News Headlines
Bomb discovered in Sembabule forest, detonated
October 28, 2021 by URN
The police counter-terrorism unit and bomb squad personnel on Wednesday rushed to Nakasagazi village, Kasongi parish in Kawanda sub-country, Sembabule...
Pakistani intruder arrested in Kikuube after 'touring' Hoima Sugar fac…
October 28, 2021 by URN
Police in Kikuube district is holding a 23-year-old Pakistani national who was found inside Hoima Sugar factory premises under unclear...
UNRA road workers lay down tools over unpaid salaries, working conditi…
October 28, 2021 by John Vianney Nsimbe
The mask of collective calm on under construction of a 10 kilometer-long Kitala-Gerenge road in Garuga slipped Monday, October 11...
Govt, politicians top Shs 346bn list of domestic tax defaulters
October 28, 2021 by URN
Current and former members of parliament have been listed among the more than 800 individuals, government agencies and ministries, and...
Nigeria launches e-Naira, Africa’s first digital currency
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has launched the continent's first digital currency, the e-Naira. The launch also ranks Nigeria among very few nations in the world to adopt the electronic money system which leaders hope will help boost the country's GDP and fight inflation.
MPs ordered: Bail legislation must pass
Publicly, resentment has gelled into strong opposition to President Museveni’s push to introduce legislation scrapping bail for capital offenders. And behind closed doors, the NRM leadership is cobbling together a plan to muscle the controversial draft legislation through parliament. Gathered in the parliamentary conference hall last Wednesday, a group of NRM…
How boda road rage killed father of 8 kids
KAMPALA – Recently, a horrific video surfaced on social media showing a mob of boda boda riders beating a man to death. Different narratives have emerged since the incident. SAMUEL MUHINDO retraced the events of that fateful day after interviewing eyewitnesses.
Bombing: Police probe Islamic State claims
CAIRO - Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that killed at least one person in Komamboga, a Kampala suburb, on Saturday night, the militant group said in a statement posted in an affiliated Telegram channel late on Sunday, October 25. The group said that some of its members detonated…
Enslaved Black Man created world’s most popular whiskey
Jack Daniel's is the world's most popular whiskey brand, but until recently, few people knew the liquor was created by Nathan "Nearest" Green, an enslaved Black man who mentored Daniel. "We've always known," says Debbie Staples, a great-great-granddaughter of Green's who heard the story from her grandmother.
It's constitutional to deny bail, Oulanyah tells opposition
The speaker of parliament, Jacob Oulanyah rejected requests by the opposition to have the House intervene in the continued denial of bail to MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana.
Anti-Counterfeit body lobbies for strict laws on agriculture inputs
The Anti-Counterfeit Network (ACN) has advised government to make counterfeiting a very risky activity by including the vice among the terrorist acts. This was contained in ACN’s presentation to the Committee on the Effectiveness of Agrochemicals and Animal Health Products (CEAHP) on October 15 at Hotel Africana.
EC gears up for by-elections with new fleet
Justice Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson, says the commission is ready to hande the impending phase of by-elections as well as those for LC-1 and LC-2. He said this on October 18 while handing over 50 new vehicles to EC’s field based staff at the commission warehouse in Banda…
Ssenyonyi: Govt lets us down by not acting on Cosase reports
Nakawa West MP JOEL SSENYONYI is the chairperson of parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), one of the four standing public accounts committees.
129-year journey nears end as France returns Benin treasures
In a decision with potential ramifications across European museums, France is displaying 26 looted colonial-era artifacts for one last time before returning them home to Benin.The wooden anthropomorphic statues, royal thrones and sacred altars were pilfered by the French army in the 19th century from Western Africa. President Emmanuel Macron…
Retired judge, human rights activists sue President Museveni over bail
Retired Supreme court judge George Kanyeihamba together with five human rights activists has sued the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni for suggesting alteration of the law regarding bail applications and release of suspects on police bond.The other petitioners are; John Solomon Nabuyanda, a human rights activist and student of Law…
Donah murder: Court cuts Ssebuwufu's jail term from 40 to 18 years
A panel of three Court of Appeal justices has reduced the 40-year jail term handed to city businessman Muhammad Ssebuwufu and accordingly substituted it with an 18-year sentence for having murdered businesswoman Betty Donah Katusabe. In the same way, the panel comprising justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, Catherine Bamugemereire and Christopher Izama Madrama…
One killed in suspected bomb attack on Swift bus in Mpigi
One person has been confirmed dead and another injured in another suspected bomb explosion in a Swift Bus at Lungala, Mpigi town council.
Ssegirinya, Ssewanyana denied bail by Masaka High court
The High court in Masaka has rejected the bail application filed by MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana. The Kawempe North and Makindye West legislators were last month charged with murder, attempted murder and aiding and abetting terrorism.Today Monday, justice Lawrence Tweyanze said that granting the two MPs bail will…
Buhweju farmers stuck with tea after bumper harvest
Tea farmers in the Buhweju district, western Uganda are stuck with their bumper harvest due to a shortage of processing factories.The farmers supply their produce to Igara-Buhweju tea factory, the only factory in the district. It was constructed in 2010 with the capacity to produce 100,000 kilograms every day however…
Commander faults Kawempe police officers for bomb explosion
Kampala Metropolitan police commander, Stephen Tanui has blamed the area police officers in Komamboga, Kawempe division for being reluctant in the enforcement of night curfew time restrictions. On Saturday at about 9.00 pm, an explosion went off at Georon, a small eatery next to the famous Digida pork joint, killing a…
Kawempe bomb: Museveni vows to arrest, defeat 'pigs'
President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to bring to book the perpetrators who planted a bomb that exploded on Saturday and left one person dead and five injures injured in Komamboga, Kawempe division. Museveni noted that he has been briefed that the said explosive might have been planted by a group of…
Bomb blast kills one in Kawempe
One person has been confirmed dead and scores injured following an explosion in Komamboga, a suburb of Kampala.Noah Mukasa Sserumaga, one of the area leaders said that the explosion was heard a few minutes to 9:00 pm Saturday at Digida eating point. Moments later, the area was engulfed in smoke and…
PWDs urged to desist from 'playing sympathy card'
Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have been urged to acquire more skills and increase their competence if they are to become more competitive in the job market. This was during the virtual conference held on Tuesday.
Clerk to parliament, director of clerks in standoff over breach of protocol
The clerk to parliament, Adolf Mwesige has criticized the director department of clerks, Emmanuel Bakwega for directly communicating to the speaker in contravention of the public service communication policy and the code of conduct and ethics for public officers.
Museveni's first press secretary Kivengere laid to rest in Kabale
President Yoweri Museveni's first and longest-serving press secretary Hope Kishande Kivengere was today Saturday laid to rest at her ancestral home in Rugarama village, Northern Division, Kabale Municipality. Kivengere passed away at Nakasero hospital on October 20 after developing a strange illness according to her uncle Stephen Lwanga.
Czech police investigate aide for concealing president's illness
Czech police are investigating allegations that a senior aide to President Milos Zeman committed a crime by concealing the 77-year-old's worsening health.
Bribery: High court nullifies election of NUP's Bagala, orders fresh election
The High court in Mubende has ordered the Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections for the Mityana District Woman MP seat after nullifying the election of Joyce Bagala. Bagala, a candidate of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) had been declared winner of the January 14 polls with a…
Mulago hospital records high record of pregnant women with rare heart disease
Pregnant women are increasingly reporting a rare form of heart disease during the last months of pregnancy and up to five months after delivery. Scientifically named Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), doctors at Mulago National Referral hospital and the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) have said the condition is now affecting 17 in every…
Canada sees benefits from delaying second COVID-19 vaccine dose
Recent studies indicate Canada’s decision to extend the interval between the first and second dose of COVID-19 vaccines can actually lead to increased resistance to the virus. It also finds mixing the brand and type of doses gives better protection. The decision by Canadian authorities to immunize as many people as…
URA misses first quarter target by Shs 499bn
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has missed its target for the first quarter of financial year 2021/22 by Shs 499.49 billion.Out of the Shs 4.959 trillion target set by government, the tax body managed to collect Shs 4.459 trillion. However, this is a revenue collection growth of Shs 389.7 billion from the…
Man who defiled 13-year-old 'digs' his way out of police cell in Gulu
A distressed parent in Patiko sub-county, Gulu district has sought the intervention of the Aswa Region police professional standards unit after a man suspected of defiling his 13-year-old daughter dug his way out of a police cell. Joseph Awacango P’Odong, the victim’s father says he caught Thomas Tabu, 48, having sex…
How university lecturers prey on their students
One’s smarts alone are no longer a guarantee of a good degree from Uganda’s public universities; it appears, sex with the lecturer is now an ‘added advantage’, as The Observer team discovered. Female students from different universities complain about their lecturers, who have turned into suitors demanding for sexual relationships. When…
IPOD seeks meeting with NUP over joining platform
The Interparty Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) has written to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) seeking for a meeting to discuss concerns raised over their involvement in the organisation. IPOD is an organisation that brings together all parties with representatives in parliament to dialogue on issues affecting the country but NUP…
Judiciary digitalises case management to curb corruption
The Judiciary has launched the Electronic Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) that will reduce contact between the litigating public and court staff in a bid to curb corruption in the sector. The system is set to begin operations during the 2022 law year. Currently, the judiciary is using the Court Case…
Female parliamentarians decry constituency burden on their purse
Female parliamentarians have decried the growing financial burden of constituents on their purses. These concerns were raised at a 3-day retreat organized by the Forum for Women in Democracy for first time female MPs under their strengthening citizen’s engagement in elections programme held at Lake Victoria Hotel Entebbe. The MPs say…
What donors say about Museveni in private
Behind closed doors, European Union ambassadors laid bare, with great specificity their concerns about governance and, security issues in Uganda and allegations of systematic human rights violations during a meeting with the National Unity Platform (NUP) leaning leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga and his shadow cabinet. They didn’t lather…
Controversy blights Masindi-Buliisa oil road
A red flag has been raised over an oddity in the ongoing construction of the Shs 770 billion, 159-kilometre Masindi Kisanja-Tangi-Paraa-Buliisa road, being built by Chinese firm; China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC). There are serious issues that have cropped up after the termination of the external consulting engineers. In the…
Govt: No vaccine jab, no jobs
After a stumbling start, the vaccine donations are piling and the vaccinations are slowly on the climb. But getting the scarce Covid-19 vaccine doses into arms is complicated by the reluctance of the population to take the jabs. Frustrated by the slow pace of the vaccine uptake, the minister of Health…
Ugandan writers ignore risks to provoke President Museveni
The Ugandan government is known for cracking down on writers who express strong dissent to President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for 35 years. Despite the risks, two writers recently composed deliberately provocative pieces criticizing the president. Early this month, Ashaba Annah wrote an erotic poem on Facebook to…
Interviews for EAC jobs postponed following Uganda's protest
Interviews for several East African Community (EAC) secretariat jobs that were planned to commence from October 18 until November 2 have been postponed due to lack of quorum.The secretariat early this year, advertised over 50 jobs attracting more than 15,000 applications. However, there have been concerns, especially from Uganda over…
Tanzania honours Swahili journalist Siraj Kalyango
The Tanzanian government has recognized the efforts of Ugandan journalist Siraj Kalyango for popularizing Kiswahili language using local and mainstream international media. Dr Aziz Ponary Mlima, Tanzania’s high commissioner to Uganda, presented to him a plaque, a Kiswahili dictionary and a set of books written in the language as a token…
Court halts Kampala Old Taxi park reopening
The land division of the High court in Kampala has halted the planned reopening of the Old Taxi park that is scheduled for tomorrow October 20. The deputy court registrar, Janeva Natukunda issued the interim injunction following an application filed by five companies claiming part of the park. Court has set…
Uganda Cranes coach found guilty of sexual assault, handed 5-year suspended sentence
Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin Micho Sredojević has been found guilty of two sexual assault offences and handed a suspended five-year sentence. Micho who returned to Uganda in July this year for his second spell was tried today in the Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) Regional court, South Africa which sentenced him…
Ssebulime murder: Family, MP Nantaba unhappy with swift court verdict
The swift guilty plea and sentencing of police officer corporal David Ssali for the murder of Ronald Ssebulime in 2019 seem to have delivered more confusion than justice as the deceased's relatives insist that Kayunga Woman MP Aidah Nantaba should also have been charged.
Ochola orders police to monitor spaces after UK terror warning
Three days after the United Kingdom issued a terror alert for its citizens in Uganda, police boss Martins Okoth Ochola, has directed the force’s counter-terrorism (CT) unit to increase vigilance on vital spaces. The UK indicated that terrorists are planning an indiscriminate attack on among others; places frequented by foreigners.
Zimbabwe govt: No COVID-19 shot, no work, no pay
Union leaders have angrily reacted to the Zimbabwean government’s announcement Sunday that workers who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer be allowed at work and will not be paid. This is seen as part of efforts to deal with high vaccination hesitancy in the southern African nation.
'Killer' boyfriend paid hostel guards to monitor Mirembe's movement - pastor
The lead pastor of Christ Heart Ministries International, Pr Isaiah Mbuga told court that the murder suspect, Matthew Kirabo bribed security guards at Aryan hostel to monitor for him the movements of his Makerere University girlfriend Desire Mirembe while at the hostel.
17-year-old boy arrested for announcing IGP Ochola dead on Facebook
A 17-year-old senior two student has been arrested for allegedly announcing the Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth Ochola dead on Facebook. Last month, stories made rounds on social media claiming that the police boss was critically ill and that he had been admitted in the intensive care unit following…
Book detailing Rwanda’s dissident killings angers President Kagame
Rwandan dissidents have died under mysterious circumstances inside and outside the country with alarming frequency in recent years. On September 14, Revocat Karemangingo, an ex-Army officer, was gunned down while driving in Mozambique. Since 2016, Karemangingo had told authorities he had been targeted for assassination. Earlier in September, a popular Rwandan…
New traffic lights, Umeme worsen Acacia Avenue traffic gridlock
Motorists expected a smooth ride on the newly built John Babiiha Avenue, also known as Acacia Avenue to replace their experience of the old narrow and potholed road. However, as Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) fully opens the road to traffic, it has become a scene of gridlocks with the situation…