Gaddafi’s Son Saif Freed In Libya

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, second son of the late deposed Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, is said to have been freed under an amnesty, in a move which could fuel further instability.

His father’s preferred successor, he had been held by a militia in the town of Zintan for the past six years.

The Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion said he had been released on Friday but he has not been shown in public.

A source has told the BBC he is in the Tobruk area of eastern Libya.

His lawyer, Khaled al-Zaidi, also said he had been released but would not say which city Saif al-Islam had travelled to for security reasons.

The Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion said it was acting on a request from the “interim government”.

That government – based in the east of the country – had already offered amnesty to Saif al-Islam.

However, he has been sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Tripoli, the west of the country, where control is in the hands of the rival, UN-backed Government of National Accord.

Previous reports of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s release proved to be false.

He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity during his father’s unsuccessful attempts to put down the rebellion.

@BBC

Mugabe Sacks Zimbabwe’s Chief Prosecutor for Dropping Charges Against Offenders of Grace

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has sacked the country’s chief prosecutor, Johannes Tomana, after a tribunal found him guilty of misconduct and incompetence.

Local media say he will now face trial for criminal abuse of office.

Tomana was suspended back in February 2016.

His removal came after he dropped charges against two army officers accused of plotting to blow up a dairy belonging to Mugabe’s wife, Grace.

The two men were among four arrested outside the dairy farm, north of the capital, Harare.

They were found carrying ammonia and petrol bombs.

The men were initially charged with possession of weaponry for sabotage, and with money laundering for terrorism purposes. Charges of treason were added later.

The four were accused of hatching a plan to set up a militia base to the west of Harare, with the aim of unseating Mugabe’s government.

Tomana was accused of obstructing the course of justice by releasing two of the suspects, which he denied.

In 2015, Tomana was convicted of abuse of power after refusing to prosecute a lawmaker with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party for raping a child at gunpoint.

He was threatened with 30 days in prison over the matter, but eventually agreed to act.

The legislator, Munyaradzi Kereke, was later convicted of rape and imprisoned.

@BBC

Somalia Attack Death Toll Rises to 59

The number of dead from an attack on a military base in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region has risen to 59 from an earlier reported 38, a military officer said on Saturday.

In the attack on Thursday al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters overran the base in Af Urur, a town about 100 km (60 miles) south of Bosaso.

“We confirm that the total number of deaths is 59, including six women, and the total number of injuries is 38,” Major Mohamed Abdi, a Puntland military officer told Reuters.

Af Urur lies near the Galgala hills, an area controlled by al Shabaab. Its fighters have attacked and captured the town several times.

Somalia’s president said the country’s army was in “hot pursuit” of the fighters after the attack.

Al Shabaab regularly launches attacks in Somalia, but often focuses on the capital Mogadishu and other regions controlled by the federal government.

It aims to drive out African Union peacekeepers, topple Somalia’s Western-backed government and impose its strict version of Islam.

The group rarely carries out attacks in Puntland.

Kyadondo East Election Campaign Intensifies as Besigye, Muntu Campaign for Kantinti

By Joshua Mpaka

FDC’s Dr Kizza Besigye and Party President Mugisha Muntu yesterday camped in Kyadondo East Constituency to campaign for the FDC Flag bearer Apollo Kantinti who started his campaigns on Sunday afternoon at Wampeewo grounds.

Kantinti was joined by top FDC party members led by former presidential candidate Dr. Kiiza Besigye, party president Mugisha Muntu and secretary general Mandela Mafabii as he made his way to Wampewo playing ground, the venue for the rally.

On their way to the venue, Kantiti supporters crossed paths with those of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine who were headed to his rally in Kansangati town council. This caused unease.

In his speech Kantinti asked the people of Kyandondo east to vote for him saying they should repeat what they did in February 2016.

“They undermined your authority by cancelling your vote. Even the people I stood against knew that I had won the election. This is a battle to redeem our country. Please don’t stop fighting.”

On the other hand Besigye said “it was not his fault for him to be taken to court, that is why I backed him on the day of the ruling.”

The front runners are NRM Sitenda Sebalu, FDC’s Kantinti and independent candidate Robert Kyagulanyi.

The by-election is scheduled to take place on the 29th of June this year.

Rift Valley Railways Faces Contract Termination

Rift valley Railways (RVR), the company contracted by government to run railways services in Uganda, has been handed a three month ultimatum to implement the contract terms or else face a termination of its concession by the two partner states Uganda and Kenya.

The joint concession between RVR and two partner states, Uganda and Kenya, was signed in 2006 in a deal that was meant to span 25 years. Eleven years later, RVR is yet to implement what it promised in the contract.

The Managing Director of Uganda Railways, Charles Kateeba, told journalists that the company has since violated the contract terms despite several reminders to rectify the errors.

On Thursday last week during the budget day, the minister of finance Matia Kasaija announced plans to terminate the RVR contract. Now, RVR has been given only three months to show cause why the concession should not be terminated.

RVR Chief Executive Officer Isaiah Okoth said that the company is looking for another investor who will partner with RVR to rectify the errors. Okoth declined to reveal the investor. He says some of the allegations against the company are being disputed. He revealed that the two governments cannot terminate the contract without following due procedures.

RVR requires over $150 million to revamp the existing railway infrastructure at the time Uganda wants to develop the much-vaunted Standard Gauge Railway line.

Kenya has completed the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway route which has significantly reduced the cost transporting goods from Mombasa to Nairobi.

Bunyoro King Appeals To Government Over Land Grabbing

The Omukama of Bunyoro Solomon Gafabusa Rukidi has asked the central government to urgently address the issue of land grabbing in Bunyoro, which has left many of his subjects living in poverty.

Omukama Iguru made the appeal while speaking at during an event to mark his 23rd coronation anniversary at his palace in Hoima.

The function, which is steeped in the cultural Babiito practise, the coronation anniversary, traditionally known as Empango, is marked annually on the day the reigning king in Bunyoro ascended the throne.

During the function, politicians from the sub-region raised concerns of marginalization. Bunyoro remains bound by the shackles of an imperialistic legacy that targeted Omukama Kabalega, who put up a spirited resistance against the British, and his subjects.

As a punishment, most of the kingdom’s land was parceled out to collaborators who helped subdue Bunyoro, mostly the Buganda Kingdom, and large swathes of land were turned into forests and game reserves.

Since the discovery of oil, there has been a new scramble for Bunyoro land, which has set off conflict.

Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru asked government to speed up its investigations to ascertain the rightful owner of the contested Bugoma central forest reserve between the kingdom and National Forestry Authority.

In a speech read for him by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, President Yoweri Museveni urged the kingdom to take advantage of its cultural heritage to fight poverty.

This was the 23rd anniversary since Omukama Iguru was enthroned in 1994 after kingdoms were abolished by former president Apollo Milton Obote in 1966.

7 Easy Ways on How To Lose Belly Fat

Excess body fat is a concern for many people, and is viewed by the majority as unhealthy.

Although obesity has been linked with significant health risks, being overweight doesn’t automatically mean your health is in a bad state. Conversely, many people who are in the healthy range for body weight have some of the health problems typically linked with being overweight, such as diabetes and high blood pressure (source).

In terms of good health, the fat we can see under the skin (subcutaneous fat) is not the biggest problem.

According to research, the kind of fat which is most dangerous to health is the fat stored in the upper body, specifically the abdomen (source). I’m talking about that annoying belly fat here.

Many experts recommend that if you are carrying excess weight around your belly, it is a good idea to come up with a plan to reduce it. In terms of figures, a waistline measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women is a cause for concern.

However, decreasing body fat is not an easy task for most of us. Targeting specific areas of body fat can be even more tricky.

In this article, we have looked into the best ways to reduce belly fat, and investigated the scientific research backing up these methods. Read on to find out some tried and tested ways to lose belly fat.

1. Reduce Your Sugar Intake

The health risks of consuming large amounts of sugar are well documented.

Too much sugar can cause metabolic dysfunction. This is a health condition where the biochemical processes of the body are disturbed. A high level of sugar in the diet has been proven to cause weight gain and even obesity. It also elevates the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The liver is particularly affected by sugar consumption. When the liver finds itself inundated with a huge, fast influx of sugar, the consequences can be extremely harmful.

Excess sugar is toxic for the liver, and is converted by the body into fat. The majority of this is stored as belly fat. (source).

Many studies have shown that increased belly and liver fat results in insulin resistance and a whole plethora of other metabolic problems.

When we take in sugar in liquid form, the sugar is digested even more quickly. This results in the liver receiving a massive hit of sugar.

Many of the regular types of soda currently on the market contain large amounts of sugar – check the labels for yourself next time you go shopping.

In addition, these liquid calories don’t help to make us feel full.

A bottle of regular soda, which can contain 50 or more grams of sugar, is easy to drink quickly. Despite its high calorie content, it has little effect when it comes to feeling full (source).

Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, and in particular avoiding sugary drinks (including fruit juices and sports drinks which contain lots of sugar) will help to limit the sources which are converted into belly fat.

Read packaging labels and take notice of the amount of sugar in food – it is surprising how much sugar some foods contain.

If you have a sweet tooth, get into the habit of turning to whole fruit for your sugar fix. The fiber and water in whole fruit makes the digestion process slower, so does not cause the dramatic sugar hit which is the cause of many health problems, including increased belly fat.

2. Increase Your Protein Intake

Protein is an important food group in our diets. It provides the building blocks, called amino acids, for the body to be able to renew and repair cells, heal wounds and produce many of the chemicals and hormones the body needs to function.

There is lots of scientific evidence that shows protein is an extremely important contributor in any weight loss program. Some studies suggest that increasing the amount of protein you eat is the absolute best thing you can change in your diet to achieve weight loss.

Eating more protein can reduce craving for other food, potentially reducing calorie intake. It can also boost metabolism, which means the body uses up more calories, leaving fewer calories available to be turned into stored fat (source).

Some research has shown a link between protein and belly fat. Many studies have observed that the more protein in the diet, the less belly fat people have. Much of the research about protein and belly fat suggests that protein intake should account for around 30% of total calories (source).

Foods such as meat, chicken and fish are well-known sources of protein. Other great sources of protein are eggs, seafood, nuts and some whole grains, legumes – for example, peas, beans, chickpeas, lentils and alfalfa – and dairy products.

One way of boosting your protein intake is to consider adding a protein supplement, like whey or pea protein powder, to your diet. It is good to get your protein from a variety of different sources on a regular basis.

3. Reduce The Amount Of Carbs

There is lots of evidence to prove that a low carb diet is a very effective way to lose weight.

One of the key features of a low carb diet is that it limits the body’s usual primary source of energy – carbohydrates. This forces us to use the next best energy source, which is fat.

So with a low carb diet, most of the weight loss comes directly from stored body fat.

In addition to the huge amount of evidence regarding the efficacy of low carb diets in general weight loss, studies have also shown that low carb diets can help reduce belly fat and the fat which is stored around our vital organs (source).

A low carb diet has the potential to positively affect blood pressure, heart health, our blood glucose levels and the risks associated with diabetes.

A low carb diet can also help to reduce the risk of developing many serious health conditions as well as making our energy levels more consistent throughout the day (source).

A relatively low carbohydrate intake of around 75g per day has been suggested as a good range for a sustainable weight loss program. This would include a large quantity of vegetables, a little fruit and very small amounts of starch-based carbs, like rice.

Carbohydrate sources which should be particularly avoided are foods such as white bread and pasta.

4. Increase Your Intake Of Fiber

Fiber is one of the most important food groups for good health – in particular, soluble fiber.

Soluble fiber, the type of fiber that absorbs water, helps to reduce cholesterol levels, contributes to weight loss, decreases the risk of heart disease and diabetes, improves bowel function and reduces the symptoms of diverticulitis and constipation (source).

Soluble fiber, when digested, forms a gel-like substance that slows down the digestion of other foods.

This has the effect of making us feel fuller for longer, reduces appetite and helps to avoid large amounts of sugar arriving at the liver in a short amount of time.

We have already seen that this is a situation we need to remedy to achieve good health (source).

In terms of belly fat, some studies have found that a regular intake of 10 grams of soluble fiber reduced abdominal body fat by 3.7%, and observed an even bigger reduction (7.4%) in the abdominal fat of participants who were moderately active (source).

Research has shown that increasing your fiber intake by 14 grams can result in a ten per cent decrease in the amount of calories consumed, and an associated significant weight loss (source).

Fruit and vegetable are great sources of soluble fiber, and in particular, legumes, brussels sprouts, turnips, sweet potatoes, asparagus oranges, grapefruits, mangoes and apricots.

Oatmeal, oat bran, barley and flax seeds are also high in soluble fiber. Fiber supplements are also available on the marker, and worth considering to boost the soluble fiber in your diet.

5. Change The Oils You Consume

It’s also worth taking note of the oils you use in your diet. Some studies have noted adding 30 ml of coconut oil to your diet helps to reduce belly fat (source).

6. Exercise Reduces Belly Fat

Firstly, we are not talking about doing mind-bending amounts of particular exercises to target the abdominal area.

Research suggests that targeting particular areas of the body for fat loss is simply not possible, certainly in the case of belly fat (source).

Scientific studies show that the best way to reduce belly fat is large muscle group aerobic exercise, like swimming, walking and running. Because these types of exercise recruit many large muscle groups, they also use a large amount of energy.

The body will first use up the relatively small amounts of energy stored in the muscle, then any other carbohydrate available before starting to mobilize fat stores to use as energy.

One review of research using data from a total of almost 600 participants concluded that exercise at a an activity level 10 times more active than we are at rest, such as brisk walking, light jogging and cycling is effective in reducing belly fat (source).

Exercise has also been proven to be effective in totally avoiding the re-accumulation of abdominal fat following weight loss.

So in addition to all the other health benefits of regular exercise, it can also help you to lose weight, maintain weight loss, reduce belly fat AND help to keep it at bay (source).

7. Regularly Record And Review Your Diet

It is well documented that we are generally not brilliant at being accurate and objective when considering what we eat every day.

Even if you mentally review what you have consumed in the course of an average day, it’s easy to forget that slice of cake or bar of chocolate.

Okay, it’s a little time-consuming to write down everything you eat, and we’re not suggesting you have to do this every day – in fact, this can have a detrimental effect on your weight loss and fat loss goals. Some people find that it overly focuses their attention on diet and decreases their motivation.

However, once in awhile, it’s a good idea to keep a documented record of your diet over a few consecutive days.

This can help you to see the full picture of your eating habits, highlight problem areas and make the changes you need to increase your chances of a successful eating program.

As an example, three of the most significant changes you can make to

your diet to reduce belly fat are to increase your protein intake by the specific amount of 30%, or limit your carbohydrate intake to 75 grams per day, and eat a minimum of 10 grams of soluble fiber per day.

Trying to make these changes without measuring, weighing and recording what you eat is playing a guessing game, and unlikely to yield the best results.

It’s much more effective to accurately measure the intake of these foods, record the information and use it to develop a regular eating plan.

There are lots of tools and apps widely available which can help you record your diet accurately, and these make the task much easier.

Final Thoughts on How to Lose Belly Fat

We have identified a number of reasons why it is important to reduce belly fat for a positive effect on health, and a number of ways in which it is possible to reduce belly fat.

Changing just one thing about your diet or lifestyle is likely to have a beneficial effect, but the most significant health results are likely to be gained from using a combination of factors.

The most beneficial effects are also likely to result from longer term lifestyle changes, so it is very important to make sure the changes you make are sustainable over a long period of time and can be incorporated into your daily life.

Whatever methods you choose to reduce belly fat, with lots of different options available, it’s likely that most people can come up with a plan that works for them.

Adopted from healthambion.com

US Conducts Strike On Al Shabaab, Somalia Says Training Base Destroyed

The Pentagon said it had carried out an air strike on al Shabaab in Somalia on Sunday, and Somalia said its special forces had joined in the attack to destroy one of the jihadist insurgent group’s main training and command posts.

The office of President Mohamed Abdullahi said the base was located on Sakow, in the Middle Juba region in southern Somalia.

“Earlier today, I authorized our special forces with the support of our international partners to conduct a strike against an al Shabaab training camp near Sakow,” his statement said.

“This was a successful strike that destroyed a key al Shabaab command and supply hub. This will ultimately disrupt the enemy’s ability to conduct new attacks within Somalia.”

The statement did not specify the extent of damage or say if there had been casualties. There was no immediate comment from al Shabaab.

Since being pushed out of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns. But it still retains a strong presence in swathes of the south and centre and still carries out major gun and bomb attacks.

The group aims to topple Somalia’s government, drive out African Union peacekeeping troops and impose its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

On Thursday, al Shabaab killed 59 people in an attack on a military base in the semi-autonomous Puntland region in northern Somalia.

@Reuters

Eleven Dead, Hundreds Escape In Congo Jail Attack

At least 11 people were killed and 930 prisoners escaped on Sunday when unidentified assailants stormed a jail in Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern town of Beni, the provincial governor said.

The attack is at least the fourth prison break in Congo in the last month and underscores how insecurity has grown since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down at the end of his mandate last December.

North Kivu province’s governor, Julien Paluku, said in a statement that the assailants had used heavy weapons, killing eight prison guards.

“Only the army and the police have the right to circulate to bring under control the enemy, who started to flee at 3:30 p.m. (1330 GMT),” Paluku said. About 30 prisoners remain inside the facility and a curfew is now in place in Beni and surrounding areas, he added.

Teddy Kataliko, a local activist, said it was not yet clear who had carried out the attack because many self-defence militias, known as Mai-Mai groups, operate around Beni.

About 4,000 inmates escaped the capital Kinshasa’s main high-security prison last month after an attack blamed on a separatist sect, and at least three more escaped from another jail in Kinshasa on Saturday, the police said.

Kenya Foils Terror Attack Planned by Somali Militants

Kenya has seized six men suspected of planning an attack sponsored by the al Shabaab militant group from neighbouring Somalia, the head of Kenyan police said late on Sunday.

In recent weeks, the East African nation has lost 20 officers in various attacks, mostly on deserted roads in the vast northern region bordering Somalia, in which the militants used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Joseph Boinnet, the inspector general of the police, said in a statement that two of the suspects were Kenyans and the others were Somali nationals. Police also seized assembled explosives, four suicide vests and bomb-making materials such as TNT.

“The six had been dispatched from Burhanche in Somalia by their commanders to launch attacks in Kenya,” Boinnet said.

Kenyan security forces worked with their counterparts in Somalia to foil the attack and to capture the suspects. The captured men were being interrogated to establish the extent of the entire network, Boinnet said.

Kenya has faced a constant security challenge from across the border ever since it sent its troops into Somalia in late 2011, to help defeat the al Shabaab militants and restore order.

@Reuters

URA Increases Fine For Tax Evading Importers To Shs72M

Two weeks to the end of the current financial year, the Uganda Revenue Authority is in a combative mood, warning importers that they risk higher fines for concealment and under-declaration of goods.

URA is doubling its fine for under-declaration and concealment from $10,000 (Shs36M) to $20,000 (Shs72M), hoping it that this will deal with the increasing instances of the practice, which URA has partly blamed for its revenue shortfall of Shs240.2B this year.

“The maximum penalty is going to be increased to enhance compliancy, so I just want to caution those who like that practice that it can be very dangerous. It can wipe out the capital if it is applied. So make sure you declare correctly,” said Dickson Katushumbwa, Commissioner customs, URA.

URA officials unveiled the new fines as part of a series of new proposals during the URA Annual Budget Breakfast meeting held in Kampala on Monday.

The tax body is pushing for initiatives that will engender better compliance from tax payers as it tries to achieve its set target of Shs15 trillion for the coming financial year.

Opposition MPs Criticize Budget Allocations

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Winnie Kiiza, has criticized the government for the way it allocated funds to different sectors in the budget.

Kiiza was speaking at a news conference with other opposition lawmakers at parliament during which she faulted the government for poor prioritization and neglecting important sectors of the economy.

Government says the Shs29 trillion budget that was passed last week is aimed at developing the country’s infrastructure, energy sector and boosting agriculture production. But the opposition MPs argue that the allocated expenditures exceed the revenue that the government expects to collect.

“Any budget requires the person budgeting to be having a balanced budget. Meaning that the revenue should be equal to the expenditure, which is not the case to the 2017/18 financial budge,” Mrs Kiiza said.

Winnie Kiiza also criticized the government for what she called poorly prioritizing allocations to important sectors like tourism. Butambala County MP, Muwanga Kivumbi, scoffed at the budget saying that almost half of it will be funded by donors.

“We have a government which cannot pay arrears, it cannot pay what people owe them,” Kivumbi said.

The legislators also faulted the government for accumulating a huge debt which they say ultimately affects economic development.

“What Ugandans should know is that government of Uganda can only be able fund 55% of its budget, not 75% as finance minister said. And on that 55% (15.9 trillion), 2.8 trillion is meant to serve debts,” Mrs Kiiza remarked.

Promoter Tintah, Singer Nantongo Worryingly Close

City music promoter Deogratius Male aka Omusawo Tintah, who is also a renowned radio and TV presenter, is worryingly close to singer Carol Nantongo.

Our Snoops at Metro FM Radio where Tintah works reveal that he is these days spending a lot of time with Nantongo, who sometimes visits him at his workplace.

Nantongo sings with Golden Production but her pals intimate that she prefers doing rehearsals with Tintah instead of doing them with her band members.

Snoops also reveal that apart from visiting him at the Station, Tintah hooked Nantongo after promising to promote her music career and to play her songs on radio.

Currently, we hear that he has even assured Nantongo that she will be one of the key performers at his upcoming event dubbed Omusawo Tintah Experience which is slated for August 19th this year.

Building Collapses In Kenyan Capital, 15 Missing

About 15 people are missing after a seven-storey building collapsed in a residential area of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, rescue services said on Tuesday, and authorities said they had asked its occupants to leave before it came down.

The incident occurred on Monday night.

Officials said the building’s occupants had been asked to leave once it developed cracks.

“Basically this was a disaster to come. An evacuation was sounded. People evacuated but we might have some people who might have been left behind,” Pius Masai, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Unit, told Reuters at the site of the collapse.

Japheth Koome, Nairobi County police commander, said a specialised team from the Kenya Defence Forces had been called in to help with the rescue operations.

Kenya has seen similar tragedies in the past. A total of 49 people died in the middle of last year when another building collapsed during a heavy, nighttime downpour in a poor neighbourhood.

@Reuters

EC To Implement Supreme Court Recommendations On Organization And Conduct Of Elections

The Electoral Commission says it has taken steps to implement the recommendations made last year by the Supreme Court regarding the organisation and conduct of elections in the country.

These recommendations were made in the presidential election petition filed by former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. One of them called for an amendment of the law to extend the 10-day period within which to file a presidential election petition to 60 days.

The Electoral Commission announced its commitment to implementing the recommendations during a national stakeholders’ meeting held in Kampala on Monday.

According to the Electoral Commission Assessment and Evaluation Report of the 2016 general elections indicate that the election was held in accordance with the law but the process was fraught with challenges.

Some of the major challenges that were highlighted in the National Stakeholders Meeting in Kampala included the continuous creation of administrative units, which disrupted the whole exercise of re-organising polling stations. Late enactment and amendment of enabling laws by Parliament was blamed for delaying the EC’s planning process

Many members of the public also perceive the Electoral Commission as being compromised to favour certain candidates or parties

Also, commercialisation of politics, voter apathy which resulted in low voter turnout, and poor payment procedures for field election officials were highlighted as some challenges the Electoral Commission faced.

The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, admitted that some of the mistakes that were made during the election were regrettable, and he added that every effort will be taken to make sure they do not happen again.

Byabakama also said that the Commission has taken measures to ensure that the recommendations made by the Supreme Court in the petition against President Museveni’s re-election are implemented.

However, although the current Electoral Commission has made efforts to right the wrongs of its predecessors, critics are dissatisfied with the constitutional provision that grants the President the power to appoint members of  Electoral Commission.

Pupils Beg Museveni To Fulfill Pads Pledge

By Milton Emmy Akwam

LIRA: Female adolescent pupils in Lango Sub Region have reminded and begged President Museveni to adhere to and fulfill one of his key pledges in the (2017/2018) financial year.

The pupils, performing at Plan International Uganda function to mark its 25 years of operation in Uganda at Barr Primary School play grounds in Lira district on Friday, begged Museveni to comply.

Ajok Brenda, 13, and a pupil at Buluge Primary School in Barr Sub County says she would write a letter to President Museveni on pads.

She says the recent statement by government that it has no money for pads were total betrayal to them (girls) who suffer during menstrual period.

Similarly, Akullu Nancy, a primary six pupil at Aroma Primary School in Alebtong district says: “We ask His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, our President to give us sanitary pads he promised to allow us study well.”

Akullu led her colleague pupils in singing a thrilling song to hundreds of thousands of celebrants that kept on reminding leaders to support them.

Educationists assert that menstrual period now plays bigger percentage in girls’ dropout from school as they have always been victimized by boys during their menstrual period.

While campaigning for re-election across the country and particularly at Lira Golf Course grounds in Lira town late last year, Museveni promised Lango pupils and students free sanitary pads.

The promise has never been fulfilled in any school in the country as government through Education and Sports Ministry announced recently that there was no money to make such provision.

Rashid Javed, the Plan International Uganda Country Director says; “Globally the issues affecting girls are beyond belief in terms of marginalization adding that the organization would continue to utilize its rich experience to reach to more communities.”

Tunisian Man ‘Jailed For Smoking In Ramadan’

A court in Tunisia has sentenced a man who smoked a cigarette in public during the dawn to dusk Muslim fast to one month in jail, a spokesman has told the AFP news agency

The man was allegedly seen smoking outside the courthouse in the coastal city of Bizerte by a judiciary official and he was later arrested by police.

While there is no law against eating or drinking in public during Ramadan, the issue comes up every year in Tunisa, AFP says.

Earlier this month four men were sentenced to one month in jail for eating in public during the fasting period.

On Sunday a number of Tunisians went out on the streets of the capital Tunis demanding the freedom to eat and drink in public during Ramadan, AFP reports.

URU Pays Peanut Allowances to Rugby Players

Emmanuel Sekago

The Uganda Rugby Union headed by Andrew Owor has paid peanut monies to players after the battle with Kenya Sambas who hammered Rugby cranes 23-18 points in first leg of Elgon Cup.

The federation in two radio talk shows, a week before the kickoff, promised to pay each player $100 as match day allowance, but after the Kenya game, the players were handed only Shs150,000. This was after players threatened to demonstrate.

It should be noted that Stanbic Bank donated 50 million shillings to the Uganda Rugby Union a week to a tournament. The host club also paid millions to the federation in order to win the bid. KCCA also donated huge sums meant for facilitation and allowances of players.

Pepper sports has talked to one player names withheld, saying that they will be boycotting to travel to Kenya in two weeks time if they continue being exploited in this way.

E.A Leaders Push S. Sudan Sides To Revive Peace, Delay Vote

East African leaders said late on Monday they would try and push South Sudan’s warring sides to revive collapsed peace efforts and delay elections currently scheduled for August next year to a more realistic date.

Heads of state meeting in Ethiopia said they would set up a forum where the rivals could discuss ways of restoring a ceasefire more than three years into an ethnically-charged civil war that has plunged districts into famine.

The forum would be set up urgently, leaders from the East African bloc IGAD said, without specifying when or what forming it would take.

Fighting broke out at the end of 2013 after President Salva Kiir sacked his rival Riek Machar as vice president, just two years after South Sudan’s independence from Sudan.

After numerous failed peace deals, Kiir and Machar signed a power-sharing pact in August 2015, agreeing to a transitional government and elections.But that deal stalled and Machar left the country.

IGAD said on Monday their new forum would include “estranged groups” and discuss ways of implementing the peace deal.

The forum would also develop a “revised and realistic timeline and implementation schedule towards a democratic election at the end of the transition period,” IGAD added in a statement.

South Sudan’s new vice president, Taban Deng Gai, had asked Monday’s meeting to bar Machar from any future forums. Gai also said elections should go ahead as planned – a position initially backed by Yoweri Museveni, according to diplomats at the talks.

But the delegates finally decided warring sides would be invited and it would be “too premature” to stage the vote given the current levels of violence, diplomats said.

The war has split the impoverished country along ethnic lines, often between Kiir’s Dinka group and Machar’s Nuer. It has also nearly halved oil production and fueled Africa’s biggest cross-border refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The United Nations has said the violence amounts to ethnic cleansing and risks escalating into genocide.

@Reuters

Uganda Elected To The Governing Body Of ILO

Uganda was on Monday 12th June 2017 overwhelmingly voted to the Governing Body of International Labour Organisation by the 106th International Labour Conference in Geneva for the period 2017-2020.

The election followed Uganda’s earlier nomination by the Africa Group at the African Union meeting held in April 2017 in Algiers, Algeria. The Governing Body is the Executive Organ of the ILO.

This means that as a member of the governing Body, Uganda will play a key role in determining ILO Policies, budgets and programmes all over the world as well as the election of the Director General of the ILO.

Uganda was represented by the delegation headed by Hon Janat Mukwaya, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development. Other members of the delegation include Pius Bigirimana Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ambassador Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Mrs. Rosemary Ssenabulya, Executive Director Federation of Uganda Employers, and Peter Werikye, Secretary General, National Organisation of Trade Unions among others.