Cabinet has approved the principals for the amendment of the Bank of Uganda Act to incorporate tighter regulation of the mobile money sector.

State Minister of Finance for Planning David Bahati, says the amendments will also outline the monetary operations of the Central bank and also ensure its role in effective implementation of the East African Integration objectives.

Uganda Police has offered a reward of 100 shillings for anyone who can positively identify a male voice suspected to belong to one of Susan Magara's killers.

The voice is in the audio is directing Ms Magara's parents to a plan where they can find a message from their daughter.

In a statement released by the Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura, police says that they will give a reward of 100 million shillings to '' Whoever positively identifies the person in the recording, leading to the successful arrest of these criminals''

Susan Magara was kidnapped by unknown people on her way home in Lungujja, Lubaga Division, and her car was found abandoned near her home.

20 days later Susan Magara was found dead, and her body abandoned along the Entebbe Express Highway,

A young woman at the age of 28, Magara worked as an administrator at a family business owned by her father, John Magara.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Mr Luke Owoyesigire confirmed the death of Magara adding that her body was found on the Southern Bypass."It is true she is dead. Investigators are still at the scene. We shall give you details soon," Mr Owoyesigire told NTV.

According to Daily Monitor, the Police Flying Squad had been handling the search for Magara. Another source within the unit the family had stopped partnering with the Police shortly after they were asked for a ransom of Shs60 million by the suspected kidnappers.

Abdullah Kitatta, the leader of Boda-Boda 2010, has submitted to the jurisdiction of the General Court Martial by accepting to take plea on charges of unlawfully being in possession of firearms.

Kitatta and 11 others have pleaded not guilty to 6 counts including unlawful possession of firearms, live ammunitions, millitary headgear and uniforms. 

On their first appearance in court on 13th February 2018, Kitata and his co-accused had refused to plead to the charges on grounds that they could not be charged by the court-martial because they were not members of the military. 

However, Shaban Sanywa the accused’s lawyer has today informed the court that his clients are much more willing to enter plea and be tried in this court.

Sanywa then asked the court to be availed with prosecution's intended evidence and exhibits so that he can ably prepare his client's defence. 

Upon entering a plea, the court transferred  Kitata from Luzira prison and remanded him to Makindye Military police barracks while his co-accused have been remanded back to Luzira prison until the 19th of February 2018.

Kitata and co-accused we're first charged before the Military  Disciplinary Unit at CMI Headquarters in Mbuya before being committed to the General Court Martial which has jurisdiction to try capital offences which are punished by death and life sentences respectively.

The General Court Martial at Makindye has revisited its earlier decision and cancelled bail for three police officers.

The police officers; Fisal Katende, Amon Kwarisima and James Magada had been granted bail in January this year on grounds that they are junior officers who could not interfere with CMI investigations or threaten witnesses. 

However, today Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti the head of the 7 member court reversed his earlier decision after the accused men’s lawyer, Caleb Alaka who informed him that his clients will not submit to the jurisdiction of his court as they are not military officers. 

Alaka based his decision on a High Court ruling in which Justice Margaret Oguli-Oumo ordered for the immediate release of the police officers from custody on grounds that the army court acted unreasonably to charge serving police officers with offences of being in unlawful possession of firearms yet they need guns in the execution of their duties.

Alaka then asked the court to immediately discharge the police officers adding that they cannot plead to fresh charges of being in unlawful possession of weapons.

It's at that point that Lt. Gen Gutti ordered that all the 7 police officers be remanded to Makindye police Military barracks and their civilian co-accused be taken to Kigo prison until 27th March 2018.

The accused had reported back to the Military court today for the mention of their case.

On the 24th,January, 2014, President Yoweri Museveni officially launched the Youth Livelihood Programme amidst a lot of fanfare.

Cabinet and Parliament approved a budget of 265 Billion shillings for the first 5 years of the implementation of what was meant to be a solution to rampant youth unemployment in the country.

Since the Youth Livelihood Programme was initiated, budgetary constraints have led to only 97 billion shillings being released to some 13,107 groups.

However, an audit of the program’s performance has shown that only 16 billion has been recovered and only 30 districts have recovered more than 80% of the money disbursed.

While presenting a report on the performance of the Programme, Pius Bigirimana, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, praised those districts that had performed well in recovering the funds.

He says Bushenyi was the best performing district.

The poor performance of some districts like Kamuli, Mukono and Nebbi has partially been blamed on the drought that hit most over the country in 2016 and 2017.

Lillian Aber, the National youth council chairperson who had advocated for funding of district youth councils to supervise and sensitize youth on how to make the best of the programme, decried the low funding.

Other participants in the One and half day consultation meeting shared opinions of programme with many saying the members in every group should be reduced from 15 to a maximum of 5.

Statistics from the Ministry of labour indicate that mainly those with no formal education or those who had not gone to school beyond O-level and single parent youths had been the main beneficiaries of the youth livelihood funds.

Most of the funds disbursed were invested in agriculture and trade.

The parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises has directed an audit into the operations of the National Information Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U).

The MPs started off by questioning the officials why the NITA-U board was not involved in the affairs of the authority.

According to the committee, the managers of the authority have sidelined the board of directors and took decisions without its input.

According to the MPs, the NITA-U management was not working smoothly with the board and accusing fingers were pointed at the NITA-U Executive Director James Saaka.

Concern was also raised in regard to debt collection.

At least 22 organizations subscribe to NITA-U's services and are supposed to pay annual subscription fees to the authority but only nine of them are compliant. 

The committee has recommended the creation of the Directorate of internal audit to handle the finances in the authority.The MPs cautioned other government enterprises running without or have non-functional board of governors, that they will be sanctioned

In May 2017, phone users formed long queues at different sim card registration centres as they moved to beat the deadline for sim card registration; even after the deadline had been extended a couple of timesThis followed a directive by telecom sector regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to all telecom companies to have their clients register their simcards.

The directive came two months after the brutal murder of then-police spokesman, Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi, his driver and bodyguard. The assailants reportedly coordinated their gruesome mission on phone.  

However, almost a year later, security agencies are grappling with a new wave of murders, kidnaps and fleecing of money, mainly through unregistered sim cardsCabinet has now ordered the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), to investigate telecom companies with unregistered sim cards in use and report back in 14 days.Airtel Uganda has been singled out as the firm with the bulk of unregistered sim cards in circulation.

The directive came hours after police recovered the body of Susan Magara at Kigo in Wakiso district.

Ms Magara was kidnapped on 7th February near her home in Lungujja, a Kampala suburb and had been missing since then.

The kidnappers had been calling Magara's family using unregistered sim cards and demanding ransom.

Minister of Information Communication Technology Frank Tumwebaze says a security brief to cabinet revealed that the numbers used by the kidnappers have no identity yet they are active.Some Members of Parliament faulted UCC for failing to reign in non-compliant telecom companies.

The Commission of Inquiry into land matters has ordered the arrest of one Constant Siwaku for reportedly presenting forged documents to the commission during its ongoing hearings in Kasese district. 

Siwaku claims to own 89 acres of land in Mubuku Irrigation Settlement Scheme. However, he is accused of trying to grab government land.

Another witness told the commission that huge chunks of Mubuku land has been illegally taken by individuals, including government officials.

The Chiefs of Defence Forces of the Troop Contributing Countries to Somalia under the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) agree that it is time to entrust the fight against the Al-Shabab militants with the Somalia National Army.

AMISOM is comprised of Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Sierra Leone

The chiefs are still looking for an effective strategy that will allow them to completely withdraw their troops.

The UPDF Chief of Defence Forces Gen David Muhoozi says since September 2017, a total of 500 soldiers have been withdrawn following a resolution by the UN Security Council to gradually pull out of Somalia

The Chief of Defence Forces says this is part of a phased approach for AMISOM to completely hand over to the Somali National Army as directed by the UN Security Council.

Muhoozi made the remarks at the meeting of the Chief of the Defense Forces of the Troop Contributing Countries to Somalia.

On Friday the Heads of state of the Troop Contributing Countries will also meet in Kampala to further discuss how they can gradually withdraw from Somalia.

Members of the Parliamentary Budget Committee have declined to approve a supplementary budget request amounting to 106 billion shillings to pay companies generating thermal power.

The  Ministry of Energy officials led by State Minister for Energy Sion D'ujanga, appeared before in the committee to justify the request.

Ministry of Energy officials told the MPs that the money had already been used and they were asking Parliament for retrospective approval, and that is when the trouble started.

The Energy Ministry officials explained that they had already used 45 billion shillings to pay outstanding loans for the thermal power generators, including Jacobsen.

Something, the lawmakers doubt.

The officials were sent back and directed to return with clearer explanations.

The MPs agreed to approve only 10 billion shillings but Butambala MP Muwanga Kivumbi queried some items in the supplementary budget such as office furniture valued in billions of shillings.

He said they were trivial and not worth a supplementary request.The 2018/2018 financial year has one quarter to go since it closes in June 2018.

State Minister of Ethics and Integrity the Rev. Fr. Simon Lokodo has been admitted to the Uganda Heart Institute in Mulago after he collapsed while on official duty in Kalangala Islands.

Lokodo was on Wednesday afternoon airlifted from Kalangala to Kampala in a military helicopter.

State Minister of Health Sarah Opendi told NTV that her colleague was in a stable state.

The Commissioner for refugees in the office of the prime minister, Apollo Kazungu has been suspended from Office due to the ongoing investigations into the mismanagement of refugee funds and other resources.

The Suspension was confirmed by the Minister of Refugees and Disaster Preparedness Hillary Onek.

Kazungu has been replaced by Gerald Menya who takes over with immediate effect.

A Congolese Businesswoman Ms Nganga Bibiche Bola, who has been missing for more than 5 days and was reportedly kidnapped on the 23rd, of February, 2018, in Makindye Division claims she was kidnapped by the Internal Security Organisation.

According to a statement released by Police Spokesman Emilian Kayima, Ms Nganga showed up at her home in Makindye on Wednesday 28th, and the area Police immediately went to her home and recorded her statement. 

''She claims that she was kidnapped by unknown people dressed in military fatigue with assault rifles and was in detention since then up till today 28th, Feb 2018 after 5 days.

The area police are investigating this matter to establish who was behind these acts that continue to evoke fear among the citizens'' Kayima said in a statement.

These allegations come a few weeks after operatives from the Internal Security Organisation were accused of Kidnapping NewVision Journalist Charles Etukuri, and they also come 2 days after Susan Magara a 28-year-old lady who had been missing for more than 20 days, was killed by her captors.

It has now emerged that Ms. Nganga Bibiche Bola, the Congolese businesswoman that was widely reported as having been kidnapped on 23rd February 2018 from Lower Konge, in Makindye Division was in the hands of ISO according to her testimony. pic.twitter.com/ibBetYVkhC

— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) February 28, 2018

Kasese Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Maj. James Mwesigye, has been accused fuelling the conflict between the Bakonzo and Basongora by taking sides.

The long-standing land wrangle between the two tribes has been blamed for continuous clashes in the Rwenzori region.

This emerged as the commission of inquiry into land matters continued with its public hearings in Kasese.

The cholera outbreak at Kyangwali refugee settlement in Hoima district has been contained, with no new deaths registered.

However, while this might be cause for celebration, the rising number of refugees is threatening the existence of the oldest forest in Hoima district - Bugoma, as they cut down trees to construct houses.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Uganda may require grants if not interest-free loans in the current circumstance to wade through the economic challenges.

That's according to Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University. He advises government to leverage on its resources to help SMEs compete favorably and survive.

He was speaking at the conclusion of the I-Growth Accelerator Survey 2017, conducted by Uganda Development Bank. Innovative but cash strapped SMEs won millions of shillings for onward capital injection.

Veteran entrepreneur and politician Dr. Martin Aliker has launched his autobiography entitled "The Bell is Ringing," detailing his long life.

Dr. Aliker who is over 80 years old says he hopes the book would inspire young people and upcoming entrepreneurs to strive for the best and lead honest lives.

Dr. Aliker's contemporaries, leading business people,  politicians and many of his associates - young and old - graced the book launch last night at the Kampala Serena Hotel gardens.

Former fierce investigative journalist Teddy Seezi Cheeye is dead. According to the police, Cheeye was knocked by a boda-boda cyclist at Nakawa in Kampala as he crossed the road.

Cheeye had just returned from prison where he had served a 10-year sentence after he was convicted for embezzling 120 million shillings of donor funds.

Friends and journalists have described Cheeye as one of the first ever journalists to critically report about President Museveni’s government.

The Veteran journalist Teddy Seezi Cheeye, who was then the Director of Economic Monitoring in the Internal Security Organisation was also among the first suspects to be convicted for his role in misappropriation and embezzlement the Global Fund money.

Justice John Bosco Katutsi of the Anti-corruption Court sentenced him to 10 years in prison in October 2010.

The Global Fund scandal unfolded from 2005 and 2009 and it involved tens of millions of dollars in grants from the Geneva-based Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria that went to charities that did not exist or into the personal bank accounts of government employees.

 Other suspects like former health minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and his assistants Mike Mukula and Dr Alex Kamugisha were acquitted of the charges.However, even after his conviction, Cheeye believed he was wrongfully convicted and was set up for stepping on the toes of 'Powerful people''

After doing seven years in Luzira Maximum Security Prison, Cheeye was released on 3rd March.

Cheeye returned to Journalism and started Publishing his Uganda Confidential Newsmagazine. The controversial newsletter whose tagline "The paper that splits atom".

He has passed on a few months before the magazine saw the first year of its rebirth.

Kasese Resident District Commissioner Maj. James Mwesigye who has been accused of fueling land conflicts in the area has appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into land matters.

The RDC dismissed the claims that he took sides in the conflict between the Bakonzo and the Basongora, saying he has instead been working to bring the two communities together. 

Maj. James Mwesigye also denied allegations that he had a personal interest in land belonging to Mubuku Irrigation and Settlement Scheme.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is drafting amendments to the Mining Act of 2003 to include sand as a mineral so that it's protected by the State.

The Minister of State for Mineral Development Peter Lokeris who was appearing before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, says individuals have exploited gaps in the law to mine sand for profit to the detriment of water bodies and aquatic life.

However, the MPs faulted the minister for not addressing concerns on sand mining as pointed out in the Auditor General’s report two years ago.