcruiser, white (Reg. No. UBD 486Y). They drove towards Serere Road and parked in the middle of the road, adjacent to the public gardens. The FDC party president, Patrick Amuriat Oboi, started addressing people who had gathered alongside the road using a microphone. When our officers arrived and tried to engage them, they locked the car doors and switched off the car engines.
They eventually drove off towards the nerw market, where they again parked their vehicles blocking the road, and disrupting other road users. This prompted the deployment of a firefighting truck to tow away the vehicles that had blocked the road. It is at this stage that the driver of motorvehicle Reg. No. UAN 637S blocked the firefighting truck from the rear and prevented it from reversing to tow the motorvehicle, which was carrying the FDC party president.
As a result, the Police started effecting arrests, but one of the occupants in the Toyota Ipsum, identified as Abdul Okeng, turned violent and confronted PC Denis Mutenga. He was, however, subdued and led to the patrol car, but managed to escape. The hunt for him is on.
The other two vehicles were driven to Soroti Central Police Station and the drivers issued with Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) tickets. In addition, motorvehicle Reg. No. UAX 815R, which was carrying loudspeakers, was upon inspection, found to be in a dangerous mechanical condition by the IOV. It was deregistered and the owner charged with using a public address system without the required permission, under Section 40 of the Police Act.
The other suspects who included Patrick Amuriat oboi, Daniel Eigu and Justine Okwir Kokas, were charged with participating in a procession without notifying Police, as required under Section 5 of the Public Order Management Act.
In addition, Joseph Aisu Akol was charged with malicious damage to property under Section 335 of the PCA, after he knocked and damaged the police sign post.
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10:00am | Coronavirus: Studies suggest role of bats, snakes in outbreak
A new strain of coronavirus that emerged in China may have originated in bats or snakes, according to genetic analysis of the virus that has so far killed 17 people.
The theories are based on examination of the genome sequence of the virus released by authorities in the wake of the outbreak, with two studies pointing to the likely role of bats in the outbreak.
One study, published Tuesday in the journal Science China Life Sciences, which is sponsored by Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at the relations between the new strain and other viruses.
It found the coronavirus that emerged from China's Wuhan was closely related to a strain that exists in bats.
"Bats being the native host of the Wuhan CoV (coronavirus) would be the logical and convenient reasoning, though it remains likely there was intermediate host(s) in the transmission cascade from bats to humans," the researchers from several institutions in China wrote in the paper.
That study did not speculate about which animal could have been an "intermediate host," but a second study published Wednesday in the Journal of Medical Virology identifies snakes as the possible culprit.
"To search for (a) potential virus reservoir, we have carried out a comprehensive sequence analysis and comparison. Results from our analysis suggest that snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir," the paper says.
The researchers caution that their conclusions require "further validation by experimental studies in animal models".
Neither study explained how the virus may have been transmitted from animals to humans.
But they could offer clues to Chinese authorities as they hunt for the source of the outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people in the country and has been confirmed as far afield as the United States.
The food market where the deadly virus surfaced offered a range of exotic wildlife for sale, including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, camel meat and other game.
Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention, said in Beijing on Wednesday that authorities believe the virus likely came from "wild animals at the seafood market" though the exact source remains undetermined.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, was linked to Chinese consumption of civet meat.
Many exotic species are still widely consumed in China or other Asian countries where they are considered a delicacy -- like the civet or some rats or bats -- or for purported health benefits unproven by science.
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9:50am | WHO chief's statement on Novel Coronavirus
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, says that the decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern on the Novel Coronavirus is one that he takes "extremely seriously".
He adds that it is a decision is "only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence".
Here is his statement in full:
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Good evening to everyone in the room, and to everyone online.
I'm really sorry that we're so late. Thank you all for your patience.
As you know, this is an evolving and complex situation.
I'd like to thank Dr Houssin for his leadership of the Emergency Committee, and all the members of the committee, the advisors, and those who made presentations earlier today.
I was very impressed by the detail and depth of China's presentation.
I also appreciate the cooperation of China's Minister of Health, who I have spoken with directly during the last few days and weeks. His leadership and the intervention of President Xi and Premier Li have been invaluable, and all the measures they have taken to respond to the outbreak.
There was an excellent discussion during the committee today, but it was also clear that to proceed, we need more information.
For that reason, I have decided to ask the Emergency Committee to meet again tomorrow to continue their discussion, and the Chair, Dr Houssin, has agreed with that request.
The decision about whether or not to declare a public health emergency of international concern is one I take extremely seriously, and one I am only prepared to make with appropriate consideration of all the evidence.
Our team in China working with local experts and officials to investigate the outbreak.
We will have much more to say tomorrow.
Thank you very much, and we would be glad to answer any questions you have.
Before that, I would like to hand over to the chair of the Emergency Committee, Dr Houssin, to say a few words about the committee's deliberations.
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9:23am | On this day 20 years ago
January 23, 2000
Forty-eight (48) Ugandan children abducted by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels were handed over to the United Nations Children's Fund
(Unicef) at Juba in the-southern Sudan. The children were part of the over 100 Ugandans who were held by the Khartoum-backed Ugandan rebel group.
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9:11am | It's too dusty!
The residents of Bukasa in Kira area are up in arms over what they say is too much dust in the area. They say they are fed up, and have blocked parts of the road with burning tyres to block traffic flow, as a call to action to the authorities.
Vision's reporter Abu Batuusa, who is at the scene, says Police personnel have been deployed there.
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8:42am | Today's Ras Toon
Court has annulled Buikwe Woman MP Judith Babirye's marriage to fellow lawmaker Paul Musoke Sebulime.
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8:13am | Senior One selection starts today
The results for last year's Primary Leaving Examinations were released Friday last week. Six days later, the two-day selection exercise for Senior One placement kicks off today at Uganda Manufacturers' Association (UMA) grounds in Kampala.
The technical and community polytechnics placement also begins today.
Busy days for school heads.
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7:54am | Uganda hosts 1,381,122 refugees
Uganda, a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, hosts as many as 1,381,122 refugees, according to official figures last updated at the very end of last year.
The refugee-hosting districts include Yumbe, Koboko, Arua, Hoima, Kyegegwa, Isingiro, Moyo, Lamwo, Adjumani and Kiryandongo.
The Government launched a $50million (sh184.4b) World Bank-funded project aimed at improving the livelihoods of refugee hosting communities in Uganda under the Development Response to Displacement Impact Project.
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7:25am | President Museveni back on home soil
After a busy six days out of the country, President Yoweri Museveni is back home from foreign engagements that saw him attend a summit on countering drug trafficking in the Togolese capital Lome and another on UK-Africa investment in London.
He jetted in Wednesday and was received at Entebbe by, among other officials, the Minister of the Presidency, Esther Mbayo.
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7:20am | Beat the morning traffic . . .
. . . by getting to your duty station early enough.
It works for me [wink!]
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7:05am | Today's dose of motivation
"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it."
Novelist James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan
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7:00am | Good morning all - make today count
Hello there.
So you opened two gifts this morning. Know what they are? Your eyes.
It is a warm Thursday morning in Uganda's capital Kampala and I feel it is my duty to remind you of the fact that you will never have this day again (Thursday, January 23, 2020). So, make it count!
"Days are expensive. When you spend a day, you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely," someone said one day.
Good morning. How about we get this day started, huh?
