Uganda, has in recent years, been at the forefront of education policy reform in sub Saharan Africa.
For the most part, the country’s problematic assessment framework has formed the basis for reform discussions among the country’s leading educationists.

 Wearing tattered clothes, 11 year old Daniel Madibo, 14 year old Fred Kamba and 12 year old Kassim Njalira trod quietly on the busy Jinja- Kampala highway.

The trio (street kids from Iganga) had moved by foot for days and pitched camp for a day at Nakibizi in Jinja.
The next day they continued their journey to Kampala which in their reckoning would be a better place to beg.

The piping hot afternoon sunshine did not seem to faze them as they moved.
Madibo, Kamba and Njalira looked drained of energy but they kept wending their way.
They anticipated being in Kampala, Uganda's biggest metropolis, in the first week of July.

But as it turns out, Madibo, Kamba and Njalira are metaphorically walking into a lion’s den, incognizant of 
impending draconian measures that were to applied against all street children in Kampala. 

Last week, the State Minister for Youth, Florence Nakiwala announced that all street children in Kampala would be rounded up and sent to street child reform and rehabilitation centers.

The issue of street children had however already sprung up on the Ugandan Cabinet’s radar.
A few weeks, before Nakiwala's proclamation, Simon Lokodo, the ethics and integrity minister, had pronounced that Cabinet had agreed to construct specialised facilities in Masulita in Wakiso district and Koblin in Moroto district to accommodate street children.

“The issue of street children has for long given us a bad image.  In the decisions taken by the cabinet on June 18, we shall get these kids a place where they can attain regular education,” Lokodo told Masaabachronicle, pointing at negligence by parents as the major driver of children to the various streets.

The Lokodo announcement was made in the aftermath of a Cabinet debate on the plight of street children.
A majority of the Ministers had agreed that the presence of begging Karamojong children on the streets mars the country’s image.

Col. Shaban Bantariza, the deputy government spokesperson told journalists on Monday at the Uganda Media Centre that: “Street kids are a menace and degrade the image of the country and some of them are even used by other people to attract people’s sympathy so that they can give them money.”

Earlier in May, the minister for Karamoja affairs, Eng. John Byabagambi;  had in a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police and  the Ministry of Internal Affairs directed that, all Karamojong street children be repatriated back to Karamoja in an operation called ‘Back Home Campaign for Karamoja Children.’

“As you may be aware, the issue of street children in Karamoja and neighbouring towns is becoming a national challenge. Basing on the fact that most of these children come from Karamoja, the purpose of this letter is to direct you to resume the operations and have these children back to Karamoja sub-region and be re-united with their families,” he wrote.

Byabagambi said reception centres in Masulita and Koblin had been constructed to enhance the rehabilitation process of the children, which includes education and re-uniting them with their parents.

@rwetaya
For a sector that scored the most increment (66%) in the recently passed 2018/19 budget, Uganda’s Water and Environment ministry still has to limp through most of the financial year, as the allocation still falls short of responding to the budgetary targets of the different agencies.

A boost from last year’s sh632b, the sector’s allocation of sh1.27 trillion is meant to support and manage Uganda’s water resources, diverse ecosystems and biodiversity in the next financial year.

Earmarked as one of the key drivers for the attainment of the National Development Plan II and Vision 2040, the increment in funding to the water and environment sector implies that players, such as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the National Forestry Authority (NFA) and the National Meteorological Authority will have an enhanced resource envelope to execute their mandate.

NEMA has, for instance, been allocated a total of sh13.095b, up from sh9.2b, this financial year. However, this still leaves the environment watchdog with a sh22.73b funding gap.

NEMA needs sh14.5b to support its decentralized management function at the district and municipal level; sh3.5b to support the restoration of ecosystems and sh1b to execute its public education, environmental literacy, capacity building and sensitization programmes.

The sad reaction to the news that he had scored aggregate 29 in last year's Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) said it all. Robert Wangota, 13 was distraught. 

“I let myself and my parents down. I had expected to perform well and my parents had high hopes in me,” Wangota, who hails from Bubetsye village in Nyondo sub-county, Mbale district in Eastern Uganda, said plaintively.

Wangota had expected better grades having scored aggregate 11 in the mock examinations. He sat his exams at Nyondo Primary School.

Wangota was however not the only pupil from the Eastern region of Uganda who underperformed.

Thousands of pupils from the districts of Mbale and Bududa performed poorly in last year’s Primary Leaving Examinations, which were released in January.

Of the 7,260 pupils from Mbale district who sat the 2017 PLE examinations, 1,327 failed; which is 18.7% of the candidates. In Bududa, there were 454 (16.5%) failures out of the 2,741 pupils who sat the exams.

Where are Uganda’s rap icons?

Lately, a group of young budding Hip Hop Hip Hop artists like Fefe Bussi, Rachel Rey and Da Agent have enjoyed considerable media attention, thanks to a trending rap battle song called-“Who is who”.

But whilst Bussi and his co get the laurels and shine for supposedly putting the spotlight back on Hip Hop with their “who is who” back and forth songs; hordes of the genre’s fans argue that the current crop of artists are not talented enough to transcend the legacy left by the genre’s forerunners.

It is the tag end of Friday and a crowd of gaily men have gathered around a big round pot at Gregory’s lounge in Namatala, Mbale.

As the men converse, a young man comes with a garland of dry banana leaves and two big stones and places them at the rare end of the pot.
The stones are ostensibly to keep the pot standing firm.

There are no prizes for guessing that the men are bidding time to partake on Malwa-a fermented bubbling brownish local beverage, which is in high favour with many urban and rank and file Ugandans.

With a sparkle in her eyes, 17 year old Rita Namutosi excitedly gyrated as high-pitched Gisu traditional drums known as the Indonyi sounded at Mutoto cultural grounds, a stone’s throw away, from Mbale town.

Her collegues from the Mushika clan in Bushika subcounty-Bududa sung an accompanying traditional up-tempo Lumasaba song in praise of a famed Mumasaba ancient warrior; whilst cheering her on with glee.

Namutosi and her friends were donned in antique Gisu feminine wear; which in many ways was reminiscent of the dress code in the years of old in Bugisu.
They had gotten up at the crack of dawn to prep for the Imbalu Parade and Festival, which was held recently [16th of December] at the Lukhobo grounds, just a stone’s throw away from Mbale town.
The Lukhobo is the center of operations for the Mbale district.

Namutosi and her collegues and several other people from the 26 clans of the Bamasaba and Bamasaba from Kenya [from Bungoma and Tranzoia counties] had convened at Mutoto cultural grounds; the previous day.

Mutoto is one of Bugisu’s foremost cultural heritage sites. It is, according to gisu traditional legend, the place where the first Imbalu ceremony was solemnized.

With dry banana fibre wrought skirts, banana fibre wrought head gear, strings of beads and garland of kamabombwe [a fast creeping stem] over their necks; Namutosi and her collegues were in many respects, reliving and retracing the ways of life of the ancient Bamasaba, who ostensibly used the aforementioned, bits and pieces, not only as dancing regalia but as daily costumes.

 By Richard Wetaya

If there is one hustle; which has consistently proven difficult to push in Uganda, it is a rap career.

Through the years, numerous Ugandan rap artists have rhymed for pittance; barely making make ends.

If you are ever in any doubt about the validity of that; ask the Big Trill’s, Lyrical Proof’s, Burney M.C’s, Don M.C’s, Unique’s, etc of this world. They may not share with you their disillusionment, but needless to say, it is a rough and tumble jungle out there.

The law of the jungle applies in the Ugandan rap industry-only the strong hearted survive.

Looked at in the abstract, that status quo has made it hard for both prospective and established rappers, alike.It is just harsh fact that there is no love lost between corporate entities and the rap industry.

The corporate bodies probably don’t foresee any long term gain in supporting the genre.To that end, the prospect of sustaining a rap career in Uganda for many seems as unrealistic as nailing jelly to the wall.

This being Uganda however, you will still find cockeyed optimists, who refuse to look reality in its face. To them a new lease of life will one day dawn for hip hop. That is a long shot. It probably will happen when every emcee embraces the Gravity Omutujju format.The likelihood of that happening is two to one, because lets it straight the guy is not hip hop.

Keko, Uganda’s premier femcee however demures noting that the future is hip hop.

“All these other genres will soon fade out and hip hop will take centre stage,” she states.

The apathy towards Hip hop in Uganda has, by and large, meant less return value for rappers who put in work in the recording booth and that has been manifested in the few and lukewarm radio spins, few endorsement deals, fewer crowds at shows and ofcourse the minimal album or single sales.

“It takes more than the conventional methods of marketing to push a rap career in Uganda. It is twice the hustle and the budget compared to other genres. This leaves most rappers discouraged and frustrated,” states Rugged made, a veteran hip hop emcee and a mainstay on the battle rap scene in Kampala.

By Richard Wetaya
The Silver-bucks, the bulk of whom, are well into their 30’s have once again just proved why Uganda is a basketballing behemoth in the Zone 5 region.
Qualifying for Africa’s biggest basketballing showpiece, for the second time, on the trot, even as the Bucks lost to arch nemesis-Egypt in the finals was not exactly a jarring experience.
Many may have not expected it but by now, all and sundry should know that the Silver-bucks can ball.
They showed and proved that in their Group B preliminary games against Somalia and Burundi and in the semis against Rwanda.
Egypt, which has its own history of fielding old players both on the soccer pitch and basketball court, beat the Silver-bucks 95-72 in the final.

By and large, the qualification milestone vindicates the Silver-back’s 30 something players, most of whom, had been the butt of ill advised jokes on the popular B ball 256 Buzz facebook page.

Before the team even got in camp, there was a hue and cry on the page about the lack of younger guys on the team.
Amos Lesuk, a firebrand member of the group sparked off the back and forth debates on whether the older members of the Silver-bucks or the old crooks as he likes to call them, should still be on the team.
The 30 and above guys on the team; to wit-Stephen Omony, Stephen Ociti, Joseph Ikong, Norman Blick before he was dropped and Ben Komakech were the target of the unflattering jokes and insults.

The firebrands on the page rationalized that some of the older Silver-bucks had, to all intents and purposes, outlived their balling time and to that end, they demanded, they should give way to younger ballers.
Unbeknown to most of the critics, the older Silver-bucks could still ball.

At length, the detractors behind the “get the old guys out of the Silver-bucks” campaign have been forced to eat humbie pie.
The old crooks served the detractors revenge in its coldest form.
Impressive performances in the Afro-basket qualifying tournament in Egypt spoke to the fact.
In the first group B game against Somalia, the older crooks showed how they were far from washed up, leading all scorers as the Bucks won 94-72.
Omony, City Oil’s new recruit scored 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Hate him or love him, Omony just seems to get better with age.
Ocitti led all scorers with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals, Ikong had 11 points.
In the second game against Burundi, where the Bucks won 99-54, Omony dropped 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Komaketch had 8 points and 6 rebounds, whilst Ikong had 8 and 7 rebounds, respectively.
One of the youngest Bucks-Jonan Otim top scored with 16 points.

By Richard Wetaya
Few players in the Ugandan Basketball league possess as cracking a handle and as lethal a clutch shot as Sudi Ulanga, the KIU Titans shooting guard.
The Tanzanian’s yo-yo handles have long become a byword for breaking opponent’s ankles, metaphorically that is.
With the Friday Night Lights season kicking off this Friday, basketball fans are on the giddy up, waiting with bated breath to stand a treat of Ulanga’s exciting skill set.
With Jimmy Enabu and Joseph Ikong on national duty, FNL fans will look up to Ulanga, to provide the sparks and highlight reels.

Ulanga has quite an impressive pedigree in the National League.
Between the years 2012-2014, he was the most dominant scoring force in the league.
At that time; Ulanga was turning out for the UCU Canons; the most exciting team in the league then.
In tandem with the dunking machine, Desmond Owili, Brian Namake and Ivan Lumanyika- the Ulanga led Canons were a real force to be reckoned with.
His creativity, shot making abilities, dropping of dimes (making assists) and consistent buccaneering play made him an arch nemesis for opposing teams, not only in Uganda, but regionally.
Season in, season out; Ulanga put in performances that set him apart from the rest. In most games, he averaged 20+ points, a feat few players in the league, manage.
Having curved out that pedigree; it came as no surprise when he was named the 2014 regular season MVP.

In his 4 seasons at UCU, Ulanga carved out a place for himself in the University’s basketball hall of fame. He literally carried the team on his back; making
them title contenders and himself; the most electrifying player in the league.
At the start of the 2014 season, he provided another imperious career highlight, dropping a game high 30 points and 7 rebounds on the City Oilers, who were then the champions.
At length, Ulanga did not lead the Canons to the National league title, but he helped build the team’s brand and establish it as an elite force in the league.
The Canons only lost by a hairs breath, at the two to three penultimate and final stage appearances the team made, when Ulanga was at his most dominant.

The national league quarter final playoffs of 2015 provided one of Ulanga’s other standout highlights. By that time, Ulanga, who has become a rolling stone of sorts, had long left the Canons. He was turning out for Power.
His repertoire of skills were on full display in game 3 of the series. He showed off his offensive mettle, dropping a whopping 41 points on the Star Times Falcons.
That game went to double overtime, and at length, Power, emerged triumphant winning the series 2-1.

To thwart the sharp shooting Ulanga, opposing teams often played double or triple teams on him. But even when Ulanga was in the opposing team’s cross hairs, he still showed; he was top of the range, feeding off pick and rolls to hit clutch threes.
If he was not shooting from beyond the arc, he made emphatic drives to the hoop.
When Ulanga was passed the rock (a basketball) in open space, whey faced opposing defenses pushed the panic button.

Ulanga’s first team in Uganda, were the Falcons. He played with them in 2014.
He moved to the UCU Canons after his stint with the Falcons.
In 2015, Ulanga moved to Tiger head Power and a year later, he joined the KIU Titans, his current team.
He was an integral part of the KIU Titans juggernaut that went 5 months unbeaten in the league last year. He however is still chasing his first league title.

At Power, Ulanga did not seem to be at peace. Though he is not the type to lay bare his feelings, Ulanga was evidently unnerved at Power and it did affect his performances.

Ulanga got his mojo back upon signing with the KIU Titans in 2016.
He played a big part in the amazing run that the Titans enjoyed that year.

Ulanga regards the NBL as the best league in the region and as such, he feels obligated to hone his skills, on a day in, day out basis.
As early as 5:30, he is up and jogging. He then does individual ball work for 2 hours before joining his Titans team mates for practice.
During his individual training, he shots the rock for over an hour and a half. 
“I believe a player can only be able to perform when he is well prepared,” Ulanga opines.

Social life and hooking a Ugandan lass
Anybody who has scrapped acquaintances with Ulanga speaks golden of his good naturedness. It is a virtue that has endeared him to many, not only in player’s circles, but for good measure, to members of the fairer sex.
It came as no surprise 2 years ago when he got engaged to a gorgeous Ugandan lass- Sandra Munduru.
The pair met in 2010 when Ulanga was playing for the Falcons.
Incidentally, Munduru was also a Ball player, turning out for the A-1 Challenge.
Munduru introduced Ulanga to her parents last year in Arua. The Pair have a child together and their wedding is slated for this year.
Born and bred in Dar es Salam, Ulanga was ushered into Ugandan basketball by the late legendary Kenyan coach Smatts Olumbo.
Before coming to Uganda, Ulanga had played with his home team, the Sinza Warriors (2004-2006), Savio Basketball club (2006-2008) and later Vijana City Bulls (2008/9).
He won the Tanzanian national league twice; first with Savio (2008) and later with Vijana, where he was the top scorer.
Before his Tanzanian national league accomplishments, Ulanga had made his mark in Kenya in the high school basketball championships.
He won the Kenyan national high school championships with Laser Hill academy 4 times. He joined Laser Hill Academy on a scholarship.

Ulanga was introduced to the game of basketball around 2000 by his elder brother, who by then was playing professional basketball.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1443943/excitement-builds-afcon-finals-inch-closer

The past year was, without question, one of the best years for Hip Hop in Uganda.
As it drew to a close, the first ever Ugandan Hip Hop awards were held. A number of Uganda's elite Emcees (rappers) were rewarded.
If successfully holding the awards was not momentous for the much maligned genre, then I do not know what was.
The awards may just be the springboard that the genre needs to catapult to greater heights and for good measure; the impetus that Hip Hoppers; both male and female, need to put out quality music and videos.

By Richard Wetaya

The African Cup of Nations soccer competition is set to kick off in Gabon on Saturday and as you would expect, there is a real palpable sense of anticipation, not only amongst Uganda Cranes fans but multitudes of soccer fans across the African continent.
For the next one month or so, soccer enthusiasts across the continent are going to put everything else on the back burner; to stand a treat of Africa’s greatest soccer showpiece.
With the Cranes playing at the tournament for the first time in three decades, the excitement in this pearly part of Africa is beginning to catch on.
Every Ugandan (soccer loving or not) should be excited. Why? Well, because we do not often get to see the Cranes play at that stage.
The Cranes made history by qualifying and by playing at the tournament; they will also be making history.

Behind the excitement however, there is a real cautious or ambivalent optimism amongst some fans about the Cranes chances of advancing beyond the group stage.
The Cranes are in group D and are set to lock horns with formidable opponents in Ghana, Egypt and Mali.
Only a naive person will demur the fact that the aforementioned are not soccer juggernauts. Mali you could argue is the exception herein.

Ugandan football acolytes are of course wary of the impressive pedigrees of the above opponents.
You may argue that the Cranes have impressively competed against the Black Stars of Ghana in recent games and that should be reason enough to be upbeat. Granted! But let’s not forget though that the Black Stars have that experience mill up their sleeve and by now, I figure they should have a trick up their sleeve on how to overcome Uganda and the other opponents.

At issue, too for most fans is the less than impressive Cranes striking force.
Making that worse is the fact that some Cranes players have not been getting adequate play time with their teams, denoting they will turn out for games with their fitness in question.
Mawejje and Isinde have been without clubs but remarkably they made the final team. The fact that they made the team does speak volumes about their readiness and fitness, so a benefit of doubt to them is due.
Just hoping our opponents do not read this though. Regardless who are they not to be petrified of the Cranes. They put on shorts one leg at a time just like the rest of the other teams at the competition, so much as they are special, the Cranes are special too.
The Cranes are the best team in East Africa; the tale tattles spying for the Ghanaians, Egyptians and Malians should be brought to terms with that fact.
The Cranes will compete, you can bet your last dollar.

To compete favorably however, the often maligned Cranes striking force led by Geoffrey Massa needs to step and show some real mettle; as there will be no second bites at the cherry in the group stages if we draw or lose.
It is going to be a battle of wills and the team needs to take its chances or else they will rue.

In recent Cranes games, Massa has looked more of a niddle noddle spent force than a real striking threat.

 
I stand corrected but it will be foolhardy to expect goals from a guy who hardly gets play time at his club down in South Africa.
Massa obviously has a chip on his shoulders, given the flake fans and the media have thrown at him over his recent below par Cranes performances.
Many figure, Massa may use the criticism to his advantage; cognizant of what is at stake.
This Nation’s cup may just be his swan song, so it must be in his interest to prove that he is still up to the mark.
He will want to prove something to his critics.

With Massa’s proficiency in question; the Cranes may hypothetically struggle upfront, except when Geoffrey Sserunkuma, Yusuf Ssentamu and the inexperienced Muhammed Shaban firmly pick up the striking gauntlet.
If for some reason, they do not pick it up, then our chances of getting out of that group will be as hard as nailing jelly to the wall.
It will be a herculean task for the Cranes if we do not score goals. Goals win games.
Football is football as the mantra indeed goes but without a potent striking force, any team will struggle. Nobody wants the Cranes to struggle like that proverbial lame duck over a stile after turning the pages of history.

Luckily however we have a one Farouk Miya; Cranes best kept secret.
The young lad star’s has been on the ascendancy and his growing legendary status was buoyed and propped up with that crucial goal he scored against the Comoros to earn the Cranes a berth at AFCON after 3 decades.
Miya is one guy who can run an opposing team’s defense ragged and he is a good ball distributor to boot.
Miya and Moses Oloya-the other attacking Cranes midfielder are like two peas in a pod; they make haste and are very pacey and skilful on the ball when given space.
The two will come in handy for the Cranes.

Uganda has been bidding time. The nation has waited long to see the Cranes compete at Africa’s biggest soccer event.
Its time everybody gets behind the team-Tulumbe.