Eighty people were confirmed dead while at least 350 were reported missing after a landslide struck Bududa District on Monday night. The tragedy followed a heavy downpour in Nametsi village on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, which started falling at about midday.
According to some survivors, most of the residents took the rain for a normal downpour, not knowing that calamity would befall them. Residents and children from Nametsi Primary School, Bukalasi Secondary School and other neighbouring schools took shelter at the trading centre and a health centre in Nametsi village.
Daily Monitor 3rd March 2010
CHOGM PROBE: Shs22b spent on street lights that don’t work
Officials in the Works Ministry secretly inflated the Chogm deal to install street lights in the city, in an apparent breach of the law, leading to the loss of Shs3.5 billion in public funds, it has emerged.
Eng. Sam Bagonza, the ministry’s chief engineer who is currently on interdiction over corruption accusations, and Eng. Peter Kikuyu, Eng Waisswa Naluwairo of Kampala City Council (KCC) and Ms Dorothy Birabwa have been asked to refund the money or be arrested for corruption.
Daily Monitor 3rd March 2010
MP Sabila fined Shs4m
High Court has fined Tingey MP Herbert Sabila Shs4 million after he was convicted last week of giving a bribe of Shs700, 000.
The NRM legislator regained freedom after spending five days in Luzira Prison.
Daily Monitor 3rd March 2010
District officials face arrest over school fees
The President has threatened to arrest district officials who fail to stop government–aided schools from charging extra fees.
President Museveni, who is on a countrywide tour inspecting the Prosperity -for-All programme, said both the Universal Primary and Secondary Education programmes are free and are meant to benefit all Ugandans, especially low-income earners.
Daily Monitor 3rd March 2010
We don’t need new graft laws
A new Bill is underway to give protection to those with information related to corruption if they speak out. This Whistleblowers Bill is good but irrespective of how many bills and policies, without political will and credible institutions, fighting corruption will still be an illusion. We need to analyse the current corruption trends in the country from a cultural perspective, trends in employment, institutional reward systems. One needs to examine the people who hold responsibilities in government institutions, their relationships and their biological or tribal relatedness and political inclination.
New Vision 3rd March 2010
Jail corrupt NAADS officials
About sh3.2b lost under the National Agricultural Advisory Services programme (NAADS) has been recovered. NAADS officials who swindled the money have reportedly started paying it back.
Complaints against NAADS officials have emerged in all President Museveni’s upcountry tours.
The NAADS funds have been grossly abused, procurement guidelines flouted and agricultural inputs purchased at inflated prices. The siphoning of NAADS funds has gone on for nearly a decade and over sh80b is feared embezzled by the officials managing the project.
New Vision 3rd March 2010
Kabakumba refuses to back down in row with
Information Minister Ms Kabakumba Masiko has said she will not appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee because it summoned her irregularly and without cause.
The committee chaired by MP Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri; FDC) is investigating alleged abuse of Shs500 billion spent on hosting the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Kampala, and took issue with the minister after she was quoted in the media, describing Pac as a “torture chamber”.