Information is Power

UPDF soldiers inside the forest of Ituri Province, eastern DR Congo on January 17, 2024. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA What you need to know: The UPDF will not face the same salary disparity problems since the leadership first enhanced salaries of senior officers before they considered junior soldiers Junior security personnel from all agencies from the rank of captain (or its equal) to the lowest rank are to get a 25 percent salary enhancement in the next financial year. While reading the  budget speech  on Thursday13-6-2024, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Mr Matia Kasaija, said security personnel at the rank of captain and below will get a 25 percent salary enhancement. “To the gallant men and women in uniform, at the rank of Captain and below – who are serving in the UPDF, in the Uganda Police, in the Uganda Prisons, in internal and external intelligence services- this budget contains the first installment to enhance your pay. Continue to s...

  A heated dispute has emerged between the State Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Hon Evelyn Anite, and the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) concerning a 545 million shillings payment labelled as “honoraria” to top UIA management. The payment, drawn from funds allocated for the Kampala Industrial Park Development (KIPD) project and financed through a loan, has sparked controversy and accusations of misappropriation. In a stern letter dated June 12 addressed to the UIA board chairperson, Mr Morrison Rwakakamba and Hon Anite Evelyn condemned the honoraria payment as “despicable, uncouth, barbaric, and uncultured.” She accused UIA’s top management of misusing project funds that have remained stagnant for five years beyond their initial completion date of January 5, 2024. Hon Anite demanded the immediate return of the entire amount by the director-general, Mr. Robert Mukiza, and his team within 24 hours of receiving her directive. She warned of severe consequences should the...

Parliament passed into law the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2024, increasing the fuel levy to Shs1550 per litre, from Shs1450 per liter. However, the Shs300 per liter on kerosene was rejected by MPs, citing Government’s failure to extend electricity to the rural areas, as a higher tax on kerosene would burden the poor more. Parliament also rejected the proposal to impose a 75% excise duty rate on each liter of mineral water, describing the rate as too high & instead approved the rate of Shs50 per liter, in order to encourage investments into the sector. MPs also approved the proposal to impose a levy of Shs500 per 50 kg of adhesives, grout, white cement or lime & this levy is already being charged on Cement. Although MPs adopted the proposal to impose a 0.5% levy on cash withdraws on payment systems, they voted to have agency banking excluded from this category, in order to boost efforts of financial inclusion. The charge will now be imposed on new payment platforms l...

📸: Fish been offloaded in Arua City, on a truck enroute from South Sudan. Arua City 12th June, 2024 . By Golooba Richard  The South Sudanese government has with immediate effect suspended the exportation of fish to Uganda, this was disclosed by sources within the government, after a long time of engagement with it's citizens who have been trading in this business. This comes after the numerous frustrations the south sudanese businessmen have encountered, which include extortion at the border entry of elegu, at weigh bridges, by the fisheries department and by local authorities in Arua Market. In a live interview on ITV held on Wednesday 12th June 2024, where one of the panelists was Mr Kuany David, a member of South Sudanese Fish Suppliers Association based in Arua Cirty, the authorities have recalled their people back home until the government of Uganda streamlines and reprimands the ellant officers and leaders, and they with immediate effect suspended the fish export to Uganda....

📸: Officials from Red Cross, Arua District and Contractor take group photo after monitoring of the project. Red Cross Uganda officials together with Technical and Political officials from Arua District have on Tuesday 11-June-2024 monitored motorized water project in Ayiko village, Ayayia Parish in Ajia Sub-county. The project worth 900 million shs contracted to Cornerstone Design and Engineering Company Ltd is funded by Netherland Red Cross through Uganda Red Cross with the contract during of two months. Ecodu Michael, the Red Cross Project manager said, Ayayia parish was chosen to benefit from the project, based on needs assessment which they carried as an NGO. The contractor of the project, Eng Michael Ssegona assured the stakeholders that, he will complete the construction work aroubd this coming weekend, a statement which generated worry from the officials who went for the monitoring as the work on ground currently stands at around 80%. Patrick Odongo, the Arua District water off...

📸: Left to Right, Terego District RDC Ayikobua Festus looks on as Arua City Deputy RCC Ham introduces Ring Leaders Of the NUP Defectors. Photo by Information is Power. Story by Osuta Yusuf .  Group of staunch National Unity Platform (NUP) Party members in Yumbe District who have been coordinating and leading over 100 Opposition party members, have officially crossed over to National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party. The NUP Party Members led by Mr Mahad Angudipi Juma have defected to NRM party on Saturday 8-June-2024 during Ezama Ham Mizamil Thanksgiving Ceremony, an event aimed at Thanking President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the NRM government for the immense achievements, appointments and service deliveries rendered to the people of WestNile region since the ruling party came into power on 26-1-1986. Central Division Arua City Deputy resident city commissioner Mr Ezama Ham Mizamil who organized the Thanksgiving ceremony described the defectors as a big achievement for the N...

The High Court in Kampala has sentenced John Magombe, a witch doctor, to 7 years in prison for possessing human body parts, including three human skulls. Magombe pleaded guilty to the charge, admitting that he had bought the skulls from fellow witch doctors. High Court Judge Magarate Mutonyi convicted and sentenced Magombe, stating that the law prohibits human sacrifice and aims to prevent the use of human body parts in traditional medicine or any other practice. "This kind of conduct of the convict can attract crime where people can murder children or adults with a view of selling the skulls or disturb the peace of the dead by exhuming bodies to get skulls or any other human bone," she held. “It is therefore important that the public out there know that the law in Uganda prohibits human sacrifice and the punishment should therefore prevent use of human body parts in the traditional medicine or any other practice," Justice...