Latest info is that singer King Saha is worryingly close to the leader of Ugandan traditional healers Mama Fina real name Sylvia Namutebi.

In fact, many have been wondering what the ‘Gundeze’ singer and Mama Fina could be having in common.

According to sources, the loaded woman threw a mega birthday party for Saha in US where the singer was invited to perform at the UNNA Convention in New Orleans.

However, much as Saha was invited, it is said that it was Mama Fina who facilitated his travel and accommodation.

In fact, as you read this, Mama Fina is acting as Saha’s guardian angel by bankrolling his music career.

Saha and Mama Fina returned from US last week on Wednesday.

We have since established that fellow singers Haruna Mubiru of Kream Productions and Mesach Semakula are not happy about the pair’s closeness.

It should be noted that before Mama Fina became close to Saha, she was tight with Haruna and Mesach and she would shower them with dimes whenever they asked.

However, now that she is fully focused on Saha, the two are worried that he will encroach on their monetary benefits from Mama Fina.

A source further reveals that Haruna and Mesach are so incensed and are devising ways to end Saha’s closeness to the bulky woman.

All indications that veteran socialite Lisa Mandy has fled town because she was running out of cash.

The incredibly curvy and gorgeous babe jetted out of the country on Sunday morning and returned to Finland where she is based.

Mandy however made a stopover at Amsterdam before proceeding.

The chocolate skinned babe has been in town for the past two months on what she termed as a holiday break.

Mandy is said to have fled town after running broke yet pals intimate that she intended to stay in town up to the end of September.

However, her stay was not the best as she had a nasty burst up with singer Bebe Cool at Bugolobi based Liquid Silk.

It ended with the ‘Byebyo’ singer pouring a drink in her pretty face. Lisa Mandy was among the first socialite on the local scene before relocation to Finland.

She became a hit after it was rumoured that she had two Kandahars

Heineken Uganda will this Friday launch the Rugby World Cup Campaign to Uganda fans at Legends Sports Bar.

The Rugby World Cup 2015 Edition is partly sponsored by Heineken.

Ugandan Rugby lovers will be treated to a launch event and will be engaged to predict and win goodies from the premium brewer.

Over 100 invited fans and media will be treated to free eats, drinks and goodies on this evening from 7pm till late.

Other revellers will also be allowed into Legends Sports Bar but will self-cater for their drinks and eats.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship.

The tournament will be hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Twickenham Stadium in London will host the final.

England was chosen to host the competition in July 2009, beating rival bids from Italy, Japan and South Africa.

The competition’s organisers, Rugby World Cup Limited, had recommended England to the International Rugby Board (IRB; now known as World Rugby).

Of the 20 teams competing at the 2015 World Cup, 12 of them qualified by finishing in the top three places in their pools in the 2011 World Cup.

The other eight teams qualified through regional competition

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, on Friday 18th September 2015, met the Ambassador for Climate in Africa and Middle East from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development in France, Mr. Stephane Gompertz.

H.E. Gompertz, requested for the support and participation of Uganda in the upcoming 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) to be held in Paris from 30th November to 11th December 2015.

Gompertz said the target of the Conference is to limit the rise of global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the Century; because of the effects of climate change being felt in Uganda in terms of floods and dry spells as well other countries.

“Member states are urged to come up with an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) which summarizes the country’s intentions regarding the fight against climate change. This would cater for mitigation of Greenhouse Gases;  while the other is adaption to help people cope with the consequences in Climate Change,” he said.

He expressed his appreciation to Parliament for the work done in mounting pressure on the government in the fight against Climate Change.

He further requested that Uganda’s contribution should be ready by the beginning of October 2015. “Uganda’s support is needed to review these contributions and see that they are implemented,” he said.

The Speaker promised that the issue will be debated in the house when it next convenes. “We shall push our contribution to the President and select a team of Parliamentarians to attend the Convention,” Rt. Hon. Kadaga said.

She added that they would also push for the implementation of the national tree-planting project that was initiated by the National Forestry Authority.

The Conference of Parties is held annually with the intention of reviewing the implementation of the Rio Convention at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Convention set out a framework for action aimed at stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of Greenhouse Gases.

The al-Shabab militants have killed 12 Somali soldiers in their latest attack carried out south of Mogadishu.

Authorities and witnesses said on Saturday that the assault took place on Friday at a military base in the Yaq-Bariweyne area, located about 100 kilometers (65 miles) south of the capital.

The militants reportedly raided the camp and plundered military supplies before leaving.

“The Shabab fighters took control of the camp and looted everything,” said Abdirahman Somow, a local eyewitness.

Following the attack, Mohamed Adan, a Somali military official, said the fighting also left several militants dead.

The militant group claimed responsibility for the deadly raid in a statement, claiming that about fifteen soldiers were killed and “a huge amount of military supplies have been taken.”

The battle between AU, al-Shabab

The al-Shabab militants have recently lost control of a number of bases in the wake of an operation by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The extremist group is seeking to topple the Somali government and carries out regular attacks on government officials and the AMISOM peacekeeping force.

On Thursday, they killed at least three Somali soldiers in a roadside bombing in the southern port town of Kismayo.

Somalia has been the scene of deadly clashes between military forces and the militants since 2006.

Source: Press TV

Public schools in Kenya have been shut by the government in response to the three-week teachers’ strike.

A Kenyan court has ordered a pay rise of at least 50%, but the government is challenging this.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said that teachers are well paid already and a salary increase would damage government finances.

Teachers argue that a pay deal struck in 1997 has only been partially fulfilled.

But President Kenyatta disputed this, insisting that “the award has been settled in full”.

Schools have now been closed since the beginning of the month and teachers insist that the government should abide by the court’s decision.

Private schools have also been told to shut but some have defied the order, reports the BBC’s Odhiambo Joseph in Nairobi.

Source: BBC

Masindi XI 0-6 Uganda Cranes

The Uganda Cranes put six goals past Masindi XI in a dazzling performance at the first regional tour that took place over the weekend in Masindi at Masindi stadium.

Airtel Uganda in partnership with FUFA and Nile Special, rolled out the national team’s regional tours aimed at reaching the grassroots fans and appreciating the regional local teams.

The regional tours comprise of a selected regional or local team playing against the Uganda Cranes in a friendly match.

The first regional game saw Uganda Cranes score six goals against Masindi XI who were unable to find the net against the Cranes defense.

Masindi XI was given a chance to go up against all the available Uganda Cranes team members as they played two separate teams from the national team.

Robert Sentongo, the stand in team captain for the first half, scored a brace as he led his side to a four goal lead in the first half of the game.

The second team led by Richard Kassaga sealed the win with two more goals in the second half.

The Tour that was done last year dubbed “Namutiima” will see Uganda Cranes do four regional tours in Masindi, Masaka, Arua and Kampala with two of these tours happening this year and the other two will take place next year.

Amid a growing interest in Rugby amongst Ugandans, Heineken, a worldwide partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, has kicked off its latest campaign ‘This is Rugby’ at Legends Rugby Club in Kampala.

The campaign aims to drive broader appeal of the games, by not only having live match views but also adding a first-class experience for Heineken consumers. In a statement released on friday evening, The Heineken Uganda National Sales Manager Nathan Akandwanaho noted that ;“Rugby World Cup 2015 is tipped to be the biggest ever. To celebrate, we want to give Ugandan fans the ultimate screen experience that brings another level of enjoyment to the tournament and really opens Rugby World Cup 2015.’’

In the run up to the final show down on 31^st October, Heineken Uganda will be hosting live screening events for fans across the country giving Rugby fans the chance to win exclusive Rugby merchandise.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup will be hosted in England and has been marked as one of the greatest sporting occasions of its kind.

With 31 men in each of the squads, there are a total of 620 players taking part in this tournament – it promises to be a spectacular event, laced with unpredictability.

The two African teams that qualified for the tournament are South Africa and Namibia.

Apple has said it is taking steps to remove malicious code added to a number of apps commonly used on iPhones and iPads in China.

It is thought to be the first large-scale attack on Apple’s App Store.

The hackers had created a counterfeit version of Apple’s software for building iOS apps, which it persuaded developers to download.

Apps compiled using the software could steal data about the users and send it to servers controlled by the hackers.

In addition, the attackers could send fake alerts to infected devices to trick their owners into revealing passwords and other information.

The infected applications includes Tencent’s hugely popular WeChat app, a music downloading app and an Uber-like car hailing app.

Some of the affected apps – including the business card scanner CamCard – are also available outside China.

An Apple spokeswoman said apps created using the counterfeit software, XcodeGhost, had now been removed from the App Store.

“We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps,” said Christine Monaghan.

Source: BBC

Government is to set to table election amendment bills that will see changes in nomination fees, polling times and permitting polling officers to vote.

This information is contained in a communication to Members of Parliament from the Office of the Clerk to Parliament notifying them about the recall of Parliament from recess.

The Clerk Mrs. Jane Kibirige said the House will, tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd September 2015 consider the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015; and the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

“This is to notify you that Parliament has been recalled and is scheduled to sit on Tuesday,22nd September 2015 at 10.00am to consider the bills,” the Clerk said in the communication.

The Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015 seeks to revise the nomination fees payable; to revise the facilitation provided for a presidential candidate; to remove the requirement for a candidate to campaign in every district; to provide for polling to close at 4.00pm on polling day and to require the Electoral Commission to provide for persons engaged in electoral activities or on duty in specific professions or areas vote.

The Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015 seeks to also revise the nomination fees; provide for closure of polls at 4.00pm and to provide for persons engaged in the electoral activities or on duty in specific professions or areas to vote.

Vodafone Uganda has registered 100,000 customers seven months since the telecommunications services provider launched in the Ugandan market in February 2015.

According to Vodafone Uganda CEO Allan Richardson, achieving this milestone in the first seven months of launching operations in Uganda is a demonstration of the confidence that Ugandans have in Vodafone’s products and services.

“We are ahead of schedule to be serving our 100,000th customer and delighted to be reaching this milestone so early in our business in a very competitive telecom market. Because our customers have chosen to trust us, we are making the commitment to continuously improve our product and service offering as well as our voice and data network,” he said.

For being the lucky 100,000^th customer, Ms. Harriet A. Okoed received 100,000MBs (100GB) of data valid till 31st Jan 2016.

In line with its commitment to deliver a good customer experience, Vodafone has also upgraded its voice and data network with the introduction of 3G data services in Entebbe and Kampala.

“We have improved and expanded our network coverage in and around Kampala and Entebbe with the introduction of 3G. And in the coming months, you can expect to see a lot of exciting products. We hope this will give our current customers an array of options to choose from and our potential customers more impetus to choose Vodafone,” Mr. Richardson said.

Vodafone Uganda launched its commercial operations in Uganda on February 9, 2015 offering both voice and 4G LTE high-speed data services. Vodafone’s 4G high-speed data services are currently available in Kampala and Entebbe with plans to expand its 4G footprint to other towns in Uganda.

MTN Uganda has announced a new tariff for their customers to call across all networks in Uganda.

With the new rate, MTN customers will enjoy the lowest call rate across all mobile numbers, to all networks across the country.

This new rate of Ush. 3/- per second takes effect immediately.

With this change, MTN has taken a bold step of reducing its call rates by 45.45 percent from Ushs. 5.5/- to Ushs. 3/-, at per second tariff rates.

Existing customers simply have to dial *151*2# to enjoy this new call rate while new customers will enjoy the new rates immediately upon activation of their new SIM cards.

The rate has also been reduced from 300/- down to 180/-per minute for Postpaid customers.

Together with MTN’s attractive Voice Bundle offering, Ugandans can now enjoy the most affordable calls to anyone they want to call, as long as they are connected to the MTN network.

According to the Chief Marketing Officer, Ms. Mapula Bodibe, the move is intended to offer customers more value, competitive rates and convenience.

“In a bid to offer even more value for our customers, MTN has taken the unprecedented decision this year to reduce the calling rates for Ugandans, at a time when most prices are escalating upwards,” she said.

“Customers are continually looking for value-adding offers to meet their needs for affordability. MTN understands its customers’ needs and is always looking at opportunities to offer competitively priced products and services to address their communication needs at the most affordable rates.   With this new offer, MTN customers will enjoy the lowest calling rates, to any local network and only pay for what they have used,” she added.

In addition, MTN will offer 7 minutes of free MTN to MTN calls for a 7 day period, for all new customers that activate a new MTN SIM card.

This offer is aimed as a welcome offer for new customers joining MTN.

Facts about this new tariff(s)

• 3/- per second across all networks.
  • Existing customers, dial *151*2@ to activate the 3/- per second
  • The rate is automatically activated on new SIM cards for new customers
• New SIM cards now come with;
  • 3/- per second default tariff
  • 7 minutes of free MTN to MTN calls
  • Free CallerTunez subscription
• Per Minute and Postpaid rate now at 180/- per minute

“MTN customers can now enjoy better choice and affordability whilst connecting with friends and family, either with the MTN 3/- per second tariff plan, an affordable, simple, and easy to understand price plan that allows them to call for less, or MTN Zone per second, the perfect price plan for those looking for attractive discounts on their calls,” concludes Bodibe

To enjoy the new call rates on MTN, customers can dial *151*2# and select the 3/- per second tariff plan tariff plan. New customers wanting to enjoy the new call rates can simply buy a new Sim card and join MTN.

Parliament yesterday, Tuesday 22nd September 2015, held a special sitting in which the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015; and the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015 were tabled.

The Bills were tabled by the Attorney General, Hon. Fred Ruhindi and received by Parliament at the first reading.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga assigned the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to consider the Bills.
The Speaker said that House will convene on Friday 25th September 2015 in which the Committee will be expected to deliver a report on the three Bills.

The Bills seek to revise the nomination fees payable; to revise the facilitation provided for a presidential candidate; to remove the requirement for a candidate to campaign in every district; to provide for polling to close at 4:00pm on polling day and to require the Electoral Commission to provide for persons engaged in electoral activities or on duty in specific professions or areas to vote.

It’s now confirmed that Ugandans in the UK are going to have the first ever comedy show this weekend on Saturday (September 26th) at the newly refurbished White House along Barking Road in a red carpet event.

Uganda comedians led by Hebert Ssegujja aka Mendo, Afande Kerekere and MC Kapale departed for London last night.

Sources reveal that this is going to be the first time for these comedians to perform live for Ugandans in the Diaspora.

Mendo is the only exception having travelled out of the country when he went to the US for a short comedy course.

We have learnt that UK based seasoned promoter Mosh Alim changed the trend this time to take comedians instead of Ugandan musicians because they had become less popular to UK based Ugandan partiers.

Meanwhile we have learnt that he has only added Singer Diana Nalubega to the crew to beef up the event that will also have other UK based Ugandan artistes performing.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon Rebecca Kadaga on Monday 21st September 2015 received Dr. Uchenna Emelonye the new Country Director, United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

During the meeting, Dr. Emelonye expressed interest in working with Parliament, especially in areas of Human Rights. He cited legislations like the Anti- Terrorism Bill and the recent NGO Bill as areas of interest.

“I would like to work with Parliament as there is a presumption that they have passed laws that violate human rights. We will be glad to offer any kind of help in regards to human rights activities and bills. I have also realized that some recently passed Bills indeed violate human rights”, he explained.

The Speaker in response informed the Country Director that Parliament had a Committee on Human Rights and they had developed a checklist to be used in assessing Bills that are presented before Parliament.

“We have a checklist generated by the Committee on Human Rights. I am not sure if other committees use it but it is there. I definitely agree with you that an extra eye and ear would be good,” she said.

The Speaker further informed the director that the Attorney General should be in position to send him the Bills for advice before they are passed. “It is also advisable for you to send the agreements to the legislature and Judiciary as compared to just dealing with the Executive,” she added.

Dr. Emelonye pledged to work hand in hand with the government and requested that the Speaker opens her office to them at all times. “The office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is willing to support the government of Uganda and provide advisory services,” he said.

Dr. Uchenna Emelonye brings to this office over a decade of practicing and programming experience as a human rights attorney

Today, 23 September marked the official launch of the GroFin Small and Growing Businesses (SGB) Fund.

It aims to catalyse sustainable job creation through supporting small and growing businesses in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa and Egypt.

The Fund aims to support over 9,800 under-served entrepreneurs and help create 47,000 sustainable jobs across Africa over the next 10 years.

The Fund has initial commitments of US$100 million, expected to grow to US$150 million in two years, making it one of the largest funds specifically targeting SMEs in Africa.

This follows on the fully invested US$170 million GroFin Africa Fund.

The Fund was co-created by GroFin, a pioneering SME development financier, Shell Foundation (an independent charity), the German development bank KfW, the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries, Norfund, and the Dutch government through the Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF).

The Fund seeks to address the different market barriers faced by African entrepreneurs with an integrated solution of patient growth finance, tailored business support, and access to markets.

Based on the viability of an entrepreneur’s business and growth plans, and not the availability of collateral, entrepreneurs can access loans ranging from US$100,000 to US$1.5 million for a period between two and six years.

The launch hosted international representatives of the public, private and non-governmental sectors interested in learning how the Fund can spur inclusive economic growth through supporting Africa’s SME sector.

Notable guests included the Honourable Shem Bagaine, Minister of State for East African Affairs, Mr. Günter Nooke, the German Chancellor’s Personal Representative for Africa and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Commissioner for Africa, Dr. Peter Blomeyer, German Ambassador to 0Uganda, Dr. Klaus Müller, KfW Director, Mr. Hans Peter van der Woude, Head of Development Cooperation and Economic Affairs of the Netherlands Embassy, Dr. William Kalema, former Shell Foundation Trustee and Dr., Margaret Blick Kigozi, current Shell Foundation Trustee.

Featured speakers included Mr Nooke, Dr. Müller, Shell Foundation’s former trustee, Dr. William Kalema, Norfund’s East Africa Regional Director Mr. Kjartan Stigen, Mr. Anton Koonstra on behalf of the Manager of DGGF and GroFin Group CEO Jurie Willemse. The keynote address by Mr. Nooke reinforced the importance of investing in emerging markets.

GroFin operates fully staffed offices in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, and Nigeria.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir has written to the Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, informing him and members of his government that it is time for Ugandan troops to leave the country.

South Sudanese deputy minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Peter Bashir Gbandi, told members of the national legislative assembly on Tuesday that president Kiir had started talking to his Ugandan counterpart on the necessity to start withdrawal of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in accordance with the security arrangements stipulated in the peace agreement.

The peace deal which was signed in August by president Kiir and his rival, Riek Machar, demanded withdrawal of all foreign forces from South Sudan within 45 days of the signing of the accord.

“The issue of withdrawal of the Ugandan forces in the country has been left to the president and already the office of the president and the ministry of defence had started discussions with authorities in Uganda. Our president has written to Uganda president and today (Tuesday) and I am going to meet the president over the matter,” Gbandi told reporters after addressing legislators on Tuesday.

At the recent workshop in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, attended by senior officers from the rival armies, they agreed that the withdrawal of the UPDF should start on 27 September and end on 10 October.

The second top diplomat at the foreign affairs ministry affirmed commitment of the government to the full implementation of the peace deal and readiness to resolving differences through peaceful dialogue.

“We believe as the government, particularly our president General Salva Kiir Mayardit that issues on which there are differences should be resolved through dialogue in an atmosphere free from violence and intimidation, and in a manner that would enable broad-based ownership and acceptance of the outcome of political dialogue,” he said.

Gbandi further stressed that this was why the president came back for consultations with the people instead of signing the peace agreement in Addis Ababa in August.

“So I would like to assure that the government and the leadership of the country is fully committed to support the president in the implementation of this peace [agreement] and all of us should not spare any efforts to stand with him in the implementation,” he further appealed.

Ugandan troops in thousands entered the country in December 2013 per invitation by president Kiir to help fight the opposition fighters led by Machar.

They have been mainly protecting the national capital, Juba and Bor, the state capital of Jonglei, 200km from Juba.

Source: South Sudan Tribune(ST)

BY HAJJI NSEREKO MUTUMBA

Yesterday, the Muslim community celebrated Eid Al Adhuha (Feast of Sacrifice).

This Eid is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. 

It is celebrated every year on the 10^th day of the Islamic Month of Dhul Hijja, and it is observed one day after the holy day of Arafat.

Eid al-Adhuha also known as the greater Eid is observed in remembrance of Ibrahim A.S’s willingness to sacrifice his son out of faith in Allah and Allah’s mercy on humanity.

Ibrahim (A.S) also known as the “grandfather of believers” was a very strong believer in Allah to the extent that he once sacrificed all the animals he had in the name of Allah and committed himself to sacrificing a child if he had one.

After some time, Allah blessed him with a son Ismail and one day, he had a dream in which Allah asked him to fulfill his commitment of sacrificing a child in the name of Allah.

This is how Allah narrates this event in the Holy Quran:

“Then when (the son) Reached (the age of) (Serious) work with him He said: “Oh my son! I see in vision That I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is Thy view!” (The son) said: “Oh my father! Do As thou art commanded: Thou wilt find me, If Allah so wills one Practicing patience and constancy!”

So when they had both Submitted their wills (to Allah), And he had laid him Prostrate on his forehead (For sacrifice),

We called out to him, “Oh Abraham!”

“Thou hast already fulfilled The vision!” thus indeed Do We reward Those who do right.

For this was obviously A trial

And We ransomed him With a momentous sacrifice” Quran 37:102-107

In his attempt to sacrifice his son Ismail, the devil/Satan tried to distract him and dissuade him from following Allah’s command.

He stopped him 3 times to try to dissuade him.  In each of these spots there is a pillar (more recently replaced by long walls to accommodate large crowds during Hajj) which represents the devil.

The angel Gibril told Ibrahim to pelt Shaitan with pebbles/stones which he did at each of these three spots.

Pilgrims throw stones at the devil in defiance of him and in steadfastness to Allah.  They throw them at the pillars of course which represent Shaitan.

The devil had also attempted to incite Ismail and his mother into rebelling against Ibrahim A.S but their faith in Allah could not be weakened by the devil’s maneuvers.

Allah’s replacement of Ismail with a Ram was a clear message that he will only accept animal sacrifices and this is why Muslim slaughter sheep, goats, cows and camels for Eid al-Adhuha.

One of the special things about Eid Al Adhuha is that by sacrificing animals on the Eid day and the following three days, Muslims get great rewards from Allah.

Aisha (R.A) reports that the Prophet (PBUH) said,

“The son of Adam does not perform any actions on the day of sacrifice which is more pleasing to Allah than the shedding of blood. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgment with its horns, hair, and hooves. The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground – (Tirmizi).

Among the reasons why we sacrifice animals are:

• A way of fearing Allah. This bring us near to Allah and it is a fulfillment of Allah’s command in which we are commanded to pray and sacrifice for Allah’s sake  – “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]” Quran 108:2
• To continue the tradition started by Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) who had been commanded by Allah to slaughter his son Ismail only to be sent a Ram which he slaughtered in Ismail’s place.
• A source of happiness in families. During this day, there is praising Allah, sacrifice and giving charity to the needy.
• Thanking Allah for taming animals for us as he says in the Holy Quran 22:37 that; “Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good”.

In addition to the rewards from Allah, we also learn great lessons from the Eid Al Adhuha festival and if applied, our families would be highly prosperous both morally and materially.

Prophet Ibrahim’s family had great and never fading faith in Allah to the extent that they were willing and ready to part with their best belongings including their son if that is what it would take to thank Allah and to earn His Mercy.

Ibrahim A.S may have been Allah’s messenger but was not arrogant as some of today’s leaders or fathers who want to be worshipped like Allah. Before attempting to slaughter his son Ismail as per the dream/vision, he first briefed him about the situation and even sought Ismail’s view on it. This is an attribute that is missing in many families and communities worldwide yet if we adopt it, our families and societies will be stronger and safer.

Attempts by the devils to turn Prophet Ibrahim’s family members against each other and ultimately against Allah, were futile because they were united as a family and they had Allah’s protection courtesy of their strong belief in Allah.

If the young people of today were to be as God fearing and humble as Ismail, the world would be full of peace and prosperity.

Finally, in whatever we do, we should remember that dialogue is paramount at all levels of leadership.

Uganda’s well known comedian Alex Muhangi is full of beans after reaping big from his UK Comedy tour.

Our snoops have revealed that Alex, hosted the Ugandan UK convection  where he aired rib cracking jokes that left Ugandans in Diaspora yearning for more.

“To know that Alex nailed it, the day’s guest of honor, Nabagereka Sylvia Nagginda laughed out loud  and ended up giving Alex 1000pounds,” reveals the snoop.

The snoop further revealed that ; Alex Muhangi was chosen to be part of the Letgirlslearn Michelle Obama Campaign.

He also performed in the Biggest Comedy Club in Manchester “The Comedy Store” then other fully attended shows in Birmingham , The Glee Club and in Cardiff City.

Alex Muhangi is a professional sound engineer and a comedian who has performed in countries like UK, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and many more.

He is the boss of Bukoto based Master Records.

Uganda has today introduced a 3 shillings plan which allows its pre-paid customers on the Airtel network to opt for the new tariff.

Commenting on the new tariff, Airtel Uganda Marketing Director, Mr. Prasoon Lal said, “With the 3 shillings tariff plan Airtel Customers on this plan will enjoy making calls to Airtel subscribers and all other local networks excluding international networks. Customers can join the plan by dialing *100*11#.”

Commenting further, Mr. Lal said, “Airtel customers on this plan still have a great advantage of making cheaper on net calls by subscribing to any pakalast bundle.”

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