Conglolese Reject LRA Radio Project

A radio project initiated by Invisible Children to lure the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels out of the bush has led to protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Invisible Children last year set up radio stations in areas that the LRA rebels are operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The radio stations which broadcast on FM band were set up with the objective of disseminating messages urging members of the LRA group to abandon rebellion and return to resettle in their homes.
The radio project is however yet to register success in the fight against the Joseph Kony led LRA insurgency. Jolly Okot Andruvile, the Regional Ambassador says the Congolese don’t want the messages to be aired out in the local radios because they are in Acholi dialect, the language spoken by the brutal rebels.
Okot says Invisible Children had hoped to reach out to the rebels in Acholi dialect which is spoken by a majority of the combatants
Okot says other challenges that are hindering defections among LRA include failure by the Kinshasha government to recognize that the LRA are living in the Garamba National Park and the hostility that the Congolese government forces have towards LRA returnees. Okot says the Congolese army has been harming the LRA rebels who surrender to them.
Meanwhile several LRA rebels in Congo have reportedly expressed interest in giving up rebellion.
Reverend Father Ernest Sugule, the Coordinator of Solidarité et Assistance Intégrale aux Personnes Démunies-SAIPD, a local NGO says locals in Dungu say the rebels are becoming friendly and no longer carryout abductions.
Sugule says the rebels now request for foodstuffs unlike in the past when they would loot. He says a week ago an LRA rebel reportedly approached villagers and requested that he be given a bicycle to ride around the village.
He says the rebel later returned the bicycle after three days.

G8 protester seized after 'trying to jump off building'

Demonstrator in central London appeared to try to throw himself from a rooftop

 

A man has apparently tried to throw himself off the roof of a building during anti-G8 protests before being pinned down by police officers.

Sky News' Jason Farrell said the protester appeared on the roof of a central London building, shouting at officers who were wearing climbing equipment.
He then ran towards the edge before he was pulled back and wrestled to the ground by police. He has been taken to hospital.
Around 100 police officers were in Soho where protesters with banners were believed to be occupying the former police station in Beak Street.
Police are thought to have entered the building with a search warrant after receiving intelligence that people there were in "possession of weapons and were intent on causing criminal damage and engaging in violent disorders".
More than six people have been arrested so far over the protests for alleged offences including possession of articles with intent to commit criminal damage, assault on police, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon and failing to remove a face covering.
A small number of rallies were held in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus during the "Carnival Against Capitalism" before the two-day summit, hosted by Britain, in Northern Ireland next week.
Some of the world's biggest hedge funds, private equity firms and banks have warned their staff to take precautions in the event of disruption after similar protests in recent years led to violent clashes with police, vandalism and buildings being temporarily occupied.
Westminster City Council cabinet member for city management Ed Argar said: "Our warden teams will be working with police to manage the streets and we also have clean-up crews on standby.
"Everyone respects the right to legitimate protest and I hope this will be a day without incident.
"However, business people, shop staff and visitors have the right to go about the West End without intimidation or interference and we will do our best to ensure the centre of London runs smoothly."
There were reports on Twitter of a strong police presence in the Oxford Circus and Regent Street area of central London and Golden Square, close to Beak Street.
Designer Jamie Rees, tweeting under @jamie--rees, reported: "Locked into work. Literally. G8 protestors outside targeting Golden Square."
Another Ed McClaran, @edmcclaran, tweeted: "Big G8 protest outside our offices today. People chaining themselves to railings. Why they are in the West End and not the City, I don't know."
Police protection of landmark sites across Belfast has been tightened in advance of the conference next week.
The leaders of the world's eight wealthiest countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are due to meet at the luxury Lough Erne resort in Co Fermanagh.

 

German bank employee naps on keyboard, transfers millions

An obviously tired German bank employee fell asleep on his keyboard and accidentally
 transformed a minor transfer into a 222 million euro ($293 million) order, a court heard Monday

An obviously tired German bank employee fell asleep on his keyboard and accidentally transformed a minor transfer into a 222 million euro ($293 million) order, a court heard.

The Hessen labour court heard that the man was supposed to transfer just 62.40 euros from a bank account belonging to a retiree, but instead "fell asleep for an instant, while pushing onto the number 2 key on the keyboard" -- making it a huge 222,222,222.22 euro order.
The bank discovered the mistake shortly afterwards and corrected the error.
The case was taken to court by the man's 48-year-old colleague who was fired for letting the mistake slip through when verifying the order.
The court ruled that the plaintiff should be reinstated in his job.

Can Coffee Help You Live Longer?

For many a daily coffee is their boost to get through the day, but that medium drip just might save your life.

 People may preach about the dangers of caffeine, but a new study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that drinking coffee could have health
 The study, which began in 1995, took a sampling of 400,000 volunteers ages 50-71 that had no major diseases at the start of the study. By 2008, 50,000 of the participants had passed away. However, research found that those men who reported drinking two or three cups of coffee per day were 10 percent less likely to have died than those who didn't drink coffee and women drinking the same amount were 13 percent less likely to have passed away, according to The New York Times.

Besides possibly living longer, caffeine may be able to help prevent Alzheimer's. A 2012 study by the University of South Florida tested the caffeine levels of people who had begun to show the beginning signs of Alzheimer's. The researchers then re-tested the same people two tofour years later. Participants with little or no caffeine in their bloodstreams were far more likely to have progressed to have developed Alzheimer's than those whose blood work had shown that they'd consumed about three cups' worth of caffeine.

 These new results are no surprise, as other recent studies have also shown that caffeine can reduce the effects or prevent Type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, oral cancer and breast cancer. But Dr. Gregory G. Freund, a professor of pathology at the University of Illinois, told The New York Times it is too early to tell the true effect of coffee on health.

"We don't know whether [coffee] is sufficient to prevent or lessen the effects of dementia," he said. "But, [coffee] has been popular for a long, long time, and there's probably good reasons for that."

Govt sets up internet monitoring center

 

 

 

The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) is to partner with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to set up a Computer communications center to detect and fight terrorism and cyber-related crime.

Addressing a press conference at UCC offices in Kampala, the Permanent secretary of the ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Dr. Jimmy Samanya said UCC had already installed the equipment to detect, prevent and respond to cyber threats.

He explained that UCC’s facility will serve as a national center for the country and provide guidance and training for organizations such as banks, media houses and institutions to install the equipment to fight cyber-crime.

The Malaysian based ITU that has set up cyber-crime detection and prevention centers for many governments, institutions and organizations across the World will also provide training to Ugandan officials who will man Uganda’s center that is undergoing construction at UCC headquarters in Bogolobi.

The initiative is dedicated to enhancing the global community’s capacity to prevent, defend and respond to cyber threats.

According to the plan, the UCC officials would be trained in three phases for about year by ITU before they can start operating the center.

When the center is up and running Samanya noted that UCC will be able to identify attacks and issue early warnings to subscribers to keep the threats at bay.

He explained that the initiative was not a ploy by government to limit fundamental freedoms and human rights by monitoring the internet and social networking sites.

“The Cyber-attacks are real. While we need internet as government to do business, there are people who are using it to attack and disable systems. This era of technological advancement has come with a lot of challenges,” Samanya said.

The ICT minister, Eng. John Nasasira said in a statement that terrorist are increasingly using internet and stressed the need for UGCERT to insulate the country against such threats.

“Women and children are increasingly becoming targets of online human traffickers. We cannot allow this to continue or wait to be attacked to respond,” he said.

The UCC executive director, Eng. Godfery Mutabazi said the UGCERT is a robust system that will counter and neutralize cyber threats, adding that the initiative is part of efforts by the ICT ministry to provide a secure environment for internet users across the country.

The UGCERT project manager, Sagar Mahendram said “The people we are training at UCC will be help to provide similar services to organizations after the third phase of the training,”
 

Man jumps to death at Mulago hospital

In Summary

Hajj Kasajja, a lorry driver on Ggaba Road, had reportedly told his wife that some people were demanding their money from him, so he wanted to clear the debts.

Shock gripped Mulago hospital yesterday morning when a 52-year-old man reportedly jumped to his death from the Sixth Floor.

According to Ms Sarah Nanfuka, the wife of Hajj Suleiman Kasajja, he left home saying he was going to work and she was surprised at how he ended up at Mulago hospital.

Hajj Kasajja, a lorry driver on Ggaba Road, had reportedly told his wife that some people were demanding their money from him, so he wanted to clear the debts.

Ms Nanfuka, however, admitted that her husband had been battling some mental problems lately and sometimes had incoherent speech. She added that they suspected that he had some mild dementia but they always accompanied him to Mulago hospital for checkup and this had been going on for some time. “I was surprised to receive a phone call from the police this afternoon informing me that my husband had committed suicide,” Ms Nanfuka said on telephone.

Cases of patients jumping to death from Mulago hospital are not new. Every year, at least one or two cases of such deaths are reported at the national referral hospital. Although the police had not yet ascertained the circumstances under which the father of four took his life, Dr Banterana Byarugaba, the hospital director, said the incident was not strange.

Mental problems
He observed that some people have many mental illnesses that force them to commit suicide. “You always hear about people committing suicide in high rise buildings such as NSSF, Mulago, drowning in lakes and this is normal. These are public places where people can walk in and out without restriction,” he said.

In 2009, a long serving mortuary attendant at the hospital jumped to death from the same floor, following revelations to colleagues on the eve of his death that he had urgent pressing problems. According to Dr Banterana, the hospital will conduct a postmortem to ascertain whether

Traffic police officer arrested over Shs150,000 bribe

A senior traffic police officer in western region has been arrested for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Shs150,000 from a bus operator.

The officer was arrested by the Inspectorate of Government last week following a tipoff by one of the bus operators who had allegedly fallen victim to the officer.

The bus operator (names withheld by IGG for investigation purposes) is reported to have queried the officer’s action of levying the said amount of money in question against him yet it was not backed by law.

Ms Munira Ali, the IGG’s public relations officer, in a Friday telephone interview with this newspaper, said the traffic boss had been detained at the Kampala Central Police Station and would be produced in the Anti-Corruption Court. But a day later, Ms Ali said they had instead referred the case to the Police Standards Unit for disciplinary action.

In a related development, two more police officers were arrested in Kaberamaido District by the IGG about two weeks ago for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Shs100,000. According to Ms Ali, the officers were arrested for allegedly demanding the said money in exchange for releasing a suspect in their custody.

The two were given a police bond on Friday as investigations into their actions continue.
According to the East Africa Bribery Index of 2011 carried out by Transparency International, Uganda Police Force was found to be the most bribery-prone institution compared to other forces in the five East African Community partner states. The Uganda Police had 80.8 bribery index score followed by Burundian Police with a 75 index score.

He is cheating on me, so why can’t I cheat on him too?

A couple sharing a light moment. Photo/FILE  

In Summary

I am a Christian but I am now contemplating backsliding and engaging in alcohol and extramarital affairs because it seems God has abandoned me. Please advise me on what to do. 

Dear Kitoto,

We married six years ago. That very year, he started cheating on me. After delivering our first-born daughter, I decided to go back to my parents despite being pregnant with my second child. He tried to convince me to go back and I refused. He decided to come with his parents, who, due to the pregnancy, convinced me to go back.

To cut a long story short, he once took the other woman to his mother. Our pastor tried to resolve the issue to no avail. What bothers me is that despite being in a rocky marriage, I decline all other men who approach me.

My husband is now 50 and I am 30. Is the age difference the problem, bearing in mind that the other woman is older than me? Family planning did not work for me and as I write this email, I am carrying another pregnancy.

I am a Christian but I am now contemplating backsliding and engaging in alcohol and extramarital affairs because it seems God has abandoned me. Please advise me on what to do. 

Desperate wife

Hi,

I believe that entering any dating or marriage relationship is a choice made by each of us. God gave us the power of choice, but we are accountable for the outcome of such choices. Your husband has made choices that present certain consequences. If he truly loves you, then his actions should show this.

I fear that you are tempted to react out of pain and frustration. When you act out of a desire to revenge and without a clear and sober mind concerning the consequences of your actions, you will be setting yourself up for further trouble. Two wrongs cannot make a right.

As a believer, you have a responsibility to act according to God’s word. First action is to bring the issue to the offender. It seems this is what you have done. Second is to bring the issue to the offender in the presence of another witness. If the offender does not repent, then the case should come before the church.

If the offender is rebellious, then there is nothing more you can do but to let them move according to their choices. Backsliding and engaging in alcohol will do nothing but destroy your future and that of your children.

National Football team kicked Out Of Namboole

The Uganda Cranes team has been thrown out of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, where they have been preparing for a World Cup qualifier game against Angola on Saturday. Namboole management reportedly said the stadium was booked until Friday by a Kampala-based Under-15 soccer academy.

The Uganda Cranes team has been thrown out of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, where they have been preparing for a World Cup qualifier game against Angola on Saturday.Information coming in indicates that the team, fresh from beating Liberia 1-0 last weekend at the same venue, were today asked to vacate. Namboole management reportedly said the stadium was booked until Friday by a Kampala-based Under-15 soccer academy. Friday will be just a day before the Cranes and the Black Antelopes of Angola face off in a 2014 World Cup qualifying encounter Uganda must win to brighten their chances of advancing to the next stage.
A Uganda Radio Network reporter at Namboole says the Cranes teams are now training from the outer field near the main stadium. The team manager Crispus Muyinda tells URN that they were told by the Namboole management that the stadium is booked for at least three days and that it is out of bounds of the Cranes.
Officials from Namboole have not yet commented on the story.
The Saturday win against Liberia pushed the Cranes to second position in Group J with five points just behind leaders Senegal who have six points. Angola and Liberia have four points each, with the former having a superior goal difference. The Cranes need to win their two remaining fixtures against Angola at home and Senegal away to advance to the final stage of qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The eviction comes just hours after Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi told journalists at Parliament that the Uganda Cranes team lacks commitment in the games they play.
Bakkabulindi said that in the game against Liberia, the Cranes only showed commitment at the start of the game and that towards the last fifteen minutes of the first half the midfield was almost dead.
Bakkabulindi acknowledged the support from the supporters at Namboole Stadium. He noted that new Coach Milutin Micho Sredojevic needs protection on the job since he is still new and that preparing the team cannot be done overnight.

Fort Portal Accident claims 10

At least ten people are confirmed dead and 15 others severely wounded in a Monday afternoon road accident on Fort Portal –Kasese road. A Traffic police officer in the area says a trailer registration number UAS 069M carrying cement from Kasese district collided head-on with a Fuso lorry registration number UAS 446S that was transporting people going for a burial in Kibiito sub county.

Police and local residents at the accident scene

At least ten people are confirmed dead and 15 others severely wounded in a Monday afternoon road accident on Fort Portal –Kasese road.
Some of the deceased have been identified as Ssewantu Mwesige, Omuhereza Anihirwa, 30 year-old Omuhereza Hossana and 28 year old Omwikiriza Rwatooro all residents of Kyogya village, Kigoyera parish in Kyarusozi sub county, Kyenjojo district. The police had not yet identified the other victims at the time of filing this report.
According to the Richard Olili, the Traffic officer Fort Portal, a trailer registration number UAS 069M that was carrying cement from Hima factory in Kasese district collided head-on with a Fuso lorry registration number UAS 446S that was transporting people going for burial in Kibiito sub county.
The 1:30pm accident occurred at Kyabunda Hill in Buheesi Sub County, Kabarole district.
Olili explains that the driver of the trailer identified as Richard Mukasa, believed to be in his mid-30s, who was over speeding and talking on phone, lost control and hit the Fuso lorry.
Olili says the bodies have been taken to Fort Portal referral hospital, while the injured were also rushed to the same hospital in critical condition.The traffic boss said the driver of the Fuso lorry and the injured victims could not be identified by the time of filing this report.
He attributed the accident to over speeding and reckless driving
Thirty-year-old Deo Mwesige, a survivor, told reporters that over 60 people were aboard the Fuso lorry travelling to bury his mother identified as Revakato Kakyo in Kyamuhemba, Lyamabwa parish in Kibiito Sub County.
He said two of the dead were children of the deceased mother.
Abdul Akugizibwe, an eyewitness told reporters that the injured were picked and put on a lorry that was coming from Kasese and rushed to hospital.
The fatal accident comes hardly just a day after three people died in Katooke Sub County, Kyenjojo district on Sunday night when a Fuso Lorry carrying a Football team of Kigumba Mukwano tea factory failed to climb the hill due to over loading and overturned.

7 Ways to Deal With Workplace Stress and Your Difficult Boss

At some point in our careers or jobs, we have felt "burned out." It doesn't matter whether or not you have a good paying position, one way or another, directly or indirectly, workplace stress, if not dealt with the right away, could get to you.

My first job in my late teens was at a burger joint, I was making a mere $4.25/hr. Life was good. No responsibility. I just have myself to take care of. But it wasn't enough for me to settle. The kind of stress that got me was very simple, considering my age and lifestyle. I was assigned to work in the front, taking orders. On slower days, I had to do both the front and drive-thru registers by myself. The manager would send someone home to save some corporate money. Back then I worked and studied full-time. It was a good stress, I would say. It gave me the motivation to pursue life and my future.

So I got my diploma and began my career, and second career later, something would always remain the same; no matter how much you change your jobs and careers in your lifetime, stress will always be constant.

Unfortunately, workplace stress is something that is often linked with poor management and/or having a difficult boss. Well,  this can only be partly true, and I completely agree. It does not matter if you feel overworked, underpaid and never appreciated, if you don't do something about it, then you are in full acceptance. This is when the feeling of being "burned out," if not resentment, comes in.

Personally, there were a couple of times in my earlier careers, where I felt "overworked, underpaid and never appreciated," but that was then. I dont' sweat the small stuff these days. No, it is not that I no longer feel immune to workplace stress, remember, it is constant, right? I just don't let it get to me.

Now, if you are feeling overworked, underpaid and never appreciated yourself, either on a daily basis or occasionally, you may find your boss as an easy target and a scapegoat for every work-related stress that is happening around you. As mentioned above, this is just partly true. In light of this topic, here are seven questions to ask yourself that may help you understand how to handle your workplace stress better, or better yet, handle your ill feelings about your difficult boss:

1. Assess the situation and understand your emotions. In stressful workplace situations, you don't have to react negatively and feel like a victim everytime. Your boss may be acting difficult right this minute, but, look at the bigger picture and see where it's coming from. How you respond to that stressful situation could make or break you. If you feel like reacting, keep your cool and just try to walk away. Being proactive is the better approach.

2. Communicate with your boss in a manner where it can end up as "win-win" situation for both parties, and not just one. A workplace relationship can be compared to that of a marriage, For it to work, both parties need to learn how to communicate effectively to the other person. Try to find out the root of the problem so that you can deal with it appropriately. Remember to attack the problems, not the person.

3. Remember to separate your personal from your work issues (always). If you just heard a comment from your boss that you did not quite get, and makes you want to take it as a personal attack...stop! It has been said and done, no need to make it worse at this point. You cannot change what your boss had said, but, you can certainly control your emotions and respond more "professionally." Notice I said, professionally, since it should not be taken personally. If you have work ethics and you would like to stay in this job, you would be the better person. Do not let it go out of hand, remember No. 1 and No. 2 above, you assess the situation and take it proactively.

4. Even if you feel stressed out, with your back against the wall, find reasons to stay. Don't make excuses of why you have to stay eventhough you feel miserable at the present time, instead, find reasons to stay at your workplace right now and link it to your future. Professional advancement is a great reason to stay. Focus with the positives more and less with the stress. Stress is constant and everywhere, the only person that can change it is you.

5. Change your outlook and take a remark from your difficult boss in a constructive manner. Instead of taking a remark from your boss negatively, try to look at it with your rosy colored glasses and make something positive out of it.

6. Empower yourself as an employee. Empowering yourself as an employee does not mean you have to go against your employer's workplace policy and become a rebel about everything. It simply means changing the way you see yourself, look at the bigger picture. Replaced negative things with positive ones. Don't allow your mind to see yourself as a victim, instead, see yourself as a workplace asset.

7. Don't sweat the small stuff. Each individual has a different way in dealing with stress. What you view as a stressful situation may not be the case with another individual. The key is to understand yourself better. Practice grace under pressure. The more you practice control, the less stressed out you become.

Share your thoughts and ideas on how to deal with workplace stress and difficult boss effectively.

Bottled water may be unsafe, after all

 Bottled water

Tap water is a rarity in Nigeria, forget whatever promises the Minister for Water Resources may have made about making potable water available by whichever magic year.

Again, simply look away whenever expensive vehicles bearing the logo of a so-called water corporation drives by, because it is obvious that the authorities do everything with taxpayers’ funds except fulfilling one of the reasons for which people pay tax — provision of potable water.

Since the government has failed woefully to provide drinkable water to the people midway into the second decade of the 21st century, Nigerians are faced with two dismal options: sink private boreholes — with the attendant environmental implications; or rely on water supplies whose sources are dubious.

If any industry thrives in Nigeria despite the gloomy outlook of the economy, it is water-bottling firms. No wonder they are not thinking of relocating to neighbouring countries despite the moribund performance of another government agency, the Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria.

And with all sorts of water available in all forms — bottled or packed in mini cellophane bags — water consumers have never felt torn between choices.

Physicians agree that certain categories of people are more vulnerable to getting sick from contaminants in drinking water. These include people undergoing chemotherapy, those living with HIV/AIDS or patients who have received organ transplantation.

They also say pregnant women, the elderly and children may also be at greater risk. They therefore urge this group of people to seek physician’s advice about whether they should take additional precautions, such as boiling their water or drinking bottled water

People choose bottled water for a variety of reasons, including aesthetics, health concerns, or as a substitute for other beverages. But then, how far can you entrust the state of your health to daily or regular consumption of bottled- or, worse still, ‘pure,’ water?

A nutritionist, Dr. Kemi Elumoye, argues that bottled water is not just expensive, she also considers money spent on buying it wasteful. Worse, she says, “contrary to popular belief, the average bottled water is not any healthier for consumption than tap or deep well water.”

Indeed, the World Health Organisation’s Guidelines for drinking-water quality state that substances like lead, arsenic and fluoride may be more readily controlled in bottled water than in tap water. Yet, the guidelines also state that some substances are more difficult to manage in bottled water than in tap water.

This is because, as the WHO notes, bottled water is stored for longer periods and at higher temperatures than tap water, allowing some microorganisms to grow to higher levels. The global health body therefore cautions that because bottled water is not sterile, infants, pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals may be vulnerable to water contaminants.

Elumoye says of utmost importance is the source of the water. “I challenge bottled water consumers to examine closely the labels on the water bottle if they would ever see where the water they drink comes from. What this translates to, in essence, is that bottled water companies also drill boreholes from which they source the water, and then take the water through certain processes that may be inimical to health when used regularly.”

She also notes that in a country like Nigeria where regulations are sometimes observed in the breach, bottled water may not be safe enough for consumption, as the bottles may leak certain chemicals into the water, especially after the water may have been exposed to the elements, like when left in the sun all day in the course of displaying them on the shelf.

As for mothers who feed their babies with bottled water or use it to mix infant formula, Elumoye warns that the probable high mineral content of some bottled water “makes them unsuitable for feeding babies and young children.”

 Talking about the process of bottled water manufacture, the International Bottled Water Association discloses that each bottle of water passes through processing such as reverse osmosis, deionisation, activated carbon filtration and other approved treatment procedures.

In tearing down the façade of healthiness of bottled water processing, an industrial chemist, Mr. Tunde George, says through reverse osmosis, water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane, which filters out a select number of contaminants, depending on the size of the contaminants.

He notes that if the contaminants are larger in size than water molecules, they will be filtered out, but if they are smaller in size, they will remain in the drinking water.

Elumoye argues that reverse osmosis de-mineralises water. She says, “Most mineral particles such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, magnesium, and iron are larger than water molecules; they are therefore removed by the semi-permeable membrane of the reverse osmosis system.

“By so doing, the naturally occurring minerals in water would have been removed, leaving the water tasteless. This also makes the water acidic (often well below 7.0 pH); and when taken regularly, it can make it impossible for the consumer to maintain a healthy pH balance in the blood, which should be slightly alkaline.”

Again, medical researchers warn that drinking (such) acidic water (and other acidic beverages) will often cause a leaking of essential minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, from the body, especially from the bones and teeth, as the body tries to neutralise the acidity.

George explains that during deonisation, the mineral ions (salts) in water are removed. “These mineral ions include sodium, calcium, iron, copper, chloride, and bromide. Deionised water is created by taking conventional water and exposing it to electrically charged resins that attract and bind to the salts, removing them from the water. Because most of the impurities in water are mineral salts, deionised water is mostly pure, but it does still contain numerous bacteria and viruses, which have no charge and therefore are not attracted to the electrified resins.”

Elumoye says many of the mineral salts taken out during deionisation are essential nutrients that the body needs.

As for activated carbon filtration of water, scientists at North Carolina State University say though the process is good for removing organic compounds that make water taste and smell bad, the downside is that it does not filter out heavy metals, fluoride, bacteria or microorganisms that may be in the water.

The researchers also warn that if the carbon filter is not replaced often enough, bacteria can build up on the surface of the carbon and fill the entire surface. “When water is poured through the saturated filter, it will not filter effectively and some of the bacteria can contaminate the water,” the scientists say. This is not your idea of potable water, is it?

In sum, Elumoye advises people to boil their water and filter it if they think it is not pure enough.

“And after boiling, you may just pour it into a large container where everybody can have access to it, rather than bottling it. Again, unused water must be discarded by the following day and a new one boiled for use. That way, you are sure of what you are drinking,’ Elumoye counsels.

Fire razes 150 spare parts shops in Apapa

 Spare parts market, Trinity, Apapa

Tragedy struck on Sunday at  the Trinity Spare Parts Market in the Olodi Apapa area of Ajegunle, Lagos, as no fewer than 150 shops, including their materials, were consumed by an inferno.

 It was believed that the fire was caused by an electrical power surge  in one of the shops at a section of the plaza some minutes after 3pm.

Our correspondent gatherred that the infreno started from a shop on the ‘B’ line of the market few minutes after the Power Holding Company of Nigeria,  restored power to the shopping complex.

The Speed Well Plaza is estimated to accommodate no fewer than  200  shops,  mostly  spare parts traders.

A  resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said,  “This whole incident started when PHCN restored power here around 1.00p.m.

“Not long after that, I saw a thick smoke coming from one of the shops on B line,though I didn’t know the fire was going to be this big and spread to other parts of the plaza.”

Some of the affected traders, who spoke to our correspondent amid sighing, expressed shock at the mid-Sunday fire.

They lamented the extent of the destruction, adding that for them to get back to business, the governmentr would need to assist them.

 A distressed trader,  Mr. Izuchukwu Agwu,  said, “I am finished. As you are seeing me here, I have lost everything I have to this fire incident.

“Unless something is done, I am heading back to the village and you know what it means – suicide. I sleep in my shop and I have no other business here.”

He added, “I was lucky not to have been in there when the fire started. Who knows, I might have been burnt. Now, what else do I have? I am heading back to the village tonight.”

Policemen from Trinity Police Station with other security personnel provided security at the plaza as fire fighters from the Lagos State Fire Service and those believed to be from Julius Berger Plc battled to put out the ragging inforeno.

The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, explained that the fire was aggravated by the inflammable materials stored in most of the shops in the spare parts market.

Four pupils killed as motorist runs over children

 A satellite image of Ol Kalou area. Photo/GOOGLE MAP 

At least four pupils were killed Monday morning as motorist ploughs into children headed for school along the Ol-Kalou - Nyabi-ini road in Nyandarua County.

Police at the scene said three of them are pupils at Green Hill Academy while the fourth one is a form student at St Peter’s Secondary School.

The four who were walking to school in the early morning hours, were crossing the road at Mawingu area when the accident occurred.

‘Food cooked in kaveera causes cancer’

In Summary

Polythene bags cause cancer, new report says

KAMPALA

Eating food wrapped in polythene bags (kaveera) during cooking could expose one to the risk of getting cancer, a new report indicates.

“Food sources such as vegetables, grains, fruits, fish, matooke, posho and shellfish can become contaminated by accumulating metals from being heated in polyethylene bags,” reads the report compiled by Makerere University’s School of Food Technology Nutrition and Bio-engineering.

Whereas different communities in Uganda have traditionally wrapped and prepared different foods in banana leaves, the use of polyethylene bags in place of banana leaves is on the rise.

According to the report which was launched last week, polythene bags contain cancer-causing metals.
The report warns: “Exposure to some metals, such as mercury and lead, may also cause development of autoimmunity, in which a person’s immune system attacks its own cells. This can lead to joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and diseases of the kidneys, circulatory system, and nervous system.”

The report also warns that the heavy metal exposure causes reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death. Prof Noble Banadda, the head of the Agricultural Bio-Systems Engineering at Makerere University, said coloured polyethylene bags (buveera) have even heavier metals with the capacity to cause cancer. “The major metal found is Lead and its migration from the kaveera to the food during cooking at high temperatures is faster,” he said.

Little attention
According to the report, despite a remarkable growth in the development of food packaging in the past decades, very little attention has been given to the potential risk of bio-accumulation of plastic bag contaminants to human health.

Prof Banadda also notes that use of banana leaves to cook requires skills which are gradually becoming extinct. “It is a tedious job to use banana leaves and they cannot easily be handled in terms of solid waste unlike the kaveera which is convenient because it can be re-used and disposal is easy,” he said.

The scientist also warned that people who buy hot food and pack it in buveera in a period of 45 minutes to one hour also face similar risk. The report comes at a time when Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is running a campaign to discourage people from cooking food using polythene bags.

Mr Peter Kaujju, the KCCA spokesperson, said the authority is carrying out mass sensitisation in the slum areas and food joints, discouraging the use of kaveera in cooking as well as packing hot food. “We are alerting people and the last resort for those who decline to comply with the regulation will be arrest and prosecution because the Public Health Act allows us,” he said.

In the 2009/2010 budget, government announced a total ban on all polythene bags as an environmental protection measure. The move by government had sought to prohibit the importation, local manufacture, sale and or use of polythene bags.

Prayers for Mandela as family urged to 'let him go'

 Nelson Mandela are pictured outside of his Johannesburg home on June 9, 2013

In Summary

• Mandela is revered as a global symbol of forgiveness following his release from 27 years in prison during white minority rule and his latest hospitalisation has triggered outpourings of concern across the globe
• South Africa's cricket star AB de Villiers joined world figures including Prime Minister David Cameron and the White House in sending best wishes for Mandela
• Controversial television footage in April showed a frail, distant and unsmiling Mandela being visited at home by ANC leaders, sparking accusations that his party was exploiting him

JOHANNESBURG

South Africa prayed for Nelson Mandela on Sunday as the revered peace icon faced a third night in hospital, with calls for the family and the nation to "let him go".

Government officials have given no update on his health since announcing that the 94-year-old was admitted early Saturday and was in a "serious but stable" condition with a lung infection.

"I've seen my father and he's well. He's a fighter," his daughter Zindzi.

But South Africans are beginning to come to terms with the mortality of their first black president and father of the "Rainbow Nation", following a string of recent health scares

.

It is the fourth hospital stay since December for the Nobel peace prize laureate, who turns 95 next month, after he was discharged in April following treatment for pneumonia.

Although the government has not identified the hospital treating Mandela, family members were seen leaving a heart clinic in Pretoria where a large media camp is gathered.

"We wish Madiba a speedy recovery, but I think what is important is that his family must release him," Mandela's long-time friend Andrew Mlangeni, 87,  using his clan name.

"Once the family releases him, the people of South Africa will follow. We will say thank you, God, you have given us this man, and we will release him too," said the former apartheid era prisoner, who was jailed for life alongside Mandela in 1964.

Mandela is revered as a global symbol of forgiveness following his release from 27 years in prison during white minority rule and his latest hospitalisation has triggered outpourings of concern across the globe.

He has not been seen in public since the World Cup final in July 2010.

Song filled the morning air at the Regina Mundi church in Soweto, a key flashpoint in the anti-apartheid struggle, as worshippers prayed for their hero.

"I mean Tata is 94. At 94 what do you expect?" said churchgoer Sannie Shezi, 36, using an affectionate term meaning father.

"He lived his life, he worked for us. All we can say is God help him. If things happen they will happen, but we still love him."

Mandela's third wife Graca Machel has been at his hospital bedside after calling off a trip to a London conference.

While Twitter users expressed sadness and urged a quick recovery, they were also prepared for the worst.

"Madiba has served us well, a real blessing a definition of a leader but it's time to let him Go. We can't hold on forever," said one tweet.

Uganda Bows Out Of Big Brother The chase

Ugandan representatives Denzel and
Luggude Lk4

It’s the end of the road for Uganda in The Big Brother Chase as Lugudde aka LK4 became the second and last Ugandan Housemate to be Evicted from The Big Brother Africa House. The first one to leave was the quirky Denzel who spent just one week in The Chase. Not that his countryman, LK4 did any better after being passed the baton.
Could LK4′s cockiness have cost him in the game? or was it his player tendencies which saw him double cross Nigeria’s Beverly and South Africa’s Koketso? Well, LK4 ended up being with Koketso who never left his side until they were Evicted together.
It was so embarassing when IK put LK4 on the spot about what he meant on Saturday night when he told Natasha that his mother had told him that he had to be close to Nigerians and South Africans in the House to make it through. The look he got from Koketso was simply priceless as it dawned to her that the Ugandan ‘prince’ could have been playing her all along.
Koketso’s Eviction means that South Africa’s hope lies with Angelo who hasn’t being doing much in the game either. Now that Angelo is the only South African left in The Chase, he will have to up his game and so should Kenya’s Annabel. The second Kenya Housemate, Huddah was Evicted alongside Denzel during the first Eviction Show leaving a huge load on Annabel’s shoulders.

WHAT WOMEN WANT

"What Women Want: To be loved, to be listened to, to be desired, to be respected, to be needed, to be trusted, and sometimes, just to be held.

Russia’s Vladimir Putin divorces wife after 30 years

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila have said their marriage is over.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila

The couple, who had been married for 30 years, made their divorce public on Russian state television after attending a ballet performance.
“It was a joint decision: we hardly see each other, each of us has our own life”, Mr Putin said.
Mrs Putin had rarely been seen in public in recent months, prompting much speculation in Russian media.
She is known to dislike publicity, and told the TV reporter that flying was difficult for her. “Vladimir Vladimirovich is completely drowned in work,” she said.
The divorce was “civilised” and the couple would “always remain close”, she said.
“I am very grateful to Vladimir… that he still supports me. And the children, he really cares for them and the children feel this,” she added.
Mr Putin confirmed on TV that the two were no longer living together.
“We are always going to be very close to each other. I am sure, forever,” he said.
Vladimir Putin and Lyudmila Shkrebneva were married in 1983. They have two daughters, Maria and Yekaterina, both in their 20s.
“Our children have grown up; they have their own lives,” Mrs Putin added.
She and Mr Putin were last seen together at his inauguration for his third term as president on 7 May 2012.
Remarriage?
Neither clarified whether or not their marriage had been legally dissolved, but Mrs Putin referred to the separation as a “civilised divorce”.

 The couple had been seen less frequently in public in recent months

The announcement came after the couple had gone to see the ballet Esmeralda at the Kremlin Palace – they left after the first act.
The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says that Thursday’s announcement confirms what had been rumoured for years, that the Putins were having marital problems.
But the news has still come as a shock to many Russians, who are not used to their leaders getting divorced – even though Russia has one of the highest divorce rates in the world, our correspondent adds.
The question already dominating the Russian blogosphere is, “will Russia’s president marry again?”, he says.
The Putins’ marriage had been the subject of speculation before.
In 2008, Mr Putin denied rumours that he had secretly divorced and was planning to marry former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabayeva.

Uganda Beats Liberia to Defend 8 year Home Record

UPDATE: with a Goal from Midfield Maestro Tonny Mawejje Uganda cranes Have managed to Beat Liberia’s Lone stars 1-0 in the Fifa 2014 world cup qualifier, In the Process defended there 8 year record. Uganda is Still unbeaten at Home and Namboole Remains a fortress for all teams that come here.
The Victory  Brings a sigh of Relief on New cranes Coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic face considering this was his Home debut following the 3-nil Thrashing in Libya, the Match also exposed Uganda’s continued Attacking Woes,with only one Goal scored out of the over 10 attempts on Goal, however   the match also continued to show why Geoffrey Massa as Uganda’s Main Man upfront,with one of his attempts actually Tearing the Goal net. With Massa Upfront, AIK Stockholm’s Martin Mutumba Started on the beach and was brought in later in the second half to cover the wings, while st George’s Robert Odongkara was in goal,and with his spectacular saves, it may be a long time before other cranes Goal Keepers stand in those Goal posts again.
Uganda Now goes second in group J and has to win two matches in a Raw to Stand a chance of qualifying for the World cup in 2012 which will take place in in Brazil. Uganda will play Angola Next weekend.

Pope’s envoy opens new building for Church

 

 Costing over sh3.3b to erect, the building replaces an outdated 

decades-old structure

 

NSAMBYA, Kampala - The Uganda Catholic Secretariat has acquired a new three-storied administration block that replaces the outdated structure built several decades ago.

Opening the building on Friday at Nsambya Parish, the Pope’s envoy [papal nuncio] to Uganda, Archbishop Michael August Blume, urged church leaders and those that would be using it to help the poor, and agenda that sits high in Pope Francis’ reign as the head of the world’s Catholics.

The building that cost over sh3.3b was named after Bishop Henry Hanlon, who was a missionary of the Mill-Hill congregation – also referred to as the White Fathers.

The naming after him was in recognition of the great work the prelate did in Uganda.

The structure that has a stunning compound has a wing for the bishops’ offices and other offices for the secretariat.

“This building is necessary, because it will also help the Church in furtherance of the evangelization and to enhance Pope Francis’ call to the church to help the poor, which strengthens its foundation.

“And as a house built on a strong foundation lasts longer, this building should strengthen you in the service to all God’s people,” said the papal envoy.

Papal Nuncio to Uganda, Archbishop Michael August Blume (in white), reads a verse as Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala (in white on the opposite end) and other Catholic bishops listen to him during the launch of sh3.3b building named after Bishop Henry Hanlon on Friday, June, 7, 2013. PHOTO/Juliet Luwkago

Msgr John Baptist Kauta, the secretary of Episcopal Conference in Uganda, who is also works at the Secretariat, attended the opening of the structure.

The opening ceremony also attracted retired Archbishop of Kampala Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala and bishops including president of Episcopal Conference, John Baptist Odama; John Baptist Kaggwa of Masaka and Auxiliary bishop of Kampala, Christopher Kakooza.

Joseph Anthony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mityana, Archbishop of Tororo, Denis Lote Kiwanuka, retired Bishop of Nebbi diocese, Martin Luluga, Bishop of Soroti diocese, Emmanuel Obbo and Robert Muhiirwa of Fort-Portal were also present, among other church leaders.

Msgr Kauta said that Bishop Hanlon was consecrated a bishop on July 17, 1894 and was named Titular Archbishop of Teos diocese.

He was ordained a priest two months later on September 21, 1889 and was first sent to northern India where he served until 1894.

Blessing the new structure

He was appointed the first Vicar Apostolic of Upper Nile District of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tororo.

 “He led the first batch of four Mill Hill missionaries to the African interior that arrived in Kampala on foot from the port of Mombasa on September 26, 1895 and were received by Kabaka Mwanga, who offered them land on Nsambya hill,” explained Msgr Kauta.

It was at Nsambya that they established their mission headquarters. The hill accommodates St Peter’s Church, Nsambya and several renowned schools.

Bishop Hanlon also founded new parishes at Budaka, Masaba and Nyondo in the eastern region between 1901 and 1906.

He bought to Kampala a congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of St Joseph from Manchester in 1903.

He returned to England and began diocesan work at Safford – becoming a rector at St Alban in 1915, Blackburn where he stayed until ill-health forced him into retirement in 1934.

His death came in 1937 at the age of 75.
 

Justin Bieber signs up to go into space

 

The space trips have drawn attention to Justin Bieber (pictured) 

and reportedly others like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie. 

 

 LOS ANGELES - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is the latest celebrity to reach for the stars, signing up to go into space with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

British entrepreneur Branson announced on Twitter on Wednesday that Bieber, 19, and his manager, Scooter Braun, were the latest "future astronauts." Bieber tweeted in response, "let's shoot a music video in SPACE!!"

Virgin Galactic commercial space flights, which are slated to begin next year, have reportedly already drawn high profile passengers including physicist Stephen Hawking as well as actors Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

At a charity auction during the Cannes film festival last month, one guest paid $1.2 million to purchase a seat next to actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Virgin Galactic.

Last year, "Two and a Half Men" actor Ashton Kutcher became the 500th person to sign up.

A seat on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger, two-pilot spaceship, costs $250,000 and will take passengers to an altitude of about 68 miles (109 km), giving them a few minutes to experience zero gravity and glimpse Earth from space.

The SpaceShipTwo rocket is currently undergoing vigorous tests in preparation of its first space trip with Branson and his family, scheduled for the end of this year.

Virgin Galactic is a division of Branson's Virgin Group.

Kids accuse mother of torching dad, siblings to death

 

 The remains of the house in which Kawooya died with his two 

children

 

he children of a trader who was burnt to death have accused their mother of torching the house where two of their siblings also perished in an inferno.

The shocking confession was made at Najjeera Police Post by Akram Senfuka, 8, and his sister Latifa Nansukusa who said their mother, Edith Kayaga, torched their house Sunday night.

Ismail Kawooya, who operated at Nakawa market; his two children Shakra Nakubulwa, 6, and Saidah Namale, a Senior Four student at Najjeera High, burned to death in a fire whose source the Police said they had not yet established.

Kira police boss, ASP Ryan Akampulira, said on Monday that they were still investigating the cause of the fire.

Kawooya and his two children who perished in the fire

Now the surviving children have made a chilling confession, accusing their mother of plotting their father's death.

They said that before the house caught fire, their mother counted a huge stash of money and stuffed it in a bag.

“Mother counted a lot of money and put in a bag before she picked a jerrycan of petrol we use for the generator from behind the fridge,” Senfuka said.

Senfuka added that when the house caught fire, his mother hurled him through a window and locked the door.

When his father came to open he found it locked and started screaming for help as the fire consumed him.

Nansukusa told the police that they always slept in the garage but on the fateful night, their mother asked them to sleep in the main house but they refused.

She said when the house caught fire, they easily got away because the garage door was easy to open.

Strangely, when the house got lit, their mother went to Mulago hospital where she was picked on Tuesday and taken to Butabika for mental checkup because she was acting demented.

Meddie Mulindwa, a nephew to Kawooya who resided in the boys quarters, told police that when the main house caught fire, Kayaga (right)  knocked at his door and told him to go and rescue those that were still stuck.

Then she jumped on a bodaboda [motorcycle] and left.

Kawooya is survived by seven widows, including an expectant one, and seven children.

Kayaga's co-wives say that she had warned them never to set foot at his home even if they needed anything from their husband.

 

Chameleone takes Badilisha to US

 

Chameleone with fans in the US

 

 

Singer Jose Chameleone did not stick around to watch his protégés and nemesis duo of Goodlyfe perform at the BBA eviction party on Sunday.

Chameleone has been in the US for two weeks now where he extended his Badilisha album launch. The Badilisha USA Tour’ has seen him perform in various states including Seattle and Los Angles, California.

On Friday he is expected to perform at Nai Sports Bar in Dallas, Texas and then Boston later. He is not expcted back till July, according to his wife Daniella Atim.

Chameleone also met his long lost brother Lizard who reportedly vanished in 2007. Lizard, real name Pius Mulindwa Mayanja, however changed his stage name to ‘Pallaso’.

Lizard who lives in Maine mainly does kyeyo for survival but one in a while releases not so popular songs.

Chameleone (right) also had opportunity to lay a wreath at the burial place of fallen Kung fu hero Bruce Lee who died in 1970.

Poor sleep linked to heart disease

 The findings of the research could provide evidence of how poor sleep contributes to the progression of heart disease in women

Sleeping badly could make heart disease worse in women, according to a study.

Research into 700 people over five years in the US has found fewer than six hours a night sleep, and in particular waking too early, has a "significant" role in raising unhealthy levels of inflammation amongst women with coronary heart disease.
The relationship between poor sleep and higher levels of inflammation was not observed in men in the study.
The findings of the research, published online in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, could provide evidence of how poor sleep contributes to the progression of heart disease in women, according to the authors.
"Inflammation is a well-known predictor of cardiovascular health," said lead author Dr Aric Prather, a clinical health psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco.
"Now we have evidence that poor sleep appears to play a bigger role than we had previously thought in driving long-term increases in inflammation levels and may contribute to the negative consequences often associated with poor sleep."
Scientists have already documented that poor sleep is a risk factor in a number of chronic health conditions, including coronary heart disease.
All the participants in the study had coronary heart disease. They were asked about their sleep quality when they first enrolled on the study and then five years later.

Mosque burns down in London in suspicious circumstances

Firemen attend the scene of a fire at the Al-Rahma Islamic Centre in
north London

A mosque burned down in Britain in a suspected arson attack on Wednesday, intensifying fears of a backlash against Muslims after a British soldier was killed on a London street last month.
Police said they were treating the mosque fire as suspicious and that the letters "EDL" had been found scrawled on the side of the building. EDL is the acronym of the English Defence League (EDL), a far-right group that has held several protests in London and elsewhere since the murder.
The EDL denied any involvement.
"Exactly when and where that graffiti was placed is a focal point of the inquiry," Chief Superintendent Adrian Usher said in televised remarks.
The Islamic centre in the Muswell Hill neighbourhood of north London was mainly used by the local Somali community. Fire brigades were called to the scene overnight after reports of an explosion. No one was hurt.
Last week a mosque in the northeastern city of Grimsby was pelted by petrol bombs and similar attacks were reported in the south of England after the May 22 murder of Lee Rigby, a serving soldier.
Police, politicians and religious leaders have called for calm and unity after the murder. Rigby's family has appealed against any reprisals.
"This is the latest in a series of attacks on Muslim institutions since the horrific murder of Drummer Lee Rigby," Farooq Murad, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said in a statement.
"The British Muslim community came out in droves to condemn this murder, and it is despicable that Muslims should be held to account and suffer in this way."

Museveni Tasks EALA MPs to Preach Intergration

President Yoweri Museveni has tasked members of the East Africa Legislative Assembly-EALA to champion the sensitization of East African citizens on the integration process. According to Museveni, many people in the region are ignorant about the objectives and benefits of forming the East African Community, which has slowed down its integration.
Museveni made the observation during his State of the EAC Address in a special sitting of the East African Legislative Assembly in Kampala on Wednesday. He tasked the EALA MPs to use their mandate in the East African Community Treaty to preach economic and political integration. Museveni also called upon EAC member states to participate in the full implementation of the treaty by removing non tariff barriers saying much of the powers still lie in the hands of member states.
He said the region is set to progress to prosperity after identifying the bottlenecks that kept Africa backward for centuries like electricity, poor infrastructure, ideological disorientation and lack of industrialization.He revealed that EAC leaders are in the process of discussing the EAC Infrastructure master plan to help in steering development in the sectors of energy, industrialization and railways among others across the region. He appealed to the partner states to utilize the oil and Gas potential they have in the region to enhance economic integration.

Brenda Joins Global Journalist In Sweden and Denmark

Looks like Uganda’s Brenda Derek who is doing her masters in journalism in Denmark has fallen into things.

                             Sexy Brenda                     

      

 Latest reaching our desk has it that the former famous face in the social scene in Uganda has joined Global Journalist media house in Sweden and Denmark.

She started work a few weeks ago and is already all smiles up after starting eating from her sweat. Brenda a few months ago of how she is setting up a media house in Copenhagen, Denmark with her co business partner John Remmy Smogie.
She has also started doing her own YouTube in preparation for her Reality TV show, which she is set to start soon.

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.