Uganda: Reshuffle – Museveni Names Janet, Awori, Jeje Ministers

Kampala — President Yoweri Museveni announced the long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle late last night, with big surprises.In the shake-up, Museveni dropped ministers Dr. Ezra Suruma for finance, Gen Salim Saleh (micro-finance), Ham Muliira (ICT), Maj. James Kinobe (youth), Dr. Atwooki Kasirivu (lands), Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka (investment) and Kagimu Kiwanuka for economic monitoring.The big new comers are First Lady Janet Museveni who is now state minister for Karamoja, Gen Jeje Odongo bounced back as state minister for defence, replacing Ruth Nankabirwa who takes over from Saleh.

Uganda: DSTV Fills GTV Soccer Vacuum

Kampala — SUBSCRIBERS to the defunct Gateway Television (GTV) that were frustrated and probably still miserable over the anticipated costs of switching to Digital Satellite Television (DStv) need not worry.The pay-per-view company yesterday pledged to satisfy its future clientele with upgraded DStv decoders at discounted rates despite the current economic credit crunch.MultiChoice public relations officer Helena Mayanja explains: “To begin with, we have discounted the decoders from $167 (sh330,660) to sh160,00. People that have been subscribing to GTV will only need to change decoders while the dish remains the same but would need realignment depending on how the original connections were made.

Uganda: Supreme Court Retains Death Penalty

Kampala — The Supreme Court has refused to outlaw the death penalty. However, the court said once the death sentence is confirmed, the condemned person should either be executed within three years or his sentence commuted to life.The court ruled that the death sentence was not inconsistent with the Constitution of Uganda.It confirmed the 2005 Constitutional Court ruling that the death sentence should not be mandatory but discretionary.The coram comprised of Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki and justices J.W. Tsekooko, Joseph Mulenga, George Kanyeihamba, Bart Katureebe, Christine Kitumba and Egonda Ntende.

Uganda: UPDF Captures More Kony Rebels

Kampala — THE UPDF has captured more LRA fighters in the on-going military offensive in the north-east of the DR Congo, where the army is engaged in a regional military offensive against the rebels.The commander of the operation code-named Lightning Thunder, Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, said yesterday that the UPDF engaged a group led by LRA second-in-command Okot Odhiambo, 30km north of Doruma on Monday.”We attacked them and killed two and captured two. It was not an ambush. We are now attacking them,” Kankiriho said by telephone from Dungu, the tactical base of the Ugandan, Congolese and Sudanese forces in the Congo.

Uganda: Rebel Chief Kony Pleads for Ceasefire

Kampala — UNDER pressure, the LRA leader, Joseph Kony, has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to declare a ceasefire in the on-going military offensive against his fighters.The Lord’s Resistance Army envoy, Dr. David Nyekorach Matsanga, said yesterday that he had talked to Kony, who asked him to appeal for a ceasefire.”Kony called me and told me he wants to talk peace. I am calling upon President Museveni to call for a ceasefire. We should re-open the negotiations,” Matsanga implored.

Uganda: Kony Rebels Kill 400 Congo Villagers

Kampala — THE LRA rebels killed over 400 people in Congo during the Christmas period, fresh details have emerged.The simultaneous attacks on several villages in the Orientale province show a trail of bloody killings, looting, abductions and torching of villages, Caritas International, a Catholic charity operating in the province, said in a statement.”Caritas is shocked by reports of a series of massacres in the DR Congo carried out by Ugandan rebels on Christmas Day and the days following.”During the Juba peace talks, Caritas was mandated to supply food to the LRA. Its director, Dungu-Doruma, said the rebels attacked a Christmas Day concert organised by the Catholic church in Faradje city.

Africa: No More Excuses on Gender Violence

As the world marks the twenty-seventh International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, United Nations figures indicate that in the course of her lifetime, one in every three women is beaten, coerced into sex or abused, by a relative or acquaintance.In Africa , concerns continue to be raised over poor legislation and enforcement to protect women and girls from harm.At the African Development Forum, held in Addis from Nov. 19-21, it emerged that many women do not report cases of violence, particularly those involving intimate partners, for fear of reprisal, which may include economic deprivation, physical abuse, or losing custody of their children.”There is a deep culture of silence where women do not tell about their husbands or partners beating them; they fear that they may stop being provided for, particularly if the man is the bread winner,” says Auxillia Ponga, a gender advisor with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Uganda: KLM starts direct flight to Entebbe

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has started operating a fifth direct flight to and from Entebbe, Uganda, Martijn Hartkamp, the country manager, said in a statement. He said the additional flight, which would operate with an Airbus A330-200 would depart from Entebbe on Mondays.The fifth flight means more choice, convenience and flexibility for our customers. It is also in line with the current growing demand in Uganda, according to Hartkamp.Hartkamp also added that KLM was committed to providing enhanced services to customers through continuous improvement. “Our continuous growth is the best illustration of this commitment and of the faith that KLM has in Uganda,” he said.Stating that the new flight and the successful code-sharing services offered by KLM and Kenya Airways would strengthen Air France-KLM’s presence in East Africa, Hartkamp said KLM had introduced extra flights to New York and Washington, giving Ugandan customers earlier connections.

Uganda joins UN Security Council

Uganda has been elected to occupy a non-permanent seat of UN Security Council when delegates cast their votes to the international body’s powerful for 2009-10 term. The country, which was already assured of a seat from a unanimous regional backing, has been joined by Japan, Turkey, Austria and Mexico.Iran, which is under UN sanctions over its nuclear programme, and Iceland, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, were defeated in the vote on Friday, a decision that some western powers said was a lesson, especially for Iranians.

Shortlist for Africa’s best player out

The Confederation of Africa Football has unveiled the shortlists for the Glo-CAF Awards 2008. CAF Director of Communications, Sulemana Habuba also announced innovations in the event with the aim of making it prestigious. The Media and Technical Committees nominated the shortlists for the two awards.The innovation Habuba said had led to the creation of the Glo-CAF Best Player on the Continent and the Glo-CAF Best Player across the World, according to cafonline.