Nyakayojo SS students Strike over Miniskirts Ban

Nyakayojo students going home after school closure.


Nyakayojo SS students in Mbarara district felt teargas test and were sent home over a violent strike protesting the ban of miniskirts on Monday evening.
The anti-riot police heavily armed dispersed the students totaling to 750 who were striking over the ban on wearing miniskirts in school, poor quality meals, harassment by teachers and administration not addressing their complaints.
The head teacher, Mr Simeon Banturaki said that the students feasted on a bull as they celebrated Uganda Martyrs day but was shocked by the claims of poor quality meals.
“The strike was sparked off by girls who refused to take supper after their miniskirts were confiscated from them”
“Boys took meals but girls refused to go to the kitchen because they were angry at the head of the hostel for allegedly confiscating miniskirts. When I intervened boys joined the rowdy girls and started throwing stones at me,” Banturaki said.
Several buildings were damaged including computer lab, library, classrooms administration block and dormitories.he school board, administration and Police on Tuesday held a meeting and resolved to send away the students as they investigations take place.
Rev Can. Simon Mutabazi, the board chairman, said the school has been closed till further notice until they are done with investigations into allegations raised by the students.
Banturaki, added that students used the banning of miniskirts as a “scapegoat”, saying students had other hidden motives which they don’t want to disclose to the administration.
Miria Ninsiima, the head of girl’s hostel, confirmed confiscating miniskirts from three students. She explained that the school is against indecent dressing.

Door-to-door HIV testing starts in city

In Summary

The project is aimed at raising awareness to counter the rising HIV prevalence in central region.

Kampala

Unlike in the past where one would visit a health centre or camp for HIV/Aids counselling and testing, starting today, the service will be taken to those who need it.

This follows the launch of a mobile van for free HIV/Aids Counselling and Testing (HCT) in the five divisions of Kampala. The van is equipped with a fully equipped laboratory, two counselling rooms and a reception.

The HCT van will move in slums, streets, clubs, car parks, among others, targeting the most at risk population such as boda boda riders, mechanics, commercial sex workers, bus and taxi drivers and homosexuals, among others.

Ms Prossy Kayiira, the HCT coordinator at Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG), said HIV prevalence among city dwellers has increased but sensitisation had declined. “Many people shy away from visiting health facilities for early testing and this puts many at risk of contracting the epidemic,” she said.

Ms Kayiira added: “New innovations such as mobile health trips reaching out to the public at their comfort places will help create much awareness.” The 2011 Uganda Demographic Health Survey report revealed that Uganda’s HIV prevalence has risen from 6.4 per cent in 2006 to 7.3 per cent in 2011. The prevalence rate is highest in urban areas and in particular in the central region of Uganda.

In a press statement, the UHMG indicated that, while business was booming in Kampala, the HIV prevalence was also increasing. “Kampala’s HIV prevalence rate now stands at 6.9 per cent (AIDS indicator Survey, 2011),” the statement reads in part.

Mr Denis Ahairwe, the UHMG project director, said to reinforce HIV prevention and awareness, interventions in Kampala needed to be closer to the people to supplement the KCCA public facilities already in place.
“The programme will last for three years and many people will benefit.”

Prisons struggle to hold 3,000 inmates

 Inmates at Katojo Prison in Fort Portal attend a workshop organised by the Justice Law and Order Sector on the rights of inmates in 2011. Many of the structures in the 12 prisons of western Uganda have been condemned.

In Summary

In our series on prisons in the country, we look at the jails in western Uganda. The 12 prisons, accommodating about 3,000 inmates, have many structures that have been condemned. The inmates practise agriculture on the fertile land owned by the Prisons, and supply food to other units countrywide.

KABAROLE

All the 12 government prisons in the western region are housed in dilapidated and condemned structures, this newspaper’s survey has revealed.

During an interview with the Uganda Prison Service (UPS) regional prisons commander (RPC) for western region, Mr Allan Okello, said many of their structures are very small and old. “These were prisons originally with the central government and or local governments, the structures are not very strong and are small, and as such some staff stay (rent) outside the prisons,” said Mr Okello at the regional headquarters in Fort Portal.

He said some of the prisons were established in the 1950s, like Katojo in Fort Portal which is the oldest.
“Most of the structures are condemned, some of the staff come from their own private homes due to poor and lack of enough accommodation, some structures of Rwimi Prison and Katojo are weak, they were affected by the 1994 earth quake,” said the RPC.

Fertile land
With about 3,000 prisoners in the 12 prison facilities, UPS owns prime fertile land in the Western Rift Valley basin, where they have established three prison farms at Ibuga, Rwimi and Mubuku. The farms not only offering agricultural skills to the inmates, but also produce food that is distributed across other units around the country.

Katojo Prison in Fort Portal was constructed in 1957, and since then, no renovations has been made except on the female wing which recently got a facelift with support from the Swedish government. Katojo, Mubuku, Rwimi and Ibuga are the major prisons in the western region; others were inherited from the local governments.

Despite the weak and old structures, no prison breaks have ever been reported, according to Mr Okello. At Katojo, prisoners have blankets, mattresses and available space is only 105sqm which is enough for 293 prisoners at a standard space of 3.6 square meters per person. “Inmates sleep on blankets and mats, but those who can afford mattresses are allowed to bring in,” Mr Okello said.

Location
Other than the prison farms, prisons were established near administrative units and courts since they offer intertwined services to the public. “They are linked to administrative and justice and the population, but for farms, that is our initiative, we look for fertile lands,” said Mr Okello. Most of the prisons are accessible to the courts by walking, those that are far, the Prison has three lorries, purposely for transporting suspects to courts.

“We have services of a lorry at Butiiti, Bundibugyo, Mubuku and Katojo strictly for court purposes,” the RPC said, adding that the location of some prisons also depended on population density.
Katojo Prison in Fort Portal is 5km to court, Butiiti in Kyenjojo Town 20km, and Bubukwanga 20km to Bundibugyo Town.

Asked about plans they have for the old structures in western region, the spokesperson for the Uganda Prisons Service, Mr Frank Mbaine said: “Our capital development is moving on a slow pace due to limited funds, but we are soon going to renovate and expand Katojo in Fort Portal and Bwera in Kasese, we have damaged wards at Rwimi and Ibuga but we are yet to get funds.”

Experiences of former prisoners
Mr Bon-Bon Kasaija, a resident of Njara, East division, Fort Portal. I was in Katojo Prison from 2010 to 2011. Health at Katojo was 99 per cent good. Prisoners were well catered for. Every three months, they could carry general checkups for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis.

Doctors and nurses could keep on checking on the sick at night. Accommodation was okay, every prisoner, even if he or she was new or old, could get 2 blankets with a mattress and we were allowed to get blankets from home and beddings, our rooms, bathrooms and latrine were always clean. We used to eat grade number 2 of posho, which was best for our body building, and fried beans. Our prison wardens never mistreated us.

Mr Patrick Byamaana, 52, from Byakalimira village, Ndogo Sub-county in Kabale District.
I was at Katojo Prison since 1994, but I was later transferred to Ibuga. We used to sleep on bare cement and insects could bite us and we had no blankets to cover ourselves.
Feeding was bad, we used to take half cups of porridge for breakfast and eat one sweet potato a day. Some prison wardens used to sell our sugar and posho.
When our relatives could come to check on us and leave behind some money with us, prison wardens could come ask for the money and take it away forcefully and they could beat us.

38 dead in Sudan road crash

In Summary

• Bus was travelling from Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, when it collided with the truck heading the opposite way, police said

KHARTOUM

At least 38 people died in Sudan Tuesday in one of the country's worst road accidents in years when a bus collided with a truck, police said, blaming the accident on speeding.

"Because of a crash this morning between a bus and a truck south of El Gutaina town in White Nile state, 38 people died and others were injured," a police statement said.

It did not give the number of people hurt but said they were taken to hospital in El Gutaina, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Khartoum, to be treated for various injuries.

The bus was travelling from Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, when it collided with the truck heading the opposite way, police said.

"The accident happened because of the high speeds of the two vehicles," said traffic police General Abdurahman Hassan Abdurahman.

After the crash, Abdurahman said police would step up enforcement by distributing 25 additional radar units to monitor speeds on the impoverished nation's highways.

Last December 33 people were killed and 24 injured when two inter-city buses collided about halfway between Khartoum and Wad Medani, southeast of the capital.

That crash followed complaints by city bus drivers in Khartoum that Sudan's surging inflation and sinking currency had driven maintenance costs out of control.

Last October 13 people died and 26 were injured when a passenger bus blew a tyre and collided with a minibus on the road to Wad Medani.

A crash between a bus and a truck south of Khartoum killed 21 people in April 2009.

Excitement as rhino is born in Nakasongola

 Uhuru, the newly-born baby rhino and its mother at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

In Summary

Restock. The baby rhino is part of efforts aimed at restocking the animals in national parks and boosting tourism.

Kampala

Conservationists, environment and wildlife enthusiasts received the news of the birth of a new female rhino at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary with excitement at the weekend, saying it will offer an opportunity for tourists to see the ‘Big Five’ animals.

These include elephants, lions, buffaloes, rhinos and leopards. The birth of the rhino is a boost to the restocking of the animals that were declared extinct in 1983 in the country.

The management of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where the animals stay, broke the news of the birth of the baby rhino named Uhuru, a Swahili word meaning independence.

Seven healthy babies have been born since June 2009, according to the management, bringing the current number in the sanctuary to 13. “This will not only offer an opportunity for tourists on safari to experience the Big Five in Uganda but also trek these magnificent mega herbivores,” Ms Angie Genade, the executive director of the Rhino Fund Uganda, an NGO that oversees the multiplication of the animals, said.

Ms Genade said the new baby was born to Nandi, a female rhino donated by Disney Animal Kingdom and Taleo a male rhino imported from Solio Ranch in Kenya. The baby rhino is in good health. Ms Genade said the Rhino Introduction Programme plans to release the newly-born animals back into the country’s national parks.

Poaching
“Looking at the current African Rhino Poaching statistics with average of three rhinos being poached daily, it is clear that there should always be a sustainable breeding stock in a safe environment,” she added.

Ms Genade said if the breeding stock reaches a suitable size, excess rhinos will be released into national parks but sustainable breeding stocks will remain on the sanctuary for security and genetic reasons. She said national parks must be safe from poaching and prepared to receive these rhinos. She said the organisation is expecting the two adult females to give birth in December 2013 and March 2014 respectively.

Bugembe Stadium Turns Too Small For Baba Fm’s Ekitudha

Amarula Family on stage doing what they are known best for

“Obey your leaders. Be willing to do what they say. They are responsible for your spiritual welfare, so they are always watching to protect you. Obey them so that their work will give them joy, not grief. It won’t help you to make it hard for them” reads Hebrews 13:17.

Bebe cool and Rema entertain the crowd

This is what exactly voters in Busoga responded to on Sunday after one of their top leaders, Moses Grace Balyeku, Jinja West Constituency Member of Parliament told them to turn up in big numbers at the third anniversary celebration of his Jinja based radio, 87.7 Baba fm.

Ghetto President Bobi wine entertaining Baba fm fans

Though last year’s event registered the biggest crowd ever in the region, this time round, the set record was again broken by the same radio as fans from all walks of life flocked the do to the extent that the biggest stadium in the region, Bugembe, could not hold the overwhelming capacity.

Mamuli Katumba in things

In fact though part of the state of the art stage that was set up Vibes events had to be removed to create more space for the crowd that kept on flocking in like running water, still it did not create any difference. And by 10:00pm, for fear of causalities, the organizers had nothing else to do but to bar any more entrants. In fact it is against this that some socialites have asked the management of the radio to find them a more bigger venue come 2014 since Bugembe has proved to be too small for them as the number of fans keeps on growing day and night.

MP Balyeku shakes it with singer Kenzo

At the event code named ‘Ekitudha 2013, Ffe Tubasinga’ and sponsored by MTN Uganda, MMI Integrated Steel Mills Limited who also gave out over 110 Kiboko iron sheets to different fans of the radio, Jomayi Property Consultants, Mirinda green apple, Samona Products Limited, Moonberg lager, AOET health center Bugembe, City gin, Karibu Waragi, House of snacks, Gayaza Electronics who gave out domestic electronic appliances, Vero Natural Mineral Water, World point group, all the big artists that had been announced before, turned up and this left the fans crowning the station as the giant of the region as far as organizing events is concerned.

Eddy Kenzo working up the crowd

The colourful gig which started as early as 8:00am with the regions’ local artistes and which is now on every ones’ lips in Eastern region, saw the mammoth crowd also entertained by star singers like Big size, Bebe cool, Rehema and his Gagamel crew, Ghetto president Bobi Wine and his fire base crew, Eddy Kenzo, Niice Henry, David Lutalo, Sweet Kid, Catherine Kusasira, Mathius Walukaga, Nabbi Okukazi and the revival band, Amarura family, Rockie Giant, Sarah Short, Willy Mukabya, Fred Seebale, Gerald Kiwewa, Fred Sebata, Mamuri Katumba, Malagala, Jobless, Summy Cool, Mr. World among others.

S. Sudan TV editor threatened at gunpoint

 

 he security agent demanded that the TV editor hand over all news

materials relating to Vice President Riak Machar (pictured). PHOTO

 

JUBA - The head of South Sudan's only private television station said he was threatened at gunpoint by a national security agent who was attempting to censor its news programmes.

Nhial Bol, managing editor of Citizen TV in Juba, said the official showed up at his office late on Thursday and demanded that he hand over the broadcast schedule as well as all news materials relating to Vice President Riak Machar.

"He pulled out his pistol and said he was ready to shoot anybody who didn't show him respect," Bol told Reuters.

"He said he would shut down the station if we didn't cooperate. This is censorship," said Bol who also heads the Citizen daily newspaper.

The ministries of national security and information were not immediately available for comment on the accusation.

Rights groups say the harassment of journalists by state security officers has already eroded press freedom and led to self-censorship in Africa's youngest nation, just two years after it gained independence from its long-time foe Sudan.

Bol said senior security officers apologised to the station on Friday but that agents would be deployed to all media houses to monitor and censor news from now on.

Last month, the New York-based advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists sent a letter to President Salva Kiir urging him to prosecute security agents responsible for repeated harassing, intimidating and detaining journalists.

In April, Kiir, who heads the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), halted a reconciliation initiative launched by Machar to end tribal and rebel violence, which had been viewed as an attempt by his deputy to raise his profile ahead of an anticipated contest for the party leadership.

The two men were on opposing sides of a split within the SPLM during much of the 1983-2005 civil war that ended after the two factions reunited.

"The whole thing is related to the (ruling party) and contesting for the 2015 elections," Bol said.

This year, South Sudan slipped 13 places to 124 out of 179 countries on the world press freedom index compiled by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.