By Rosebell Kagumire Anniversary of UN resolution on impact of conflict is marked by disillusionment It is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in modern conflict. Those words, uttered by Maj. Gen. Patrick Cammaert, a UN force commander in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2008, …
Read More »Unwanted guests
By Rosebell Kagumire & Maya Prabhu Rwandan refugees forced back across the border The sprawling Nakivale Refugee Settlement in south-western Uganda is home to over 50,000 asylum-seekers and refugees. At one time it represented a testament to Uganda’s reputation as one of the most refugee-friendly countries in Africa. But recent …
Read More »How Uganda’s health care problems can end with a phone
By Rosebell Kagumire In December 2008, 15 km from the Ugandan border a British doctor saved the life of a teenage boy in Rutshuru in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, by amputating his shoulder. Dr. David Nott had succeeded in carrying out a life saving operation using his mobile phone …
Read More »Malawi elections ahead of Uganda’s – Ogenga Latigo
By Onghwens Kisangala and Rosebell Kagumire Uganda’s past two presidential elections have been so controversial that the fate of each was determined by the Supreme Court. The court on both occasions unanimously declared that the elections were not free and fair. As Uganda prepares for the 2011 elections, many Ugandan …
Read More »I remanded Idi Amins wife – Justice Katutsi
By P. Matsiko wa Mucoori and Rosebell Kagumire On April 8, Justice John Bosco Katutsi, who heads of the Anti-corruption Court, delivered a landmark judgement in the fight against corruption. He shared his experiences as a judicial officer from president Idi Amins era to the present day – under President …
Read More »Likely new faces at the Supreme Court
By Rosebell Kagumire Two years before the presidential and parliamentary elections, there is increasing concern over whether the judiciary is capable of ruling against the government, should allegations of wrongdoing in the presidential election arise again. The judiciary has demonstrated some independence in recent years, especially in the settling of …
Read More »How new voting devices could cure vote rigging
By Rosebell Kagumire Uganda could attain an electronic system to handle voter registration and voting ahead of 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections but only if government and the Electoral Commission (EC) will give it a chance. The proposal to supply about 20,000 both battery and solar-powered biometric voting machines by …
Read More »Court ruling puts Uganda torture in the spotlight
By Rosebell Kagumire Questions about the clandestine operations of Ugandan security agencies have once again been raised after a Canadian court denied asylum to a former worker of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO). Fahad Huthy Mutumba, 35, a Montreal resident, claims to have worked as an office clerk with ISO …
Read More »In burial ceremonies, Uganda’s north hopes for a new start
By Rosebell Kagumire He was such a huge man, was the first reaction from the cultural leaders after spotting a skull at one of the burial sites. He must have been an LRA fighter, said another Acholi elder on the team. The leaders had trekked through the shrubs and thickets …
Read More »What is a free and fair election?
By Rosebell Kagumire For Justice Benjamin Odoki, that is the central question for activists calling for elector al reforms In 2011, two years from now, Ugandans are scheduled to vote in presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections. Many are resigned to another rigged electoral process. But a few who are …
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