Watchdog Uganda
Maj Gen Igumba was speaking at the closure of the Ideological Orientation Symposium for Medical Personnel of the UPDF that has been taking place at the Senior Officers Diagnostics Centre, Mbuya where he called upon the participants to always seek for more information and knowledge especially ideological education to rejuvenate their spirits and remain inspired in their line of service.
In his presentation that centered on Institutional Consciousness, the Chief Political Commissar of the UPDF, Hon. Maj Gen Henry Masiko reminded the participants that the foundation of the UPDF is the People and as such medical personnel are part of the formation of the People’s Army and the People centered ideology guides their engagement.
The participants for the Chieftaincy of Medical Services were called upon to maintain the image of the army through timely information whose success story demands that they have a duty to sustain the success of the UPDF. This message was contained in a presentation made by veteran journalist, Tony Geoffrey Owana who reminded them that the UPDF took the lead in breaking the barriers especially in the fight against the HIV/AIDS scourge.
The symposium was attended by the Chief of Medical Services, Maj Gen Ambrose Musinguzi, the Director Medical Services, Brig Gen Dr Stephen Kusasira, the Director Mental Health, Brig Gen Dr Patrick Ochen, Directors, Senior Officers and medical personnel of the UPDF.
]]>Minister Babalanda tightens fight on graft, issues public toll-free line to report corrupt officials at Office of the Presidenthttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210808/118838/minister-babalanda-tightens-fight-on-graft-issues-public-toll-free-line-to-report-corrupt-officials-at-office-of-the-president.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 10:32:58 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118838In a bid to bridge gaps in communication between the public and the office of the President, line Minister Milly Babalanda has issued a toll-free telephone number for the public to report graft and poor service delivery direct to her office.The move is part of the minister’s pledged to intensify the fight against corruption and improving service delivery at the ministry whose leadership she officially assumed just last month.
The notice, since seen by this publication will be publicly displayed at the offices of Residential District/ City Commissioners ( RDCs/RCCs), District Internal Security Officers(DISOs), and notice boards at the different District Headquarters.
The directive has been received by both RDC Secretariate boss Maj. Martha Asiimwe and Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Director-General Charles Oluka who have been instructed to help in it’s implementation.
There have been widespread complaints directed towards the minister concerning illicit activities such as corruption and abuse of office involving some junior staff at the various agencies under the Presidency.
Giving direct access to the ministry is expected to drastically facilitate and improve information flow, which will, in turn, help the protracted fight against graft among the officials at the ministry.
While receiving instruments of power from her predecessor Esther Mbayo last month, Babalanda emphasised that weeding out corruption and incompetence would form the backbone of his administration at the presidency.
]]>I’m still madly in love with Nina Roz- Daddy Andre shockingly revealshttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/entertainment/showbiz/20210808/118847/im-still-madly-in-love-with-nina-roz-daddy-andre-shockingly-reveals.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 10:27:52 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118847Music Producer/singer Andrew Ojambo famously known as Daddy Andre has revealed that he and estranged lover Nina Roz are still together and in love.In an interview with a local Youtuber, the singer of “Tugende Mu Church†debunked claims that he had split up with Nina Roz and replaced her with rising vocalist Shakirah Shakiraa.
As Shakirah pointed out, Andre denied ever having a hookup with her.
Both Andre and Nina agreed to let the public assume they had split up, even though they are still together up to date.
“Me and Nina are still together, we just let you Journalists believe that we are broken up. You have worked so hard to tarnish my name with fake news of me sleeping with Shakirah but I do not care,†Andre said.
Nina, on the other hand, has been heard criticizing men in prior interviews, claiming that she was heartbroken by Daddy Andre, with whom she divorced after only a few months of marriage.
Nina went on to say that she is currently depressed as a result of Andre’s adultery, which caused her heart to break. As a result, she made it obvious that she had no intention of falling in love anytime soon.
“I’m not in any relationship now and I’m focusing on music, so I won’t say I am single and searching, I’m married to music officially, so my fellow girls don’t rush to engage in relationship, take time to study and understand the person you want to settle with, and don’t be comfortable because you are being loved anytime men can change, so believe in yourself,†Nina said recently.
“To you men, I am not ready to fall in love so leave me, I want to first heal from the depression I am going through.â€
Andre’s statement suggests that he is still deeply in love with Nina Roz, despite the fact that she is now acts uninterested.
]]>Black Market Records wants to steal my song, Bruno K cries outhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/entertainment/showbiz/20210808/118843/black-market-records-wants-to-steal-my-song-bruno-k-cries-out.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 10:17:25 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118843Singer Bruno Kiggundu aka Bruno K is involved in a contract dispute with Black market Records.According to the artiste, the battle is likely to get deep if the record label don’t keep off his rightly owned song.
“Shame Upon you BLACK MARKET RECORDS. You people want to steal my song in broad day light. You went ahead to upload a demo that isn’t mixed or mastered on your YouTube channel and you call that being professional?†Bruno K complained via his Facebook page on Saturday.
†Ladies and gentlemen if you check out the audio on my YouTube channel its way different in terms of sound compared to what these guys uploaded. It clearly shows that the producer gave me the well mixed and mastered project coz I own it. Am not going to let you guys steal from me what belongs to me. Am going to expose you guys. I feel sorry for Ava peace, Uga Boys, kvaan and so many more whose YouTube channels you took all in the name of greed.â€
Bruno K further revealed that his contract with the record label ended some time back but he doesn’t know why they are claiming a song that doesn’t belong to them.
]]>Furious Minister Babalanda orders arrest of State House, Presidency office impostors promising juicy jobs in exchange for cashhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210808/118833/furious-minister-babalanda-orders-arrest-of-state-house-presidency-office-impostors-promising-juicy-jobs-in-exchange-for-cash.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 09:49:58 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118833A dangerous racket involving people purporting to be staff at State House and Office of the presidency has been busted, prompting Presidency Minister Milly Babirye Babalanda to swing into action.The group, we have learned, has been asking unsuspecting Ugandans for large sums of money on promises that they would help them get juicy deployments mainly under the Office of the President.
The yet to be effected reshuffle among the Residential District/ City Commissioners (RDC’s/RCCs) have been mainly targetted by the group to fleece unsuspecting Ugandans.
Otherw targeted by the conmen are Coordinators under the Office of the NRM National Chairman(ONC), Politicians who failed in the recent general election, civil servants and members of the business community.
According to the ministry, none of it’s staff has been mandated to solicit for bribes in exchange for deployment, neither is there a mechanism requiring for lobbying for jobs since all deployments are solely given on merit.
As such, Babalanda has asked police to investigate the allegations and bring the culprits to book.
She has also called upon members of the public to report any information that may lead to the arrest of such unscrupulous people.
Similarly, the minister has issued a toll-free line at the ministry for the public to report all cases of corruption and shoddy service delivery directly to her office. This, she says will help in bridging the information gap between her ministry and the public and also boost efficiency in service delivery.
]]>Sorrow as top UPDF boss passes onhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210808/118825/sorrow-as-top-updf-boss-passes-on.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 09:35:13 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118825Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)’s Maj Gen Stephen Tumusiime Rwabantu has passed on.Maj Gen Rwabantu has been the Deputy Commander of UPDF Reserve Force.
He died from Kampala hospital after a short illness.
Rwabantu,RO/00081 joined the bush war in 1981 together with Brig. Taban Kyabihende after the two defected from the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) barracks in Bugolobi.
During the bushwar, Rwabantu was nicknamed “Gonyaâ€, crocodile due to his bravery in repulsing the enemy.
“I have learnt with great sorrow of the passing of Gen. Stephen T. Rwabantu ‘Gonya’ (RO/0081), a war hero & comrade for many years. Always understanding & a true gentleman. He will be missed. My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends & the UPDF fraternity. #RIP Comrade. HT, †Former Security Minister Lt.Gen. Henry Tumukunde mourned.
]]>Judiciary advised to adopt virtual platforms to work on election petitions before its too latehttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210808/118817/judiciary-advised-to-adopt-virtual-platforms-to-work-on-election-petitions-before-its-too-late.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 09:05:05 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118817Recently, the judiciary warned that there is a looming constitutional crisis that may arise over delayed hearing and disposal of election petitions at the High Court due to Covid-19 lockdown that has paralyzed court business.However, following the partial easing of the lockdown, the judiciary came out committing to equip all the upcountry High Court circuits with technology so that election petitions are handled.
“We are aware that we are running out of time, but we are looking at ways of how to avert it. There is no need to worry. If the physical hearings cannot take place, we have been developing technology in all our High Court circuits as a remedy to that,†Mr. Jameson Karemani the judiciary spokesperson said while addressing the press.
Although the Judiciary may have first tracked and prioritized elections petitions, it may take time to finish them in time if it does not enhance other courts with more technology of virtuality since the practice demands hearing and disposing-off petition cases within the election year.
In the recently concluded 2021 general elections, there are 104 parliamentary and 49 local council election petitions as compared to the 2016 general elections that attracted 85 parliamentary and 135 local council electoral petitions.
Since the practice states the all-electoral petitions must be heard within the year of the election, the judiciary has only four months to work and finished up all the 153 petitions.
However, according to Henry A. Muguzi, the Executive Director of Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), four-month may not be enough given that even in the previous elections, petitions haven’t been concluded in a record time often spread across the 5-year term.
“Going by the trends and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, many aggrieved electoral participants especially the candidates and electorate, risk failing to access electoral justice if the Judiciary doesn’t consider adjusting to embrace e-justice as the new normal. It will be an injustice on them, â€Muguzi said in a 5th August letter.
He also advised that the judiciary must embrace and adopt the use of virtual platforms to adjudicate court cases because it’s becoming evident that the Covid-19 situation is not about to end soon as countries battle different waves of the pandemic.
“We advocate for the judiciary to extend powers of adjudicating election petitions to the lower courts at the district level to quickly expand the petitions. As of now, only the High courts at the regional level are mandated to hear election petitions.â€
Muguzi also encouraged and advised the courts/judiciary to put in place electoral tribunals to handle matters of elections that will also address overwhelming court cases and backlog.
“Like the way, William E. Gladstone in 1842 asserts that “justice delayed is justice denied. The perpetual delay of electoral justice to candidates and the electorate is a denial of their rights. It is unfair to conduct an election in the covid-19 pandemic and fail to adjudicate election petitions in election aftermath due to lockdown.â€
]]>JOHN MARY ODOY: Who will end corruption in Uganda? https://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210808/118815/john-mary-odoy-who-will-end-corruption-in-uganda.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 08:31:16 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118815Corruption in Uganda is like the water hyacinth/weed which invaded Lake Victoria and never left even with such great efforts put in to get rid of it. Recently it attacked the dam in Jinja as a floating Island.The title of Mr. Onyango Obbos article “Corruption in Uganda is too big to fail. Discuss†of 14th July, 2021 in the Monitor newspaper reminds me of the kind of questions we were subjected to at High school (“A†level). I am not sure if I will do the discussion but I should say that the title is very relevant today in this country and in his article he makes very interesting quotations which I couldn’t agree more with, thus“ Obote was in control of the government but not the army while M7 is in charge of the army but not the government†also “Things are now getting beyond M7’s control. Even if you steal a ministry’s entire budget, he can’t do anything about itâ€.
In reference to these statements, Onyango Obbo notes that corruption has reached absurd levels and that corruption in Uganda has become too big to fail. These statements seem to speak to the reality in the country.
Friends, if I may remind you, during the swearing in ceremonies of Mr.Museveni Yoweri as president in 2016 and 2021 one of the key messages that was notable in his speeches was the resolve to fight and eradicate corruption. The tone of the messages indicated seriousness.
One would expect things to be done as stated by the president. The M&E spirit in me got me interested in following what would happen after the pronouncements.
Five years down the road, the “kisanja hakuna mukyezo†became “kisanja hakuna actionâ€. Corruption has continued to occur and one may say that it has even deepened in the country. The glaring truth is that the president failed to control corruption in the past 5 years and his statement about a resolve to fight corruption post 2021 inauguration seemed a mere rhetoric.
The media has often shared information about corruption cases in the country, many of which are the base for which it is believed that the talk about ending corruption is rhetoric.
The president, I believe, receives reports about corruption in the various institutions and departments but no action is seen. Sometimes the perpetrators and culprits are not put to task but instead they seem to be protected, yet Objective XXVI (iii) of the constitution of Uganda clearly states that “All lawful measures shall be taken to expose, combat and eradicate corruption and abuse or misuse of power by those holding political and other public officesâ€.
This is very disappointing and for the president to merely look on and subject people to unending suffering is an indicator that people of this country don’t matter. In this country the president’s word regarding mishandling of political opposition and dissenting views is taken for law and attracts enforcement with lethal weapons. Those energies, if subjected to addressing corruption, would definitely result in a corruption free country.
The recent report from the Auditor General revealed many things that went wrong with the funds released for various activities including management of the COVID 19 challenge. If it was not theft of the money and other resources what was the reason for failure to put the money to its rightful use? If the holders of those offices are incompetent, are there no mechanisms to deal with the deficiency? I felt a lot of pain when the President was lamenting over the failed delivery of 42,000 ICU beds. A president lamenting!
Onyango is right to note that the president is challenged with the control of government but let me quickly add that this seems deliberate. He has also to some extent failed to control the military and other security forces especially in reference to forest destruction and land evictions. Bugoma Forest is fast disappearing under the protection and supervision of the military, land grabbing is often done with protection and support from the security forces. This is dangerous.
As a member and leader of Transparency International Uganda, a prominent anti-corruption movement, it is appalling to note that Uganda is persistently perceived as one of the most corrupt countries on the globe yet with several and excellent anti-corruption instruments. Since 2017 the Global Corruption index put Uganda among the 30 most corrupt countries in the world out of 180 countries, with a score of around 26% every year. In East Africa Uganda is also badly positioned behind Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.
According to TIUs observation and the several studies conducted by various players, the leaders of Uganda are good at rhetoric on corruption eradication but lack the will to do so. If Denmark and Norway can score so highly globally, Botswana in Africa and Rwanda in East Africa, it is very possible for Uganda to do so. Yes, corruption can be eradicated.
Finally, President Museveni will NOT fight corruption alone. It is your duty and my duty as citizens of this country to get involved in eradicating corruption. Article 17(1)(i) of the Constitution of Uganda which states “ It is the duty of every citizen to combat corruption and misuse or wastage of public property“ mandates us to be involved in the fight against corruption.
I would like to encourage you all to use your powers as per Article 1 and other provisions in the law, to demand for action against corruption through asking hard questions, request for accountability of genuine utilization of public resources, carryout for peaceful and legally allowable demonstrations to demand for action against corruption.
John Mary Odoy
Senior citizen, Board Chairperson TIU and an Advocate for Good Governance
Tel. 0782457990, johnmary.ceon@gmail.com
After spending almost a year working on the album, it’s clear that this musician has work ethic, flexibility, and talent based on the production and lyrics showcased on the album.
Benda’s 17 track album is available on all digital music platforms worldwide and it costs Shs35000 on mpakarecords.co.ug.
“This album has been an exciting challenge to me. I wanted to show the world what I am made of from what my fans were use to and show them new sounds and genres. I wanted to do something for everyone,†said Ykee Benda during the album reveal event at Mpaka Records on Friday.
“Working on this album has been a thrilling challenge for me. Rather of relying on what my audience had come to expect from me, I sought new sounds and genres. In announcing the album, Ykee Benda remarked, “I wanted to do something for everyone.â€
“Mi Amor†is one of the love songs on the album. ‘Liso ku Liso,’ which features Dre Cali, who is signed to his label Mpaka Records, and ‘Sweet,’ ‘Control me,’ ‘Umbrella,’ ‘Complique,’ which features Congo’s ‘Gaz Mawete,’ and ‘Million Dollar,’ which features Kiff No Beat with BIT on the beat among others.
]]>‘We are extremely proud of you’, First Lady Museveni tells Uganda Olympics teamhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210808/118789/we-are-extremely-proud-of-you-first-lady-museveni-tells-uganda-olympics-team.html Sun, 08 Aug 2021 06:44:44 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118789For the first time Uganda has won more than two medals in the same Olympics games.The 2020 Olympics games are ongoing in Tokyo, Japan and Uganda has so far won 4 medals.
Joshua Cheptegei, who won gold in the men’s 5,000m final inside the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, was hailed for his remarkable performance.
He also won a silver medal in the 10,000m final last week. In addition, he holds the current world records in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m events, respectively.
Peruth Chemutai also won a gold medal in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, making her the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic medal.
Jacob Kiplimo also won an Olympic bronze medal in the 10,000m.
Following the milestone, the First Lady of Uganda also Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataha Museveni congratulated Team Uganda for making the East African country proud.
“Your excellent achievement has raised Uganda’s flag high in the globe and brought honor, pride, and joy to your nation. I congratulate you all.We are so proud of you,†the First Lady said.
“They were recognized for their preparation and hard work despite the tough circumstances of the COVID-19 epidemic. Congratulations to all Ugandans, athletes, and sportspersons, she added.
In addition, the First Lady praised and thanked President Yoweri Museveni and the Government for their continued support of sports, especially in the tough times, and for ensuring that Team Uganda could go to Tokyo to compete at the Olympic Games.
]]>
0 Response to "Watchdog Uganda"
Post a Comment