Author: Temiteo Okwakol

In Rwoburunga Sub-county in Mitooma District, angry residents neighbouring Queen Elizabeth National Park, took leaders through the gardens and showed them trampled crops. The gardens were destroyed by elephants. Ignitious Ndyamuhaki, the Ruzonga village chairperson in Rwoburunga Sub-county explains that the human-elephant conflict is pushing the local people into poverty  “People here think that the government does not care about them. No compensation efforts are in place and on top of that, they are fraudulently charged by the police around before registering their damage,” says Benon Karyeija, the Mitooma District chairperson. On Easter Monday, an emergency meeting was convened and…

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) had said it has almost completed the process of closing the Coin motor vehicle bond in Nakawa, Kampala. URA, on April 13 directed motor vehicle importers and owners to remove any unit that had been unsold at the time within 10 days. However, the 10-day ultimatum elapsed on Sunday April 23, yet the bond still holds  a number of motor vehicle units. Yesterday, Mr Ibrahim Bbosa, the URA assistant commissioners for corporate and public affairs, told Monitor that majority of the motor vehicles had been removed, save for about 60 trucks that were still bonded at…

The government has released the Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) for financial years 2023/2024 and 2026/2027. The strategy was released last Thursday. In the strategy, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development says in the medium-term during FY2023/2024, the government intends to further reduce domestic borrowing from 2.1 percent in FY2022/2023 to 0.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in FY2023/2024 and increase external borrowing for priority projects. The ministry said government borrowing from the domestic market for fiscal purposes in FY2023/2024 is projected at Shs1.585 trillion compared to Shs5 trillion in FY2022/2023, which is equivalent to one…

Police in Tororo Friday stopped the opening of an access road after a section of locals threatened to attack road operators for trespassing on their land. According to the Officer in Charge at Tororo Central Police Station, Mr Dickens Ampikiire, the Tororo municipal council authorities had planned to open a community access road in Amagoro “A” central village in the Eastern division but did not seek approval from the land owners. ”As police, we are mandated to protect property and lives, therefore, for now, we halt the development until the two parties come to mutual understanding,” he said. Residents led…

A section of Ugandan lawmakers have called America’s bluff following warning that its $400 million (Shs1.4 trillion) annual HIV/Aids support could be at stake over the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA). Washington through the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) bankrolls provision of life-saving drugs for majority of the 1.4 million Ugandans living positively. The continued flow of the financial support has turned uncertain after US Global Aids coordinator, Dr John Nkengasong, citing the anti-gay legislation, indefinitely deferred Uganda Country Operational Plan 2023 (COP23) final presentation meeting due today. The import is a stalled decision on Uganda’s eligibility for continued…

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, has told local leaders across the country that government will be unable to enhance their salaries in the coming financial year budget 2023/24, due to lack of enough funds. “The issue of welfare of leaders I know it’s a big challenge, but I want to tell you our resource envelope is small. I don’t want to tell you lies because only 13.5 per cent of Ugandans pay taxes while others are waiting for service delivery. I have told parliament that they should not expect any salary enhancement, we agreed that we shall…

Rwanda and Uganda appear to be on course to bury the hatchet despite a lingering history of tension and conflict, including allegations of espionage, political interference and support for hostile rebel groups. This week, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame hosted Uganda’s first son General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who celebrated his 49th birthday in Rwanda signalling thawing relations. Kagame’s hosting of Muhoozi – who is increasingly positioning himself as a successor to his father President Yoweri Museveni – has renewed optimism for lasting peace between the two countries whose relationship over the last decade has largely been hot…

President Museveni is set to acquire a new vehicle fleet among other benefits even as key ministries, departments and agencies or MDAs face deep cuts in next financial year’s budget. In their report on the Budget Framework Paper (BFP) of 2023/2024 for the Office of the President, the parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs has greenlit the expenditure that the Finance ministry had initially shelved. Several MDAs will have to contend with the 40 percent budgetary cuts, with Mr Ramathan Ggoobi—the Secretary to the Treasury—saying this week that the cuts are “actually budget repurposing [meant to] move money from certain areas…

More than 1,688 students from different schools in Bulambuli District have been urged to be ambassadors in fighting indiscipline in schools by embracing patriotism clubs. The Senior One and Five students, who were drawn from 15 secondary schools, were Tuesday commissioned into patriotic cadreship. Amir Kamba, the Bulambuli deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), while passing out the graduates at Bulegeni SS and St Peters Clever SS, noted that lack of patriotism fuels indiscipline among Ugandans. “People are not patriotic and only resort to practicing evil acts such as corruption. We need to love our country and live in harmony,” Kamba…