President Yoweri Museveni has saluted the Indian community in Uganda for their big contribution to the socio-economic development of the country through wealth creation. The President was speaking at the Diwali dinner he hosted for the Indian community in Uganda on Saturday evening at State House Entebbe. “I inform you that Ugandans who see very far are very happy with you people, you have made a very big contribution to our economy,” he said.
President Museveni also hailed the relationship that has existed starting with the first four Indian families that settled in parts of Ankole describing the relationship as symbiotic. “We had initially four Indian families and we had no friction with them, the relationship was symbiotic because we were playing different roles in wealth creation, “he noted. He took a swab at former president Idi Amin saying he did not value wealth creation, had no clue on the production process, and that was the reason he expelled Asians from Uganda. Mr. Museveni pointed out that the wealth creators have no contradictions since they complement each other.
Responding to the rumour on Ebola lockdown, President Museveni assured the Indian community that Ebola will be contained and allayed any fears of a lockdown.
“There will be no lockdown for Ebola,” he said. He asked Ugandans to be more vigilant and observe the standard procedures put in place to control the spread of Ebola.
In the same week President Museveni met Kampala Capital City Authority leaders and some of the market representatives over the leadership and management of markets in Kampala and the metropolitan areas.
During the meeting held at State House Nakasero, the President guided that these markets should be owned and managed by the low-income earners instead of being taken by the rich who in turn charge high fees from the ordinary people.
“The rich can afford doing business on Kampala Road, Ntinda and all the other main roads. As leaders who love their country, they should think about the poor” he said
The meeting follows the President’s directive on harmonisation of issues affecting the common people in the informal Sector in Kampala and surrounding areas.
President Museveni also suggested to KCCA to have two government owned markets and taxi parks in each of the divisions of Kampala with an emphasis that they should be occupied and managed by the local residents.
“The people you have been chasing off roads have been saying they have nowhere to go, so if you do not plan for them where will they go?” He wondered. He said that both logic as well as legal standing in addressing the market challenges in the country should be applied.
In order for the government to come up with a conclusive solution to informal Sector and market challenges, the President tasked the Prime Minister to coordinate all stakeholders to devise a solution in addressing the challenges.
There have been challenges in the informal sector stemming from mismanagement, ownership, policy and regulation among others.
The Kenyan government under the directive of the President and Commander- in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces William Samoei Ruto, last week delivered a planeload of emergency relief aid to the Government of Somalia following the devastating bombings undertaken by Al Shabaab militia in Central Mogadishu on 29 October 2022 which left 125 people dead and more than 300 others injured.
The consignment which was delivered to Mogadishu on Thursday, 3rd November 2022 by the Kenya Defence Forces included assorted food items such as corned beef, dry potatoes, onions, bread, carrots, mixed vegetables from the KDF Food Processing Factory. Also included in the package were various assorted drugs from the KDF Directorate of Medical Services set for redistribution to Somali hospitals attending to the victims of the terror attack.
A Ugandan delegation at the ongoing 61st session of the Organisation of the African, Caribean and Pacific States Parliamentary Assembly (OACPS PA) and 42nd Session of the ACP-European Union joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU JPA) in Maputo City, Mozambique last week vowed to oppose plans by more liberal nations to impose the promotion of homosexuality and abortion as new conditions for trade and aid relationships with European Union.
The delegation which is attending a Joint Parliamentary Assembly is being led by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, a vocal critic of homosexuality, abortion and neocolonialism. Other Members on the delegation include,
Hon. Theodore Ssekikubo the MP for Lwemiyaga County, Hon Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal, the Woman MP for Dokolo District, Hon Maurice Kibalya the MP for Bugabula South, Hon Elijah Okupa, the MP for Kasilo County, Dr Samuel Opio Acuti for MP Kole North and Hon Lucy Okello
The joint sitting was on Monday officially opened by President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique who commended the Organization for its prime role in the economic and social development of its member states.
Tayebwa said member countries are also engaging on the post Cotonou Agreement which governs the ACP-EU relations. Diplomatic, trade and aid relationships between the European Union and ACP states are governed by the Cotonou Agreement.
The agreement includes a dialogue on ‘’political issues of mutual concern or of general significance’’ and ‘’discrimination of any kind’’.
Tayebwa mentioned a deep concern over calls by the EU to adopt homosexuality by the ACP countries, a development he said Uganda would vehemently reject.
“We shall be making a report to our president as Parliament which will be a guiding tool before the signing of the Post Cotonou Agreement,” the deputy speaker said.
He added: “We demand that we broadly define the issue of human rights. We have discovered that with the Post Cotonou agreement, there hidden clauses around human rights. Clauses to do with sexuality, promotion of LGBT/homosexuality and clauses to do with abortion.”
Tayebwa said such practices are un-African and while “the EU is demanding that we take a certain root, they should also know the character of our society”.
“We are a society that isn’t ready for homosexuality and we are a society that’s not ready for abortion,” Tayebwa said, noting that “we as Africa, believe that the institution of the family is at the core of whatever we are doing”.
Representatives from the more socially liberal nations insist on an amendment to the ACP-EU rules to have the debate on the rights of homosexuals even after objections of African members.
After wowing the crowds with their centric dance moves, Uganda’s national Netball squad, the She Cranes on Saturday shocked the world’s top ranked nation, Australia, felling them 32-30, in yet another giant killing international spree after the heroics of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Pulse Sports reports that in the opener, the Cranes fell 49-32 to host nation New Zealand but bounced back in the second game against Jamaica and defeated the Caribbean women 33-22.
Uganda then defeated Australia and met South Africa, fresh from the bruises of the Commonwealth Games where Uganda shocked the world, defeating Africa’s top ranked team and emerged with the crown after the games. The win over South Africa in Birmingham also earned Uganda a direct ticket to the Netball World Cup but also set this tie as a revenge match for the South Africans.
Indeed, the South Africans avenged their famous defeat setting Uganda for a classification match with Jamaica. Uganda finished the tournament as the fifth best team beating Jamaica 32-10. Irene Eyaru was voted the player of the match.
