Press Freedom: A Cornerstone for Democratic Elections

By Crispin Kaheru

Tomorrow, May 3, Uganda will join the rest of the world to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day, a day that was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 to essentially have citizens do some soul-searching about the state of world media.

The World Press Freedom Day provides us as a country an opportunity to celebrate the principles of press freedom, assess the state of press freedom and defend the media from any attacks.

The theme for today’s celebrations is quite instructive: ‘Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies’.

The question we face is: whether our media is being allowed the space to harness the resources at its disposal, to build a peaceful, inclusive Uganda with information, disseminated unfettered and with citizens given the platform to access impartial information.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day comes on the backdrop of the 2016 general election in Uganda where our disposition as a country that believes in press freedom as a prerequisite for democratization was put to serious test.

Campaigns were marked by physical attacks and threats on journalists that made it difficult for journalists to do their work.  Incidents of security operatives beating up journalists who were simply doing the noble duty of providing information to enable full citizen participation in the elections are well documented.

During elections, journalists are obligated to be information resources to enable voters make informed decisions.  Uncritical reporting of campaign manifestos, promises and pronouncements by journalists during elections denies voters a chance to make neutral assessment of candidates.

Referencing the attacks on media that marred the 2016 elections, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in its media freedom ranking, had Uganda drop by 10 places from 102 in 2016 to 112 in 2017.  In its index, RSF was blunt. RSF unequivocally noted that, “acts of intimidation and violence against journalists are an almost daily occurrence in Uganda. The 2016 presidential election saw serious media freedom violations, including threats to close down media outlets…”

Any attempt to muzzle the press especially during elections, inevitably has ripple effects on the entire electoral process as voters are be kept in darkness.

A free press is the cornerstone of democratic elections.

With traditional media stifled, the fallback position for voters would naturally have been social media.  Social media is a unique avenue of engagement as it allows users to take charge of their communication and information dissemination, uninhibited by the controls applied on traditional media.  Even after clamping down on traditional media, government functionaries still remained paranoid of free-flowing conversations about the 2016 elections on social media.

Government took the radical step of shutting down social media and mobile Internet; effectively blocking communication platforms for an estimated 11 million Ugandans.  Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) argued that the social media blockade was for security reasons but the writing on the wall was that the blockade was to frustrate efforts by opposition political parties to live stream election results via social media.  Even under such circumstances, some Ugandans managed to access social media using Virtual Private Network (VPN), a technology tool that circumvents censorship.

The tragedy with affronts on free media in Uganda is that victims have very limited spaces from which to seek genuine redress.

The case of journalist Andrew Lwanga is instructive here. Lwanga, a TV cameraman, was beaten up by the then DPC of Old Kampala Police Station Joram Mwesigye as he covered a procession by youth activists a couple of years back. Lwanga’s spine was severely damaged and to date he has not been able to go back to work.  After nearly two years of legal gymnastics, court recently ordered Mwesigye to compensate Lwanga with just shs5 million in addition to paying shs1 million court fine.  The punishment handed to Mwesigye did not by any measure match the harm he had inflicted on Lwanga.

As we commemorate the World Press Freedom Day, let us ask ourselves the uncomfortable questions about the state of our media in regard to Uganda’s democratization process.

The writer is the Coordinator, Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU)

Installation of CCTV Cameras starts in some parts of Kampala

The police have started the process of installing CCTV cameras across the country in the awake of increased organized criminality.

In March this year, following the heinous murder of former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi, the president ordered that CCTV cameras be expeditiously installed especially in major cities and on major highways.

Now the Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura has met with a high level expert delegation from Algeria to help lay the back bone for these cameras, as well as initiate a procurement plan.

Addressing the media today, the police spokesperson Asan Kasingye said the process is in three phases starting with Kampala Metropolitan in the next financial year.

This is part of the Bi-lateral cooperation that was signed in February this year between Uganda and Algeria to boost security between two countries.

UPDF Man Survives Lynching for Stealing Cows

By Milton Emmy Akwam

ALEBTONG: A Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) man at the rank of private was on Tuesday morning well thumped by locals after he was netted parading in the market two cows he had allegedly stolen.

Private Odongo Jimmy (service number 202250), smartly dressed in an army attire was confronted and badly beaten by locals of Tekidi village, Akwangkel parish, Aloi Sub-county in Alebtong district who accused him of stealing cattle belonging to one Awiny Solomon.

Morish Odongo, an eye witness says Odongo was later rescued from the hands of the irate mobs by Police patrol team which took him to Alebtong Health Centre IV for medical attention after obtaining severe body injuries.

Bagonza Geoffrey, the Alebtong DPC ‘confirmed’ the incident in a telephone interview with this website on Tuesday afternoon.

“Someone in army uniform was rescued by my men (Police) and now admitted in critical condition at the District Health Centre IV,” he said.

He however added: “I don’t know if really he’s a true UPDF person. Many people have been masquerading and looting from people. Unless I get confirmation from 5^th Division Sector Intelligence Officer or spokesperson, I can’t comment much.”

Captain Sam Emuluga, the 5^th Division UPDF spokesperson couldn’t confirm if Odongo was a UPDF soldier, adding that if so, he would be disciplined for tarnishing the force’s image.

“Let me verify and get back to you in due course,” Capt. Emuluga says on Tuesday in an interview.

By press time, he had not gotten back to us.

Otuke School Loses Bus over Accumulated Debts

By Milton Emmy Akwam

LIRA: Adwari Senior Secondary School, one of the government owned schools in Otuke district has lost its bus to pay her former employee.

The school was dragged to Grade One Magistrate Court Holden in Lira under Civil Suit No: 22/2016 when it failed to pay its employee, Oding Julius Peter, the former Liberian and instead accused him of stealing 6 computers.

Through his Lawyer Richard Twontoo of Twontoo & Co. Advocates, Oding in his affidavits denied all claims linking him to the theft of computers.

He told Court that by the time the computers were reported stolen, he was no longer a staff of Adwari SS and was never in charge of them during his time.

“I’m not a Laboratory technician to keep computers. The claims are false,” part of his defense statement reads.

Richard Twontoo also told Court early this year that it was malicious for the defendant to put such allegation on his client, whom he said had good track record of integrity.

Making his judgment in January this year, Lira Grade One Chief Magistrate Hillary Kiwankuka, ruled that the applicant was not guilty of any offense liked to computer loss.

He told Court that the defendant didn’t convince Court with enough evidence pinning the former staff of theft.

“Having failed to convince this Court with evidence and also having perused through both defendant’s and applicant’s affidavits, I found the applicant not guilty. This Court therefore orders the defendant to pay Shs30 in damages and legal fees,” he ruled then.

After the Court ruling that the school pays former staff Shs30m, Alfred Ojara, the school headmaster ‘defied’ the January Court ruling, prompting the applicant’s Lawyer to seek intervention of Court Bailiff.

Ironton Auctioneers and Court Bailiff went on to seize the bus with registration number UAY 267E.

The bus, according to one of the Court Bailiff’s staff will be sold in an open market soon.

Fresh Secrets About  Pemba’s Arrest Emerge

Showy Tanzanian socialite Jack Pemba was over the weekend arrested at Entebbe International airport as he attempted to fly out of the country and details why the self-claimed tycoon was netted like a chicken thief have emerged.

According to our Snoops, although he poses around as a wealthy businessman, Pemba has been a subject of a joint investigation by both Uganda police and Interpol for alleged money laundering for a long time.

On the fateful day, Pemba was netted following a court order that demands his arrest for allegedly defrauding a European businessman identified as Steve Stavropolise of USD700,000 about Shs2.6Bn. It is alleged that Pemba and Stavropolise entered into a deal whereby Pemba was to procure and deliver gold and copper to Stavropolise worth the money above, which he never did.

This prompted Stavropolise to unleash the long arm of the law unto elusive Pemba, because he had turned a deaf ear to all notices to either deliver the minerals or refund the money.

Snoops reveal that after his arrest, Pemba was grilled for several hours at Entebbe Airport Police, from where was taken to Entebbe police to record a statement. However, during the grilling, Snoops reveal, investigators discovered that throughout his thrifty dealings, Pemba has been using musicians, sports personalities and other unsuspecting people to execute some of his dealings.

The Former head of Interpol in Uganda and now police spokesperson, AIGP Asan Kasingye, revealed that police is investigating Pemba for money laundering.

However, Kasingye told journalists at police headquarters in Naguru that he was not aware of the arrest but revealed there were ongoing investigations into the businessman’s financial activities.

“I read about the arrest in papers but by the time I left Interpol, we were working with our counterparts from Tanzania to investigate him after getting complaints of being involved in money laundering,” said Kasingye.

There are very many people who have enjoyed Pemba’s dime and some of the known ones include; Desire Luzinda, Angela Katatumba, bodybuilder Michael Byekwaso,  Jose Chameleone, Congolese singer Koffi Olomidde, among others.

Egypt Police Officers Shot Dead

Three police officers were shot dead on Monday afternoon in a drive-by shooting in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Although no terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, Egyptian authorities have been left greatly shaken according to Egyptian press.

Sources reveal that two cars approached a police patrol car in Nasr City late on Monday before their occupants opening fire at the officers. Five others were wounded in the incident.

This is the latest in a long line of attacks on security forces in the past few months.

The interior ministry did not specify how many assailants were involved.

Egypt is currently battling several armed groups mainly concentrated in the Sinai Peninsula following the 2013 military coup that toppled Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president.

Uganda’s Ex ‘President’ Wacha Olwol Dead

By Milton Emmy Akwam

LIRA: Uganda’s forgotten President Wacha Olwo who ruled this nation for eight months has died at 94 years of age.

Wacha was born in Corner Amac in Amach Sub County in Erute South, Lira District and has been the only living ex president until his death on Tuesday at Kadiac Hospital in Kampala.

He was born to Rwot Olwol and Loy Akullo in 1923 in the then Lango District.

The deceased was the President in an interim government from May 13^th to December of 1980. Along him were Musoke Saulo from Buganda and Nyamuconco.

Following the coup that overthrew President Idi Amin, aiming at the 1980 elections, an interim government was established.

It also came after the nullification of appointment Prof. Lule Yusuf by the National Consultative Council as the President.

In what was seen as impeachment of Prof. Lule, Godfrey Binaisa was again sworn in as president only to be overthrown by Museveni Kaguta who was a close friend and a deputy to Paul Muwanga.

Back to Wacha’s reign, Saulo Musoke and M. Nyamuconco were all High Court and Court of Appeal judges.

Prior to that, he worked as a District Commissioner for Kitgum and Gulu districts respectively.

At that time, the rank was called African District Commissioner whose work then was like the current Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Before independence in 1962, Wacha was part of the independence birth after attending the Constitutional Conference in London in 1960.

The conference, among other issues discussed Uganda’s independence two years after.

After the overthrow of Dictator Idi Amin from power, he came back to Uganda from exile and lived a simple life. In Lira, the authorities had to name a street (Olwol road) for outstanding works he did for the country.

Meanwhile, government has taken over full responsibilities of burial expenses of its former leader.

In his message dispatched by Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Jacob Olanya, Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda says he would be offered a State Burial.

His casket will be laid in parliament on Friday morning before being airlifted to Lira district where public viewing will commence at 2pm according to government statements.

PFIZER: Vaccine Costs To Reduce

By Winnie Mandela

The drive to eliminate diseases globally through vaccination has gathered pace, with Pfizer, a leading manufacturer and developer of pharmaceutical medicines raising its focus on this critical category.

As the world marks the World Immunization Week, Pfizer has announced the introduction of a new vaccination presentation that will help to significantly reduce the cost and access of vaccines against communicable diseases in developing countries.

According to Pfizer Medical Director Kodjo Soroh, vaccines have significantly reduced the threat of diseases that were once widespread and sometimes fatal.

“Immunization is widely recognized as one of the most successful and cost effective health interventions.  Pfizer’s goal is to protect lives with innovative vaccines to fight serious diseases worldwide and make vaccination against potentially deadly diseases available,” said Kodjo Soroh.

Police Again Tops List of Violators of Journalists’ Rights

The Press Freedom Report of 2016 has again named the Police Force as the worst violator of media freedoms in Uganda.

The report by the Human Rights Network for Journalists says this is the eighth time the force has taken first place.

The 2016 report indicates that journalists last year suffered 135 violations, perpetrated by mainly the police.

Out of 135 human rights violation cases against journalists, 83 of them have been done by police, and then followed by Private individual 24, employers 08, members of parliament 05, judiciary 03, and private guards 03.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Emilian Kayima says the trend is bad, and promises that Police will do everything in their power to change things.

“For Police officers who abuse anyone’s rights even beyond the journalism fraternity, the systems are clear on how to handle them,” Kayima said.

According to the report, the kinds of violations include; assault, malicious arrests, detentions and confiscation of equipment.

Among the recent cases mentioned in the report as evidence to the abuse of freedoms today include; the abduction of NTV’s Getrude Owitware, beating up the former TV photographer  Andrew Lwanga, break in at the Observer newspaper offices in Kamwokya and also a court order blocking media houses from reporting on the gruesome murder of Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

Locals in Famine-Stricken Areas Demand M7 Apology over his Remarks on Relief food

By Milton Emmy Akwam

LIRA: President Museveni has come under public condemnation over his recent remark on famine across the country.

Museveni while addressing hundreds of locals on Labor Day fete in Pallisa district said that those eating relief found should expect to smell road, hospital and school monies.

“The danger is that when you are eating relief food, you should chew carefully; you may feel that you are chewing a road, a school or a hospital…just chewing it you may smell a road there, a school or a health centre,” Museveni said.

He went on to blame Ugandans for depending much on government intervention other than practicing simple irrigation to avert famine.

However, such utterance has been conceived differently by locals in Lango Sub region who called on him  to apologize to Ugandans in a public forum.

Akaca Lucky, a local businessman and a former boda boda rider who rode Museveni in Lira town during his 1996 campaign says Museveni made a wrong statement to people who voted him.

“President should know that no government will come from any country and offer relief food, check after its locals. He has been elected and must help,” he said on phone in one of the local radio stations in town on Wednesday.

It’s worth noting that Akaca is a Museven’s loyalist and a renowned cadre of NRM party in Lira district.

Isaa Otoo, the former Oyam South MP says Museveni through his 31 years in power has refused to consider agriculture as a backbone of the economy’s growth.

He says as per the Maputo Protocol, it was agreed that each nation allocate 15% on agriculture each financial year.

“Our Parliament should implore government to implement the irrigation master plan, increase the budget on agriculture to a minimum of 15% as per the Maputo protocol. Its prime target should be on irrigation technology,” he said.

Otoo who’s a renowned Museveni’s critic asked Parliament to disband the presidential directive on operation wealth creation.

Similarly, Denis Akwanga who’s a senior medic says he found the President’s utterance on famine out of order.

“People are affected by famine following a prolonged drought and it’s the responsibility of the government to help resolve the problem other than cursing those eating relief foods,” he said.

MUK students strike again, over 15 Caged

Over 15 Makerere University students have been arrested for taking part in the demonstration that took place today morning at the main campus.

Students went on strike protesting the failure by the university to release their results for the last semester, failure to issue Identity Cards to first year students and transcripts to graduates.

According to the Officer in Charge of Makerere police station Denis Kasibante, the students are to be charges with inciting violence among other offences.

The police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse rowdy students and by press time the situation was looking a bit calm.

Meanwhile, police remain heavily deployed around most violent halls of residence in the university; Lumumba, Mary Stuart and Mitchell halls.

M7 Buys Off Big FDC Fish

Having previously knocked off the likes of DP national chairman Mohammed Kezaala, President Museveni has struck again and this time his knife has fallen onto Gen Mugisha Muntu’s FDC party.

We can reliably reveal that a few days ago Museveni met a leading FDC ideologue at Entebbe State House and reliable sources close to the elderly FDC chief say a deal was hammered out.

The top FDC honcho has been very outspoken in the native Busoga region and always faulted Museveni for environmental indifference. The same honcho was also vocal in the failed attempts to block the 2005 Constitutional amendment that resulted into scrapping off term limits.

The FDC honcho paid heavily as the elective seat the official held before was grabbed by a hitherto little known NRM-backed candidate. The top honcho has since trailed from one election to another and has lately been struggling to put food on the table.

We are deliberately not disclosing the honcho’s identity not to jeopardize what remains to be finalized to 100% deliver on the deal. From the State House meeting, an overwhelmed Museveni even offered the top FDC honcho a permanent juicy job in State House and even drafted and passed on the appointment letter.

The honcho, who will be leading a State House think-tank, actually walked away with the appointment letter and it was agreed Museveni would make the defection public next Tuesday when he is expected to address a public meeting in Busoga region/Jinja district to be more specific.

We pledge to give full details of the deal plus the honcho’s latest economic frustrations leading to this defection once Museveni is done with his public meeting where the honcho will be paraded before cheering NRM supporters. Watch this space!

Bury Me Near My Parents- Fallen ‘President’ Wacha Olwol Says In His WILL

By Milton Emmy Akwam

LIRA: The WILL of the fallen Uganda’s former President for eight months, that is, from May 13^th to 15^th December, 1980 has leaked to us.

Mzee Wacha Olwol who died on Tuesday morning from Kadiak Hospital in Kampala aged 94 won’t be buried at his own home in Apingomo village, Banya parish in Amach corner.

In his verbal will before his death, according to his family members, the former President directed that he should be buried at his parents’ home, near their grave yards.

Also, he said while at 93 that he was getting weaker and weaker and needed to be so close to his parents most of whom died many decades.

Erieza Olwol who was his father, born in 1895 passed-on on the 21^st July, 1970.

His mother, Imat Loy Olwol, whom was so interested to see his son educate and do well passed on 18 years later.

The deceased father was one of the highly respected men in Lango sub-region and was one of the Rwot (commonly known today as His Highness for Lango and Kings for other tribes).

Late Erieza was the clan chief or Rwot of Okiimeokabo clan with majority followers in Erute South in Lira district.

Abur Molly, 35, one of the Wacha’s granddaughters told this reporter on Wednesday that the fallen hero told them in several meetings never to be buried away from his dead parents.

“In most of the meetings he kept reminding us to bury him near his parents. As per his will, we all agreed to adhere to it,” she said.

From 2012 to January 2017, Abur has been taking care of the fallen man from his Kampala residence as per his choice.

It’s worth noting that one of his wives and some children who died before were buried at his own compound, nearly 100meters from where he would be buried.

In the family of late Rwot Erieza Olwol, fallen Wacha, according to counted and visible cemented graves is the 40^th person to die!

At his ancestral home, at least 15 cemented graves are visible. Of those, his wives, children and grandchildren are among them.

He had three wives but only two were recognized by clan with at least 15 children most of whom are working outside the country.

NMS on the Spot over Delays in Delivering Medicine

Members of Parliament put officials of the National Medical Stores to task to explain several complaints about delays in supplying medicine to hospital’s across the country.

The officials appeared before the Health Committee to discuss their budget estimates for the 2017/2018 financial year.

According to the NMS managing director, Moses Kamabare, NMS has a lot of challenges which are sometimes blamed on them individually instead of sorting them out first.

However, members of the committee threatened that if NMS delay’s again to deliver drugs to their respective destinations in time, it will be its officials to suffer the consequences by clearing the costs from their own accounts.

Registration frenzy for candidates as Kenya election deadline nears

Outside Lucy Ndungu’s Nairobi office, the queue of angry aspiring politicians snaked down the stairs, out of the door and into the adjoining beer garden as hundreds lined up to register as independent candidates for Kenya’s elections.

Ndungu, the country’s registrar of political parties, said unprecedented numbers were registering as independents as political parties raced to process appeals from failed candidates before a May 8 deadline, and her office was getting overwhelmed.

“It is a record number of people and we did not budget for this,” she said, as six police officers kept order while sweating candidates clutching folders of papers jostled for position.

The election takes place on Aug. 8, when veteran opposition politician Raila Odinga is challenging incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Kenyans will also choose their next parliamentarians and local representatives.

Devolution of some powers to county level under Kenyatta’s presidency, and the associated access to lucrative local budgets and high official salaries, has sparked intense interest in local contests.

That has increased the potential for clashes at county level, leading to fierce disputes over alleged ballot rigging in party primaries.

“Instead of waiting for their appeals (over rigging) to be heard, they are all coming here to register,” Ndungu said.

More than 1,200 people had signed up as independents by Friday evening, she said, a four-fold increase on the previous elections in 2013. Hundreds more were registered on Tuesday.

“The (nomination) process was not fair. They just used ID cards and bussed people in from out of town,” said Martin Muindi, who was registering as an independent after failing to get a party nomination to stand as a member of the county assembly.

In his ward of 12,000 people, at least 20 candidates wanted to represent the county assembly, he said. The position guarantees a minimum of $40,000 per year in a country where the average annual salary is $1,300.

Candidates with party backing are more likely to be elected, but primaries where voters chose party candidates last month were chaotic and sometimes violent. Many races had to be rerun amid widespread claims of rigging.

Local newspapers and television stations reported on Tuesday that Jubilee Party had concluded 107 out of 500 appeals filed, while the opposition Orange Democratic Movement was hearing hundreds.

A government tribunal to which candidates can turn if they are dissatisfied with party decisions said they had received 47 complaints by Tuesday.

@Reuters

Somalia Minister Killed in Mogadishu Attack

Somalia’s Public Works Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Abas has been killed after an attack on his convoy in the capital, Mogadishu.

He was shot in his car near the presidential palace, local media said.

Mr Abas was a former refugee who grew up in Dadaab camp in Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of Somalis who fled drought and civil war.

He became the country’s youngest MP last November, aged 31, when he defeated a former minister.

Much of Somalia is still under the control of Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda.

The country held elections in February and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo became the new president in a surprise result.

@BBC

Mis­sions Abroad, Pub­lic Uni­ver­si­ties                 Non-Compli­ant in Gen­der and Eq­uity

At least 36 gov­ern­ment en­ti­ties have failed to hit the 50% com­pli­ance mark for gen­der-re­spon­sive budgets.

Un­der the Pub­lic Fi­nance Man­age­ment Act, all gov­ern­ment min­istries, de­part­ments and agen­cies must pre­sent their pol­icy state­ments with a Gen­der and Eq­uity Cer­tifi­cate of Com­pli­ance. This is to en­sure that the state­ments are gender and eq­uity re­spon­sive, spec­i­fy­ing mea­sures taken to equal­ize opportunities for men, women, per­sons with disabil­i­ties and other mar­gin­al­ized groups.

Ac­cord­ing to in­for­ma­tion from the Equal Op­por­tu­ni­ties Com­mis­sion (EOC) pre­sented be­fore the Bud­get com­mit­tee on May 3, 2017, the bud­gets drafted by the 36 en­ti­ties are be­low the 50% com­pli­ance mark which is the min­i­mum qual­i­fy­ing score for min­is­te­r­ial pol­icy state­ments set by EOC.

They in­clude three pub­lic uni­ver­si­ties namely Mak­erere Uni­ver­sity, Mbarara Uni­ver­sity and Ka­bale Univer­sity.

The pol­icy state­ments for mis­sions in Tan­za­nia, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Den­mark, So­ma­lia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, China, Su­dan, Rwanda, Ger­many, Wash­ing­ton, Ankara, Rus­sia, Juba, Japan, Geneva, Nige­ria, Italy, Bel­gium, Iran, Bujumbura, Canada, Can­berra, Libya, Eng­land, France and New York also failed to hit the 50% mark.

Mom­basa and Guangzhou are the only con­sulates which are listed among the non-com­pli­ant votes, while Lira Referral Hos­pi­tal, Uganda Cof­fee De­vel­op­ment Au­thor­ity (UCDA) and Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) are also listed.

The mis­sions in Ger­many, Rwanda, Su­dan, China and Mak­erere Uni­ver­sity are the worst per­form­ing insti­tu­tions below 16%.

Sylvia Ntambi, the chair­per­son of the Equal Op­por­tu­ni­ties Com­mis­sion (EOC) also pre­sented a list of the most compli­ant min­istries and agen­cies.

The Min­istry of Gen­der is top on the list of in­sti­tu­tions which com­plied with the gen­der and eq­uity require­ment at 91%, Equal Op­por­tu­ni­ties Com­mis­sion (90%), KCCA (78%), Min­istry of Ed­u­ca­tion (78%), Min­istry of Health (75%), Arua Re­fer­ral Hos­pi­tal (73%), Par­lia­men­tary Com­mis­sion (73%), Uganda National Bu­reau of Stan­dards (71%), Uganda Pris­ons Ser­vice (71%) and Uganda Land Com­mis­sion (70%).

Ntambi tasked the Bud­get com­mit­tee not to ap­prove the bud­gets of the non-com­pli­ant in­sti­tu­tions un­til their pol­icy state­ment are approved by EOC.

Amos Lu­golobi, the com­mit­tee chair­per­son said the com­mit­tee has given the in­sti­tu­tions one week to look into the com­mis­sion’s de­mands, fail­ure of which their bud­gets will not be passed.

@Parliament

City Socialite Dethrones Gashumba In Cameltoe Contest

If you are the type of person who never attends day events, there is a lot that goes by without you noticing but thank God, our snoops are always on ground to bring you exclusive scenes.

On Sunday evening, an unidentified sexy and yummy city babe dethroned Sheila Gashumba as the queen of cameltoe when she paraded a 2kg huge sumbie. This was during the 16th edition of Blankets and Wine event at Cricket Oval Lugogo that attracted several Kampala hot babes.

The light-skinned who was clad in workout outfit of Calvin Klein left many dudes yearning and panting with their heartbeats at 120beats per minute.

She turned up at event with her 2kg cameltoe that threatened to pop out of her panties to the excitement of many.

The salivating men were imagining how it felt like swimming in her waters. The last babe to parade such a gigantic sumbie at Blankets and Wines was pencil-like Sheila Gashumba last year.

City lawyer Cassandra To Introduce Darius

It looks like city scribe and Asylum bar director Darius Mugisha’s days of having ‘Rolex’ for supper are getting over.

Word reaching us has it that Darius will be introduced officially by his new catch Cassandra Mbabazi, a city lawyer and a partner in Newmark advocates in Kampala.

We have reliably learnt that their official introduction is slated this weekend on 6th May at Cassandra’s parents’ home in Kashari.

The two have been seeing each other for close to a year now and they have realized it’s enough of bonking secretly and decided to make it official.

We have learnt last week Darius spent time selecting the number of friends and well-wishers who will be part of his entourage to escort him come this Saturday.

Darius hooked Cassandra just after he had split up with Galaxy FM station manager Mariat Candace Nasasira.

It should be remembered that Darius split up with Mariat after counter accusations of cheating on each other. Mariat moved on with city producer Vince Musisi and Darius landed Cassandra as a blessing in disguise.