Author: Admin
Members of Parliament from West Nile have accused the NRM government of consistently sidelining West Nile’s needs in the national budget. The lawmakers are now planning a demonstration on May 1st to protest the government’s continued neglect of infrastructure development in their region. The group says that despite repeated pledges, especially those made by President Museveni in his NRM manifestos, projects like the Nebbi-Zombo-Vura Road and the Goli and Padea border posts remain unfunded. Leading the group, the vice chairperson of the West Nile Parliamentary Caucus, who doubles as MP for Obongi Constituency, Dr. George Didi Bhoka, said that the region’s transport system remains…
Aleptong MP Sam Okwir Odwee Decries Duplication of Projects Across Ministries Aleptong Member of Parliament, Sam Okwir Odwee, has raised concerns over the duplication of projects by various government ministries, urging a more streamlined approach to resource allocation. During a parliamentary budget committee meeting, Okwir emphasized the need for sectoral ministries to handle projects within their areas of expertise. Okwir, a member of the parliamentary committee on budget, highlighted instances where multiple ministries, such as Agriculture, Works, and Energy, proposed overlapping projects like dam construction. He questioned why such initiatives were not left to the respective “mother ministries” with…
The Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA) has urged the public to avoid excessive borrowing from online money lenders due to a rise in harassment complaints by loan sharks. UMRA’s Compliance Officer, Benon Mugambe, highlighted the growing number of complaints from borrowers unable to repay loans, leading to mistreatment. He made the remarks during the launch of a partnership between Airtel Uganda and Mogo Uganda, an asset financing firm offering smartphones on instalment plans. Mugambe advised Ugandans to borrow responsibly to avoid falling into debt traps. The caution comes as the two companies’ partner in a move to address the persistent “device…
Vatican City, Rome — The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, and the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, are currently in Vatican City, Rome, representing His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the funeral of Pope Francis. The funeral, set to taking place at St. Peter’s Square, has drawn several world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and members of the British royal family among others . Speaker Among, a devout Catholic, has maintained a longstanding relationship with the Vatican. She has visited the Holy See on eight occasions, four of which included…
Minister Assures Parliament Tobacco Farmers Will Be Paid This Week The Minister of State for Industry David Bahati, has assured Parliament that long-awaited payments to verified tobacco farmers will begin this week, following the completion of a verification process and the opening of a special account at the Bank of Uganda. Responding to concerns raised by Koboko North MP, Dr. Noah Musa, the Minister explained that delays were caused by the need to set up a dedicated payment channel outside the standard government financial system. “We could not pay through IFMIS, so we opened a bank account at the Central…
Opinion | Tweheyo Ronald: Why the Democratic Party Needs Richard Sebamala The Democratic Party (DP) in Uganda stands at a critical juncture. Once a dominant force in Uganda’s political landscape, it has struggled in recent years to maintain relevance amid a shifting political climate and the rise of newer political movements like the National Unity Platform (NUP). In this context, Richard Sebamala — the Member of Parliament for Bukoto Central — offers a compelling case as a potential leader who could reinvigorate the party’s direction and restore its influence. A Fresh Face with Grounded Experience Sebamala’s tenure as MP has…
John Baptist Loki, the Member of Parliament for Matheniko County in Moroto District, first joined the Parliament of Uganda in 2011, during the 9th Parliament, and has served continuously since then. Hon. Loki has closely followed Uganda’s political and economic trends, as well as other regional matters, both in Parliament and beyond. When Eyewitness asked for his personal view on President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his impact on the people, Loki described Museveni as a true African leader. He explained that beyond transforming Uganda from a peasant-based to a market economy, President Museveni has also positively influenced socio-economic development across East Africa…
New Building Control Amendment Bill Proposes Jail for Illegal Builders The State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama,tabled the Building Control Amendment Bill, 2025 before Parliament. The proposed legislation seeks to streamline building control processes and enhance safety within the construction sector. A key highlight of the bill is the proposed increase in penalties for individuals who undertake construction without a valid building permit issued by a building committee. The current penalty—a fine of one million shillings or imprisonment for up to two years—will be replaced by a fine of 20,000 shillings per square meter of unauthorized construction, imprisonment not exceeding…
The Member of Parliament for Obongi Constituency, Hon. Dr. George Didi Bhoka, has held a meeting with the Obongi District business community to discuss the challenges and opportunities within the local business sector. The meeting, held at Gill County Inn, brought together a range of stakeholders, including representatives from the Obongi District Farmers Association, the Obongi District Chamber of Commerce, Emyooga SACCO Chairpersons, and PDM SACCO Chairpersons. During the meeting, each group was given an opportunity to share their challenges and success stories. Leaders from the District Farmers Association highlighted the benefits of membership, such as access to affordable farming practices…
National ID Production Enhanced with State-of-the-Art Machines to Boost Efficiency In a significant move to improve service delivery, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has received four advanced card printing machines, each capable of producing up to 3,000 national IDs per hour. This upgrade is set to enhance efficiency and drastically reduce processing times for national ID issuance. The new machines are part of NIRA’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming mass enrollment and renewal exercise at the parish level. Additionally, the delivery of over 5,000 registration kits has been key in providing technical training for client-facing staff, including Registration…
By Nickson Bbale Yesterday, the Science, Technology, and Innovation Committee of Parliament, led by its Deputy Chairperson, Hon.Dr Florence Asiimwe Akiiki , Woman MP of Masindi District, embarked on an important field visit to Ntungamo District as part of their ongoing oversight on the Industrial Value Chain development across Uganda. This visit is part of a broader initiative by the Committee, which has been traveling across the country, having already visited the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Western regions to evaluate key developments in various industrial sectors. One of the highlights of the visit was the Coffee Value Chain Development project,…
The European Union (EU) and UNICEF have launched a transformative assistance programme to support vulnerable girls’ secondary education in Uganda’s West Nile, Lango, and Acholi sub-regions. The initiative will empower 5,000 girls to complete their secondary education through the Cashplus Programme for Girls in Secondary School, funded by the EU and implemented by UNICEF. This effort is part of the broader Gender for Development Uganda (G4DU) programme, which aims to remove the significant economic and social barriers that hinder girls from completing their education. The Cashplus programme will specifically target girls from the districts of Adjumani, Yumbe, Lamwo, Nebbi, Oyam,…
Ajumani East MP James Mamawi expressed strong support for the recent approval by the Ugandan Parliament for the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan. He emphasized that the move is crucial for regional security, as instability in South Sudan directly impacts Uganda’s borders, trade, and refugee situation. Mamawi highlighted Uganda’s significant refugee burden, with over 400,000 South Sudanese refugees already in the country, and warned that further instability could exacerbate this crisis. He stressed that Uganda’s involvement in peacekeeping aligns with regional cooperation and its role in East African stability. The MP also underscored the…
By Golooba Richard On Saturday 22,March 2025, West Nile Effort for Museveni, a pressure group started by individuals among which was the late former Vice President Gen Mustafa Adris and late Hon Col. Ibrahim Abiriga, to amplify the vision of President Museveni and mobilize support for him and his party of National Resistance Movement (NRM). Gen Mustafa Adris served you deligently as Vice President under President Idi Amin, but went to exile after the 1979 war. He and many others endured hardships there and when President Museveni took over power in 1986 with his NRM/A, he extended his open door…
By Oguzu Lee We welcome you to West Nile, a region with a long stolen future. I take this opportunity to remind you that the people of West Nile have consistently turned out in large numbers to vote for the NRM, driven by hope for tangible progress. However, post-election periods reveal a troubling pattern: health centers remain understaffed and unequipped, schools lack textbooks and qualified teachers, and communities still trek kilometers for murky water from contaminated sources. Electricity access is a luxury reserved for few while crumbling roads and bridges isolate entire villages. These are not mere oversights but systemic…