Watchdog Uganda
This was during a meeting on Tuesday , with the Bunyoro Caucus leaders led by the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja at State House Entebbe.
Through their memorandum of understanding on behalf of the people of Bunyoro read by their chairperson, Hon. Karubanga Jacob, MP Kibanda South Constituency, they presented the need for the operationalisation of a public university of Earth and Applied Sciences in the Bunyoro sub region, a move they say will foster and create opportunities for technological and economical transformation through research and innovation.
President Museveni said his concept is to have zonal universities in the country and advised that a task force should be set up to guide on the courses that will not only help the students but also the country.
“Let us not have white elephant courses. Let us have courses that will help these children and the country to have innovation skills,†he said.
He noted that children should always be guided to do courses that will meet the world demand, not the ones that will leave them on the streets after school. He gave an example of Mbarara University which is concentrating on Sciences and creating change.
Mr. Museveni appealed to the leaders in Bunyoro and the country at large, to support his integrated efforts of eradicating poverty and increasing household incomes for economic transformation.
He urged the leaders to go parish by parish to audit the wanainch on their efforts to leave subsistence agriculture and join a commercial economy.
He saluted the people of Bunyoro for supporting him and all the NRM leaders in the recently concluded elections.
The Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja thanked the President for the time and strategic developments in the Bunyoro sub region. She said that with a public university in the region, it will support the country’s social economic transformation.
In 2015 Parliament of Uganda passed a resolution urging the government to start public universities in Lira, Soroti, Kabale, Busoga and Bunyoro among others.
]]> Deputy Speaker Anita Among asks African, Asian MPs to promote gender equality https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210817/119457/deputy-speaker-anita-among-asks-african-asian-mps-to-promote-gender-equality.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 18:17:10 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119457 The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has committed Parliament of Uganda’s support to follow up recommendations agreed to at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) Summit in Kenya.At the 2019 summit, countries made a case for scaled-up investment, and moving the world towards achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
The Deputy Speaker told a meeting of African and Asian Parliamentarians at the Kampala Serena Hotel on Tuesday, 17 August 2021, that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, which in Uganda caused a lockdown including closure of schools, affected the growth of the girl-child.
“Teen pregnancies have been on the rise particularly during the COVID situation. With the schools closed, girls have been conceiving at home because they do not go to school. A lot has to be done to talk to the teenage girls,†Among said.
“Attention must be paid to the deepening of inequalities on the continent and to ensure that the human rights of the most marginalised left behind, are protected,†the Deputy Speaker added.
The three-day meeting organised by the Asian Population and Development Association in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund is a follow up on the ICPD25 commitments.
She also said that whilst the world still had unfinished business with the ICPD commitments made at the first meeting in 1994, the Parliament of Uganda was playing a key role through legislation and appropriation, where women and youth groups have been funded.
“As you go back to your respective Parliaments, please ensure that you make strong laws that protect the women and youth, make appropriation of monies that support marginalised persons and carry out oversight to make sure these monies are used for the right purpose,†Among told the meeting.
The Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said that as the population grows, its demands increase thus the need for MPs in Africa and Asia to advance the lives of their constituents through legislation.
Dr Jotham Musinguzi, the Director General of National Population Council observed that many recommendations of the ICPD remained a distant reality.
]]> Grief as Gen Pecos Kutesa dies days after retiring from army https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210817/119447/grief-as-gen-pecos-kutesa-dies-days-after-retiring-from-army.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 15:20:58 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119447 Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa has passed on.This has been confirmed by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Spokesperson Brig Flavia Byekwaso.
“UPDF fraternity regrets to announce the passing on of Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa which occurred today in India,†UPDF spokesperson, Brig Byekwaso said on Tuesday.
Gen Kutesa is among the generals who early this month retired from the army.
The 65 year old senior army officer had earlier on suffered kidney complications.
He was a key figure in the National Resistance Army/Movement bush war that brought President Yoweri Museveni into power.
The former NRA guerrilla combatant became a member of the Uganda Constituent Assembly in 1995 before representing the UPDF in Parliament.
Gen Kutesa has also been the Chief of military doctrine of the armed forces.
]]> BREAKING: Minister Babalanda Suspends UPPC Board, Orders Graft Investigations https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210817/119445/breaking-minister-babalanda-suspends-uppc-board-orders-graft-investigations.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 12:56:15 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119445 Minister for Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda has suspended the Board of the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) and ordered for investigations amid corruption and mismanagement allegations.The minister made the declaration during a work visit to the corporation offices today, Tuesday 17.
There has been reports in the media of mega corruption scandals at the Entebbe based parastatal, with the most recent being one reported by Mulengera News, where Technocrats at the Corporation are reported to have connived to swindle Shs 100 million to rent offices already owned by them.
In her instruction to the management and Board members, Babalanda noted that the officials had attempted to edit some important documents with the aim of misdirecting the investigations. She however informed them out rightly that her office was aware of all the fraud reported.
The officials are also alleged to have embezzled billions of tax payers’ money in fraudulent procurement of printing machinery, including the HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press whose price is said to have grossly been over exaggerated from the shs 800m market price to over shs 1.4bn.
The Minister has also tentatively halted any procurement process without her express permission pending investigations.
She however extended an olive branch to embattled administrators to admit wrong doing, return the money stolen by Monday next week in exchange for amnesty.
]]> SIMON KIMOYI: Why Kenyan polls trigger regional tension from Uganda https://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210817/119442/simon-kimoyi-why-kenyan-polls-trigger-regional-tension-from-uganda.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 10:40:14 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119442 Early indicators are that the two major contenders in the forthcoming Kenyan presidential election sharply relate differently with the veteran Ugandan leader, Yoweri Museveni.Incumbent Deputy President William Ruto is a protagonist. Raila Odinga of the opposition Orange Democratic Movementâ€"ODM, is an antagonist. DP Ruto has, for the last five years been a regular visitor in Kampala, meeting President Museveni with whom he closely associates. Suspicious, the Kenyan government recently blocked Ruto’s further trips to Kampala. It also arrested and deported his business associate, Hurun Aydin, a Turkish. Mr Aydin who was returning from Kampala was ostensibly prevented from briefing Ruto. Nairobi further deported Dr Paul Bamutaze, a Ugandan presumed intermediary between Museveni-Ruto and Aydin, who is an avowed member of the ruling NRM party. Dr Bamutaze has since contested this action at the regional East African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania.
Tough rhetoric underway
Top leaders of the opposition ODM in Kenya and of NRM in Uganda are apparently throwing tough rhetoric against each other. In a national security briefing of August 14, 2021 president Museveni condemned those conducting the policy of illegal deportations. This was precisely targeting Nairobi. Earlier, in Nairobi, opposition ODM MPs had used the parliamentary floor to fault Uganda’s record on media freedom, democracy and human rights as not something worth emulating in the region. In Kampala, the NRM Secretary General, Richard Twodong swiftly responded with a lengthy missive protesting the attacks by the Kenyan politicians. He regretted Kenya’s violent elections of 2007 in which over 1,000 people died as an historical regional heartbreak.
Is it do or die for Museveni, Odinga?
The outcome of next year’s Kenyan election presents a significant fate for both Museveni and Odinga. For Museveni, 77, it pushes for his very sensitive desire to gain a soft landing ground in Arusha Tanzania as the maiden regional leader. This is the only thing delaying his retirement from Uganda’s State House, which he only has to achieve within the next five years or never. For Odinga, 76, this is the single remaining opportunity for a successful attempt at Kenya’s presidency or never.
It is, therefore, natural and obvious that Museveni has already identified his regular visitor William Ruto to be his favorite. Unlike the ODM leader, Raila Odinga, who, apparently has already been endorsed by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto is openly advocating for Museveni as the best regional statesman to assume leadership at Arusha. It is also natural and obvious that Ruto’s support cannot go entirely for free. It is a quid-pro-quo. A scratch my back and I, yours. To this end, Kenyans are wary of a possible Museveni direct indulgence in their election and drawing from experience, make it bloodily violent.
Can repeat history be averted?
In 2007, Kenyans suspected Museveni of deploying the Ugandan military to wreak havoc on behalf of then incumbent leader Mwai Kibaki against Raila Odinga. They responded by destroying rail lines connecting Uganda and Kenya. They disabled cargo transits to Uganda and paralyzed regional economies in Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC. For this and more reasons, Raila Odinga is uncomfortable with Museveni. On his many visits in Kampala he has openly avoided Museveni and rather opted for the Kabaka of Buganda. He, in 2016 mediated between opposition leaders Dr Kiiza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi to form a joint presidential candidate against Museveni. The talks, however, collapsed, making the Ugandan opposition lose out.
Have Kenyatta and Museveni fallen out?
What started as a cozy relationship between Museveni and Kenyatta nearly a decade ago, looks presently faded. The relationship was anchored upon Africa’s protests to the International Criminal Court’s perceived selective approach towards errant conduct of African leaders. Kenyatta was considering not to respond to the ICC’s summons over his role in the 2007 violence. Museveni was strongly urging him on. But once the ICC threat was effectively mitigated with Kenyatta featuring at The Hague without any major incident, Museveni’s significance reduced. Upset, Museveni moved to cancel the plan for a joint oil pipeline from Hoima in Western Uganda to Lamu in Kenya. He redirected the project to Tanzania’s Sea Port of Tanga. Kampala also gradually reduced reliance on Kenya’s Sea Port of Mombasa for cargo shipment, shifting to Tanzania’s Tanga and Dar-As-Salaam. Upset, Nairobi reviewed the plans for a regional Standard Gauge Railway-SGR system. Instead of extending its own from Mombasa through Nairobi to Kisumu and later Malaba border with Uganda, it shortened it at Nakuruâ€"making China also reconsider commitments for a loan to finance the entire project.
Before it takes off, the oil pipeline is already experiencing several challenges including international pressure from among others, regional environmental activists. They want the project cancelled, citing fundamental effects including danger to wild game and water bodies. To this end, whereas Museveni anticipates William Ruto as the next president of Kenya to reverse these negative stances; it is a given for a very hard relationship with Raila Odinga in that position. Before the silent tensions explode, this calls for active attention of regional and international partners to launch measures that would plug gaps likely to oil the trigger points.
]]> Uganda to receive 2,000 refugees from Afghanistan https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210817/119438/uganda-to-receive-2000-refugees-from-afghanistan.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 09:27:40 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119438 Uganda is set to receive 2,000 refugees from Afghanistan at Entebbe International Airport.This is after the United States of America requested the East African country to host the refugees that are affected by the Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
This has been revealed by State Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Esther Anyakun.
“Our team is ready at the airport, including the health team. Tonight we are expecting 500 Afghans,†Anyakun said told New Vision newspaper on Monday.
However, by press time the teams were still at Entebbe International Airport waiting for the arrival of the Afghan refugees.
Anyakun later told the daily publication on Tuesday morning that the refugees will be hosted temporarily at the request of the United States government.
Vianney Luggya, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority public relations manager, the airport is always ready to receive whichever number of passengers comes in.
Andrew Nsawotebba, the health manager for test and fly, which is responsible for testing incoming passengers, said the refugees will not be subjected to the mandatory COVID-19 testing since Afghanistan is not listed among the category countries.
Kabul’s international airport was in the throes of chaos Monday as desperate Afghans tried to flee on departing U.S. jets, Taliban gunmen roamed the terminals, and U.S. troops killed at least two men, a sign of the disorder in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
U.S. troops on Monday flew helicopters low overhead, launched smoke grenades and fired into the air in an attempt to disperse crowds and gain control of the facility, where the U.S. is staging the evacuation of American personnel and thousands of Afghan interpreters and others who worked for the U.S. and now fear Taliban retribution.
At least eight Afghans were killed on Monday at the airport. In two incidents, armed men were shot and killed after approaching U.S. Marines. The U.S. troops weren’t injured and the armed men weren’t identified. Military officials said they couldn’t confirm whether the armed individuals were members of the Taliban.
Video images from the airport on Monday showed people holding on to a military plane moving along the tarmac and appeared to show two objects or people fall off when the aircraft was hundreds of feet in the air. Pentagon officials acknowledged the video imagery, but said they couldn’t yet confirm what had occurred, or if people had fallen from the plane. Commanders have begun an investigation into what happened on the tarmac, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Monday.
Witnesses separately reported seeing three bloodied bodies, including that of one woman, on the ground outside the passenger terminal building. Stranded travelers said those people had been shot.
]]> UACE 2020: S.6 results out this Friday https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210817/119428/uace-2020-s-6-results-out-this-friday.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 09:03:41 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119428 The Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examination results will be released this Friday.The has been confirmed by the Ministry of Education Spokesperson Patrick Muinda.
Muinda said before the official release,the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) will on Wednesday first brief the Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataha Museveni on the performance of candidates who sat for UACE in 2020.
This is in line with the mandate of the Board. The UNEB delegation will be led by the Chairperson of the Board, Prof. Mary J.N. Okwakol and the UNEB Executive Director Dan N. Odongo.
“UNEB will be briefing the Minister of Education and Sports on the UACE2020 results on Wednesday, 18th August 2021. Thereafter, the date for releasing of the results will be communicated,†the Ministry of Education wrote on Monday.
However, Muinda was non-committal of the venue for the release of the exams, saying the minister and UNEB will first agree on this.
A total of 98,393 learners sat for UACE examinations in April this year. Of these 57,264 were female.
]]> UPDF will never tolerate impunity- Gen Kyanda https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210817/119430/updf-will-never-tolerate-impunity-gen-kyanda.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 08:43:36 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119430 The Joint Chief of Staff of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda has said the culture of the national army doesn’t accept any kind of impunity.Gen Kyanda made the revelation while speaking in Gulu at the book launch: “War in Northern Uganda-A Journalist’s Account†written by John Muto-Ono P’lajur.
“If somebody is pointed out as having committed crime, there is no way the UPDF will let the person go!†Gen Kyanda said.
He noted that it is important to always listen to both sides of the story so as to have an objective engagement and make an informed judgement.
This was in response to the remarks made by the Retired Bishop of Kitgum Diocese Rt. Rev MacBaker Ochola II who alleged that the UPDF deliberately instituted IDP camps where children were abducted, evacuation of National Resistance Council members to deny them witnessing the activities of the then NRA during operation North.
Gen Kyanda further explained that the IDP camps were not concentration camps as portrayed by some but were safe havens for the people to be protected, treated, fed and organized. He said that individuals may have made mistakes but these were never sanctioned by the then NRA (now UPDF).
Rt. Rev MacBaker Ochola II who is a survivor of the war where we lost his wife and daughter, was also the key Note speaker of the day. He said that after the revenge attacks by the LRA in Lokum, Padibe and Palabek, different religious leaders came together to speak with one voice due to the unprecedented situation and formed a Religious Peace initiative which was supported by the President, His Excellency Yoweri Museveni and the Co-ordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, General Salim Saleh.
Different speakers made calls for Truth and Reconciliation, telling stories of the unsung heroes and encouraging the actors and survivors of war to write their own stories.
The launch was attended by the Chief Political Commissar, Hon Maj Gen Henry Masiko, the Defence Spokesperson, Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso, the 4th Division Second in Command Brig Gen Anthony Lukwago Mbusi, different religious and political leaders.
]]> JOSEPH M. MUMBE: Why radio lessons program may not be effective for learners https://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210817/119426/joseph-m-mumbe-why-radio-lessons-program-may-not-be-effective-for-learners.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 07:56:35 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119426 The government has rolled out a radio learning program for the schools and institutions as one way to ensure continuity in learning and mitigate COVID 19 pandemic.A radio lesson program can’t solve present day educational needs. It is like one going to the bar to get drunk so that problems can go.From a pedagogical point of view,a radio lesson will only get the children informed but will not help assess and grade learners in holistic manner. A primary school for example is literary a foundational/ basic or beginners’ school. The Swahili version puts it better “Shuleyamsingi†meaning foundational school from noun ‘Msingi’ (foundation) e.g., of a building yet very key in the setting.
By definition, ‘primary’ Implies that the learners are in the basics of the process, the formation stage in all aspects of learning. Any professional teacher will concur with me that learning is not only rated by the presence of the teacher and learner but also the environment, instructional tools and mode of instruction.
Children of pre- primary and primary in their stage of growth need to see, touch, hear and feel whereas radio lessons only offer the (audio) hearing alone. This can’t produce a balanced growth of a child according the Bloom, the renowned taxonomy educationist who categorized the learning aspects into three; the cognitive(thinking), affective (emotion or feelings), and the psychomotor (physical or kinesthetic).People will remember 20% of what they hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we personally experience and 90% of what we teach others (Edgar Dale). Within a week, people can forget almost 80% of what they heard.
The program will therefore likely to be hampered by:
Communication challenge:
A radio is an audio, a one- way form of communication yet communication requires reciprocity. It will be hard for the thousands of listeners to respond to one teacher on radio after a lesson. Even if they called the teacher, he won’t be in position to answer all of them due to lack of time.
Learners’ attention span:
children have different attention span and rate of understanding given the background and environment yet in this setting, one teacher will conduct a lesson to unseen audience depending on the radio station’s catchment area.If it can be hard for a teacher to conduct a successful lesson to a hundred learners in one classroom, how hard will it be for a class of all listeners of (UBC Radio) which is nationwide? interludes given by radio programs are rarely in line with lesson. Instead, they are adverts of sponsors but not energizers. When children interface with the teacher, he can detect their mood and vary methodology.
Knowledgeability of radio teachers:
How many radio teachers have been trained to handle the lessons? How many children and parents have been guided on how to take classes through radio? Children need close monitoring. Civic education is paramount for effective planning prior to implementing the program otherwise, you will assume children are listening when actually not. The program looks modern but without thorough sensitization and training, it is a total mess.
Syllabus coverage:
We may procure radios for the learners but may not launch more radio stations to match the programs required to be aired. To be precise, one academic term’s work may require full year of teaching on radio.
For example, P6 alone takes: English, 6 lessons, MTC 6 lessons, SST 5 lessons,Science 6 lessons and R.E 3 lessons in a week. A total of 26 (radio programs) for a period not less than 40 minutes each will be required. There are insufficient radio stations to air primary and secondary lessons unless all other radio programs are totally suspended. Otherwise, if the curriculum can be downsized to suit the radio program, the products of such education system shall be affected on international job market.
Assessment strategy:
An effective lesson not only aims at the teacher delivering the lesson but also evaluates the it in terms of achievement and behavioral change in learners. A lesson evaluation must also show challenges and suggest a way forward for the next lesson.
Assessment can both be formative (correcting the leaner) and summative (for promoting learner at end of the course). Thousands will listen; others half a lesson, some a quarter, yet their perception is rate different. In the Nationwide class, some are slow while others are fast learners. Fast learners will get bored while slow learners will not grasp. What tools will be used to promote those learners to new classes?
Amidst COVID 19 pandemic, the government should have a comprehensive plan to restart schools under strict SOPs. Nonstop lockdowns will not solve any problem apart from duplicating and recreating more. It is like one who goes to drink with motive of getting intoxicated in order to deal with stress and pressure from many problems. Temporarily, he will be relieved but immediately he becomes sober, the same stress and debts will reemerge as before.
The government should carry out risk assessment of the radio program prior to implementing it or else our young generation is gradually facing ‘educational genocide’.
mumbej@yahoo.com
]]> 5G Cybersecurity is a growing need and Encryption a Must for every user https://www.watchdoguganda.com/business/technology/20210817/119424/5g-cybersecurity-is-a-growing-need-and-encryption-a-must-for-every-user-2.html Tue, 17 Aug 2021 07:41:15 +0000 https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=119424 The evolution of communication technologies has for the past 2 decades upgraded from 1G which enabled users to make Voice calls, 2G that introduced Short Messages (SMS) and Multi Media Messages (MMS) in the 90s, to 3G as an Internet connection enabler paving way for 4G as the current fast connection technology making Video sharing and streaming possible.Now, 5G is the latest communications technology that is currently in its late design and deployment stages. With 5G, low latency is expected to be a main factor with applications running in Virtual Reality (AR), Augmented Reality (AR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) as much anticipated use cases.
However, with the emergence of 5G comes a rising need to secure user traffic and reduce on the rate of cyber attacks across the world. In the recent years, cyber attacks have been launched using organization backdoors, low software applications security, and user negligence on following set IT security standards.
5G Cybersecurity as a key need for every organization can rely on stable models the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) architecture where fault isolation is possible and Information security is divided into 5 domains to protect user data and equipment.
1) Network access security: ensures that mobile users have secure access to network services and mobile network is secured against attacks via the (radio) access link.
2) Network domain security: ensures that mobile backhaul nodes to securely exchange signaling data and user data at the mobile backhaul networks and protects against attacks on wireline link.
3) User domain security: secures access to mobile stations.
4) Application domain security: allows applications on user and network side to securely exchange data.
5) Visibility and configurability of security: allows user to get information about enabled security features and provision of services.
Furthermore, reliance on the 3GPP Architecture not only protects users and software applications from cyber-attacks, but also improves the legacy security model deployed on 3G and 4G communication networks.
Currently, Huawei is ranked as the best 5G enabler and the company has registered more than 5G commercial contracts to deploy the new generation network communication technology. As such, 5G cybersecurity is a top priority for the company having passed the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) certification in Europe.
The ENISA Certification is a framework under the Regulation (EU) 2019/881 to establish and maintain the trust and security on cybersecurity products, services and processes. With the Certification, the United Kingdom security chief believes that the Huawei risk can be managed since the company has more than 30 years of experience and has huge efforts in the development of 5G cybersecurity.
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