Media practitioners’ trained on district information flow.

Media practitioners and Civil Society members oriented on District information flow and "Konw your Local Government Budget".

By MORIS MUMBERE,

e-society 

KASESE: The Kasese district deputy chief administrative officer Lillian Kobusinge has ensued censorship to the media on information flow concerning the district.

Speaking on the orientation training organized by the Kasese E-Society ICT centre in partnership with The Collaboration on International ICT policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) aimed at equipping ICT participants with knowledge on how to access relevant public information and using ICTs to monitor and report service delivery issues.

Kobusinge who was this afternoon of Friday opening a one day orientation training of media practitioners and civil society groups in the district at Kasese district E-society centre, emphasized that any information concerning the district must be approved and sanctioned by the district chief administrative officer.

The deputy Chief Executive officer, urged the media to always seek clarification and comments from the CAO’s office on any newsworthy matter involving the district.

She called for observance of the access to information act by the media practitioners and objectivity in their media reports as these will help eliminate bias in the course of news broadcast.

The Kasese district information officer John Thawithe noted that everyone has a right to information access but in line with the rule of law.

Samuel Mumbere one of the facilitator urged all media practitioners to utility the resource centre to get quality information which can build the society,

He further noted that the district is ready to support any media house which will continue updating the public on several government programs.

END

95 Billion Project of Mitigating Kasese floods commence on river Nyamwamba

95 Billion Project of Mitigating Kasese floods commence on
river Nyamwamba

By MORIS MUMBERE,

E-society

KASESE: A 95 Billion Project of Mitigating Kasese floods by Arab contractors has commence on river Nyamwamba to reduce on the daily suspected periods of flooding of several rivers channel in Kasese district which will take nearly six months

“ This contract was awarded to Arab Contractors Company at a tune of shillings 95
billion (2715622$) and it’s to be finished in a period of five months” Eng. Mohamed Eldesouky the resident eng. from the government of Egypt said in an interview.

The five months project of protection works for flood mitigation in rwenzori sub region, Kasese district which is funded by the Egyptian government under the ministry of water resources and irrigation was delayed by security threats resulting from the November 2016 Kasese clashes that left hundreds of people killed at the obusinga bwa Rwenzururu palace.

The retraining works are centering on excavating and de-silting of the river channels at some identified hotspots to remove stones and other debris from the main stream of Nyamwamba river to flush floods effectively.

According to Eng. Mohamed Eldesouky the residents engineer for Arab contractors, said they want to de-silt the upper stream of river Nyamwamba as a mitigation measure to avoid accumulation of debris that may limit the river channel capacity during floods.

Eng. Mohamed said that, after cleaning the river channel, they will put gabions on the river banks to protect the most vulnerable sections along Nyamwamba River where flow
velocities are extremely high.

“Our mitigation interventions will be carried out on three most severely affected areas along river Nyamwamba that is to say, road barrier primary school, Kilembe mines hospital, Bulembia primary school,  later on katiri school and the church shall be added”  Eng. Mohamed added.

He noted that the main problem has been the blockage of some cross sections of river Nyamwamba which couldn’t accommodate the proper flow of the river adding that they are now digging it ten meters deep to give the river enough space for water flow.

“We started our role almost one and half week ago at the site of Bulembia primary with about four excavators working on removing of stones from the water mainstream channel then thereafter we shall descend to Kyanzuki Bridge up to Kilembe hospital”, Eng. Mohamed further added.

The retraining process was welcomed by the Kasese municipality parliamentary legislator Hon. Robert centenary who praised the Egyptian government for the funding geared towards saving lives and properties of Kasese residents.

“Am very glad that the project of rechanneling river Nyamwamba has finally commenced and this is a very big step by government in saving lives of communities around river Nyamwamba especially Kilembe mines hospital, Bulembia, Katiri and road barrier primary schools”, Centenary told daily monitor in an interview.

Flooding has happened twice leading to the closure of Kilembe mines hospital that was in May 2013 and May 2014 following destructive floods that ravaged the entire hospital buildings and causing displacement of patients.

The floods were triggered by a heavy downpour that caused River Nyamwamba to burst its banks.

What residents say

According to Rev. Sister Theopista Basemera the Kilembe mines hospital senior administrator, the current construction works on river Nyamwamba is a big relief to the hospital looking at the turbulent situation the hospital went through during the previous floods.

Sr. Theopista narrated that, they have been living in fear of fresh floods invading the hospital any time because of the current rainy season experienced in the district.

“For the last three years from 2013 to 2015 we have been experiencing floods whereby sixty four houses at the hospital were washed away by floods, we are now very happy that construction works have began and now we are assure that looking at the work being done, floods will not affect our hospital anymore,” Sr. Theopista said.

Utilities:

At least during every rainy season for the last four years, River Nyamwamba which is situated on the slopes of Rwenzori Mountain bursts its banks, leaving behind a soar of destruction of lives where over nine people were reported dead and properties worth millions of money destroyed.

The river channel is now being constructed with protective bearers against destruction of schools such as Bulembia and road barrier primary schools which have for the last four consecutive floods suffered a tale of destruction including Kilembe mines Hospital which
nearly closed during the 2014 Kasese floods.

End.

council guard against middlemen who are exploiting the farmers.

Council guard against middlemen who are exploiting the farmers.

by MORIS MUMBERE,

E-society.

KASESE; Vanilla dealers in the Rwenzori region have hailed the district council for its stand to guard against middlemen who are exploiting the farmers.

The district council sitting yesterday approved an ordinance on vanilla production.

This was after the motion mover who doubles as the district Youth and Secretary for Production, Marketing and Natural Resources, Gideon Sanyu Ntabose told the council that the Kasese district was doing badly in terms of Vanila production because of increasing cases of the cash crop.

Allan Mayanja Nturanke, the Production Manager for ESCO Uganda told press shortly after the motion that he was extremely happy for the gesture of the district by guarding vanilla farmers from thieves and middlemen he said were exploiting farmers.

He was immediately supported by Rwenzori Farmers Cooperative Union limited Director, Jimmy Bagonza Police.

Police said that vanilla farmers have always been forced to harvest immature vanilla beans because they fear thieves who he said were terrorizing the community where the crop was heavily grown.

Annet Mutsangwa, the Female district Councilor for Mahango and Kyalhumbna sub-counties said that the ordinance asked the district commercial office to guard and monitor the activities of vanilla buyers.

Kasese district chairperson, Geoffrey Sibendire Thembo Bigogo sounded a strong warning to thieves saying that their days were numbered.

END.

Striga weed ravages maize yields in Kasese.

Striga weed ravages maize yields in Kasese.

By MORIS MUMBERE

E-society,

Kasese: Parasitic Striga weed is costing a huge toll of maize farmers as their maize crops continue to loss yields season after season.

“The research we have  indicate that striga weed has affected over 80% maize yield leaving farmers in a hug lose which we feel has to be addressed” Julius Rukara the district agriculture officer said.

The Kasese district agriculture officer Mr. Rukara while addressing the awareness meeting organized b y NARO and national crop resources research institution narrated that farmers have been reporting a strange weeding without signs but no prevention attain towards killing it yet it has affected major crops that benefit farmers.

Rukara added that striga weed largely affects cereal crops such as maize, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, millet, cowpea, tobacco at a large scale.

“Striga hermonthica is the most dangerous weed that produces more than 200,000 seeds plant per season” Rukara noted.

Rukara further noted that the speed at which the weed multiplies in the farms cannot be controlled by many pesticides in a season.

Dr. Charles kasozi lwanga a researcher from national crop resources research institution blamed the rapid spread of the weed on farmers due to poor farming practices and sharing of garden tools from one affected farm to the fresh gardens leaving many farms with the disease.

Dr. kasozi added that most farmers fail to indentify the affect crops with signs like stuntedness of cross, wilting where crops tend to dry up, yellowing of plants which happens when most of the crops are planted in the highly striga weed places.

He further added that, most farmers harvest crops and put them on the ground instead of harvesting them in a bag so that they don’t get striga from the ground since the disease stays in dust.

Dr. kasozi advised farmers to harvest maize while putting them in bags to avoid contact with soil, rotating maize with non cereal, intercropping, uprooting striga before flowering and plant striga resistance verities.

One of the farmers Hilary Masereka raised a concern following same areas of Ibuga and hima in Kasese, where people have started smoking the weeds after realizing that farmers hip the affected plants on the road side and smokers take them without knowing that they are affected.

Hilary noted that the some smokers may plant them with interest that they continue smoking without knowing that they have planted weed.

However the deputy RDC Minadabu Muhindo blamed the scientist for not making one clear medicine that can cure the disease instead the bring several varieties which confuse farmers and end up applying whatever product they have been told by sellers in the market.

Muhindo said, scientist brought roundup, wild king, wind master saying one of these dry the weed and dies completely, but the end result none of them has ever worked causing confusision to the farmers which has caused the persistence of the weed due to lack of specific pesticide towards the disease.

He advised agriculture consultant to stand on one chemical purposely for one item to have a lasting solution not mixing up issues of preventing instead of cure.

“research say if they bring a lasting solution their product lose market, which influences most of the scientist to continue making more chemicals to yields money from farmers, instead of a total redaction measure in the district” Muhindo said.

End.

Harmful Transformer oil is used for chips and chapatti making

Research indicate that Transformer oil is used for chips and chapatti making

By MORIS MUMBERE,

E-society

KASESE: Electricity companies in Kasese have warned the public to be vigilant following the Research made by several power distributing company that transformer oil that is drained from several transformers in different transmitting point is current used by chapatti makers from different manufacturing places in the country.

“We always find most of our transformers drained, vandalized others linking without any clear notification on who might have tempered with them and the secrete behind vandalizing them, until when it was discovered and researched in kenya during a training workshop where we were informed that the oil is used by chapatti makers” lubega Stephen said.

During the awareness meeting organized by the electricity regulatory authority held at Verina gardens yesterday the public tasked the distribution companies to give reasons why power goes off and takes long to be connected without any notification that has left many lose their properties due to fire out breaks when power comes back with high voltages beyond domestic consumption levels.

The Kasese district Umeme engineer for maintenance lubega Stephan in his response said, thieves break the transformers and disconnect the power without the companies notice which they notice after some days leaving the public in darkness since the oil helps in the transformers process.

He added that all along they have been wandering what the thieves use the oil for but of recent they realized that it’s used for chapatti making by several venders on streets and other places.

“Had it not been the training we attained in Kanya, as Umeme Company in Uganda we would continue asking what the transformer oil is used for” lubega added.

Lubega further noted that the reports made indicate that the transformer oil favors chapatti and Cheeps makers since it takes long while cycling on the fry pan to get finished and dry compared to other cooking oils which are costly that why most of the venders use it.

Lubega added that, another category of people have stated mixing transformer oil in the cosmetics for their bodies.

He appealed to the public to stand warned and worried of their health since the oil consists of cooper sulphate (cuso₄) which is harm full for human consumption.

While looking at the effect of the transformer oil on human consumption the managing director kilembe investment electricity company Mr. Gideon Mujungu narrated several causes such as lung cutting that has affected many people in the country, which may result into lung cancer since the used transformer oil in chapatti making is not good for human consumption.

Gideon further confirmed its effect basing of live practice where when drops land on any vegetable or grass it immediately dries off, and in same area where transformers are placed grass dry due to some linkages on the transformer that drops the oil.

Gideon indentified other users as those who do welding work who use the oil for their machine saying all these are being hunted to find the real person who vandalize company transformers. 

The deputy RDC Minadabu Muhindo asked Umeme management to differentiate the difference between the chapatti cooked by transformer oil and the original cooking oil so that the public can be on the alert of such health risks foods by appearance.

The councilor representing Kamaiba ward Mzee Israel Masereka said he had been tipped on the information while staying in kampala that cheeps consume a lot of oil and most of the sellers opted to using transformer oil since it takes long on the pan while cycling.

Efforts to talk to any of the street chapatti and cheeps makers over the said information were impossible since their daily duties are always done at night. 

End.

UMEME loses shillings 800 million in kasese transformer theft.

UMEME loses shillings 800 million in kasese transformer theft.

By MORIS MUMBERE,

E-society

KASESE:  Power Distribution Company Umeme has for the last two years lost fifteen transformers to thieves in the western district of Kasese. The theft worth eight hundred million shillings has left the power distribution company in a great power supply challenge to over one thousand of its customers in the district.

Stephen lubega who works as the maintenance engineer for Umeme Kasese told daily monitor on Monday this week that ten of the transformers were stolen last year and the other five were stolen early this year from different distribution points.

 “We have lost at least 15 transformers to thieves whereby ten of them were stolen last year, five stolen this year,  three of them belonging  to local power distributor kilembe investment limited company  in several distribution points in Kasese district”  lubega Stephen said.

Lubega was speaking to our reporter on the sidelines of a two day awareness meeting of Kasese district stake holders and business communities at Verina gardens during organized by Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA).

He said the continuous transformer theft has downplayed Umeme’s efforts to retain sustainable power supply to serve the people of Kasese and Rwenzori region at large effectively.

Lubega says the company’s efforts to crap a whip on the thieves have not been supported by community members who are reluctant to watching over the thieves

In turn, lubega says this have contributed to frequent power blackouts since the company lack immediate transformers for replacement.

Patrick Ssebalamu the Umeme manager Kasese confirmed the rampant theft of transformers in several parts of the district especially urban areas.

Ssebalamu cited areas of Katadoba church in Kasese town where a 50Kilo voltage transformer worth 50 million shillings was stolen last year.

Other areas in Kasese town he cited are Base Camp lower 50kv transformer worth 40 million, Base Camp trading centre 100 kilo voltage transformer worth 70 million, Katadoba 50kv transformer worth 60 million, kilembe 200kilo voltage transformer worth 80 million, Kyebambe road  100 kilo voltage transformer worth 90 million.

Others are Kamaiba village 315kv transformer worth 100 million, railway station 100 kv transformer worth 70 million.

For this year two transformers that were stolen at spring international hotel of 50KV worth 40 million and Base Camp 100 KV transformer worth 70 million.

Ssebalamu further noted that several aluminum conductors have also been stolen thrice in areas of kamaiba, katadoba and in other new areas of Rungedabara, Hima where Umeme lines are under construction aluminum conductors have been taken thrice which is affecting the immediate delivery of to the customers.

Ssebalamu assured the public that the measure to avoid the theft as the company they will be putting transformers in public places like centre’s where the community can easily watch at those in the theft deals.

The Kilembe Investment Manager Mujungu Gideon also said his company has two transformers which he put at a cost of shillings 39 million.

Aggrey Kapere the railway police post station in charge told the meeting that as police they are challenged with identifying transformer thieves since most of them wear company uniforms and sometimes viewed as company workers.

Kapere added that some of the thieves connive with power distribution company workers to execute their dubious theft missions.

He called on Umeme to ensure provision of identification cards whenever their going to the field and endeavor to provide a list of expelled workers to the public as one sure way of managing power and transformer thefts in Kasese. 

The ERA Principal Communication officer Diana Nandi-we are aware that power theft and vandalism is on the increase in Uganda but the government of Uganda is working on the amendment of the electricity act 1999 to provide for strong punitive punishment against power thieves.

She was however uncertain of when the amendment process is expected to start due to many stakeholders involved in the electricity sector.

End.

District council recommended for the immediate transfer of the RDC.

District council recommended for the immediate transfer of the RDC.

By MORIS MUMBERE

E-society 

Kasese: Kasese district council sitting, has today recommended for the immediate transfer of the Resident District Commissioner, Rtd. Maj. James Mwesigye for his alleged involvement in land disputes in the district.

The Motion mover who doubles as the district Councilor for Bwesumbu sub-county, Wilson Mbathulhagho said that, the RDC has always used his office to frustrate all possible means to amicably resolve land disputes between the cultivators and the pastoralists.

Mbathulhagho also faulted the RDC for using what he described as bad languages when referring to the people in the affected communities, like referring to the people as abooro literally meaning the poor people and are short like grass, and so forth.

It was on this ground that all the members of the opposition and the majority in council to vote in favor of removing the RDC in the district.

However, the district councilor for Bulembia Division, Richard Bomera and other NRM district councilors all walked out of the council blaming the district Speaker, Godfrey Bwambale Bwerere for being partisan.

Karusandara District Councilor, Godfrey Kasozi Dembe decided to grab the Mess and walked out with as a sign of being dissatisfied with the actions of the Opposition councilors.

In response, the RDC told the council that he had not done anything wrong other than implementing the 2007 Government Technical Team recommendations of demarcating boundaries.

Kasese Municipality Member of Parliament Robert centenary said that the RDC’s characters and conducts had escalated the land related disputes in the district. 

Jackson Mbaju the area Member of Parliament hailed councilors for the proper recommendation which might bring peace in the district.

“ I equally I would support the motion for his transfer since he has over stayed and people no longer have trust in him” Jackson said.

He added that over 1000 acres in Muhokya sub county that government gave to cattle keepers and farmers none of the locals have an inch which has fueled locals continue acting in attacks to government security matters.

END.

Three guns recovered at headquarters,

Three guns recovered at headquarters,

By Moris Mumbere 

E-society

Kasese: Three guns and five magazines have today morning recovered in Kasangali market commonly known as aKajoly market in Bwesumbu Sub-County Busongora North Constituency in Kasese District.

The recovered guns were dropped after one week of community policing meeting that was held at Bwesumbu sub-county headquarters.

“the army has been around for many days since 19 guns went missing and the three that were missing have now been recovered which indicates that the  community will have peace without any operation” the RDC Maj. James said.

The resident District commissioner Kasese District Major James Mwesigye while addressed the community in the market premises said the guns were grabbed from the security personnel during November attacks that erupted between royal guards and the government security officers which left a number of both police officers and royal guards dead.

Maj James hailed the community for the cooperation and being good listeners to their leaders who were preaching the peace and surrendering out the guns.

Mwesigye said that during the attack 19 guns were taken away from security officers by the royal guards that only three had remained in Bwesumbu saying that they were happy to recover them back for the government work.

He noted that all the guns that were grubbed had been recovered

Samuel Eccega the Rwenzori Regional police commander challenged those who are still  in run to come and surrender before the government to be forgiven and be free.

The vice chairperson for Kasese District Elly Magwara apologized before the Resident District commissioner on behalf of Kasese District for what happened in the District on November last year.

He also appreciated the services and the security police had provided in the District asking them to unit themselves in order to extend peace in the whole region.

Samson Bagenda the Sub-County chairperson said that he was scared that if other royal guards surrender themselves they may it be taken to prison like what happened last tear.

He asked government to free them if they decide to come from the hidings and appealing to the royal guards also use the period of only two weeks added for ultimatum.

End.