Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Government has approved the creation of 15 new counties that will start operation next year. The Minister in charge of information (ICT & National Guidance) Judith Nabakooba said in a statement that Cabinet made the approval at their latest meeting on Monday at State …
Read More »District leaders, mayors bicker over interim leadership of new cities
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The row between district chairpersons and mayors over who should take over the interim leadership of the new cities has deepened. Parliament in April this year, approved the creation of 15 cities that will be operationalized in a phased manner starting with Jinja, Mbarara, …
Read More »Serbian city stands defiant against ruling party domination
Šabac, Serbia | AFP | Lying due west of Belgrade on a bend in the Sava river, the small city of Sabac and its cafe-lined streets resemble those of any other typical Serbian town. Yet Sabac has a claim to fame: it is home to one of the last opposition mayors …
Read More »Moroto hospital officials grilled over UGX 603m irregular expenditure
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee-PAC on Tuesday tasked officials from Moroto Regional Referral Hospital to account for 603.4 million shillings that was irregularly spent on salaries, non-budgeted items among others. Led by the Hospital Director Dr Benedicto Watmon, the officials were appearing before the committee to answer …
Read More »Tanzania’s Magufuli dissolves parliament ahead of elections
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | AFP | Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Tuesday dissolved parliament to allow for elections in October, pledging a “free and fair” vote in a country where the opposition has decried a climate of fear and violence. Magufuli, who took office in 2015 promising a crackdown on corruption but whose strongman …
Read More »Parliament to spend UGX 568m on MPs medical insurance
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament will spend 568 million shillings on medical insurance for Members of Parliament and their dependents. The parliamentary commission has also listed four medical service providers. They include AAR Health Services, International Medical Link, Sanlam Life Insurance Company Limited and IAA. The unsuccessful companies …
Read More »Parliament mourns Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament on Thursday observed a moment of silence in honor of Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of Burundi who died on Tuesday this week. This was before the presentation of the Shillings 45.5 trillion 2020/2021 financial year budget speech by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija. In …
Read More »MPs querry UGX150 Bn for reopening Entebbe airport
Kampala, Uganda| AFP | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament have asked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to revise downwards, the 150 billion Shillings reportedly needed for reopening the Airport. The authority says that it needs up to 150 billion Shillings to cover the recurrent wage bill and sustained operations, port health …
Read More »MPs express mixed reactions to state of nation address
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament have expressed mixed views on the State of the Nation Address. Some MPs said that the President did not offer a clear strategy on how to save the economy from the effects of covid-19 while others say he gave hope to Ugandans. …
Read More »Parliament expunges 10bn displeasure motion against Oulanyah
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament has expunged from its record a displeasure motion against the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. The motion was passed at the height of controversies on the allocation of 10 billion Shillings that was given to the institution for interventions to control the spread of coronavirus …
Read More »