Brazzaville, Congo | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) launched Thursday a campaign to raise awareness and spur action for suicide prevention in the African region, which has the world’s highest rates of death by suicide. Around 11 people per 100,000 per year die by suicide in the African region, …
Read More »Ecobank gives its customers a 75 day loan repayment holiday
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ecobank Uganda is allowing its customers to obtain loans with a pay-back reprieve of 75 days. Having this grace period allows customers to prepare their payment plans accordingly. “This week is a special moment for us,” remarked Ecobank’s Managing Director, Grace B Muliisa. We take this …
Read More »Putin urges economic measures to cushion sanctions
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday demanded economic measures in response to Western sanctions, which are expected to intensify. “It is important to understand that the sanctions pressure on Russia will only increase,” Putin said at a government meeting on economic issues via video link. “In …
Read More »Why populists don’t concede
They cry fraud because they base on the claim that they, and only they, represent `the real people’ COMMENT | JAN-WERNER MUELLER | In the run-up to Brazil’s presidential election next month, President Jair Bolsonaro is crafting his own version of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Big Lie”: the claim …
Read More »Makerere University celebrates 100 years with calls to focus on science, research
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Makerere University on Thursday celebrated 100 years of existence with calls to deepen the focus on science and research. Established by the colonial government as a small technical institution back in 1922, the institution which had 14 students studying in grass-thatched huts has risen to be …
Read More »Experts push for financial literacy lessons in primary school
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Experts have expressed the need for equipping children with financial literacy skills to save and invest early in their lives. The experts were on Thursday speaking at the closing event of a donor-funded financial literacy programme for primary school children in selected schools in the Kampala Metropolitan …
Read More »Nwoya district struggles to recover PDM funds diverted by civil servants
Nwoya, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nwoya district is struggling to recover millions of shillings under the Parish Development Model (PDM) that were diverted by civil servants. According to an investigation conducted last month, 208 million shillings was found to have been diverted by civil servants in the district for other activities …
Read More »EBOLA: Uganda to receive trial vaccine for Sudan strain
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda is set to receive a hundred doses of a trial vaccine being developed to prevent the Ebola Sudan strain. Dr. Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO country representative revealed this on Thursday at a weekly WHO Africa press conference. He explained that there are two trial drugs being …
Read More »Fort Portal city clerk arrested for alleged abuse of office
Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Moses Otimong, the Fort Portal city clerk was on Thursday arrested for alleged abuse of office. Otimong was arrested on the orders of the Deputy Inspector General of Government, Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe. Muhairwe was in Fort Portal for a public hearing that was organized by …
Read More »Self-service channels anchor Airtel Uganda’s customer service month
COMMENT | LYNDA NABAYIINDA | “Lynda, my phone has been stolen, please help me block my number, they are contacting my people asking them for money!” Emily, my S6 OG heaved into my ear. She had reached her Gamba N’ogu or so she thought. Such are calls I get frequently from …
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