10 illegal guns recovered in Kasese

News by; E-Society
Story by;  By ENID NINSIIMA

Security agencies in Kasese District have recovered 10 guns from residents who had acquired them illegally. The Kasese Resident District Commissioner, Mr Milton Odongo, said the rifles were recovered from different parts of the district.
Mr Odongo said the guns were reportedly used by criminals.

He said investigations have revealed that some killings in the district are as a result of internal conflicts which people must not relate to the Allied Democratic Front rebellion.

“Many of these murders in the district result from land-related conflicts, domestic violence and robbery, but not rebels as some people claim,” Mr Odongo, who chairs the district security committee, said while addressing journalists recently.

But he said the security agencies could not rule out the possibility of rebel activities since they are still in eastern DR Congo.
Security agencies have reportedly observed that many guns used to kill people were left behind during the ADF insurgency.

There has been a widespread outcry in the district about regular cases of people being shot by unidentified assailants.

The Second Division commander, Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, said most guns used in Kasese were given to communities during the ADF war but they were not disarmed after the ADF were defeated and fled to DR Congo.

“It is true government armed some people during the war but it has never disarmed them. Even our soldiers who deserted the force have never handed over the guns and they are among those used to terrorise the people,” Brig. Kankiriho said.

He said due to public outcry about illegal use of arms in Kasese, the UPDF had decided to hunt for deserters who never handed over their guns .
He advised people not to mix issues of security with politics, saying such perception may result into instability.

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Muder cases, poisoning and be-witching cases on increase in Kasese

News by; E-Society

Story by; Kasese Guide radio

Residents of Kinyamate village in Mahango sub-county in Kasese district have called for the immediate eviction of a seventy four year-old man whom they accuse of masterminding the killing of a village mate by poisoning.

 

Angry residents told a meeting organized by the sub-county authorities and the officials from the Kasese Central Police station at Kabiriti trading center today that their lives will continue being in danger if Erinest Kule Mwanawamukalhi is not evicted.

They allege that Mwanawamukalhi is behind the killing by poisoning of Pascal Kabahinda whose death caused violence in the village leading to torching of houses.

Two of the rioters were arrested last Friday on allegations of leading an act of arson.

The late Pascal Kabahinda who was referred to Mulago hospital after being diagonised with poison died last week.

The Officer in Charge of Kasese Central Police Station Esau Opio told the angry residents that before any step are taken; police will first open a file to investigate the matter and asked those with information to avail evidence so that the law takes its course.

Fobisa Thembo a wife to the Late Pascal said that before her husband went into coma, he had told her that Mwanawamukali’s family was behind his death following many warnings he was getting from the suspect.

She asked the sub-county and the District Police authority to evict the family of Mwanawamukali saying that all the sufferings she was going through was brought up by him.

Police asked the residents to remain patient as investigations into the alleged poisoning of the late Pascal Kabahinda continues.

The suspect Erinista Kule Mwanawamukali said he was being witch-hunted because he has stayed in the area since 1971 without any record of poisoning anybody.

Kasese District Receives Two more new ambulences

News by; E-Society

Story by; Kasese Guide Radio

 

Kasese District is moving a step side towards solving several health problems after securing two more ambulances to handle emergency cases.

The two ambulances donated by the Belgium Technical Corporation through the ministry of health have today been delivered to the district headquarters.

Another pick-up car to be used by the District Health Officer to monitor health services has also been donated by the ministry.

The district chairman Lt. Col. Mawa Muhindo who received the ambulances from the minister of health Dr. Christine Ondoa in Fort Portal town.

Ondoa urged the District leadership to ensure proper usage and maintenance of the ambulances to make sure emergency cases are taken to hospitals in time.

Addressing journalists shortly after receiving the ambulances, Lt. Co. Mawa said that the vehicles are going to strengthen the NRM government’s interventions in health services.

 

He said the two ambulances have been allocated to Bwera and Kilembe Hospitals respectively.

The new brand landcruiser vehicles bring the number of ambulances in the district to three following the first one donated by Save the Children in December last year is already being used in the Busongora North health sub-district based at Rwesande Health Center IV in Kyabarungira sub-county.

 

The district chairman said that the local government and the benefiting hospital administrations will be fueling the ambulances in their areas of jurisdiction and then the users can contribute in case of any referral.

 

Some of the emergencies that have been in dire need of ambulances in the district are transporting of women in labour, road accidents, cholera cases and other emergencies.

 

The ambulance for Bwera Hospital will be handed to the facility tomorrow and that of Kilembe on Monday next week.

 

Gunfire claims three lives at DRC border

News by; E-Society
Story by; By Enid Ninsiima

Gunfire broke out yesterday morning at Lhubiriha Market in Mpondwe, the DR Congo-Uganda border in Kasese District claiming three lives. Panic ensued as residents mistook the incident for a rebel attack.

Security sources on the Ugandan side confirmed the incident but said the gunfire did not spill over to the country. “It is true there has been shooting this morning along the border in DR Congo. We are told that Congolese bodaboda riders were demonstrating against the death of their colleague who is said to have been shot dead in the previous night by unknown gunmen,” security sources, who preferred anonymity, said.

They said DR Congo security personnel had to fire bullets for almost three hours to calm down the demonstrators, adding that they could not be quoted on security issues that happen in the neighbouring country.

“Our intelligence is on the ground to find out what could have happened since it may affect the security of our people along the border, especially those who are engaged in border trade,” the sources said.
A resident at Kasindi Market in the DR Congo said two other people were also shot dead in the scuffle between the Congolese security personnel and the demonstrators.

However, the UPDF 2nd Division spokesperson, Lt. Ninsiima Rwemijuma, said people should not panic, dismissing fears that it was a rebel attack. Lt. Ninsiima accused local politicians of spreading rumors that the shooting was a rebel attack.

Mr Wilson Agaba, the LC 3 chairperson for Isango, one of the sub-counties on the border, said life on the Ugandan side had returned to normal by 10 am. Efforts to get a comment from DR congo authorities were futile as the situation was still tense on their side.

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Hima to install US$3.2m bag filter upgrade at Kasese by May 2013

E-Society 

 

Hima Cement has decided to spend US$3.2m to upgrade its bag filter technology at its Kasese cement plant in western Uganda. The move follows a history of complaints from local communities over dust emissions. The upgrade will be installed at the factory's old production line, which plans to bring stack emissions in line with global standards. It is expected to be completed by May 2013.

"We are confident that this time round the problem of emissions will become a thing of the past since the same technology was installed at our Bamburi Cement factory in August 2012," said David Njoroge, Hima Cement general manager.

The upgrade is the second attempt that Hima Cement has made at its old line in Kasese. Previously an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) failed due to frequent power cuts. In 2011 Kasese's new production line, which uses bag filter technology, was opened to increase cement production capacity from 300,000t/yr to 850,000t/yr.

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Kasese Residents Lack Antenatal care knowledge

News by E-Society Kasese   Story by; Kasese Guide Radio

 

Health experts in Kasese District have called for more efforts in the mobilization of men to attend antenatal care with their pregnant wives.

This was resolved during a one day dissemination meeting of a report on the maternal and neonatal child health at the Rwenzori International Hotel.

Presenting the report, Mr. Ezakiel Bisogho Mughusu indicated that the health workers will never manage to counsel the couples when one is missing.

This follows after the Ministry of Health directed that all men accompany their wives to health units for antenatal care especially for HIV/AIDS testing.

But most men have declined to attend.

Mughusu said that the prevention of Mother to Child transmission cannot be realized since women fear to reveal the status to husbands.

The participants recommended that the health unit Incharges should strengthen the formation of family support groups where they can share matters of maternal and child health.

The District Health Officer Dr. Yusuf Baseka called for consorted efforts to fight poverty in homes so that sick children are easily taken for adequate medication.

He said that it is not easy for a family that fails to get a meal to manage transport to and from the health facility.

The workshop was attended by the Chairman LC3 of Mahango sub-county Mr. Stephen Muthekengwa.

Tear gas rocks Kasese funeral

News by E-Society  Kasese
Story by; ENID NINSIIMA & THEMBO KAHUNGU MISAIRI

Tear gas and bullets rocked Kihara Ward in Kasese Municipality on Sunday as police dispersed protesting locals.

The residents were protesting against being blocked by security from burying their relative on a disputed land.

This followed the death of Justine Biira, 55, who was stabbed by unknown people on the said piece of land on Saturday.
Her body was abandoned in a cotton field in Bucumbamuro Village in Kihara.
After police halted the burial, residents reacted by blocking police vehicles from accessing the area.

The residents are alleged to have also killed five cows belonging a rival group, before running away with the meat.

The Kasese District police Commander, Mr Sabila Michael Musani, said investigations were under way and the culprits would be brought to book, adding that they had identified some suspects.

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