Katuna border remains closed despite the continuous meetings between the two governments of Rwanda and Uganda with an aim of discussing its opening.

Rwanda accuses Uganda of supporting the Rwandan rebels which Uganda denies and as well accuses Rwanda of supporting the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) which is a rebel group in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Additionally, Uganda accuses Rwanda of kidnapping innocent people.

It has been the fourth time since the two governments started meeting but on all the for occasions, the two leaders, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda and General Paul Kagame of Rwanda, have failed to agree to open the border

The katuna border communities are one social group have the same culture and speaking the same language with relatives on both sides of the border. Katuna is also a major trade link in northern corridor affecting trade of over five countries namely Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since its closure Uganda manufacturers of cement, iron sheets, and food are counting losses because Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo were the major markets. Similarly, Rwanda is suffering from food shortages and other essential supplies in the country being that Rwanda depends on imported goods from Uganda.

It should be remembered that the border closure has taken a year since February 2019, following allegations of Uganda incarcerating Rwandan citizens, a series of meetings have taken place between the two governments since then.

As a result, Ugandan government has released at least 20 victims in line with the Luanda Memorandum of Understanding signed between Uganda and Rwanda on the normalization of the relations between the two countries.

All is done but the border is still closed yet the two governments keep promising their citizens that the border will soon be opened.

Following the rapid spread of the deadly corona virus all around the continent, Uganda has not yet depicted any victims with the virus but has not rested in safe guarding its perimeters and preparing both spiritually and physically.

Uganda is estimated to have 45,253,137million people as of Thursday, March 8, 2020, based on World meter elaboration of the latest United Nations data. If such a deadly disease lands, the power to suppress  it would be minimal.

The president of Uganda His Excellence General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni emphasizes Personal responsibility in fighting this virus.

“Coronavirus is becoming a global threat, which means that we must rely heavily on our personal behavior first, while the ministry of health guides us on other measures,” he says.

Museveni has appealed to everyone, to join hands in preventing Corona Virus, even at a personal level by precautionary behavior. “We fought Aids by behavior, even before we got medicine,” he said.

“Now as the ministry of health guides us, let us take a personal decision not to shake hands unnecessarily or expose ourselves to conditions that will facilitate the spread of Coronavirus,”

The President has gone ahead to implore those who have specific symptoms similar to Coronavirus, even as simple as a running nose, please self-quarantine from the rest and seek medical guidance and confirmation that you are free from infection.

“Take personal precautions, and look out for your colleagues too. The government will take all measures to safeguard you as well.

It should be noted that the 2019 novel coronavirus officially named as Covid-19 by the WHO, has spread to 84 more countries apart from China alarming public health authorities across the world. A total of 96,764 (including 80,409 in Mainland China, 105 in Hong Kong, and ten in Macau) confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection including 3,311 deaths (including 3,014 in China, 107 in Italy, 107 in Iran, 41 in South Korea, 12 in Japan, 11 in the US, four in France, two each in Australia and Spain, and one each in the Philippines, Switzerland, San Marino, Thailand, and Taiwan) have been reported across the world as of 08 March 2020.

Sudan’s ruling military council and the opposition alliance have reached an agreement in principle to form a new body to run the country until the next election.

The agreement was reached during a meeting on Saturday between the ruling Military Transitional Council (MTC) and the Declaration of Freedom and Changes Forces, an umbrella organisation of opposition groups

“There is still a lot of discord and disagreement between the two sides. The military wants 10 members on this council, three of them civilian, seven of them military. The opposition want the council to be made up of 15 members, eight of them civilians and seven people from the military.

“So there are still some very difficult issues to discuss today and in the coming days. The first step that was taken yesterday was the easiest”.

Shams Eldin Kabashi, the spokesperson for the military council, said that the “talks started with high spirits and great transparency”.

“Talks will continue and we are optimistic on reaching a final result that we can announce to the Sudanese people as soon as possible”.

After the fall of President Omar al-Bashir on March 11, following months of popular demonstrations against his 30-year rule, the MTC is now overseeing a two-year “transitional period” during which it has pledged to hold presidential elections.

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After the cancellation of the Kyadondo east Mp’s music concert shows commonly known as Bobi wine due to the failure to meet safety standards. Bobi wine was arrested and escorted to his home where he is kept up to now prompting widespread protests.

Police and the military have been deployed at his residence and surrounded his fence and installed barricades on all roads leading to his home since Monday, after the violent arrest.

The 36-year-old reggae star has showed interest in unseating Yoweri Museveni, who is one of africa’s longest serving presidents and has continued to speak out against his regime.

He won his parliamentary seat as an independent in 2017 and has since rallied opposition lawmakers to his side in his bid to end Museveni’s 32-year-old rule in Uganda.

His performances scheduled to hold in Uganda were canceled last year, and some of his songs that are highly critical of the government have been banned in the past.

Following the Sudan’s military ousted of the long time leader Omar Al Bashir in a coup On the 11 of April 2019 who had ruled Sudan for over 30 years.

The revolutionary straggle led by Sudanese Proffesionals Association said that they nolonger want any contact with the military council that removed the president accusing it of being composed of remnants.

A spokesperson, Mohamed Al Amin called the military council an extesion of the old regime.

The head of military council of Sudan said, he will not allow his troops to use force against protesters calling for a civil government.

Comments from General Abdul Fatah Al Burhan come a day after the military ordered protesters to dismantle their barricades on the roads leading to army headquarters in capital, Khartoum.

The prosters under the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement said they are not going to carry on manning the checkpoints as usual. ” 23-year-old demonstrator Kawthar Hasaballah brantly said, “No one, not even the military council, will remove us from our places.”

Peruvian ex-president Alan Garcia wrote in an alleged suicide note read by family members at a wake on Friday that he had killed himself in order to avoid humiliation at the hands of his political enemies.

Garcia shot himself in the head earlier this week as police arrived at his door to arrest him in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America’s largest graft scandal. Before his suicide, Garcia had repeatedly brushed off allegations of corruption as a political hit.

One of Garcia´s daughters read the apparent suicide note at a wake held by his APRA political party, which twice helped usher Garcia to the presidency.

 “I will not be humiliated,” read Luciana Garcia, citing a note left by her father before his suicide. “I have seen others paraded around in handcuffs, living a miserable existence, but Alan Garcia has no need to suffer these injustices.”

“For this reason, I leave to my children the dignity of my decisions; to my friends, my pride, and to my enemies, my cadaver as a sign of my contempt for them.”

The note underscores the deep political rift that continues to plague the Odebrecht investigation in Peru and elsewhere in Latin America.

Peruvian prosecutors investigating the Brazilian builder said they had gathered sufficient evidence to hold Garcia in pre-trial detention while they prepared charges against him. Garcia maintained his innocence until the end, calling the probe politically motivated.

“In this time of rumors and hatred, believed by the majority…I have seen how these procedures are used to humiliate and not to seek the truth,” Garcia wrote in the letter read before thousands of his friends and allies at the wake.

President Martin Vizcarra, whose administration has overseen the probe, had offered Garcia´s family a state funeral with honors, typical of that received by former presidents.

The Garcia family declined Vizcarra´s offer, preferring instead a private event with the ex-president´s friends and allies.

Garcia´s suicide is likely to drive a wedge between Vizcarra´s government and the right-leaning opposition in Peru´s Congress, many of whom were allied with the ex-president.

Following the supreme court scrapping of the 75 year age limit for presidential candidates on Thursday 18 April, as declared by chief justice Bart Katureebe in handing down the courts majority 4-3 verdict that the appeal had failed.

As the Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana celebrated and called it a big win for Ugandans and a sign of democracy

According kyadondo East member of parliament Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu the decision taken by the supreme court, is something majority Ugandan have described as president museveni’s Easter gift. he adds that now that the court has betrayed Ugandans, there is need for the locals to fight on there own.

Democratic Party President Norbert Mao said that final court in this case will be the citizens who will take back there country arguing that the responsible bodies wont deliver justice.

“we have not lost hope” he added. “The final court is the court of the people. So from now on, it is people power”. that’s all we have

After nearly 20 years without a national flag carrier, being landlocked has not stopped Uganda from making economic renovation and participating in the aviation  industry, now relishes bragging rights over a pair of CRJ900 Bombardier aircraft after a successful handover ceremony at Bombardier’s Mirabel, Québec facility on Tuesday.

On the 23rd, the two birds will taste Ugandan air for the first time

At the end of last month, Uganda’s Parliament, chaired by Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, approved a government request for sh280b supplementary budget to buy the new planes.

Uganda’s package, two of four planes that were ordered by Uganda National Airlines Company in July last year, are regional jets that were, according to Bombardier president Fred Cromer, designed for “excellent cost effeciency and network flexibility”.It will be the first operator in Africa with this enhanced cabin experience.

Azuba used her speech to also sell brand Uganda, saying the Pearl of Africa has “amazing beauty” and has “great potential for tourism, and export of high-value agricultural products”.

“Uganda is land-locked or land-linked and reliable air surfaces are therefore critical for exploitation of its natural endowment,” she told guests.



Here is more on what the minister said

Twenty years ago, Uganda’s national carrier – Uganda Airlines – wound up its operations. The thinking then was that foreign airlines would fill the gap and provide the critical air services. However, the government has realised that foreign airlines are not fully dependable, and has therefore cautiously  but decided to revive the national airline.

In re-establishing Uganda Airlines, it was necessary to avoid repeating past mistakes by careful evaluation of several elements such as the aircraft fleet mix to be operated by the airline. So, the choice of Bombardier CRJ900 for the regional network was a result of rigorous analysis of many competing alternatives that could serve our needs. We are here today because Bombardier turned out to be the best option for the country. We therefore applaud you Bombardier for manufacturing these outstanding aircraft.

On his part, Bombardier boss Cromer said they are “deeply appreciative that the Ugandan government chose our aircraft for the revival of its national flag carrier” and underlined confidence that the CRJ900 will “contribute to Uganda Airlines’ growth and success”.

At technical level, we expect Bombardier to support the airline to ensure good performance and continuing airworthiness of these aircraft. Uganda enjoys good and stable governance, sustained high growth rate of GDP and full economic liberalisation. Uganda is an attractive destination for foreign and indeginous investors. So these factors, coupled with a growing numbers of air passengers, are a firm foundation for the growth and expansion of Uganda Airlines. And I am sure, soon or later, we will be back for more CRJ900s.
 

How the planes will get to Uganda on

“We are not supposed to fly on those aircraft. The aircraft will come with the delivery crew – pilots from Bombardier and our pilots with a few of engineers,” said Uganda Airlines CEO Bagenda.

The planes will fly out of Montreal on Friday and pass through in northern Canada. Then they will head to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, before making their way to Maastricht in the southeast of the Netherlands. They will connect to Cairo, Egypt and then head straight to Entebbe, with ETA 3pm Ugandan time

Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a decision to scrap presidential age limits, paving the way for the country’s 74-year-old leader, Yoweri Museveni, to seek a sixth term in office.

This is a challenge to Museveni’s opponents who had appealed against a ruling that removed an age cap of 75 for presidential contenders as Chief Justice Bart Katureebe declared in handing down the court’s majority 4-3 verdict, “This appeal therefore fails”.

According to opposition, Museveni is determined to rule Uganda for life since his actions depict it right. In 2005 a two-term limit was scrapped to allow him to stand for office again.

He went on to win a fifth term in the 2016 elections. In February, ruling party NRM endorsed Museveni as its candidate for the vote and In December 2017, a bill was signed to abolish age limits for presidential candidates, allowing Museveni—who has ruled since 1986—to seek re-election in polls due in 2021 after a chaotic passage through parliament that saw MPs engaging in fisticuffs.

That decision sparked protests and an outcry from the opposition, which accused the president of seeking to rule for life.
The constitutional court upheld the amendment in a ruling in July last year, but it was challenged by the opposition in Uganda’s highest court.

Museveni once said leaders who “overstayed” were the root of Africa’s problems but on contrary while running for a fifth term in 2016, he said it was not the right time for him to leave, as he still had work to do.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton