The issue of how Uganda can sustainably improve learning outcomes for its young school going citizens has, once again come to the fore; with the World Bank proposing in its 13th edition "Economic Update on Human capital in Uganda- report” that the country, among other things-abolishes PLE [National exam in the final grade of Primary school] as a means to improve transition rates to lower secondary and to achieve universal lower secondary enrolment.

^{Many Kampala urbanities who are indisposed to sitting through the city’s infamously long-early morning and late evening traffic jams, always rely on web-based motorcycle taxi service providers like Safe Boda to make it to their places of work, in time.}

<sup>Safe Boda has been in high favour with many of the city’s residents, primarily because they have broken the mold with their service, choosing safety and caution, on the road, rather than recklessness.

Kampala’s roads are however still crawling with impatient motorcycle taxi riders, who, on a daily basis, recklessly navigate the city’s perilous roads without helmets.

According to the Uganda Police annual crime report 2018, motorcycles accounted for 60% of all vehicles involved in road crashes in 2018.

From 2014 to 2016, at least 7,000 people lost their lives in Boda Boda accidents in Uganda.

There are however, now safer and convenient alternatives in the form of Safe Boda, Taxify, Uber, etc.

Over the last four years, Safe Boda which principally transacts business, through its Smartphone App, has been transforming the commercial motorcycle transportation landscape in the rough and tumble metropolis of Kampala.



Since it took root, the Safe Boda Company has created job opportunities for several Ugandan youth.

They have made it priority to give their clients safety / crash helmets [the single most effective way of protecting against injuries or death whilst riding on a boda boda].

Kampala may not exactly be that quintessential smart city, but its residents do catch up quick with trends and notwithstanding, a few mishaps like limited IT skills and knowledge, a big number of the city’s residents have sure embraced the Safe Boda digital service and its gig workers, who wear identifiable orange color reflecting vests and helmets.

The upshot of Safe Boda’s radical approach has been disciplined riding by their riders and fewer road crashes on Kampala’s roads.

“In many respects, the risk of road traffic crashes involving Safe Boda riders is lower, compared to Kampala’s regular, kamikaze motorcyclists. That primarily is, on account of their respect for traffic rules. It is hard to find a Safe Boda rider running the traffic lights, like most regular Boda Boda riders in Kampala, do,” Isaac Tusubira of Easy Ride Accident Solutions, says.



Ricky Thomson Rapa, one of the co-founders of Safe Boda says at present, they have over 10,000 riders in Kampala alone.

“In Nairobi, there are over 1,500 riders and many more in Mombasa. The numbers are set to grow further, as long as we do not waver in adhering to our set objective, which is the provision of safety to clients,” Rapa says.

“Safe Boda’s biggest achievement has been the transformation of the Boda Boda industry in Kampala, which hitherto is known for its disorganised nature.
Our Boda Bodas are professionals. The orderly way in which they work is a far cry from Kampala’s regular Boda Boda riders. They are given first Aid, customer service, technology and financial literacy trainings,” Rapa adds.

“Before, we set forth with our operations, less than one percent of Boda Boda passengers in Kampala used to wear crash helmets. Now more than seventy percent of our clients, wear them. Prior, less than thirty percent of Boda Boda riders used to wear crash helmets; now over hundred percent wear crash helmets.”

One of the other standout achievements for Safe Boda has been the building of the first ever Boda Boda motorcycle training Academy, where all prospective boda boda riders are painstakingly trained in the observance of traffic rules, safe riding, etc.

For the future, the Safe Boda powers that be are looking at expanding to other cities such as Lagos, Daressalam and many other African cities, to boot.  

“The future of digital technologies like Safe Boda is looking ever brighter. Africa’s young population is growing fast and many are moving to cities, which are increasingly getting congested and inundated by traffic grid locks. With that growth, comes a need for safe, fast and affordable means of transportation,” Rapa says.</sup>


 

A good and well organised road infrastructural system is a critical component for development in any city.

At the present time, cities-whose roads are a byword for pot holes, insufficient road signage, narrow lanes, long traffic gridlocks, unruly motorcyclists/taxi drivers and constricted walkways for pedestrians; face long odds in attracting serious investment projects and scoring high on any reputable road infrastructural indice.

Kampala, despite its recent development strides, still faces many challenges, meaning on a scale of one to ten, on any meaningful road infrastructural indice, the city would probably score 5 or lower.

With the passage of time, Kampala city’s numerous road infrastructural challenges have had a negative bearing on its image and competitive impetus, in the East African region.

In the last eight years of Kampala Capital City Authority however, the infrastructural development status quo in Kampala has, by and large, improved.



[Kampala Capital City Authority replaced Kampala City Council as the governing body of the Ugandan Capital]

By the time, Jennifer Musisi, the erstwhile-go-getting KCCA Executive Director tendered in her resignation, a myriad road infrastructure projects had being undertaken, to wit- the widening of the Jinja road stretch from Airtel House towards Nakawa.

By all accounts, a total of 210 kilometers of roads were constructed and upgraded to Bitumen; while a total of over 240km of road works were ongoing.

Kira-Bukoto roads, Yusuf Lule road stretch, amongst others are some of the roads that were upgraded and revamped to a turn, during Musisi’s tenure.



At present, there are over 500kms of gravel roads, under maintenance in the city, while 48 roads with a total length of 54.15Km are under construction and will apparently be completed by December 2019.

For good measure, Andrew Kitaka, the acting KCCA Executive Director, recently commissioned works to upgrade 26 km of roads, to wit, (Lukuli Rd, Kabuusu – Kitebi – Bunmwaya – Lweza rd, Nakawa - Ntinda a dual carriageway rd, John Babiiha (Acacia) Avenue a dual carriageway, Kulambiro Ring Rd).

The construction works will be undertaken by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited and Stirling Sobetra Joint Venture.

KCCA has also been able to reconfigure and install responsive functional traffic signals at 21 junctions including Nakawa, Natete and Wandegeya, Fairway, Bwaise, Kira road ,Game Lugogo, Kati-Kati, Kololo Airstrip, Nakulabye & Naguru among others.

4,988 Streetlights have been installed in the City; of which 1,560 are solar street lights; promoting use of solar street lights.

Of recent too, roads such as Makerere Hill road, Kira Road, Mabule road, Bakuli –Kasubi have been reconstructed and transformed, under the auspices of the World Bank, into dual carriage ways.

The roads were all fitted with 13 new traffic signals to improve mobility.

If you have recently been to Makerere University, you may have seen the new roads, KCCA constructed around the campus.  The roads are nine in total.

According to a recent Press statement from the office of the Executive Director, the Authority recently handed over KIIDP [Kampala Institutional and Infrastructural Development project] batch 2 roads, like Acacia/John Babiha Avenue (1.5km,6 junctions), Nakawa Ntinda Road (2.8 km, 5 junctions), Kulambiro Ring Road (4.8 km and one junction and Najeera Link (0.8km), Kabuusu – Bunamwaya – Lweza Road (8km, 2 junctions) and Lukuli Road (8km and I junction) to contractors and construction works are set to commence, next month.

Butaleja, located in the East of Uganda, is one of the country’s foremost-rice producing districts.

Rice farmers in this waterlogged region, have through the years, made a killing, selling the grain, which is, by all accounts, a staple for many Ugandan families.

As any rice farmer in Butaleja will tell, however, growing, weeding, harvesting and producing rice does not come easy. It is a labour intensive undertaking, which calls for time, money and reliable labour.

To that end, most farmers go to extremes to produce the grain; including hiring child workers.

Whilst, many in the district, are quick to drop a veil over it, it is a glaring fact that, there are children in Butaleja, who are cajoled and on occasion, compelled to work in its rice fields; for long sustained hours.

It is a disturbing phenomenon, that 15 year old Latif Birya has bore witness to.
Looking disheveled, Birya says he works the rice fields, often, to get money to buy his scholastic materials.




One wonders, however, when he gets time to go to school, when he, to all appearances, spends most of his time in the rice paddy.

“My work is to scare away birds. On occasion, I assist the owner of the garden, to harvest. I always find time for school, however” Birya says with a mortified gaze on his face.

While it is hard to quantify the magnitude of the problem, it is a harsh reality; that district officials are aware of but have struggled to eliminate.



In some select rice fields in Namaganda, Muyago and Wega, the practice of using children is rife, though one will hard pressed to make contact, or to speak to the children, working the fields, as they either hide or walk away.

“Child labour is indeed a problem in some areas of the district. The practice of employing children to dig, plant and scare away birds from the rice gardens is not cordoned but it has been happening. The children are paid money for their work but that should not be encouraged especially during times of school. The problem has been exacerbated by the eschewing of responsibility by some parents. Not sending a child to school means he or she is vulnerable to exploitation,” Hamile Koire, a rice farmer in Butaleja says.

Patrick Mudida, a rice farmer in Busibira subcounty is however quick to dismiss the notion that the practice is widespread.

“The usuage of child labour on rice farms is something I do not cordon, but I also know that it is not, in every part of Butaleja. Finding children running around the rice farms does not mean that they are compelled to work on them and it does not also mean that their parents are not responsible enough to pay for their education,” Mudida says.



Alex Kambo, a rice farmer and teacher says child labour on Butaleja’s rice farms has been happening and has to be outlawed.

“In the areas, where it is happening, it has to be stopped. Our children ought to be in school, not on rice farms. Butaleja’s children should not be lured or coerced to work in the gardens for money. They should instead be encouraged to embrace school.”



Ritah Wapela, a rice Farmer in Namaganda, says she has not seen firsthand, any child working on a rice paddy.

“There are several rice farms in Namaganda, but I have never witnessed child labour, on any of them.
The children, I see, are there to chase away birds and they only do it, after school.”



Plans to tackle the issue

Richard Waya, the Butaleja district chairperson, says the district has started operations to bring a halt to any forms of child labour.

“Our position as a district is that it is illegal for any child in Butaleja to work in a rice paddy, when it is school time.
The district has put in place an order to arrest children who work in the fields, instead of going to school.
The fine for a child got in a rice field, during school time, is sh5, 000. Parents, who send their children to the fields, instead of school are liable to pay fines,” Waya says.

James Waluswaka, the Bunyole West county Member of Parliament, objects to the notion, that child labour is endemic on Butaleja’s rice paddies.

“That happened in the past. It is only when children have broken off from school, that you will see them, working in the rice paddies. The ordinances, the district recently passed in relation to the issue make it hard for anybody to compel a child to work for them, in the rice fields, during school days,” Waluswaka says.

Side Bar

According to recent statistics from the Butaleja district education office, the school dropout rate in the last four years, has surged from 45 per cent to 78 per cent.

Statistics also show that the dropout rates in upper primary are between 60 to 70 per cent.

In the year 2000, over 200 Child Workers in Butaleja District were detained by the Police.

The law

The Constitution of Uganda Article 34 states that children under 16 years of age have the right to be protected from social and economic exploitation.

The Constitution prohibits child slavery, servitude, and forced labor.

Government policy

This year, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development launched a national strategic plan to eradicate child labour in Uganda.

Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, the State Minister for Youth and Children affairs, said all children of school going age should not be employed, but sent to school.

In 2016, the Government approved the Children (Amendment) Act, which outlaws the use of children for labour exploitation.

The Government also launched the National Social Protection Policy that targets child labourers.

Ugandan Tour operators have asked the Ugandan government not to approve an application for a license by a South African energy firm, Bonang power and Energy (Pty) Limited, to construct a hydro power dam along the famed River Nile in the Murchison falls national park area.

Located 305 kilometers north of Uganda's capital- Kampala, the Murchison falls National Park has one of the most spectacular views of the Nile cascading over 23kms breathtaking rapids.

On June 5^th, the Ugandan government through the Electricity regulatory Authority (ERA) placed an advert in several local dailies, acknowledging receipt of a notice of intended application for a license from Bonang power and energy limited to construct a dam near the falls.

However addressing journalists in Kampala, recently, the tour operators, under their body the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) implored the government not to approve the construction of the dam, saying it would erode the Murchison falls and affect tourism.

“There should be no approbation for this project. Thinking about construction of the dam at the falls alone,  is bad enough, even when the government says it has not yet approved the planned project,” Everest Kayondo, the chairman  Association of Uganda Tour Operators said.

According to the Ugandan government, Bonang Power and Energy (Pty) Limited  intends to undertake detailed  feasibility studies and other activities leading to the development of the power project  whose proposed installed capacity  is 360MW.

Who really administers people with fake hepatitis B vaccines and gets away with it, scot free?

Could the people found in possession of falsified hepatitis B vaccines from 8 health facilities in four districts by the health ministry’s post marketing surveillance team, last year and those currently selling body parts from Mulago hospital [Uganda’s main National Regional Hospital] possibly be real doctors- who have predisposed to unscrupulous behaviour or quacks disguised as doctors?
 
The latter seems more plausible.

In recent years, many quack health care providers have brazenly taken mean advantage of the country’s weak health supervisory and regulatory laws, to set up shop in many villages and urban areas, across the country.

Numerous efforts by Health Ministry officials and the country’s Allied Health Professionals Council to rein in on them have bore little fruit and as a consequence, many innocent Ugandans continue to fall victim to their fake diagnosis and prescriptions.
 
“At the grassroot level, quack health care providers, operate right under the noses of health officials,” Fred Nayebare, the Gomba district resident district Commissioner, says.

While, to date, there are no reliable estimates on the numbers of quack medical personnel in Uganda and the extent of their services, it is an undeniable fact that weak health regulatory mechanisms have enabled their rise.

The issue of quack medical personnel is a harsh reality, which Winne Byanyima, the Executive Director of OXFAM international-alluded to in a commentary piece, she wrote, as the Ugandan government planned to import Cuban doctors, last year.

Uganda doctors had gone on strike, demanding better pay.

Weak regulation, she wrote enabled quack doctors to play with people’s lives.
 
In 2017, a rapid assessment of District Health Supervisory Authorities by the Health Ministry brought to light evidence of widespread quackery in the health sector.

Little has been done, since then, however, to address the problem.

In the village of Nsotoka in Kayunga district, for instance, quack medical practice has reared its ugly head, several times.

Brenda Nabisere, 26, had jarring experience with a quack health practitioner, late, last year.

The quack doctor has since disappeared from the village after Nabisere reported him to the Police after her ordeal.

Nabisere, a mother of two had gone to seek treatment for her malaria stricken daughter.

“I went to seek therapeutics from him for my sick daughter. I could not tell whether he was genuine or not. All I know is that, his clinic was accessible and many people in the village invariably sought his services,” Nabisere recounts.

The anticlimax came when Nabisere discovered he had been giving her wrong medicines to treat her daughter.

“My daughter’s condition did not improve, so I sought help elsewhere. I went to a clinic in Mukono and I asked the doctor about the mixture of pills medications, I had been using. I showed him some of the medicines and he was aghast,” she says.

Experts from the Allied Health Professionals Council, a body mandated by the Ugandan government to regulate, supervise and control allied health professionals and to supervise their registration and licensing, acknowledge that the incidence of quacks is a major headache for the country’s health care system.

“Quack medical personnel prey on the poor and ignorant. They put the lives of unsuspecting Ugandans at risk. Nobody wants to see a scenario where Ugandans are suffering irreparable physical and internal deformities or are having their ailments exacerbated by wrong medications and ill prescribed therapeutics,” Doctor Fred Nyankori, the deputy Registrar of the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Councils opines.



Why quack medical practice is rife

Several health experts are quick to point out that quackery in the health sector thrives on account of the scarcity of qualified doctors.

“A shortage of health human resources in rural areas and laxity on the part of the district health inspectors leaves most rural areas open to medical fraudsters. There is no sector free from quacks but their pervasiveness in the health sector is worrying,” Nyankori says.

“In some areas around the country, communities have been complicit in shielding quacks especially when personnel from the District Health Supervisory Authority seek to question and apprehend them. The quacks see these gaps and take advantage.”

Besides a shortage in the numbers and skills mix of human resources for health, there is also the problem of poor attitude on the part of the existing health workforce.

“The poor attitude is drawn forth by perceived unattractive remuneration, insufficient training capacity; whilst some medical personnel are indisposed to transfers. These challenges unfortunately present an opportunity for unqualified, unregistered and unregulated personnel to exploit,” David Ssekaboga, the Wakiso district health Inspector, says.

Experts suggest solutions

Patrick Mpiima the Registrar of the Allied Health Professionals Council says for the problem to be tackled in earnest, there will have to be a concerted effort.

“There is a need for a combined effort to rid the country’s healthcare system of frauds. The combined efforts should involve the Police, the district administrations, drug inspectors and communities. There are a big number of fake and unqualified people freely issuing medications and treating people, especially in the rural areas,” Mpiima says.



“People who pretend to practice medicine, but have no training, qualifications and registration from appropriate councils and authorities like the Health Professional Councils and the Pharmacy board should be outlawed. Anyone operating a clinic or a drug shop should be licensed by a professional body.”

Will the recently issued guidelines for Health Supervisory Authorities impact?

Doctor Katumba Ssentongo, the Registrar of the Uganda Medical and Dental Professionals Council says the guidelines issued by the health Ministry will come in handy in ensuring proper regulation of health practices in the country.


“The guidelines launched recently, outlaw any illegal medical practice. Local governments will have to step up efforts to ensure that no unauthorized drug shops or clinics operate in their jurisdictions without registration and without a license,” Ssentongo says.

“That is because there has been some laxity on their part, yet the local government Act 2001 gives them authority to manage health services in their districts. Henceforth, all local governments will be required to make a database enumerating all clinics and drug shops registered within their areas.”

In the Health Development Plan (2015-2020) Uganda’s health sector commits to ensuring provision of high quality health care for all its citizens.
Experts say if the above is to be attained; the sector must put into execution an effective supervisory and regulatory mechanism.

“Regulation of health practice and professionals is the mandate of health professional councils and the Pharmacy Board. Enforcement constraints and other challenges have however played havoc with their work and as a consequence, quack medical personnel continue to thrive. Our expectations are that these new guidelines will bring change to bear,” Ssentongo says.

Nayebare says for the quackery problem to be dispensed with, weaknesses within the District Health Supervisory Authorities will have to be addressed.

“A lack of integrity is stifling the District Health Supervisory Authorities.
How do unqualified people who on many occasions have the nerve to advertise their services operate without the knowledge of the authorities?” Nayebare asks.

“The apathy aiding this problem and the glaring other weak points especially those to do with integrity will need to be addressed. With the guidelines, our expectations are that there will now be regular and consistent crackdown on illegal drug shops and clinics run by unqualified people across the country.”

Doctor Susan Wandera, the deputy chief of party at IntraHealth Uganda; the entity that developed the guidelines and that has collaborated with the Ugandan government in training health workers, says the guidelines will strengthen health regulatory mechanisms at the national, regional, district and lower levels.


“The expectation is that the health regulations, principally those dealing with quack medical personnel will bear down. Registration and licensing of drug shops and clinics around the country is still low and that calls for action. In general, the public needs to be educated more about the dangers of seeking treatment from unqualified practitioners. The government should also disseminate helpful health information in various local languages to help people steer clear of unqualified health practitioners,” Wandera says.

Ssentongo says sustained enlightenment will be key in both rural and urban areas to enable health seekers know what to look out for whilst making up their minds on where to go for diagnosis or to undergo treatment.

Government Policies

In 2011, the government through the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Councils introduced a web based system for registering all medical officers and dentists in the country.

The Ugandan government has advised journalists affected by a stern directive by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to prominent media houses to suspend senior journalists and producers over abuse of the country's broadcast guidelines, to go to court.

The Uganda Communications Commission regulates the communication sector in Uganda, which includes among others, telecommunications, broadcasting, radio and data communication.

Addressing the Ugandan Parliament on Thursday, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Urban development State Minister and acting ICT Minister said the UCC didn’t error in issuing the directive.

“the directive was issued  in view of an infringement in broadcasting standards. The Journalists who are aggrieved are free to go to court and challenge the directive. We should however allow the UCC to do their work,” Baryomunsi told MPs.

On Thursday, the Ugandan Parliament condemned the call for suspension of senior journalists and producers by the UCC saying it derails Media Freedom.

UCC served letters to different media houses instructing them to suspend some of their staff over an alleged breach of minimum broadcasting standards during the recent arrest of firebrand Ugandan Politician and Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.

Ssemujju Nganda, the outspoken Kira Municipality MP criticized the UCC directive, calling it a violation of media freedom in Uganda. 

Since the likes of GNL Zamba, St Nellysade, Burney M.C, Cyno, etc, quietly took a hiatus, as it so often happens in the checkered Ugandan Hip Hop landscape, the genre has, for the most part, lacked that fresh and exciting spark.

In many ways, the bloom has been off the genre's rose.

Nearly 17 years ago, the Ugandan education ministry closed half of the country’s national teachers colleges (NTCs) on the basis that demand for Grade 5 Diploma teachers had dropped.

However, the Government recently launched a sh96b reconstruction project

That Kendrick Lamar Song"b**tch don't kill my vibe” may be old now but it still resonates heavily in my world.

It is a song that speaks huge volumes about the male psyche in many ways. In it, Kendrick who is rumoured to be releasing a new album under the title "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers"  expresses his desire to be left alone; on occasion that is. He tells his hypothetical beau to eschew killing his vibe [ruining his mood].

Now I can not claim to speak for every male, but that song is mood music, because guys often have those off days, when we are just indisposed to having a conversation.



Today’s world bears down quite hard on a male mind and it sure does put a heavy damper on it in my part of the world. As a consequence, Mood disorders have been on the rise.

The world has of late also been bearing down hard on many young women but their harsh realities and mood disorders pale in comparison to those of today's young man.

At times its just the need for self introspection or just the usual collection of thoughts that explains why he is not his usual cheerful self. But you also to appreciate that the less men think, they more they talk. Not a good thing.

Because the female mind is wired differently, some women make wrong readings of what is playing out when a male mind is having its off days. At worst, is when the female mind put false constructs on things; thinking if a male they are attached to seeks time alone, he is up to no good. Credulous thinking like that often leads nowhere but up a blind alley.



Desiring time alone-without being disturbed is an occasional male mood that happens when one least expects.Well, sometimes it is expected especially, when days do not go as you anticipate. Not by any long shot, does it mean however that a man is doing stuff behind your back or that he is deliberately acting out of character to make you angry. 

At times, those lonely as a cloud moments are all men need to get their mojos back, with the worldly pressures they face.

Author John Gray couldn’t have brought it out better in his book “Men are from mars and women are from Venus” In it, Gray mostly talks about male and female relationships and how we defer. He describes men as sly; saying little and having a tendency to get away if they feel too closed in some space.

Women on the other hand are described as outgoing, good humored and social. Now that is the distinction.

The desire by some men to have time off alone has nothing to do with emotionally immaturity or introversion.It has everything to do with laying to heart one’s deepest fears, inner battles, frustrations, insecurities, struggles, challenges and failures.

Because men have been taught to show-fortitude in the face of adversity, and misery, they won’t, in most cases, just lay bare their feelings or poignant thoughts.  No man wants to be looked at a wussy or a wimp.

Here is the take-home-the “unspoken word does no harm”. So if he has not spoken daggers at you, take a chill pill and put all your hunches on the back burner.

  

 

From a local tourism point of view, northern Uganda still largely remains uncharted territory.

For the most part, awareness about the region’s best tourist gems such as the Murchison national park, Aruu falls, Fort Patiko, Solar Eclipse monument in Nyamuriya, Delta camping site, etc remains low;  yet, to all appearances, they are some of the most attractive and pristine tourist sites in Uganda.

Riding on the Uganda Wildlife Authority bus with the rest of the Tulambule Northern Uganda team, a week and a half ago; brought me to that-low awareness-realization.

From the conversations, I caught wind of, on the bus; I arrived at the deduction that, just a handful of guys we traveled with, had hitherto, ever heard of the sites, we were slated to visit such as Aruu falls in Pader or Fort Patiko in Gulu.

It is quite an indictment that people from abroad [foreign tourists] know more about Uganda's premier tourist gems than many of us. 
Now that is not supposition; its truth.
But again, the foreign tourists have the wherewithal to spend; unlike many Ugandans.

There is hope; however, that the Tulambule local tourism campaign will bring about a change in that status quo.

The campaign, which is in its fifth edition, was launched in 2016 and aims at encouraging more Ugandans to tour attractions in their country.

And while it is safe to say, local tourism has grown steadily through the years [Uganda Tourism Board declared 2018 as the best year for local tourism], there is still leeway to be made up.

Looked at in perspective, the 20-year-old civil war in the North put a huge blot on its tourist sector, and regrettably, it is narratives about the war and its evil protagonist-Kony-that, have, to some degree, still taken precedence over discussions about its tourist potential.

Fast forward to 2019 and thus far, some leeway has been made up; that is from the perspective of the Tulambule Northern tour, at least.


The three-day awareness-raising tour, organised by the House of DJs; cast a bright light on some select tourist sites in the North of U.G.

The expedition was eventful in every sense of the word.

The only anticlimax was that first day tours to some select places-listed on the itinerary [like Kafu river-a short stop, Karuma falls-photo opportunity, and Delta camp] were put off because the expedition team left Kampala, late, midday, to be exact, yet set-off time had been set for nine in the morning.

In the end, the tour team missed out on what was to be the first day’s highlight-a waterfall boat cruise on the Nile River.

The level of excitement as we left Kampala was palpable and it reached fever pitch, when the tour team, led by high profile names such as Golola Moses, Godfrey Kiwanda-the flamboyant State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Gaetano Kaggwa, Fabiola, Marcus Kwikiriza, Salvado, Miss Uganda UK-Penny Wampamba, etc made its first stop at Luwero market.


The idea of using high profile Ugandans to promote local tourism is presumably one that will open new horizons for the local tourism sector.
With time, it could just be draw-card or that grain of mustard that brings grist to Uganda’s tourist mill.


Back at Luwero market, vendors struggled to have a word and to catch a glimpse of Kiwanda, Golola, and the posse of dressed to the nines-socialites like Fabiola who disembarked to buy some bites.


Beyond Kafu River; it’s beautiful open country to every end of the North.

After getting lost several times, the tour team, at length, got to the scenic Pakuba Safari lodge; which is nestled on the eastern bank of the Albert Nile, in Murchison falls national park in Nwoya district.


Before camping for the night, the tour team was advised to play for safety as they were camping right in the middle of wildlife habitat.
Just the thought of a wild animal such as a lion creeping up in the camp petrified many, but luckily, the team slept safe and sound, till the crack of morning.

The next day is when it felt like the real tour experience in the park had begun.

The 3,480 sq km park was gazetted as a game reserve in 1926 and is home to over 76 different mammal and 451 bird species.

A traveler without observation is like a bird without wings, so it’s said.
Bearing in mind that, most of the tour team, who had never caught glimpses of wild animals, waited with bated breath.

And so at the crack of dawn, the tour team embarked on the game drive, where they caught sight of several of the park’s animals such as Kobs, warthogs, antelopes, giraffes, buffalos, and elephants.
The park’s 189kg-129cms Lions and 35-36kg Leopards were hard to come by, however.

According to Henry Buzo, a tour guide at the Park, lions were not easy to come by at that time of day because of their nocturnal routine.

“At day time and when it’s hot, they are mostly in shades. The best time to sight them, just like the Leopards, is late in the evening,” Buzo told Masaabachronicle.

It was worthwhile riding through the park; which is according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, tour handbook, the largest and oldest conservation area in the country.

In Murchison falls park, depending on your budget, you can also enjoy spectacular views of the Nile cascading over 23kms breathtaking rapids.
The area, for good measure, is perfect for water rafting.
You can also enjoy other activities such as hiking and nature walks, birding [Avi-tourism], sport fishing, launch trips, etc.

Buzo says the number of Ugandans visiting the park has been on the ascendant in recent years.

“There is an increasing number of daily visitors. In a day, we can host over 300 visitors and of those, 30-60 are Ugandans.”

"The beauty of Northern Uganda tells its own tale. Granted, some things take the shine off Uganda, but none of those is related to our beautiful countryside. The tourism experience, Uganda offers is second to none,” Joselyn Kayima, a royal princess from Buganda, told Masaabachronicle.

Later in the evening, the tour team headed for the Para ferry landing site, still in Nwoya district.
The landing site is where the River Nile cascades into Lake Albert.
Its ferry connects both sides of the park.

 
The tour team was welcomed at the site by the Mubaku musical team, who to their credit gave a good account of themselves with their music.
The irresistible sound from their traditional instruments drew forth smiles and dances from the socialites on the tour team.

The real icing on the cake for the tour team, however, were the visits to Aruu falls and Fort Patiko in Pader district.
The splendid Aruu waterfalls are a scenic charm.

The waterfalls cascade splendidly from their crest, through rough cliffs and escarpments, into river Aswa, also in Pader.

For hikers and waterfall enthusiasts, the sight, spray, and sound of this awe-inspiring waterfall was something to behold and experience; therapeutic to some, though the experience, would have been much more worthwhile if the team had visited during the rainy season.

“That is when the waterfalls are awe-inspiring,” Lazarus Obbo, L.C, 3 Chairperson of Angagura sub-county in Pader, told Masaabachronicle.

The tour team made hay, playing in the waterfalls and swimming in the wide water catchment area, just below the huge rocks that the falls cascade into.

It was most definitely the tour’s highlight.

After the swim, the tours high profile names got into the Apirr, Bola, and Adyere dances, solemnized by the Otto clan, at the Aruu Falls campsite.


Golola and Gaetano were the highlights, here; as they cracked up most of the local dancers and villagers, by colorfully and at times, comically imitating their elaborate dance moves.


Camping at the site is only sh25, 000, so go for it, if you have time on your hands.

Fort Patiko was the last stop on the tour.


Many guys on the tour had admittedly only heard about it in their history lessons.

Here is the interesting kicker, however; the fort’s relics still look sturdy.


Built-in 1872 by Sir Samuel Baker, the Fort was gazetted as a national monument in 1972 and was ostensibly built to stop Slave trade in the Equatorial Province.

The team visited the vestiges of the Fort’s grain stores and took time to climb the numerous boulders adjacent to the Fort.




  

It has never been in doubt that Motor-mouthed Ugandan Kick boxer Golola Moses can set his wits to work.


Metaphorically speaking, dude is a human tourist attraction, who, if given chance or occasion, can talk the hind legs of a donkey [Pun intended] and who in his own words, can make a woman pregnant by just his glance.

With his spontaneous wit, gift of gab and with much needed adjustments to his wardrobe, Golola would do just good attracting-lady tourists to Uganda like moths to a flame.


Anybody can get in on the Uganda tourism promotion act, whatever their hustle.
If the missy curvy people are doing it, why not Golola.

Seeing that his kickboxing star is slowly fading [I stand corrected], he should make do with second strings to his bow-such as comedy, movies and tourism promotion.


Golola’s numerous one liner jokes and humorous anecdotes-undoubtedly made him the life and soul of the recently concluded eventful three day Northern Uganda tourism tulambule tour.

The tour, aimed at raising awareness of some of Northern Uganda’s best tourist sites started on Friday [1^st march] last week and ended on Sunday.

Granted-Cutie-Fabiola, Gaetano and funny man Salvador, were the poster guys for the tour but Golola flipped the script as he held down the showstopper fort, right from the time, the tour team, left Kampala for their first stop in Luwero market.


His charisma and wit [both work like charms] were evident for all to discern.

The idea to use Golola and other young high profile Ugandans to open new horizons for Uganda’s tourist sector is a welcome development.
It could be the grain of mustard that brings grist to Uganda’s tourist mill.

On the tour first stop, the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Golola had Luwero market on lock down, as the food vendors, all struggled to catch a glimpse of the half man, half amazing.


Celebrities-Gaetano, Fabiola, flamboyant State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Godfrey Kiwanda, Marcus and Salvado, all caused excitement but it was nowhere close to the excitement Golola drew forth, when we got to the market.



Golola literally took the shine off them but nobody made a palaver of it.
To all appearances, there was a great sense of occasion, as it was playing right into the hands of the organisers.

Back on the Uganda Wildlife Authority tour bus, Golola who clearly knew his limits; kept spewing more sporadic jokes as we traveled forth.

At one point on our second stop in Murchison falls National Park, where there were kobs, warthogs,  antelopes and elephants galore; he had the happy camper-mostly-young bread buttered on both sides- tourism awareness team and tourism media enthusiasts in grin from ear to ear- fests of laughter, when he uttered loudly-“I am so hungry, I may have a miscarriage.”
Needless to add, our lunch had been delayed.



The all agog tour team included a bevy of young-dressed to the nines- flamboyant women, who, on several occasions; spoke with plum in the mouth accents; that at some points, our hosts asked if they were not Ugandan.
 

Its amazing how movies and songs make our millennials get accents and live in a make believe world; when some have not even crossed the Rwandese border [read the border is closed].

The upshot of the rounds of alcohol being served on the tour bus was that the back and forth conversations became louder and riveting.

Nothing gets louder than an alcohol induced conversation and usually it gets even the shiest of folks buoyed up.

And for good measure, it did on the bus; cept ofcourse for the teetotalers, who were few, however.

The NBS “Another round team” also known for inebriation during their show, got on in the act and so did the masterminds of the tour-William Byaruhanga and Tendo Kaggwa.

A hankering for travel is something the young-pie eyed women and men, all shared and at every stop, we made, the big grins on their faces could show.

At the magnificent Pakuba and Para safari lodges and Para ferry landing site, in Nwoya district, all and sundry, got into taking selfies and dancing to the Mubaku musical team, who to their credit, gave a good account of themselves.


The good sound from their traditional instructments made Fabiola and Miss Uganda UK- Penny Wampamba, get their grooves on, to a turn.

The real icing on the cake for the tour team, however, were the visits to Aruu falls campsite and Fort Patiko in Pader district.


It was a tad piping hot but it was lit all the same, at the tour posse made hay, playing in the water falls and swimming in the wide water catchment area, just below the huge rocks that the falls cascade on.

It was the tour’s highlight in every sense of the world.

After the swim, the tours high profile names got into the Apirr, Bola and Adyere dances, which were being solemnized by the Otto clan.

Golola again was the highlight, again, cracking up most of the local dancers and villagers, by colorfully and at times, comically imitating their dance moves.


Fort Patiko was eventful as well, but mostly for the selfies aficionados and those seeking lessons on its slave trade history.

A back of the envelope calculation shows that Golola was paid handsomely and it was not money for old rope, for the record.
Dude brought his A-humour game to the tour.
The smiles on the faces of the tour team, every time, he dropped a joke, speak to that fact.
Iam sure all and sundry would love to have him on the next tours.

House of D.J’s [event concepts, event marketing] were behind the Tulambule tour.
They were supported by the Uganda Tourism Board, Koi Koi, Uganda Wildlife Authority, amongst others.

The fifth edition of the Northern Ugandan-tulambule tour [tour of Northern Uganda] kicked off-Friday[1st March] at the independence monument in Kampala, Uganda.

The all agog tour team, which included a bevy of Ugandan Radio and T.V celebrities, tourism media enthusiasts and Uganda Wildlife officials were flagged off  at 11a.m, by the flamboyant Ugandan State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Godfrey Kiwanda.

The mostly youthful, sowing wild oats-team are on a three day awareness raising tour of some of Northern Uganda’s best tourism destinations.

House of D.J’s, a company whose niche is event concepts, event marketing, amongst others is behind the tourism awareness initiative, which has been named Tulambule.
They are supported by the Uganda Tourism Board, Koi Koi, Uganda Wildlife Authority, amongst others.



“Our tours to Northern Uganda are aimed at showcasing and creating awareness of the available tourism destinations in Uganda.
We will cover the multiple aspects of every site we visit in order to promote the captivating aspects of each location and region.
The upshot is to create exposure of the sites through an aggressive Public Relations campaign,” Philip Mukusaba, the events operations manager, told Masaabachronicle.

The itinerary starts on Friday [February 29^th] with visits to Ziiwa Sanctuary (Rhino Tour), Kabalega Diner (High Way Stop), Kafu River Bridge (High Way Stop), Karuma Falls (Chimpanzee, Falls Tour), Sundowner (Chobe) Gulu (Bomah Hotel), Night Scene in Gulu.

The first day was eventful, through and through.

"The beauty of Uganda tells its own tale. Traveling is like falling in love. Its beautiful open country to every end of Uganda once you leave Kampala. It is as if  Uganda is straight out of the bandbox,"  Joselyn Kayima, a royal from Buganda, told Masaabachronicle.



Lots of activity took place on the first day. The tour team had their fling on the Uganda wildlife Authority tour bus.
Before the first stopover in Luwero, enroute to Pakwach, there was a plethora of loud activity; with the NBS team filming the "Another round" show, to celebrated Comedian, Salvador cracking up the team with his impulsive banter.







The penultimate day or day two [Saturday 2nd March] will see the team touring Pakwach Bridge, the Solar Eclipse Monument, Pakuba Safari Lodge and the day will end with a boat cruise at the foot of Murchison falls.

Vicky Amoding is a happy go lucky nurse; the kind who easily makes friends, not only at her work place, but also at her place of abode.

The 31 year old’s easy going nature has endeared her to many, but, unfortunately for her, some of the endearments have come in the form of subtle and sometimes, overt sexual overtures from men she works with.
 
Amoding, who works at one of Jinja’s big health facilities, has admittedly turned down several of the advances and, as a result, has made enemies.

“Some men take my easy going nature to mean a willingness and openness to engage in sexual indiscretion. I have been at the receiving end of crude sexual jokes, from several unscrupulous men I work, because of objecting. The men know they can get away with it, scot-free because there are literally no rules and regulations that can bear down on them, even when you report to a higher authority,” Amoding tells Masaabachronicle.

Amoding’s story may read like an isolated case, but, by all accounts, it is not.

Several of her collegues have also silently fallen victim to sexual harassment.

Hellen Mukimba, a colleague of Amoding’s, has a similar narrative.

Harassed several times by debaucher bosses who have insisted she will not progress in her nursing career, unless she predisposes and copulates with them.

The stories of Amoding and Mukimba are ostensibly, just a fraction of several other sexual harassment cases that are rife in Uganda’s health sector.

A 2012 Ministry of Health Gender Discrimination and Inequality survey [GDIA] revealed that 32.1% of female health workers had experienced some form of sexual harassment, at their workstations.

In 2016, a sexual harassment Formative Assessment, carried out by the Ministry of Health and IntraHealth International, an international nonprofit organisation, dedicated to working with developing countries to improve their public health capabilities; revealed that sexual harassment in Uganda’s health sector starts during recruitment of health workers and continues in the workplace.

The Assessment indicated that the vice is mainly perpetrated by men in positions of power in recruiting positions.

Experts weigh in



Rebecca Nabwire, the Principal Labour Officer, in charge of Inspectorate at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and social development says the high prevalence of sexual harassment in the health sector, casts a slur on the country’s health sector.

“By our statistics, more than one in 6 women in the country’s health sector has fallen to sexual harassment, which is another form of gender-based violence. Sexual harassment is a widespread vice and a big number of cases often go unreported because victims are indisposed to reporting, due to fear. In many ways, this vice taints the image of the country’s health sector.”

Reasons why sexual harassment in the health sector is rife despite laws in place.

Dr, Diana Atwine Kanzira, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health says sexual harassment continues unabated in the health sector on account of the unscrupulous nature of some senior male medical staff.

Speaking at a recent workshop, where she launched the human resources for health tools and guidelines at Hotel Africana, Kanzira castigated men in positions of power in the health sector who take mean advantage of young female nurses.

“There are shameless men taking mean advantage of young nurses. They cajole and want to copulate with them as a means to raise their salaries, to give them promotions or jobs. This is unacceptable,” Kanzira told Masaabachronicle.

“Many victims are not partial to the idea of taking about such vices openly but that has to change. There are many young women who are invariably harassed in the health sector but they irresponsibly keep silent. The lack of reporting mechanisms is actually feeding the beasts who perpetrate these crimes. The issue has to be addressed in earnest.”

Simon Mugalu, one of the health ministry experts who drafted the human resources for health tools and guidelines, says sexual harassment has persisted in the health sector, principally because of lack of awareness, misuse of power and the limited implementation of laws.

“Harassers operate with impunity because in most cases, the victims are not cognizant of the laws in place to deal with sexual harassment, such as the Public Service Standing Orders 2010, Employment Act (2007), and the Employment (Sexual harassment) Regulations (2012),” Mugalu says.

“The legal and policy frameworks above mandate the government to take all necessary action to ensure that all health facilities and institutions adopt a comprehensive zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.”

How sexual harassment impacts on victims

Dr James Mugisha, a senior health planner from the Ministry of Health, says victims of sexual harassment often suffer mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“These adverse psychological consequences are all risk factors for various chronic diseases. Various studies have also showed that sexual harassment doubles the risk of psychological distress for women, than it does for men. The other negative effects for victims include intentions to leave work, low productivity, absenteeism, little work morale and low career progression ambitions,”

The global ME TOO movement; a movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault, notes that sexual harassment prevents employees reaching their full professional and personal potential and accentuates gender-based inequalities.

The different forms of Sexual harassment

Alice Nayebare, the gender and non discrimination program officer at IntraHealth, Uganda says sexual harassment takes different forms.

“It can be physical; unwelcome or unnecessary touching in a sexual manner. It can also be verbal in the form of suggestive compliments or jokes, innuendos and demands for sex.  It can be gestural in the form of winking, licking lips or graphic in the form of displays of objects of a sexual nature, sexually explicit pictures, etc.
It can also be psychological in the form of persistent unwelcome proposals to go out on dates.”

Nayebare adds that mediocre responses to sexual harassment in the health sector, have in many respects, exacerbated the situation.

“In many instances, perpetrators who are accused of sexually harassing their juniors pass the blame instead to the people they harassed. This victim blaming is a ploy. One of the blame constructs has been indecent dressing. The victimization, most times, has a negative effect.  Victims predispose to fear often times, when their cases are dismissed.
The shame, blame and gossip that follow usually have a depressing effect on victims.”

The Ugandan Health Ministry's strategy to fight the vice

One of the new strategies the Ministry is fronting is a toll free call center platform where victims or vulnerable young nurses, can call in confidentiality and report offenders.
The toll free line-0800-100-066.
 
“That line is in operation. All calls with complaints of sexual harassment shall be directed to the sexual harassment focal point person at the Ministry who will direct the complaint to the appropriate person/body for further handling,” Mugisha told Masaabachronicle.

The health ministry, in collaboration with IntraHealth Uganda, also recently developed guidelines on the prevention and response to sexual harassment, which are currently being distributed in all health facilities across the country.
 
In a foreword in the Ministry of Health Publication entitled-“Guidelines to Implement-The policy on prevention and response to sexual harassment” Doctor Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health says the guidelines will assist and guide users in implementing effective and standardized mechanisms for prevention and response to sexual harassment complaints in the health sector at all levels.

The guidelines she concluded will help improve work conditions, workforce productivity, retention and morale of workers in the sector.

By all accounts, the health ministry is also planning on orienting and training all regional referral hospital heads and health sector employees on the management procedures of sexual harassment complaints.
At the recent workshop launching the human resources for health tools and guidelines, held at Hotel Africana, several regional referral hospital heads made commitments towards implementing the sexual harassment guidelines.
For good measure, the health ministry also plans on integrating anti sexual harassment training into the curriculum for pre-service and in-service healthcare professionals.
 
“The health ministry in tandem with the Gender Ministry are also planning to conduct gender-responsive research that will highlight the root causes, consequences and complexities of sexual harassment so as to develop appropriate, gender responsive interventions that reduce its occurrence,” Mugalu told Masaabachronicle.

Side bar

The World health organisation in its International day for the elimination of Violence against women-message on 25^th November, 2018 noted that violence against women including sexual harassment is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in the world today.

The WHO notes that the vice remains largely unreported due to impunity, silence, stigma and shame.

A Uganda Human Rights Defenders Association (UHRDA) survey carried out in 2013 in 2,910 organizations indicated that 90 percent of women are sexually harassed at their places of work by their male seniors.

Laws proscribing sexual harassment at work places

Uganda has several laws that proscribe sexual harassment like the employment act 2006 section 7 and the employment [sexual harassment] regulations 2012.
These provide legal recourse for victims of sexual harassment.

Experts note that if the sexual Offences Bill is passed, it will strengthen protection for women and girls from sexual abuse and exploitation.

Government Policy

The government- employment sexual harassment regulations state that an employer with more than twenty-five employees shall adopt a written policy against sexual harassment which includes a notice to employees that sexual harassment is unlawful.

The employer is to also create a sexual harassment committee in which the committee receives and registers complaints of sexual harassment.  Reported cases are investigated by the labour officer.

When 13 year old Rose Ariokot gaily returned to her poverty stricken parent's home in Amudat [Northern Uganda] for holidays, late last year, she had no clue her relatives were planning to take her through the outlawed initiation custom, otherwise known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Rap music gets real exciting to listen to when diss songs between rival rappers are thrown back and forth.

Some of the best rap songs in Uganda have been diss songs; to wit-Atlas the African’s-Jealous Bi*tches and Babaluku’s-“Straight spit”.

Rappers are wordsmiths so needless to say, a real serious rap beef will escalate into a war of words.

Diss songs in rap are songs that deride the authenticity, flamboyance, charisma and lyrical ability of a rival rapper.  In the world of hip hop, originality is treasured and any forms of mediocrity in one’s word play or lyricism are frowned upon.

In the years of old, principally around the mid 80’s and mid 90’s, rap fans across the globe waited for rap beef songs, like 2pac’s “Hit em Up”, Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” and Nas “Ether” with an almost hysterical sense of eagerness, akin to the Stella Nyanzi fans penchant for her insolent posts in the aftermath of her suspension from Makerere.

To boot; most of olden days rap beef songs were replete with petulant and sometimes humorous punch lines, poetics, threats and diatribes, just like Nyanzi’s posts.

Infamous as some of the diss songs were, they had great massive appeal and pushed sales units for 2pac, Ice Cube and Nas; just like Nyanzi’s posts gained her likes and followers.

The songs drew forth interest in hip hop and that was at a time when the fundamentals of the genre were starting to be compromised.

Increasingly the lyrical template for rappers at the time had become money, cars, women and clothes; subject matter that, in many ways, ran counter to the original template for rappers, which was addressing society’s ills. 

The only anticlimax after the release of 2pac’s “Hit em up” record in particular was that 2pac and Biggie Smalls, both undeservingly lost their lives.

2pac had accused Biggie and his posse of trying to kill him in a robbery in New York’s Quad studios.
2pac released hit me up in the aftermath of the robbery, in which he was shot 5 times.

Despite that dark chapter in rap history, rap beefs continued but mostly for the entertainment value.

Threats were thrown back and forth but nothing out of the ordinary happened. The beefs stayed on wax (on the records).

In Uganda, most rappers with bones of contention have chosen the subliminal way (indirect) when they make diss records, aimed at perceived rivals.

In a subliminal diss song, a rapper hardly name drops his rivals but when you listen close to the rhymes, there are broad hints of who is in his cross hairs.

Classic example has been Atlas the African with his numerous diss records aimed at Navio and his posse of the Mith and J.B.

The reasons that beef sparked off are still unclear but word from the grapevine was that Atlas felt he was not being given enough props (read Hip Hop for respect).

“Atlas was by then still relatively unknown in Uganda’s rap industry. He had created a buzz for himself with songs like “My Swag” and “Wait and See” but at length, he felt he had a bone to pick with the Navio camp and that is when he started releasing songs like illuminated,” Gideon Kibuka, a Hip Hop producer, tells Masaabachronicle.

In “illuminated” Atlas goes at Navio with ferocity; amongst other things, intimating that Navio is a comic who should be rapping at the comedy nights that used to be held at Effendy’s.

He also called out Navio for agreeing to appear on a child Molester’s song. The child Molester being R.Kelly and the song referenced was-“Hands across the world”. 
Needless to say, R.Kelly has been accused of being a sexual predator.

The word play that Atlas displayed in “illuminated was replay worthy and exciting. The song created quite a buzz for Atlas among some Ugandan rap fans especially the ones that always felt that Navio was over rated.
To the consternation of Navio fans, he did not release a rejoinder diss song.

A Navio response at that time would have fanned the flame that Atlas had sparked and would have given him chance to showcase his rap battling skills; which skills, Navio himself has said won him laurels in one of South Africa’s toughest rap battle events.

He lost that opportunity and needless to say, his detractors swung into action, saying he is not as lyrical as he thinks he is.

Atlas did not rest on his laurels after the “illuminated” record.

After a fight, reportedly at one of Kampala’s bubbling night spots, with J.B of Klear Kut, he went to the booth and released more verbal venom in a song, he called-J.B or “Jealous Bi*tch”.
Notice how he disparagingly played pan with the J.B initials.

“Fans who thought the J.B song was only aimed at J.B were mistaken as Atlas, as well threw verbal jabs at the Mith and Navio in the second and third verse. For a rap fiend like myself, that song manifested one thing, which was that Atlas is no joke lyrically,” Gladys Kituyi, an entertainment blogger, says.

Atlas went on to release other subliminal diss songs that did not get responses like “You got nothing on me,” and the more recent in “they still hating”
In “they still hating” Atlas again goes hard at Navio.

“If Navio or his crew had responded, it would have created a major buzz for Ugandan Hip Hop but they took a back seat; though some inside scoop had it that Navio had actually recorded rebuttal songs, but rap fans have never heard them,” Kibuka opines.

The Luga flow world has also seen its fair share of beefs.

Beefs that have brought out some phenomenal lyrical poetics and word play from the genre’s best.

Some that stand out include Babaluku’s “Straight Spit” where he lyrically annihilates the Lugaflow duo-Sylvester and Abrams.
In the song, Babaluku attacked Sylvester and Abrams as being run of the mill and calls them out for trying to trash his legacy as the pioneer of Lugaflow.

At the time, Babaluku was on a roll and “Straight Spit” cemented his place as one of the best, if not the best Lugaflow lyricist in Kampala.
As vicious and disparagingly as the song was, it did not get a rejoinder.

“It might have played into the hands of Sylvester and Abrams had they responded but it would have been a tough call for them to pit their wits against a talented rapper of Babaluku’s caliber. The subsequent subliminal diss song-“Twakugudemu” by Abrams, only released about a year ago was not strong enough lyrically and interms of delivery as well,” Ronald Odongo, a seasoned Blogger says.

Babaluku has not only been enmeshed in rap beef with Sylvester and Abrams. It is common knowledge that there is no love lost between him and Navio and his crew.

The most recent subliminal diss record from Babaluku was “Batulidewo” where he and Saba Saba-his cohort from the Bataka Squad fire off lyrical shots at any naysayers.

The other prominent Lugaflow beef has pitted new comer-St Nellysade against an old timer and veteran wordsmith in Mulekwa.

Rumours of beef between the two started doing the rounds after Mulekwa released “Abanno Bano” a diss track aimed at Nellysade.
In the song, he accuses Nellysade of jacking his style-literally meaning he stole his rap style.
Nellysade, as you can reckon, has not responded.

GNL, for his part, has also thrown off several subliminals at his competition but the braggadocio and hyperbole embedded in his verses at times makes it hard to make out who he is dissing.

Fans however easily discerned who his intended target was in the captivating songs-“Ceasar” and “Tebangatika”.
Gravity was in his cross hairs. No response has been heard from Gravity, thus far.

Other prominent Ug M.C’s that have been embroiled in beefs include Foeva emcee and Baboon Forest’s Tommy Race.
Code and Tucker H.D.


A BRIEF ON RAP BEEFS

Rap song beefs are as old as the Hip Hop genre itself.

 (Hip Hop was started in the early 70’s in New York).

The first prominent rap beef saw rap legends Krs One and Mc Shan squaring off.

The two protagonists dueled over whose neighborhood was the best and who was the best lyrically. In the end, Krs One from the Bronx-New York came out on top. Shan was from the Queensbridge area of New York.

At 56, Uganda has come a long way.
It is a country far removed from its atrocity ridden past.
[The country recently celebrated its 56^th independence anniversary]

For the past 3 decades, Uganda, in many respects, has experienced upward trajectories of growth, though its overall potential, across the board, remains unrealized.

Many of the country's leading political analysts contend that the upward growth will continue provided Uganda stays on a political straight and narrow, devoid of political violence.
 
“At 56, opportunities for national and individual growth in Uganda abound,” Vincent Okwalinga, a Political scientist, says.

“There is however still a lot of leeway to be made up. Uganda is a country with a lot of potential and that potential will only be harnessed effectively if vices like corruption are dispensed with."

“Recent incidents of political violence and the cold blooded murders of prominent Ugandans have raised the spectre of insecurity. Any semblance of insecurity will have an adverse knock on effect on our tourism industry, an industry, which is still by far, the nation’s leading foreign exchange earner,” Robert Wamukota, a seasoned Political scientist and opinion leader in Mbale, told Masaaba chronicle.

Notwithstanding, recent reports like the 2018 Africa Risk Reward Index have cast Uganda in good light.
Uganda is cited as one of sub saharan Africa's strongest performing economies.

The report indicates that ongoing national infrastructural projects and other developments in the country would not be possible if there was political instability.

Uganda’s risk profile Index has also reduced significantly, through the years. 
This denotes more visitors for the country.
According to the Inform global risk index, Uganda’s risk index is now 6.0.

Inform is a global, open source risk assessment for humanitarian crises and disasters.

That said, analysts say the voices of Ugandans disillusioned with the status quo should not be ignored.

“Ugandans intent on changing the status quo should however steer clear of putting false constructions on the country’s political and economic situation. That as a means to an end is counterproductive,” Wamukota argues.

“It is incumbent upon the government however to address the grievances of all Ugandans.
In many areas of the country, tangible evidence of progress for many citizens remains elusive.”

Analysts state that tourism as a sector will most likely bear the heaviest brunt should the country’s image continue to be tarnished.

At present, the sector contributes 10% to Uganda’s GDP.

“Recent projections by the Minister of Finance that Uganda will in the near future receive 4million visitors annually will only come to pass if the country enhances its tourism industry competiveness and markets itself better abroad,” Okwalinga argues.

Uganda currently gets 1.3 million visitors annually.

The most recent high profile visitors being the African American Hip Hop artist-Kanye West and his wife-Kim Kardashian.

“Uganda needs to invest more resources in its tourism sector,” opines Amos Wekesa, the proprietor of Great Lakes Safaris, Limited.

“Regionally, Uganda is lagging behind yet with 10 unique national parks, principally world heritage sites such as Bwindi, Mgahinga and the Rwenzori mystic mountains, Uganda should be one of the top tourist destinations in East Africa. More also needs to done to improve on tourist infrastructure.”

Uganda is one of the best places to track mountain gorillas.
At present, Uganda is home to half of all mountain Gorillas in the world. 480 out of 880, to be precise.
The economic value of gorilla tourism in Uganda is estimated at up to $34.3million.

The need to promote the country’s tourist sector was again re-emphasized by President Museveni on the [30^th September], whilst passing out game rangers in Nwoya district.
The President noted that Uganda can earn more tourist foreign exchange if it efficiently promotes and markets its tourist potential.

Currently, Uganda spends far less on tourism marketing compared to her regional neighbors, yet the second national development plan lists it as a priority sector that will if harnessed well have a great multiplier effect on the country’s economy.

Kenya spends $3.37 on promoting and sustaining its new tourism markets.
Rwanda on the other hand, spends $40million on its tourism advertisement campaigns.

“Marshaled well, Uganda’s cultural and heritage tourism sector represents a potential major area of growth. There are heritage sites around the country, which are in many ways still tourist virgin territory or which have not been developed enough to attract visitors,” John Kityo, a travel and tourist, expert, says.

“Take for example, the Namugongo shrine, the Rwenzori cultural trail and the Mutoto Cultural grounds in Mbale, where the inauguration of the revered Imbalu custom takes place.

Mutoto which attracts up to 1000 foreign visitors biennially is devoid of an Imbalu paraphernalia museum, yet, to all intents and purposes, it should have one.
Construction of a museum at the site has been long overdue.

There are several other cultural and heritage sites in the country which can stand the country in a good stead financially.

“Uganda has 600 years of kingdoms and over 40 different indigenous ethnic groups, who immense themselves in a variety of cultural norms and customs. These can all be of financial benefit to the nation.
Now is the time to amplify efforts to market Uganda as a worthwhile tourist destination. It could be a grain of mustard seed for the country,” Kityo says.

One of Uganda’s greatest tourist secrets are the white sands of Ssese Island on Lake Victoria.
The white sands, the uncrowded beaches and the tranquility of the place create a never ending honeymoon experience.

On Lake Victoria as well, there is the picturesque Equator Island-Lwaji Island. The equator runs through Lwaji and Damba islands.
The two archipelagos are diamonds in the rough. They are marvels of nature, with plenty of bird life.

By all accounts, Uganda is home to over 10% of the world’s birds and 50% of Africa’s birds-home to 1,072 different species including some of the rarest birds.
Some of these can be found on Equator Island.

Jinja, the adventure capital of Uganda-Jinja deserves more promotion and marketing as a leisure travel tourist destination.

Jinja’s overall tourist potential remains unrealized.

With more advertising Jinja, the source of the world’s longest river-6,853km [4,258 miles] will get more visitors.
Whilst in Jinja, visitors can enjoy bungee jumping, quad biking and safe whitewater rafting and kayaking.



 

Over the past two and a half decades, Uganda has made remarkable inroads in promoting gender parity in its education system.The parity was achieved in 2009 [50% boys and 50% girls enrolled].

Clan elders painstakingly examined the entrails of a slaughtered chicken for fortitude clues as the early morning rays of sunlight penetrated through the trees at Mutoto, Mbale, Eastern Uganda on 2^th August.

The elders from the Bamutoto clan [the clan that traditionally has their imbalu candidates circumcised first in Masabaland before any other] were ostensibly examining the entrails to gauge the strength of purpose and fortitude levels of 16 year old Rashid Gidudu, 17 year old Edwin Watuwa and 17 year old Sadat Khabeli.

The three who work odds jobs around Mbale town[Eastern Uganda] had pronounced their intent to undergo the imbalu rite only a day earlier.

As the elders consulted the augurs and performed small incantations, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli threshed millet in what is traditionally described as khukhupaka.

The millet was to be ground and its flour used to brew malwa [a local brew] that would be served to visitors, moral boosters and relatives starting Thursday 9^th;  the day, the elders had decided the three would start the three day Xusamba Imbalu rituals [dancing Imbalu].

Not far from Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli as they threshed the millet were their younger siblings and cousins cleaning what looked like long tails decorated with cowrie shells.

The long tails would hang down the backs of Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli as they danced Imbalu.

Having fulfilled a ritual called “Xuwetsa Imbalu” meaning casting about for Imbalu; weeks earlier, time had come for Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli to be taken through the three day elaborate Imbalu rituals known as “Xusamba Imbalu”.

On behalf of his collegues, Watuwa emphatically pronounced that they are ready to go through the ritual.

“We are more than ready,” he told Masaabachronicle on the crack of dawn on the 9^th of August.



“Xuwetsa imbalu implies the gradual awakening of intent in a prospective imbalu candidate. At this stage, if a candidate has any misgivings or second thoughts about braving the pain of the Imbalu knife; he can reschedule his imbalu to another year,” Magombe Wakitonyi, an elder in Mutoto, Mbale, Eastern Uganda, says.

“Imbalu dancing, in many respects, shows one’s readiness to face the Imbalu knife.”



“When an Imbalu candidate or candidates eventually start the three day dancing rituals, it metaphorically means the ancestral power of Imbalu or what we call Kumusambwa kw’ imbalu has seized him with a desire to face imbalu. It is not possession in the sense of abnormal but it is seen as a desire coming from the heart. A desire to dance Imbalu and be like other clan members who showed fortitude during Imbalu. The vigour of a prospective Imbalu candidate’s dancing demonstrates his fortitude,” Richard Waneloba, an elder in Bushika, Bududa district, said.

The 9^{th of} August marked the advent of the Xukoya Busera and the three day Xuakha Kamamela Imbalu rituals.
Both rituals are performed on the morning of the third day before the day of imbalu or the kumululilo.

The xukoya Busera ritual involves the brewing of the circumcision beer, known as Busera or Kamalule; whilst the Khuakha kamamela rite essentially means “smearing an initiate with thick millet yeast paste”.

Around 12:37 p.m, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli were led away with pots on their heads, to a nearby stream [iluutsi] to fetch water that would be used in the Khukoya Busera rite.
Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli quickly drew water from the stream and were led back from the stream amidst appreciative elder loud chants of “uryo uryo” loosely meaning “it should be done like that”.


Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli were however not taken to their father’s homes. The Bamutoto clan from which they come from invariably agree to circumcise some of their candidates from the famed Mutoto Imbalu courtyard, where it is believed Masaba, the man from whom Bamasaba claim ancestry and who it is believed introduced Imbalu was circumcised. 

Masaba, a son to the first Mumasaaba by the names of Mundu, was circumcised after he had agreed to a marriage proposal from a Kalenjin lady he was smitten with by the name of Nabarwa.
She insisted she would only marry him after he had gotten circumcised.

“I have to execute Masaba’s covenant by losing blood to the land he gave his sons and great grandchildren like me. At this moment, I feel a strong sense of occasion going through what my uncles, brothers and cousins went through,” Khabeli told Masaaba chronicle.

Young uncircumcised Bamasaba boys are always told at a young age that at one point they have to become men through the spirit of Masaba or traditionally known as Kumusambwa kw’ Masaba.

On reaching the Mutoto Imbalu courtyard, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli were led to a small revered hut where they poured the water in a big pot called “Kumanje”. Outside the hut, the elders had erected a ritual pole called Lukangu.

According to imbalu folklore, it is around the aforementioned pole that basambwa or the ancestor’s assemble.

The pot was filled with roasted dough called tsimuma and powdered millet yeast. Tsimuma is what is used to make the local brew. An elder immediately added water and placed the pot under the pillar of the house for maturation as Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli waited.

Victor Turner, a British anthropologist, known for his works in rituals and rites of passage explained in his 1966 book-“The Ritual Process” that it is under the pillar where the water is placed that the Gisu diety murabula resides.

Since Imbalu is likened to a second birth in Bugisu, murabula must be appeased for an initiate to successfully undergo Imbalu.

After the Khukoya ritual, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli sat briefly in a small hut awaiting the Khuaka Kamamela rite.




On the first day of the three day Khuaka Kamamela rite, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli were smeared with maize flour and millet yeast. The yeast was smeared on their foreheads, legs, hands and heads.
Traditionally, it is through this rite that Gisu male traits are enforced.

   

As he performed the smearing rite, John Wamimbi, an elder from Mutoto performed admonitions seemingly invoking the ancestral diety Murabula to bless Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli.

Though their bodies seemed to be covered with goose pimples, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli seemed pretty intent on getting circumcised. They emphatically jumped up on cue to the imbalu sounds of uri nja, uri nja hoo from their relatives and elders.



“Our resolve is high. We are only thinking about Imbalu. We are unfazed and we shall make our clan mates and our families happy by standing strong and firm,” Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli vowed.
The Khuakha rite was repeated on the penultimate day and the last day of the rituals-the 11^th.

As Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli danced to Kadodi drums after the khuakha kamamela rite with metal thigh bells and strings of beads on their chests for three days, visiting relatives and cultural sites; they were reminded not to confuse the glamour of their costumes with imbalu.
They were reminded of the tough ordeal they face and exhorted with shouts of “samba imbalu ni Kamani”-meaning dance imbalu with strength and determination.

 

The 11^{th of} august, which was also the opening day of the Imbalu season in Bugisu, marked the culmination of the three day Khushina Imbalu rituals with the Xukhwingila ritual or the circumcision of Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli.
The day is traditionally called Kumululilo.

As it clocked 3p.m, Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli were brought back to the Mutoto Imbalu courtyard for the final khuakha kamamela smearing rite.

Gidudu, Watuwa and Khabeli stood with firm gazes as the elder sermonising the khuakha kamamela [smearing rite] for the last time began his task.

They were smeared with thick millet yeast paste and chime from a sacrificial goat by Watuwa’s mother brother.

They were then led away in a warlike procession by a big crowd to a black mud swamp strongly associated with the ancestral diety of Imbalu or the Kumusambwa Kw’Imbalu.

On arrival at the specially prepared black mud swamp, they individually jumped into the mud pond and were smeared mud by Bamutoto clan elders.

 

August 20th 2018 was an infamous day for several Ugandan journalists.

Caught in the thick of the “Free Bobi Wine” protests in the Ugandan capital Kampala; few would have imagined or predicted the mauling that was to befall them later as they went about their journalistic grind.

The day started off, placid, barring the ominous clouds that hovered over the Kampala city horizon.
Not many people however would tell that the ominous clouds were warning signs of imminent protests and a subsequent Police and Army crackdown on protesters and Journalists.

While trying to pacify some tense parts of the city, irate soldiers turned their rage on unsuspecting journalists, severely hitting them with sticks.

James Akena of the Reuters Wire News agency took the heaviest brunt of the beatings.
Even as he raised his hands and camera up as if, to alert the soldiers that he was a journalist, the beatings continued. 
Akena's camera was destroyed in the process.

Other journalists were also beaten, chased and many lost their mobile phones and recorders; among other gadgets.

With tears rolling out of his eyes, Akena narrates his ordeal to Masaachronicle.

“I suffered injuries to my head, spine and hand and to make it worse, I was detained without charges. I was traumatized,” the bedridden Akena says.

Akena plaintively explains that his family suffered psychologically after watching the incident on the Prime time 9 o’clock news on NTV, a local Television station.

“What exacerbated their worries was the fact that they could not reach me.
They were concerned and at the same time, furious.”

Casting his mind, Akena says if only he had intuitively known what was to befall him; he would not have gone to cover the protests.

“It was incumbent upon me to cover the protests but had I foreseen what happened, I would have stayed away from that area,” Akena says.

Alfred Ocho, a freelance photo journalist with the Observer newspaper in Kampala who was also assaulted during the protests.

“I was mauled just like Akena but whilst he can meet his medical bills and get a camera replacement, am hard pressed as a freelance journalist because I earn pittance. Iam a hard place now as I have to get treatment and repair my camera,” Ocho says.

Ocho reveals that he was hit on the head with a baton, as he took pictures of the rioters.

“My shirt was torn in the process and I also lost some money [Ugandan sh200, 000], a phone and to add insult to his pain, his camera got spoilt in the process,” Ocho says.

The Ugandan Parliament takes a stand

In a joint press briefing, recently at the Ugandan parliament, in Kampala, several workers MP’s called upon the army and the police to replace the Journalist’s damaged equipment and pay for their medical treatment.

Led by Margret Rwabushaija, Agnes Kunihira, Ngora County MP,
David Abala and Kasambya County MP, Mbwatekamwa Gafa, the MP’s castigated the country’s security forces for the draconian treatment of the journalists.

“We watched with dismay the brutal manner in which the security forces
mauled members of the fourth estate, principally James Akena, Herbert Zziwa, Ronald Galiwango[ both of NTV]and  others. We abhor the maltreatment of Journalists,” Rwabushaija said.

The MP’s added that the beating of the Journalists was a violation of their rights and freedoms, which were guaranteed by Article 29 of the Ugandan constitution.

Luke Owesigire, the Kampala metropolitan Police spokesperson says
they had begun earnest investigations to establish who beat the Journalists and to ascertain how they lost some of their gadgets.

“Whoever tortured the Journalists will be held accountable. If they were Police men, the Ugandan Police will deal with them, according to the law. If they were soldiers of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces and its proven that they were culpable, the Army will deal with them in accordance with the law,” Owesigire said.

Uganda Journalists Association president Robert Kagolo says they are still demanding for the prosecution of the Army or Police officers complicit in the beatings of the Journalists.

The protests in the Ugandan Capital-Kampala- came in the wake of the arrest of Bobi Wine alias Robert Kyagulanyi, the popular and firebrand Kyadondo East Member of Parliament after the Arua Municipality by election.
Arua is in the West Nile region of Uganda.
Wine was arrested on allegations that he was an accessory in the stoning of the Ugandan President’s Motorcade, a few hours before the election.
President Museveni was in Arua to canvas support for the ruling NRM party’s candidate, Nusura Tiperu, who, lost, at length.
Wine was also in Arua to canvas support for his preferred candidate, Kasiano Wadri. Wadri won the by election.
Earlier, Wine’s driver Yasin Kawuma, had been shot dead.

Wine was also accused of being in possession of illegal firearms, that where apparently found in his hotel room.
The owner of the Hotel, Candia Luiji however denied that Wine checked into his facility with any firearms.

Several Lawmakers were arrested in the wake of the Arua by election; to wit, Francis Zaake (Mityana Municipality), Gerald Karuhanga (Ntungamo Municipality) and Paul Mwiru (Jinja Municipality).