Day

By Wilber Muhwezi Kasibante

www.mknewslink.com

In Bushenyi

Bushenyi district security committee chaired by the RDC Jolly Tibemanya has today 13^th August 2020 morning resolved that all candidates should remove campaign posters from traffic road signs, health facilities’ sign posts among others

The security committee has given the candidates an ultimatum of two days to remove their posters for the above-mentioned places or they face arrest.

Candidates in Bushenyi district and other areas after nomination released posters and hanged them everywhere include the prohibited places the RDC has singled out.

The District security committee also resolved to hold a meeting on Tuesday 18^th August 2020 with all the parliamentary candidates to discuss on how they should conduct themselves in the forth coming elections scheduled for 10^th Sept. 2020.

Scientific campaigns have resumed after the NRM electoral commission chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi closed nominations on Tuesday for Western Uganda and Eastern regions.

The RDC Jolly Tibemanya noted that he viewed and listened to the video of Tycoon Hassan Bassajabalaba the Bushenyi NRM chairman while in Bitooma abusing Annet Mugisha Katusime the woman MP candidate.

He added that Annet may decide to take Hassan to courts of law but the decision is personal.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Grant Ahumuza

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale

A Man who was assaulted by mob after killing his two family members in Kaharo sub county Kabale district has succumbed to Injuries at Kabale regional referral hospital.

A 40-year-old man who was badly beaten by mob for allegedly murdering his two family members in Kaharo sub county Kabale district has died from Kabale Regional Referral Hospital.

John Mugisha a resident of Nyamugoma village in Kaharo Sub County in Kabale District died Wednesday evening, shortly after being referred to the hospital in critical condition for emergency medical treatment after being beaten by the angry mob accusing him of killing his two family members.

Last week, Mugisha picked up panga and hacked his step brother identified as Twebaze Stevenson and his step mother identified as Birungi Jacinta all who died instantly.

He also cut and seriously injured his step sister identified as Tukamushaba Annah and her friend Turyasingura Willy all residents of the same village.

The suspect reportedly fled during the scuffle with a handcuff and has been at large according to police.

However, on 10^th /08/2020 the victim was badly beaten and was rescued by police from being lynched by the angry mob.

Elly Maate , the Kigezi  Region Police Spokesperson confirmed the death of Mugisha in an interview with www.mknewslink.com reporter on Wednesday evening .

He said that the deceased’s body is still at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital morgue pending post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Grant Ahumuza

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale

Three bodies of the people who drowned in Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale district on Tuesday have been recovered.

The incident happened Tuesday evening at Hakyabatunga in Butanda sub county Kabale district when the seven were sailing back home from Nyamiryango parish .

Four of them were helped out still alive by another boat while the other three have been missing until yesterday at around 1:45 pm when they were retrieved by local divers.

They are all residents of Katete Nkora in Nyamiryango parish Butanda sub county Kabale district.

The Kigezi region police spokesperson, Elly Matte told www.mknewslink.com  reporter that the bodies of the three were discovered at Hakyabatunga where they drowned from and were retrieved by local water divers from Kabale town who were yesterday morning called for help by the locals.

Matte added that the bodies were retrieved around 1:45 pm and immediately taken to their respective homes for burial after post mortems.

The case was registered at Butanda police station under file number SD 03/12/08/2020.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By our reporter

www.mknewslink.com

In Kampala

Labour externalization was, until the spread of Covid-19 across the globe, one of the fastest growing sectors and was providing employment opportunities to thousands of Ugandans across the Middle East and other parts of the world.

To date, there are more than 165,000 Ugandans who are gainfully employed in the Middle East through this program.

According to the recent statistics, the annual remittances from migrant workers in the Middle East alone into the country currently had grown to over USD 700million and domestically, the sector has also been contributing direct employment opportunities to over 4,000 Ugandans through the 200 Licensed Labour externalizing companies, several predeparture training institutions and other numerous opportunities through back and forward linkages with sectors like hotels and Airlines transport.

However, the emergence of a resurgent Covid-19 virus across the globe has grossly affected the sector.

Most of the destination countries like UAE, the Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Jordan were the worst hit and had to impose lockdowns. Currently most externalizing companies have closed shop, suspended operations affecting over 4,000 direct employees of these recruitment companies and their dependents.

Further, the closure of these companies has affected thousands of migrant workers that had been cleared to travel abroad before the lockdown. For example about 960 workers who were in transit (Cairo and Dubai, en route Middle East, etc.) were returned to Uganda due to stoppage of entry to the Middle East.

More so other Ugandans who wanted to seek employment opportunities abroad are now despondent. Each month approximately 5,000 Ugandans are externalized for work; this means in the past four months 20,000 Ugandans have lost the opportunity to work.

In revenue terms, the sector has been contributing huge None Tax Revenue to government agencies through Purchase of passports, VISA fees (income to other countries, Interpol charges (98% of the Interpol Letters are from Labour recruiting companies, Bank charges and Vaccination payments against yellow fever of 100,000 per person.

This translates into billions of shillings for over 5,000 migrant workers that are externalized every month.

The externalization sector also has forward and backward linkages to other sectors and has contributed to Business growth to these sub-sectors. For example, the Air Transport has been hit severely, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development accredited Training Centers for Orientation of Migrant workers, Medical centers accredited to provide medical service, the Media for advertisement of job orders averaging 1.6 billion per month.

otal losses here are estimated at over 90 billion shillings in the last four months.

The other challenge for the sector is that some of the Migrant Workers already abroad have not been paid by their employers due to lack of an income/ lockdown, this leads to depletion of the already earned or saved income.

This however excludes domestic workers who have continued to work and hence are paid.

Many workers whose contracts had expired are stuck in the destination countries and are most likely to illegally stay there due to high rates of unemployment in either countries – Uganda or abroad.

There is already a growing concern that there is going to be increased cost of services involved in the recruitment process due to prolonged and expensive documentation requiring COVID-19 Certificates, etc and this lengthy processes will lead to human trafficking.

There is also a challenge of bank loans.

Most recruitment companies have accumulated unpaid interest on loans acquired before the lockdown currently estimated at 10 Billion in loans exclusive interest.

This means with the high interests on loans and loss of business, if some companies are not subsidized by government, they will close hence loss of revenue to government and jobs for many Ugandans.

However, the sector, through the coordination of UAERA is planning a number of recovery interventions in the aftermath of the Covid-19.

These include developing its own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in addition to those developed by  Ministry of Health, ensuring  that all future migrant workers have a COVID clearance certificate to ease their travel and to prepare them for Quarantining procedures once they travel and to fast track use of e-business (online applications for Interpol, passports and other services).

 We also plan to re-negotiate collaterals with the banks that lent to the companies. We also hope Government will negotiate with the service providers like Interpol not to charge again for the expired Interpol certificates and Embassies can also waive visa fees for the visas that had been paid for.

In the medium term, we hope Government through Ministry of Foreign Affairs will prioritize the signing of Bi-laterals and other Labour Agreements with labour importing countries such as UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Turkey; this will help in reducing the operational costs. There is also need for decentralization of Services such as Interpol and Passports to reduce on costs in transport and accommodation.

UEARA also hopes Government will consider it as a beneficiary in the government stimulus financial support including the waiver of licensing fees at Renewal for this year.

We hope that in the next two years, the labour externalization sector, if supported to recover, will play a pivotal role in providing employment opportunities for people who were laid off in Uganda during COVID-19.

The author is the Public Relations Officer/Spokesperson -Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies
ronnie.mukundane1@gmail.com

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Aggrey Twesigye

www.mknewslink.com

In Mbarara

Police in Mbarara are investigating circumstances surrounding the death of a one  Kafero Muzafaru 20 years a Boda Boda rider and a resident of lower cell Nyamityoobora in Mbarara city.

According to Rwizi region police spokesperson ASP Samson Kasasira police received information on 11/08/2020 at around 0830/c from Nuwamanya George chairman LC1 Mbaguta cell , Kamukuzi division in Mbarara city that a body of amale adult was lying in a pool of blood along Mbarara bypass.

Kasasira noted that the police visited the scene and the deceased’s body was identified by relatives as Kafeero Muzafaru 

Kasasira said that the body of the deceased had multiple stab wounds on the head and his motorcycle registration number UEQ 464X Bajaj Boxer had been robbed. 

The body of the deceased was taken to Mbarara regional referral hospital for postmortem as investigations into the matter continue.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Aggrey Twesigye

www.mknewslink.com

In Mbarara

Police in Mbarara are hunting for a truck driver who allegedly knocked a Chinese national on duty yesterday morning.

He later succumbed to injuries on Wednesday, August, 12, 2020 at Mbarara regional referral hospital.

Rwizi region police spokesperson ASP Samson Kasasira has said that at around 9am, Lee Limin aged 49 years an employee of Chinese International Construction Company (CICCO) was instructing a truck registration number UBD 895N that was being driven by a one Kamari Hassan and the truck hit him.

The incident happened along Kamugungunu road that is undergoing construction in Rwebikoona cell, Kamukuzi division Mbarara city

After realizing that he had knocked the Chinese national ,the driver took off and the body of the deceased was taken to mortuary at Mbarara regional referral hospital for postmortem.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106