President Yoweri Museveni - Afrikan Heroes

Uganda Reinstates Drive for Universal Education

December 30, 2021

The Ugandan government has reinstated the commitment of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to universal education. Having access to education means that the schools must be near where people live with a concept of a secondary school per Sub county and technical college at constituency level

As part of the project, President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned Keihangara Seed Secondary School, the first of its kind in the country in Ibanda district under the fund of the World Bank and Government of Uganda.

‘I came here to use the opportunity of commissioning the school as a symbol to remind Ugandans that the government is moving on the front line for mass education as opposed to elite education during colonial and past governments. I want cheaper and affordable education for everybody. This is the NRM concept of education for all”, he said.

The full package of the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UgIFT) Seed Secondary School provides for a multipurpose hall, three units of classroom blocks, an administration block, a fully equipped two-unit Science block with science kits and chemical reagents, a library, an ICT block and a three-unit teachers’ houses among others.

Under this program, the Ministry of Education and Sports takes the supervisory role while the Ministry of Local Government handles the procurement part of construction.

Speaking during the official opening ceremony of Keihangara Seed School in Rwenshambya Village Keihangara Sub county Ibanda District, the President was accompanied by the First Lady and the Minister of Education and Sport Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni said having access to education means that the schools must be near where people live with a concept of a secondary school per Sub county and technical college at constituency level.

He said that there had been a distortion in the education system saying that the challenge has been that out of 10.9 million children at primary school level only about two million join higher levels of education wondering why the rest don’t progress. He, however, said most of the children drop out of school because education is sold as a commodity.

The President emphasised that the government builds classrooms, laboratories, libraries for textbooks, ICT laboratories and other facilities without the support of the parents so that the children study free.

He warned Ugandans who paralyse government development programs for personal gain that they will be punished and punished.

The Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni assured the country that the Ministry is committed to implementing the policy of construction of government schools in every sub county

A new mapping exercise will be conducted to establish the extent of the gap of the administrative units that do not have a government Secondary school per sub county,” she said.

Hon. Janet Museveni said it was a pity that some of the Seed Schools being constructed lack critical amenities such as electricity and water given their hard-to-reach locations.

“I appeal to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic development, the coordinator of the programme, to prioritise the provision of these critical services to the schools,” she said.

She reminded Ugandans that as the country prepares to reopen education institutions on January 10, 2022, people should not forget to thank God for the seed secondary schools that are being commissioned. She also reminded people to observe Ministry of Health regulations against Covid-19 pandemic respecting SOPs.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Uganda Suspends Tax Payment For Startups And Businesses

June 7, 2020

In a raft of 11 stimulus plans, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has announced relief for businesses by suspending payment of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) for four months, and said the government would expedite payment of its domestic debt to provide liquidity for private firms that have been affected by the Covid-19 lockdown.

“He is limited on what he can do,” said Fred Muhumuza, an economics lecturer at Makerere University to The EastAfrican. “I would advise those businesses that can afford to pay, for example, PAYE, because this is not a waiver it’s only a suspension to aid short-term liquidity pressures. But you will still have to pay later so you don’t want to be under pressure to make bulk payments in December when you can afford to pay it today,”
Read also:https://afrikanheroes.com/2020/05/13/tanzania-kenya-uganda-agribusinesses-secure-e2-million-grants/

Here Is What You Need To Know

According to the new order, corporations and medium-sized enterprises affected by the lockdown in Uganda will be allowed to delay payment of corporation tax or presumptive tax due between April and June, while those in manufacturing, tourism, horticulture and floriculture have up to September 2020.
President Museveni also proposed waiver of interest on tax arrears and said the Bank of Uganda had already announced measures to ease pressure of loan repayments to commercial banks. The Uganda Development Bank will be recapitalised to the tune of Ush1 trillion (about $2.5 billion).

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer.

Uganda’s Restriction Orders Turn Violent as Police Shoots People for Violating Covid-19 Restrictions

March 28, 2020

The restriction orders handed down by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni as part of efforts aimed at curtailing the Covid-19 spread in the country turned violent Friday as two men were hospitalised after being shot for violating restrictions on transport. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged people to stay home but has stopped short of ordering a lockdown. To this end, schools, places of entertainment and worship and some agricultural markets have been shut for a month and people have been banned from using public transport, and being more than three to a car, or one on a private motorbike.

Police however said that two men on a motorbike in Mukono on Thursday failed to abide by the directive and when they were stopped, they attacked one of the officers, he fired the warning shot in the air but they charged at him and he shot one of them in the leg and another in the stomach in self defense. The Police noted that the men who were in hospital, had said they were not aware of the directive banning public transport and private motorbikes carrying more than one person.

Uganda has recorded 18 confirmed cases of Covid-19, many of them — as in Rwanda — travelers who had come from Dubai. On Thursday police and soldiers in the capital beat fruit vendors, market-goers and people in bars with batons in a bid to disperse people gathering in groups. Trade and industry minister Amelia Kyambadde said in a statement that security forces should “refrain from beating people. Please explain to them through the community radio towers in the local language”.

Ugandan legislator Muhammed Nsereko representing Kampala Central in the parliament said on Friday that “we support the government’s efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus but banning public transport without giving time for people to prepare for the shutdown was wrong”. He added that “now that people can’t move due to lack of public transport and are staying home we are having cases of households running out of food and unable to pay rent or medical services,” said Nsereko. Bans on movement, or complete lockdowns, are hitting the poor hard in Africa, where many live hand to mouth on the money they can make any given day.

In East Africa, Rwanda and Mauritius are the only two nations to implement a total lockdown, while Kenya and South Sudan have a night-time curfew. Case numbers spiked in Mauritius on Thursday from 48 to 82, with two deaths so far. South Sudan and Burundi are the only two countries in the region yet to confirm cases of the virus.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry