Accountant runs with Shs100m

 A CID officer leads away the chairperson of Ntinda New Market, Mr Wilson Bikangaga (R), after he failed to answer questions about the special audit report on the missing funds. The arrest followed orders from PAC, who claimed the market boss gave conflicting stories

In Summary

Mr Jackson Sabila,he head of Finance at Microsoft Support Centre, is said to have received money meant for Ntinda market vendors but he refused to sign a voucher for it.

A senior accountant of a government department has disappeared with more than Shs100 million released under the presidential project to support small businesses.

A key witness in the Shs10 billion scam told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee yesterday that the head of Finance at Microsoft Support Centre (MSC), Mr Jackson Sabila, received Shs106 million meant for Ntinda market vendors.

The money in question is part of the Shs10 billion that President Museveni promised vendors and other small business people in the run up to the 2011 polls but is believed to have been swindled by bureaucrats at the MSC in connivance with politicians and the Ministry of Finance officials.

The chairperson of the Sacco, Mr Wilson Bikangaga, who appeared before PAC to testify on what has become the market cash scam, said Mr Sabila instructed him to withdraw the money and later called him to Garden City mall basement, where he handed him Shs106 million.

“He [Mr Sabila] called me after I withdrew the money but when he refused to sign the voucher, I smelt a rat,” Mr Bikangaga said, adding: “I did not want to cause commotion when he refused to sign, claiming that there was no need to do so.” He told PAC that it was an oversight on his part that he took long to blow the whistle until the auditors raised queries.

While this money was supposed to form a Revolving Fund where vendors could access affordable working capital at no interest rate, the Auditor General’s report which is before PAC, says former Finance Minister Syda Bbumba and other Finance officials decided to send the money to MSC, where it was abused. Mr Bikangaga added that after MSC credited Saccos, the same officials asked the vendors to withdraw it and take it to them for onward distribution.

Mr Bikangaga read out the suspect’s mobile number but when the Drive Hot tried to dial the number, it was switched off. PAC Chairperson Kassiano Wadri asked police to take statements from Mr Bikangaga and also hunt for the missing accountant. Mr Bikangaga was handed to police after he gave conflicting accounts of the meeting at the mall.

School meal kills 21 in India's Bihar state

At least 21 children have died and dozens more have fallen sick after eating a tainted school meal in India's eastern state of Bihar.

The poisoning occurred at a government school in the village of Masrakh in Saran district.

A probe has been launched and 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation offered to the families of each of the dead.

India's Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food to try to boost attendance, but often suffers from poor hygiene.

Twenty eight sick children were taken to hospitals in the nearby town of Chhapra and the state capital, Patna, after the incident.

A total of 47 students of a primary school in Dharmasati Gandaman village fell sick on Tuesday after eating the free lunch.

'Food poisoning'

There are fears the death toll could rise as some of the children, all below the age of 12, are critically ill.

The father of one sick child, Raja Yadav, said his son was vomiting after returning from school and had to be rushed to hospital.

Doctors treating the patients say that "food poisoning" was the cause of the deaths.

"We suspect it to be poisoning caused by insecticides in vegetable or rice," Amarjeet Sinha, a senior education official, told the BBC.

A doctor treating the children at a hospital in Patna said contaminated vegetable oil could have led to the poisoning.

Patna-based journalist Amarnath Tewary says villagers told local reporters that similar cases of food poisoning after having Mid Day Meals had taken place in the area previously.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called an emergency meeting and ordered a team of forensic experts to the school.

Bihar is one of India's poorest and most populous states.

Teachers' strike: Public primary schools closed

Public primary schools have been closed indefinitely owing to the ongoing teachers' strike

The government said measures are in place to ensure Standard 8 pupils sit national examinations.

“The government hereby orders the closure of all public primary schools indefinitely, aware that primary school teachers continue to participate in an illegal and unconstitutional strike having refused to comply with legal directives of the Teachers Service Commission,” said Education Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi Wednesday.

The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) said it was "shocked to learn" that Prof Kaimenyi has ordered the closure of public primary schools.

Cofek said the move was discriminatory as it did not affect learners in private schools.

"That the closure does not affect pupils in private schools, sitting for the same national examinations, can only amount to discrimination against majority pupils from humble backgrounds. This is contrary to Article 27(4) of the Constitution," the lobby said in a statement.

"Since the pupils and the striking teachers never posed a security threat, Prof Kaimenyi’s action was premature, ill-advised and one that confirms that the government is unwilling to negotiate over the teachers’ legitimate demands."

Cofek said Article 46 of the Constitution guarantees the right to goods and services, education to public primary schools included, of reasonable quality.

The lobby said it would seek legal action over the matter.

"Based on all these grounds, Cofek has instructed its lawyers to move to expeditiously take the necessary legal steps, including seeking appropriate compensation to pupils and parents, if the schools are not reopened within 7 days from today (Wednesday)."

On Monday, the government warned striking teachers that they faced the sack for absconding duty.

Education Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said teachers who do not resume work by 8am Tuesday “would have sacked themselves".

But union officials dismissed the directive, saying Prof Kaimenyi had no power to issue it.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) chairman Wilson Sossion said the strike will continue until the government offers teachers a better deal.

“His (Prof Kaimenyi’s) arbitrary directive could only serve to prolong the strike and harden teachers’ feelings.

“Teachers feel they have been trampled upon by some individuals in government who are hell-bent on denying them their rights. The strike will only end when Knut formally calls it off,” Mr Sossion said.

But Prof Kaimenyi said those who do not return to work will face the music.

“We shall also take appropriate disciplinary action,” he told journalists at his Jogoo House office in Nairobi.

Japan police bust overweight sex firm

Tokyo - Japanese police have arrested the alleged ringleader of a sex home delivery service specialising in women weighing up to 150 kilograms (330 lbs), a force spokesman said on Tuesday.

Keiko Saito, 41, and one of her employees are suspected of conspiring to run a prostitution business under the name "Makkusu Bodi" (Max Body), which boasted that it catered for men who like "explosive boobs and bums", police said.

Saito is alleged to have had about 30 overweight women in her employ, including one who tipped the scales at more than 150 kilograms, Jiji Press reported.

Police say punters in Tokyo could telephone to request a visit in their home or hotel room, a service called "deri-heru" (delivery health) that is widespread in Japan, where it is illegal to sell penetrative sex.

Saito, who is believed to have earned about 400 million yen ($4 million) over three years, had previously worked as a prostitute, Jiji said. She began her business because she believed larger women were popular with customers, the agency added.

It will take you five days to get a passport- Waikenda

Director of Immigration Services Jane Waikenda has said applicants with proper documents will get a passport after five days July 16, 2013. FILE   

It will now take only five days for one to be issued with a national passport, the government has announced.

Director of Immigration Services Jane Waikenda said applicants with proper documents will get a passport in five days, down from 10.

Previously, it took more than a month to get a passport before it was reduced to 21 and later 10 days as the government put in place Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) programme.

Ms Waikenda, who is overseeing the restructuring of the department, said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is also auditing it and reviewing integrity tests of officers.

She initiated the audit and testing "to counter the weak links in the department". Ms Waikenda said the move is meant to seal all loopholes and counter corruption.

A major reshuffle of immigration officers has also been done to address complacency in the service, Ms Waikenda said, adding that the changes will be done regularly.

To reduce the porous nature of Kenya’s borders, the department is in the process of building more border control points as well as revamping the existing ones, Ms Waikenda said.

Special counter

Ms Waikenda said a special counter for urgent passport applications for travellers going for pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and medical treatment has been established.

“This will ensure there are no delays which may inadvertently lock out travellers on religious pursuits and will also encourage applicants not to compromise officers due to the urgency of the application,” Ms Waikenda said.

Ms Waikenda, who took over at the helm of the department last month, said a public communications desk to cater to all enquiries pertaining to immigration procedures is being established. The desk will be located at the ground floor on the North wing of Immigration Headquarters at Nyayo House.

She directed all immigration officers to be always in full uniform and display their name tags to guard against unscrupulous conmen.

“This will make it easier for members of the public to easily identify officers for expedient service as well as dealing with brokers masquerading as immigration officers, thereby giving a bad image to the Immigration Department,” Ms Waikenda said.

Expedient response

Ms Waikenda said she is setting up a Twitter and Facebook account to interact with members of the public on issues touching on immigration for expedient response and feedback.

The director called on staff to ensure patriotism and integrity.

“Officers are urged to uphold the Code of Regulations and Code of Ethics and conduct themselves in a manner beyond reproach. The Director is categorical that officers found wanting will be weeded out and discipline will be meted out swiftly,” she said.

The director also gave a hotline number 020 231 0090 for use by members of the public for immediate feedback.

Sudan president leaves Nigeria as court demands his arrest

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attends the African Union Summit on health focusing on HIV and Aids, TB and malaria in Abuja on July 15, 2013. President Bashir has left Nigeria after demands for his arrest on war crimes charges, an embassy spokesman said July 16, 2013.

ABUJA

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has left Nigeria with the International Criminal Court demanding his arrest, but Sudanese officials denied Tuesday the departure was due to the warrants against him.

Controversy had swirled over Bashir's visit, and the ICC issued a statement on Tuesday confirming it had requested that Nigeria arrest him on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Bashir left on Monday, a Sudanese embassy spokesman said, though the African Union health summit he was attending in the Nigerian capital Abuja was not due to end until Tuesday.

The spokesman, Mohammed Moiz, told DRIVE HOT Bashir had returned to Khartoum for another engagement, but gave no further details. He had arrived on Sunday.

Sudan's ambassador to the African Union also said Bashir's departure was not due to calls for his arrest, adding he would "never flee."

"He's the bravest," Abdelrahman Sirelkhatim Mohamed told DRIVE HOT at the summit venue. "If he's afraid of arrest, he would not have come here."

The Hague-based ICC in 2009 and 2010 issued two warrants against Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.

The ICC said its pre-trial chamber on Monday "requested the Federal Republic of Nigeria to immediately arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and surrender him to the ICC".

It added that Nigeria, as a member of the court, had an obligation to arrest wanted suspects.

Should Nigeria fail to comply "the court may make a finding and refer the matter to its Assembly of States Parties or the (UN) Security Council," the judges warned.

Nigeria's presidency had defended welcoming Bashir to the country for the summit on Monday and Tuesday despite the charges against him, saying it cannot interfere in AU affairs.

Some African Union members and officials have criticised the Bashir indictments, and the body has passed a resolution calling on members not to cooperate with the warrants.

Rights activists harshly criticised Bashir's visit and said they were planning to go to court to try to force Nigeria to arrest him.

Britain's minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, also said Nigeria's decision to host Bashir "undermines the work of the ICC and sends the victims a dismaying message that the accountability they are waiting for will be delayed further."

Bashir has previously visited ICC member states, including Chad, Djibouti and Kenya, but countries like South Africa and Botswana have ensured he stay away.

Human Rights Watch has said the AU resolution to ignore the warrants has "no bearing on Nigeria's obligations as an ICC member".

Hosting Bashir is an "affront to victims" of the Darfur conflict, said Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch.

Man remanded over raping wife

Entebbe- The Entebbe Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded a man accused of raping his wife.

Mr Charles Atayo, 33, a resident of Nakigalala Village in Sisa Sub-county, Wakiso District, was on Friday remanded to Kigo Prison.
Mr Atayo allegedly committed the offence on June 24.

However, Mr Atayo, an employee of Madhvani Tea Estate in Kajjansi, denied the charge, saying: “I came with this woman from Arua in 2000 and we have been living together and we have three children. How could I have raped her then?”

He told the court that they had a domestic quarrel that resulted into a fight and his wife fled to her brother, who is a policeman residing in Mbuya Barracks and allegedly falsely accused him of raping her.

Chief Magistrate Joyce Kavuma said rape is a capital offence that can only be heard in High Court.

Mr Atayo was sent on remand until July 29 when he is expected to appear before the court for mention of his case.

The Marriage and Divorce Bill, which has been opposed by many people, proposes punishment for men who force their spouses into sexual intercourse (marital rape).

Law against rape

Under Section 123 and 124 of the Penal Code Act, The victim must have experienced unlawful sexual intercourse, the unlawful sexual intercourse was without the consent of the victim or with consent if the consent was obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of any kind or by fear of bodily harm or by means of false representations as to the nature of the act, or in case of a married woman, by personating her husband.
That the accused participated in the unlawful sexual intercourse and this offence entails maximum of death sentence.

Obama urges calm after racially-charged murder trial

 NEW YORK, JULY 14: People hold photos of Trayvon Martin at a rally honoring Martin at Union Square in Manhattan on July 14, 2013 in New York City. George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in the shooting death of Martin July 13 and many protesters questioned the verdict.  

President Barack Obama appealed to Americans for restraint Sunday amid anger from civil rights activists and public protests against the acquittal of a man who gunned down an unarmed black teenager.

A Florida jury late Saturday found neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin, after a long and racially-charged trial that transfixed much of the United States for weeks.

Zimmerman, 29, was charged with second degree murder, having pursued Martin, 17, through a gated community in the town of Sanford, eventually shooting him during an altercation on the rainy night of February 26, 2012.

The trial aroused strong passions and divided those who believed that Zimmerman -- whose father is white and whose mother is Peruvian -- had racially-profiled Martin, and those who believed he acted in self-defense.

Spontaneous protests broke out in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and Atlanta overnight, following the verdict, though they were mostly peaceful.

On Sunday, a large demonstration in New York attracted several thousand people, with placards that read, "Jail racist killers, not black youth," and "We are all Trayvon. The whole damn system is guilty."

One of the marchers in lower Manhattan wore a t-shirt proclaiming: "I'm black. Please don't shoot?"

However, Obama, the first black US president, urged people to accept the trial verdict.

"We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken," Obama said in a statement. "I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son."

Earlier in Oakland, California, protesters had smashed windows and spray painted cars after the verdict was announced live on television.

Obama had spoken somberly on Martin before, noting that if he had a son he would "look like Trayvon."

On Sunday, the president tied the killing of the teenager to the problems surrounding gun use in the United States -- an issue in which he tried but failed to push through new control measures in the US Congress earlier this year.

"We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that's a job for all of us. That's the way to honor Trayvon Martin," Obama said.

Florida police initially declined to press charges against Zimmerman, sparking mass protests. He was eventually arrested in April 2012 and charged with second-degree murder.

"Obviously, we are ecstatic. George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defense," said his lead attorney Mark O'Mara after the verdict.

Memories of the deadly April 1992 riots in Los Angeles, which broke out after a similarly racially-tinged case, still linger among US law enforcement officials.

Fearing violence after the Zimmerman verdict, police were out in force in Sanford, and the crowd of several hundred outside the courthouse was loud at times, but not violent.

A racial divide, however, was evident in Sanford pastor Valerie Houston's sermon on Sunday

MP Oulanya Wanted for Threatening Violence

Gilbert Oulanya, the Kilak county Member of parliament is in trouble over the attack of Betty Bigombe the state minister for water. 
 
MP Gilbert Oulanya in an altercation with 
Police earlier

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has summoned Oulanya for allegedly organizing goons to attack the minister on her way to visit a chunk of land allocated to Madhvani in May this year.
Bigombe was attacked on 3rd May by a group of unidentified people who smashed the windscreen of her official car as she went to inspect the land allocated to Madhvani Group of Companies in Lakang. The gang, which was armed with stones pelted the minister’s vehicle and fled into hiding before police moved in to arrest them.  Now, the Minister claims that her attackers were organized by Oulanya.
In a 1st July letter addressed to Rebecca Kadaga, the speaker of Parliament, Beata Chelimo, the Commandant of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations asks Oulanya to report to the Special Investigations Unit in Kireka on Tuesday to answer charges of threatening violence.
But Oulanya maintains his innocence claiming that his car was also vandalized during the attack.
Oulanya claims that Bigombe is being used by land grabbers in Amuru district. Betty Bigombe could not be reached on phone at the time of filing this report.
Amuru district council has offered the Madhvani Group of Companies 10,000 hectares to grow sugarcane. But residents have rejected the land deal and instead petitioned court over claims that they own the land customarily. The case is before the court of appeal.
 

Over 100 Killed in Weekend DRC Clashes

More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in the weekend clashes between M23 rebels and Congolese government forces.
The battle over Mutaho area, 10 Kilometers from Goma in North Kivu Province broke out at about 2:00pm Congolese local time and stopped at 9:30pm. The gun battle is said to have claimed several causalities.
Lambert Mende, the Congolese government spokesperson alleges that government forces killed more than 100 M23 rebels and captured 12 others. He also says that they lost 7 government soldiers in the battle.
Mende accuses the rebels of trying to disrupt the deployment of the United Nations intervention Brigade in areas near their control.  However, Amani Kabashe, the Civilian spokesperson of the M23 rebels has rubbished claims that they lost more than 100 men in the clash. He accuses government of peddling lies to show the World that the situation is under control. Kabashe instead claims that they inflicted heavy damage on the government troops but couldn’t say how many soldiers they killed.
He also accused the Kinshasa government of targeting Kinyarwanda speaking Congolese and executing them.  Kabashe accuses the Kabila government of failing to find a lasting solution to the problems in the country and instead focused on militarizing the country. He says ever since they withdrew from Goma, the rebels are now convinced that the Kabila government is not committed to peace talks.
He asks the Congolese government to show commitment to peace talks and consider finding a peaceful solution to the problems of the country, which are political instead of resorting to war.

Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe offers $300,000 for mole leaking secrets

President Robert Mugabe has offered a $300,000 reward to anyone who can unmask an anonymous whistleblower behind a string of leaks about alleged Zimbabwean government assassination plots, corruption and plans to rig this month’s election.
 
 
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, left, and his wife Grace, at the launch of his party’s election campaign in Harare, Friday, July, 5, 2013.


The well-informed mole, who calls himself “Baba Jukwa” and appears to be operating from within the heart of the regime, began posting revelations on a Facebook page four months ago.
The page has been viewed more than a million times and he has amassed more than 239,000 followers, with hundreds of responses and shares to every update. Efforts to track down the mole have so far failed. His postings have accused government ministers of corruption and senior police chiefs of brutality, publishing their private mobile telephone numbers.
Reassuring government statements about 89-year-old Mr Mugabe’s health have been contradicted regularly, so infuriating the president that he offered the reward for exposing the mole – details of which were revealed by Baba Jukwa.
Determined attempts by senior Zanu-PF party officials to persuade Facebook to close the page failed and the president has now reportedly appealed to friends in the Chinese government for technical support to censor the site and identify its user.
The most unnerving postings by the mole – or moles, as seems more likely – were published last month and warned of an assassination plot against a former government minister who was suspected by Zanu-PF of leaking information.
Edward Chindori-Chininga was then killed in a car crash shortly after publicly criticising Zimbabwe’s controversial diamond industry. “I told you there will be body bags coming this year… The war has begun,” Baba Jukwa posted on his wall after the politician’s death.
According to reports, the minister died when his car hit a tree, and no other vehicle was involved. Opponents of Mr Mugabe in the past have died in similar unexplained road accidents.
The advent of social media in Zimbabwe, which has dramatically influenced political events elsewhere in the world, is predicted to have a significant impact on elections due to be held on July 31.
Most access to the internet is via mobile telephones, with more than six million users having direct access in a country with a population of 10 million.
Zimbabweans who follow Baba Jukwa – who signs each update with “Asijiki” which means “We do not retreat” in the local language Shona – say they now have unfettered access to information they have always wanted but were in fear of having.
Under the nation’s sweeping security laws, it is an offence to undermine the authority of the president and national security apparatus.
Agencies

Congolese Refugees in Uganda Relocated

The Congolese refugees who fled to Uganda have been relocated. The more than 60,000 refugees have been shifted to Bubukwanga Sub County headquarters, 30 kilometers from Bundibugyo town.


                                Congolese refugees in Bundibugyo


Since Thursday when they fled into Uganda through Bundibugyo district, they were camped to at Bubandi, Bulira, Busaru and Kalera.  The transfer is being overseen by the UPDF, police, Uganda Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations.
Richard Nsubuga, the Red Cross Western Region Manager told local media in a telephone interview that the relocation started Saturday morning and is currently ongoing.
Nsubuga says that the refugees are being transferred using vehicles of Bundibugyo district local government, the police, and UPDF and humanitarian organizations.
According to Nsubuga, the relocation to Bubukwanga is because it’s a centralized place, where the refugees can access food and medical attention, unlike in the past days when they were scattered in different locations.
Nusbuga also says that since the refugees have been relocated to one place, it will easy to do a head count of the refugees and know the exact number. Mobile toilets have also been set up.
Jolly Tibamanya, the Bundibugyo district chairperson says that the relocation of the refugees will enable the schools, where the refugees have been camped, to reopen. Pupils of Bubandi and Busaru primary schools were sent home, to give room for the refugees.
Bakari Mugah, the Ruwenzori Region Police Spokesperson, says that a police post has been set up at Bubukwanga to provide security to the refugees.  Bakari says that cases of theft among the Congolese refugees have been reported to the police.
Meanwhile the World Food Programme (WFP) has also distributed 54 metric tons of maize flour to the refugees. The food arrived in Bundibugyo yesterday evening and is being distributed by Bundibugyo district officials and humanitarian workers.
Tents, blankets, plates and cups have been distributed to the refugees.
Meanwhile, the Congolese army has retaken the town of Kamango, which was overrun by rebels on Wednesday night. Lt. Nisiima Rwamijuma, the Ruwenzori region police spokesperson says that the town, 11 kilometers from the DRC-Uganda border, was retaken last night after fierce fighting between the unknown rebel group and Congolese soldiers.
He says that deployment of the army will continue at Busunga border post.

Two more leave Sexiest in Nollywood

Lagos - The race for the prize as “Sexiest in Nollywood” is hotting up with two more contenders being voted out after a week of intense voting.

The Vanguard reports that Damilola Adegbite and Bobby Obodo were the latest casualties with 22 men and 22 women left in the competition,
 Adegbite and Obodo unfortunately failed to garner enough votes to keep them in the competition.

Africa's education issue,read more....

Education is expensive in Africa - everybody knows it. The reason is very clear. Africans don't value education.

White men set education as priority because they see it as a core thing for both man and nation. Check our scale of preference as a continent, Africa; you will see that education is at the bottom. Our leaders here in Africa, especially the Nigerian leaders, don't seem to know the value of education.

That is why it is costly and so, people are ignorant and devalued because they cannot afford education in Africa. All the same, ignorance is a thing of mind and success is all about determination.

If you make up your mind to become learned, the Lord will make a way because heaven is always willing to help those who help themselves. It all depends on your mindset. Man looks at outward appearance but God searches the heart. He sees the heart and equally knows the mind that is bent to succeed in life. Nature requires man to be dauntless and heaven cannot help when man is lazy and pretentious.

France arrests Rwanda genocide suspect

 

 

Lille - French police have arrested a former Rwandan colonel wanted for his alleged role in the east African nation's 1994 genocide, his lawyer said on Saturday.
Laurent Serubuga, around 75 years old, was apprehended near the northern French city of Cambrai on Thursday under an international arrest warrant issued by Rwanda, lawyer Thierry Massis said.
Serubuga was being held in detention and a hearing has been scheduled for next Thursday, but may be postponed to a later date, the lawyer said.
Serubuga was a deputy Rwandan army chief of staff during the April-July genocide in 1994 in which an estimated 800,000 people, mostly minority Tutsis, were killed by the ethnic majority Hutus.
Alain Gauthier, who heads Rwandan victims' group CPCR, said Serubuga's arrest was "excellent news".
"Colonel Serubuga had as much responsibility in the genocide as colonel [Theoneste] Bagosora," he said, referring to the most high-profile figure condemned by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Bagosora, described by the prosecution as the mastermind of the genocide, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2011.

There won’t be pay raise - Museveni

President Museveni hugs of the people who attended the youth entrepreneurial reality game grand finale. President said there won’t be salary increment for civil servants and urged those who want it to seek greener pastures.

In Summary

There are demands by public servants, among others, judges, teachers and health workers for salary increment.

KAMPALA

President Museveni has said his government has no plans for increasing salaries for workers and those who feel unsatisfied should seek alternatives elsewhere.

“Government’s focus is on boosting infrastructural development and not salary increases as demanded by various trade unions,” the President said during the grand finale of “Sawa ya Cash,” a youth entrepreneurial reality game show, on Friday.

Singling out the workers umbrella body, the National Organisation of Trade Unions (Notu), which recently gave ultimatum to the government to adopt a minimum wage, as “unfocused,” he added that, “whoever feels unsatisfied can try out employment in some organised places like Tanzania, where trade unions achieve most of what they champion for.”

“Wherever I go, people ask for roads, electricity, hospitals and schools; yet at the same time others are pushing for salary increases,” Mr Museveni said. “But as government, our focus is on infrastructures which will spur development in other sectors as it was done in countries like China.”

The President’s remarks come in the wake of an outcry by public servants, among others, judges, teachers and health workers, to have their salaries increased.

The teachers early this week under their umbrella union, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu), said they remained unshaken by the President’s implied threat of mass dismissals, warning of strike action in 90 days if their salaries are not increased as promised.

Unatu chairperson Margaret Rwabushaija maintained that: “We negotiated with government and not the President. It was a government promise to increase teachers’ salaries in phases. We have given the government a 90-day notice and we have also petitioned Parliament.”

However, President Museveni, further stressed that his “government is committed to tackling crucial issues first and salaries will [if need be] addressed at an appropriate time”. He, also advised trade unions that “the best way to champion for a minimum wage is to create so many jobs in the country accompanied by many skilled workers; not in this status quo where jobs are few but workers are many”.

As a token of appreciation to what he called “focused groups/people,” the President donated Shs100 million to the youth entrepreneurship group, Inspire Africa, whom he said “were on the right cause in fighting youth unemployment through promoting innovations”.

Somali refugees nervous as Kenya eyes their return

 
Photo/FILE Somali refugees wait to be screened by UNHCR officials at
Dadaab camp.   

Row after row of tin shacks and shelters made of plastic and branches stretch almost as far as the eye can see in the world's largest refugee camp, home to over 427,000 Somalis who fled war.

Dadaab, in northeast Kenya, is a grim place few would choose to call home, but many here are nervous about the growing pressure to leave this camp and return to their unstable homeland some last saw two decades ago.

Kenya, which hosts more than 600,000 Somali refugees, has made clear its ambition to send them back, and is in talks with the government in Mogadishu to start the move.

"I don't know of a stable place in Somalia" to return to, said Abdi Arte, leader of the Kambios section in the sprawling camp, set in arid bushland some 100 kilometres (60 miles) inside Kenya.

"But the government is insisting to have refugees relocated back home."

Last month, Kenya and Somalia signed a deal for "voluntary repatriation", with plans under way to work out how people can start moving back.

Kenya's new government has steered clear of strong-arm statements made last year when Nairobi ordered more than 30,000 refugees living in urban areas to return to remote and overcrowded camps.

But based on past experiences, refugees are worried.

Rights groups have accused Kenyan police of a brutal campaign against Somali refugees, following a string of grenade attacks or shootings inside Kenya blamed on supporters or members of Somalia's Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents.

Human Rights Watch, in a report released in May, documented multiple cases of police rape of Somali refugees.

"The police held the detainees -- sometimes for many days in inhuman and degrading conditions -- while threatening to charge them, without any evidence, with terrorism or public order offences," the report said.

Somali refugees say they are eyed with suspicion by police, even though many of those actually charged for attacks have not been ethnic Somalis.

Impoverished Somalia spiralled into repeated rounds of bloody civil war beginning in 1991, allowing piracy, militia armies and extremist rebels to flourish.

Last year an internationally-backed government took power in Mogadishu, defended by a 17,700-strong African Union force -- including Kenyan troops -- but its control beyond the capital remains fragile at best.

Eager to leave, but nowhere to go?

There is no doubt that many refugees long to be able to return to a safe home in Somalia. The problem is whether that is available.

"I want to go back home," said Amina Yussuf, who lives in Dadaab's Ifo 2, a crowded camp, insecure and beset by violence and abductions.

"I fear being raped here in the camp," she added.

Tanzania 0 Uganda Cranes 1

 

gumas goal was enough to hand Uganda a slender win over neighbours 

Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. 

 

 2014 Africa Nations Championship Qualifier
Tanzania 0  Uganda 1 (Iguma 48')
UGANDA Cranes home-based side took a significant step towards qualifying for the 2014 Africa Nations Championship in South Africa after defeating neighbours Tanzania at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
Dennis Iguma’s solitary strike early into the second half was enough to hand Uganda the win in the first leg played in sweltering conditions in Dar es Salaam. The SVCU defender was on hand to pounce and score his first senior international goal after some excellent play from substitute Frank Kalanda.
The URA midfielder controlled a mishit cross and was composed enough to pick out Iguma after Saidi Kyeyune’s dummy put the hosts’ defence off. Iguma coolly slotted home past Juma Kaseja from close range to silence the home crowd.
The win was a satisfying reward for Cranes who started the match on the backfoot and struggled to contain the physical prowess of the Tanzanians who were camped in Uganda's half for the majority of the first half.
Coach Micho Sredejovic’s plans were shredded as early as the 10th minute when striker Tonny Odur sustained a suspected groin injury forcing him to introduce Kalanda.
Forwards Mrisho Ngasa and John Bocco were a constant threat all afternoon and the pair looked the most likely source of a goal for Tanzania.
But the Cranes defense marshalled by Nicholas Wadada, Savio Kabugo, Richard Kasaga and Iguma with support from Hassan Wasswa remained disciplined to repel wave after wave of the hosts’ attacks.
There however was a scare when goalkeeper Hamza Muwonge went down injured after falling awkwardly while collecting a cross and he required lengthy treatment on the pitch to resume play.
The hosts intensified their search for an equaliser and won numerous free kicks in promising positions but failed to trouble Muwonge in goal.
The sight of the fourth official signalling a minimum of five added minutes at the end of the 90 led to some anxious faces from the Cranes technical bench but they were not to be denied the hard fought victory.
All the Cranes need now is to avoid defeat in the return leg in Kampala in a fortnight’s time to book their second appearance at the biennial tournament.
CRANES: Hamza Muwonge, Waswa Hassan, Majwega Brian, Nicholas Wadada, Kabugo Savio, Kasaga Richard, Iguma Dennis, Said Kyeyune, Joseph Mpande, Edema Patrick (Ivan Ntege), Odur Tonny (Frank Kalanda).

TANZANIA: Juma Kaseja, Nyonyi Erasto Edward, Kapombe Shamari Salum, Ambrose Aggrey Morris, Patrick Kevin Yondan, Damayo Frank Raymond, Ramadhan Amri Kiemba, Salum Salum Abubaker, Bocco John Rapheal, Mwitula Mwinyi Kazimoto, Ngasa Mrisho Alfani

Congolese drain L. Edward of fish

The relationship between Ugandan fishermen and their Congolese counterparts on Lake Edward has continued to deteriorate necessitating government intervention.

Local fishermen say their counterparts have depleted fish stocks in the Ugandan waters.

The Kisenyi Beach Management Unit general secretary, Mr Yokonia Baluku, tells the Saturday Monitor that the Congolese have become a ‘nightmare’ because of their fishing methods.

“They camp in the lake for months even years with sub-standard nets. Unless the government restricts them from coming this side, we shall soon have no fish,” Mr Baluku says.

He says they have tried to establish a good working relationship with the Congolese but in vain, adding that delegations have been exchanged at local levels but they have not heeded to the agreements.

The Katuguru LC3 chairperson, Mr Swalley Kabuye, says due to the reduction of fish stocks, people use rigorous effort to catch fish.
Mr Kabuye says sometimes fishermen make losses because they come back empty handed.

He also said their fishermen have been sensitised about the law when they going fishing.

“They use the recommended size of the nets. We have tried to restrict the number of boats on this lake. But due to the continued instability and lack of law in DR Congo, the impact is hitting us hard,” The LC3 chairperson says.

Mr Ibrahim Katongole, a fish monger, says he has been assaulted twice by the Congolese fishermen.

He also accuses the Congolese fishermen of impounding his two boats and nets.

According to Mr Baluku, they have recorded more than 50 cases involving attacks on Uganda fishermen by their Congolese counterparts on the lake within less than year.
It is estimated that Uganda has got only 25 per cent of the lake while Congo takes 75 per cent.

Ugandans have got only 250 boats while Congolese are estimated to have more than 1,000 boats.

There are four landing sites on the Ugandan side, including Kazinga, Kisenyi, Kashaka and Katunguru.

Challenges
On several occasions, the department of fisheries at Rubirizi District has arrested Congolese fishermen, who are later released when taken to court.
The district fisheries officer, Mr Anthony Rubeihayo, says it is disappointing and a waste of resources.

“We have tried our best to arrest and take these people to court, but when we reach there, they are just deported without any charge,” Mr Rubeihayo says.

Breaking into bar and nightclub business

Kampala revellers enjoy themselves at one of the city night spots. Ahabwe says running a night club is one of the hardest businesses because they are not only expensive to maintain, but also complex when it comes to running them. He points out dishonesty as one of the top challenges

My name is Innocent Ahabwe, the proprietor of Amnesia, a night club in Kampala. Right from my days at the university, I always had an interest in business. I began working in my Senior Five as a journalist at the New Vision.
At the time, I had older brothers and I would sometimes go to them for upkeep.
After some time though, I suggested that instead of always giving me money, they let me work and earn my own money. So that is how I began practicing journalism, working until 2009.
Much as I was employed, deep down, I felt I had to do something of my own.
The problem with being employed is that your abilities are limited by your employer.
But employment on the other hand was a way of earning capital to kick start my business and gain exposure to potential clients.

The birth of Virgin Island
When I decided to venture into business, I chose the bar business, mainly because I am an outgoing person and many times, most of the nightclubs I visited in Kampala were lacking. They were not the kind of places you could go to and have fun.
Most of these places had the VIP treatment policy, especially during the era of Bad Black.
You would walk into many of these places and fail to find where to sit or receive adequate treatment because certain individuals, especially celebrities, were regarded VIPs and thus seats were reserved for them.
I then decided to start my own hangout place to erode this monotonous.
I started with Virgin Island together with a few friends and the initial plan was to create a place where people could sit, relax and have fun.
However, after some time, I realized that many of these people would come to the bar and drink, and then later, they would move to other night clubs.
That is how amnesia was started. Both places are running now and I can say business is good.

Challenges
Running a night club is one of the hardest businesses. They are not only expensive, especially in maintenance, but also very complex when it comes to running them.
You need a lot of personnel with different skills - from waiters to financial controllers, especially since people are paying for the drinks with cash, so there needs to be someone to handle all this.
Like all other businesses, the night club business also suffers when the economic recess sets in.
I opened up Amnesia during that time when the dollar rates were unstable, and it kept rising with each passing day. We pay our rent in dollars and so at the end of the day, we are greatly affected.
There is also lack of honest and on time deliveries by some of the service providers and at the end of the day, you end up losing a lot of money.
After opening the club, realising profits may take you a year or two, depending on the size of the bar.

Meeting goals
Many times when you set out for this business, you have goals and targets, but because of forces beyond your control, it may be hard for you to meet many goals. That is why you see many of the bars operate for a short time and shut down.
Many of these places do not come up with unique and new ideas for their customers. They tend to copy and operate like the already existing ones, and at the end of the day, you are not giving your customers anything new.
That is why I have made sure that the service and manner in which my bar is operated is different from the rest.
While many bars have a specific closing time, at Amnesia, one can get in at any time, even five in the morning. We also operate every day of the week.
The other aspect that I have put in place is the no-VIP treatment.
Here, everyone feels appreciated and is the boss, whether you are a celebrity or not. We do not make special reservations. The VIP section is open to everyone as long as they can afford to pay for it.
I do not have an estimated number of employees because many of them are not fully employed. They work on per hour basis, especially for the waiters and waitresses. But I employ many people from bouncers, financial controllers and cleaners.

Challenges
The biggest challenge is the dishonesty among the labourforce.
In this bar business, you employ many people and everyone is looking out to get something for themselves. The cleaners are stealing toilet paper; the bouncers are making people pay on a day they are supposed to be getting in for free and many other small things.
If you do not pay close attention, you can end up losing a lot. You can find yourself having more debts than profits. The bills, especially the electricity and water bills are also high, since we are running full time.

The other challenge affecting many bar businesses is the recent police drink driving crack downs. This, at the end of the day, keeps people away.

Business tip
One thing I would advise young people, especially those who are just leaving the university is not to rely on degree to get employed.
For instance, for anyone who may want to engage in the bar business is that you need to be present at all times in this kind of business, or else you will end up failing. You need to personally monitor the operations at the bar if you are to succeed.

Taking step
The one thing I would say drove me into the bar business was the zeal to change the night club life in Kampala, and I have pretty much changed that.

I am one person that goes out a lot, and the one thing I noticed was that most of the night clubs I used to visit had a rather irritating VIP policy. I hated walking into these bars and feel less of a human being, especially with the VIP treatment that was being offered to some individuals. You would even fail to find where to sit as many of the seats would be booked for these VIPs.

All the staff, right from the bouncers to the waiters, would be waiting on these people, and at the end of the day, you would end up receiving no attention. That is why I ensured that at Amnesia, there was no special treatment.

FACTS

Social networking and advertising through traditional methods and marketing campaigns may bring many new customers to your bar, but the atmosphere in your bar and how your customers feel in your establishment will keep them coming back.

**************************************

Attaining success in a bar venture

Running any type of food and beverage business can be a challenge, and bars are certainly no exception. Finding the right bar supplies and equipment is only half the battle. These tips offer a few fundamental suggestions for those looking to beat the odds and run an efficient, profitable bar business.

Government officials taking fake allowances

                                  Auditor General John Muwanga 

Parliament-In what is shaping up as yet another financial scam, ministries and other government agencies are paying out more than Shs50 billion each year in fictitious allowances to civil servants and contracted staff under the guise of insufficient salaries.

A new report by the Auditor General found that a number of accounting officers, who are now facing accountability queries, continue to spend public funds on illegal allowances such as; consolidated allowances, weekend allowances, monthly allowances, seminar allowances and transcribing allowances to cater for extra income.

The auditors, who unearthed what has now become the “allowances scandal”, told the Saturday Monitor that secret expenditure lines were created in the government financial systems by accounting officers as a “window of siphoning public funds”.

However, the justification for this according to the accounting officers, is that the government employees are unable to sustain themselves using the monthly salaries.

“This is another case of abuse and I have asked the accounting officers to stop this practice,” the Auditor General, Mr John Muwanga, said on Thursday.

Other sources at the Auditor General’s Office told this newspaper that the practice has been going on for years and billions of shillings meant to improve service delivery ended up in the pockets of civil servants.

The Auditors have now asked members of the Public Accounts Committee to interest them in what they called a “camouflaged scam” in public service.

For instance, last year alone, Mulago Hospital Complex paid out more than Shs3 billion; Ministry of Public Service paid Shs2.9 billion; Ministry of Health Shs1.1 billion and Ministry of Local Government Shs501.1 million in allowances.

It was also observed that Parliament paid Shs15.9 million as transcribing allowances. However, this allowance was neither specified in the Parliamentary Service Staff Regulations nor the Public Service Standing Orders.

“The practice is irregular,” Mr Muwanga said, adding that such payments were not provided for in the Public Service Standing Orders.

The Auditor General’s findings, which have gone unchallenged, suggest that even parliamentarians and House staff have exploited loopholes in the rules to claim billions of shillings in irregular allowances under the government programme that entitles public employees to claim specific allowances such as transport, medical, housing and disturbance.

Information Minister Rose Namayanja yesterday said the government’s policy is zero-tolerance to corruption and warned the accounting officers involved to rationalise the allowances.

In her response to the excuse the accounting officers gave that they were spending to supplement the meagre salaries, Ms Namayanja said: “The government position is that as the economy improves, we will be able to increase salaries for all civil servants. Our focus now is on roads, electricity, agriculture, health and education.”

Because of this malpractice, the Auditor General found out that a total of 29 entities incurred expenditures in excess of the approved budgetary provisions to the tune of Shs20.5 billion. He recommended strict enforcement of the Public Finance and Accountability Act.

Parklands police boss shot in night robbery

A senior policeman was shot and seriously injured in Parklands, Nairobi Friday.

Gunmen riding on motorcycles shot Parklands Police Station commander Job Njiru and a businessman on Friday night.

The businessman was also robbed of USD26,000 (Sh2.2m) and three laptops.

Gigiri OCPD Vitalis Otieno said that about 12 men riding on four motorbikes raided Rich Court in Parklands at around 8pm and held the watchman hostage and lay in wait for the owner of the residence to arrive.

The man, an Asian, was robbed before being shot on the leg.

Chief Inspector Njiru was on night patrol with another officer using an unmarked vehicle on Ojijo Road, about 200 metres from the station.

They met one group of the attackers, three of them on a motorcycle, riding towards the city centre.

The officers challenged them to stop but one of them shot at the officers.

The OCS was shot on the left arm and on the hip. The gunman also fired other shots shattering the front and rear windscreens of the officers' car.

A major manhunt has been launched in the city and its environs for the attackers.

Police say gunmen prefer motorbikes since they can escape easily from scenes of crime.

Nail Bomb' Near Mosque Probed By Terror Cops

 
 Nail Bomb' Near Mosque

Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a suspected nail bomb attack outside a mosque in the West Midlands, Sky sources say.

Police were called to Binfield Street in Tipton around 1pm after residents reported hearing a loud bang and seeing smoke.
Officers said the explosion is being treated as a terrorist incident and police found nails and other debris over a fairly wide area.
No-one was injured but a cordon was set up in part of the town, people were evacuated and several streets were sealed off.
The blast was believed to have happened on a disused railway line behind the Kanz Ul Iman Masjid mosque in Binfield Street.
Army and bomb disposal teams including members of the counter-terrorism unit have been at the scene, and police said there was minor damage to the window of one house.
Police spokesman Gareth Cann said whoever was behind the blast "looked to cause serious harm".
He said the army "has been clearing the area to make sure it is safe".
Tipton Green councillor Ian Jones said residents in the area had described hearing a "loud thud", while councillor Syeda Amina Khatun said she was not aware of any previous attacks on the mosque.
"The explosion has gone off on the disused railway line behind the mosque," she said.
"The whole estate has been blocked off. People are surprised that something like this has happened."
In a joint statement, the board of trustees and management committee of the mosque said: "We express our deep shock and utter dismay regarding the incident that has occurred this afternoon.
"We jointly on behalf of the local community condemn this senseless and mindless act. It's a blessing from God that thankfully no-one was injured in the blast.
"We call for calm and strongly urge the community not to let this incident divide us and cause disharmony."
Among the road closures are parts of Sedgley Road East, Dudley Port, Jays Avenue, Tudor Court, Park Lane East, Crompton Road and Victoria Road.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area is urged to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The blast came on the day murdered soldier Lee Rigby was remembered at a private funeral service in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Meanwhile, West Midlands Police are still investigating an explosion which occurred near a mosque in the Caldmore area of Walsall on June 21.
The remains of a home-made explosive device were found on June 22 in an alleyway adjoining the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Rutter Street, Caldmore.
The earlier incident, in which no-one was injured, forced the overnight evacuation of around 150 people from their homes in the surrounding area.

Dreamliner Plane Catches Fire

 

A fire on a parked Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner plane has forced both runways at Heathrow Airport to close.

No injuries were reported and nobody was on board the aircraft, which was stationed at a remote parking stand.
Ethiopian Airlines said it had been there for more than eight hours before smoke was detected, adding that "the cause of the incident is under investigation by all concerned."
A spokesperson for Heathrow said the plane suffered an internal fire and that the airport's emergency services attended the scene.
All arrivals and departures were temporarily suspended due to the fire which was reported shortly after 4.30pm, but the airport has now fully re-opened.
Passengers at Gatwick Airport experienced minor delays on departing flights as it assisted with diversions.
Separately, another Dreamliner operated by the holiday company Thomson has been forced to turn back mid-flight after technical problems.
A statement from the company said: "Thomson Airways can confirm that flight TOM126 travelling from Manchester to Sanford, Florida experienced a technical issue and the aircraft returned to Manchester Airport, as a precautionary measure.
"Passengers have disembarked and our dedicated team of engineers are now inspecting the aircraft.  Our customers will be moved to an alternative aircraft to ensure they get away on their holiday as soon as possible."
Footage from the Skycopter over Heathrow showed fire retardant foam on the runway around the plane with at least nine fire engines in attendance.
The pictures also appeared to show damage to the top of the Dreamliner's fuselage at the rear of the plane.
A Boeing spokesman said: "We're aware of the event. We have Boeing personnel on the ground at Heathrow and are working to fully understand and address this."
Boeing temporarily withdrew the Dreamliner from service earlier this year for modifications after concerns that batteries on board could cause fires.
Various production problems delayed the aircraft from entering passenger service for three years, operating its first commercial flight in October 2011 for Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways.
Speaking from Heathrow, Sky's Stephen Douglas said: "There's nothing at the moment to say that the battery was behind this fire.
But as far as Boeing are concerned, it's not very good for the brand of the Dreamliner and not very good for other companies like Virgin Atlantic who are about to take delivery of these Dreamliners because if it is the battery then they could be grounded again."
The European Aviation Safety Agency said it was too early to say whether that would happen, adding that "Boeing staff will investigate and we will follow closely to see what to decide."
The company's shares fell dramatically on the New York Stock Exchange following the news from Heathrow.
The US National Transportation Safety Board has said it is sending a representative to London to assist in the investigation.

Man swims 5 hours to save his family Deborah Gates,

Man swims for five hours through jellyfish-infested waters after his boat capsizes leaving four family members - including his 70-year-old father, and three-year-old nephew - stranded

• Fishing party consisted of Ms Riggs and four other family members
• The boat took on too much water during a storm and toppled over
• Firefighters and the U.S. Coast Guard helped rescue stranded boatersJohn Franklin Riggs left family members clinging to a capsized boat in a sea of stinging jellyfish.
  After swimming for five hours and climbed over rocks at the shoreline in the pitch black to reach help for his family who was still out at sea.
  Off the coast, his sister tried to keep her family alive as they clung to their boat that had capsized.
  Contessa Riggs, 43, of Washington D.C. was fishing off the coast of Deal Island, Maryland when her brother, John Franklin Riggs, her 70-year old father, 9-year-old niece and 3-year-old son, were caught up in a thunder storm.
  Their boat was only 16 feet long and Riggs and her brother immediately knew they were in trouble.
  
  

  Hero: 46-year-old John Riggs, of Salisbury, swam five hours against strong waves in the middle of a storm for help
  
  'It was sundown. The water suddenly became very choppy and a wave crashed into the boat, filling the boat with water,' Ms Riggs told ABC News.
  'John started to bucket the water out and I grabbed life jackets and made sure everybody had one, but then there was another wave. In a second our boat was upside down in the water,' Ms. Riggs said.
  
   

  More...

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  • Young, rich and nary a collar in sight: How dressed-down tech executives led by Mark Zuckerberg have become the center of attention at the Sun Valley 'summer camp for billionaires'
  When their boat capsized, Riggs' brother and father swam under to get lifejackets.
  'My father wears a pacemaker, and we had very young children with us, so we made sure everybody stayed near the boat,' said Ms. Riggs.
  
  

  Rescued: Emily Horn, 9, was among those saved from a capsized boat
  
  'I had my son between me and the siding. John did the same thing for my niece,' Riggs continued. 'The children took turns sitting on the boat.'
  The family clung to the boat for an hour and a half in cold water infested by jellyfish and sea nettles.
  Contessa Riggs said the boat capsized about two miles from shore, and drifted about five miles in a parallel direction when the tide turned.
  John Riggs' father, whose name also is John Riggs, is a 70-year-old retired commercial waterman from Salisbury, Maryland, who organized the fishing trip.
  Also aboard the vessel were the waterman's daughter, Contessa Riggs, and her 3-year-old son, Conrad Drake, both of Washington; and his granddaughter, 9-year-old Emily Horn, a fourth-grader visiting from San Francisco.
  
  

  Man on a mission: John Riggs swam for five and a half hours to shore to raise the alarm and get help
  
  'There was only a little bit of light left, and the storm was still in the distance. We could see the lightening hit the water and we knew there would not be another boat that late in the evening,' Riggs explained.
  'It was so cold. My son was shivering and shivering and shivering against me. He kept repeating 'I don't like this,' 'I don't like this,' 'This is no fun',' she remembered.
  Riggs knew that nobody was going to start looking for them until the next day, so she and John decided they had to act.
  'Our family wasn't expecting us back until tomorrow, and we didn't think we'd be able to make it that long,' Riggs said.
  'John and I looked at each other and he said, 'Should I try it?' I knew he was talking about swimming to shore. So I told him to try it. But we had no idea if he would make it to shore,' she added.
  The sun had set by the time Rigg's brother left his father, niece, nephew, and sister on the capsized boat. He swam for almost five hours, reaching shore around 1 a.m.
  
  

  Near tragedy: The boat overturned two miles from short. After calling 911, John Riggs went on a rescue boat with volunteer firefighters to find his family in the pitch black
  
  'John made it to the beach but he was so tired, he could not walk. So he crawled to the nearest house he saw. Luckily they had dogs, which woke the family up. And even luckier for us, that family had the personal number for the fire chief,' Riggs said.
  Meanwhile, Ms. Riggs and her family had been clinging to their rocking boat for almost eight hours.
  'It was absolutely horrible,' Riggs recalled. 'Our legs were getting stung over and over again by the jellyfish. We had cuts and bruises. My son was crying. Waves kept crashing over our heads.'
  Riggs started to worry about her father.
  'He had been in the water the longest. And I realized that if anything happened to him, I'd have to choose between helping him and leaving the kids and staying with the kids. It was such a hard choice to make peace with.'
  But Ms. Riggs found ways to keep everybody's spirits up.
  'I kept saying, 'They're coming for us, we're going to get rescued, don't worry,'' she said. 'We talked about stupid things like eating ice cream and watching movies.'
  
  

  Back on dry land: On the boat were Riggs¿ 70-year-old father, a 9-year-old niece, Riggs¿ sister, Contessa Riggs, and her 3-year-old son
  
  It was as they were talking that she noticed lights in the horizon.
  'Suddenly we could see the boats and a helicopter and we just started screaming and waving.'
  'There were a few storms in the area, and the boat turned upside down,' said Sgt. Brian Albert at the Maryland Natural Resources Police. 'Mr. Riggs swam to shore. These people are very lucky. No one was injured.'
  A Maryland State Police helicopter hovered above the 16-foot Carolina Skiff as firefighters from Deal Island, Mount Vernon and Fairmount in Somerset County and Westside in Wicomico County pulled alongside. The U.S. Coast Guard also was on the scene, Mr Albert said.
  Volunteer firefighters pulled Riggs and her family onto a boat but it was only until they were taken to a second boat that she was reunited with her brother.
  'It was the most amazing feeling. I ran up to John and said you are my hero.'
  The family is safely back on shore, with no significant injuries.
  Perhaps someone would have located the fishing party, eventually, even if Riggs had not swam for help.
  What is certain is that wearing life jackets saved their lives, Mr Albert said.
  'It is lucky they put life jackets on,' he said. 'The life jackets are what saved their lives.'
  Ms. Riggs' 9-year-old niece, Emily, called her uncle a 'real hero.'
  'Everybody is fine. But really, there were some very beautiful moments in the water. We were terrified, but the sky had never been clearer and we could see all the stars in the Milky Way. There was no light pollution,' Ms Riggs said.
  'The water was glowing blue with the fluorescent jelly fish.'
  'I'm so grateful to the first responders that came and helped us out. I was so happy to see them and I love all of them. And I am so proud of my family, especially my brother. We survived together.'
  Friends and family are taking care of the survivors.
  'Everybody has just been great,' Ms Riggs said.
  'My friends have been cooking for us,' she said, 'They said I shouldn't have to worry about dinner after all of this. And I think they're right.'
  
•  

Nairobi Court Acquits Tycoon Ezra In False Pretence Case

gandan tycoon Micheal Ezra Muloowa has been cleared by a Nairobi court in a case where he was accused of obtaining goods falsely and issuing a bouncing cheque for KSh1.6 million.

Micheal Ezra

Micheal Ezra was acquitted on a charge of allegedly obtaining 650 grammes of Chinese herbal medicine valued at Sh1.6 million.
This was the second time Mr Ezra was being acquitted on charges of issuing bouncing cheques.
Makadara Senior Principal Magistrate Timothy Okelo, on Thursday said that the prosecution had failed to prove through three witnesses it presented that the businessman had committed the two offences.
“The prosecution case is full of gaps and I therefore find that the prosecution has failed to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt,” the magistrate said.
He subsequently acquitted Ezra on the two counts of charges.
The magistrate said that the complainant in the case, Dr Pan Liaxue, Chinese dealing in herbal Chinese medicine had told the court that she could not remember the date she gave the 650 grammes of medicine to the businessman in Westlands Nairobi.
The complainant had also not produced any evidence of importation of the herbal medicine.
“This court is left asking whether there was any transaction at all involving the herbal medicine or whether there was any treatment offered to the accused,” said the magistrate.
He added that there was no evidence showing that there were any services being paid for by the businessman.
Furthermore, the complainant did not mention the amount of Sh1.6 million stated in the charge sheet while testifying.
On the allegation of the businessman issuing a bouncing cheque to the Chinese Doctor, the magistrate said the document examiner had failed to conduct conclusive investigations to confirm that the signature and the handwriting in the document were Ezra’s.
He questioned why the document examiner did not take a specimen of Ezra’s handwriting and compare it to the writings on the cheque.
The businessman has so far won two cases out of the three which had been instituted against him all based on issuance of bouncing cheques.
Two months ago, the prosecution substituted charges in the case which is still pending and applied to have the businessman remanded in custody but the magistrate declined and ordered that Mr Mulyoowa be released on the initial bail terms of KSh3million.
Mr Ezra was first arraigned in court in February 2011 accused of issuing bad cheques.
Agencies

Egypt Army To Imprison Muslim Brotherhood Members

The Egyptian Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi plans to imprison thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members in detention centers that are already under construction.

Ex-Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was ousted last week

According to an article published by Debka, Middle East sources believe that al-Sisi knows overthrowing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was the first step in a process that includes rewriting of the constitution, setting up an interim administration and holding presidential and parliamentarian elections over the next six months.
Egypt plunged into a fresh wave of unrest after al-Sisi ousted Morsi and dissolved the country’s constitution on July 3.
One day later, the chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, was sworn in as interim president of the country. The Egyptian military also said Morsi was being held “preventively.”
The article says al-Sisi has planned two moves in order to prevent chaos from engulfing the country.
The first measure includes mass arrest of thousands of the local members of Muslim Brotherhood across the country and incarcerating them in prisons that are already in preparation.
According to the article, al-Sisi is well aware that such a move, similar to the actions of Gamal Abdel Nasser in the fifties and Anwar Sadat in the seventies would face the US opposition, but he would enjoy the support of Persian Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia.
The second measure, the article noted, is general crackdown on an estimated 10,000 armed Salafists, some of them working for al-Qaeda, who dwell Sinai Peninsula.
Citing military sources, the article stated that as the former military intelligence chief, al-Sisi is familiar with the peninsula.

Ugandan Woman Fights Molesters In India

A 30-year-old Ugandan woman was allegedly molested by four men in a moving vehicle in Vasant Kunj, (an affluent residential colony located in South West Delhi district of Delhi, India) in the early hours of Saturday.

However, the yet to be identified woman put up stiff resistance and held on to one of the culprits even after being dumped from the vehicle. She handed him over to the police, leading to the arrest of the other three accused as well.

According to the police, the victim had gone to a nightclub in Gurgaon, where she met the four accused.

“They offered to drop her home while she was looking for a cab. She accepted the offer,” said a police officer.

Along the way, two men sitting with the victim started molesting her, said the officer. When she resisted, she was beaten up.

The victim continued to resist them and even tried to raise an alarm. Deterred by her attempts, the driver stopped the car near Mahipalpur and the men tried to dump her.

“But the victim managed to catch hold of one of the accused even as the remaining three sped away. She then called up the Police Control Room. When the police arrived, she handed over the man she had caught to the police.

She was then taken to a nearby hospital for treatment as she had sustained bruises during the attack,” said the officer.

Based on the information of the arrested accused, the three others, all in their early 20s, were arrested. All accused have been booked under Section 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code.

In another incident on Thursday night, a woman was molested while her husband’s throat was slit, allegedly by three men, near Talkatora Stadium in the Chanakyapuri Police Station area.

The accused had passed some remarks against the woman and when her husband intervened, he was brutally assaulted by the trio.

In a bid to save her husband from the attack, she stepped in. However, she was assaulted and molested by them.

In the melee, one of the attackers slit the man’s throat. Some passersby noticed the couple being attacked and nabbed one of the accused. They also rushed the couple to the nearby Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

A case has been booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) 341 (wrongful restraint) and 509 (outraging modesty of a woman) of the IPC. Two of the three accused have been arrested, said the police.