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2013: A year defined by happy and sad moments

January

Jan. 5: KCCA unveils $39billion Kampala Physical Development Plan (PDP) to cover the city’s development from 2012 to 2040

Jan. 7: 127 MPs sign petition to the speaker to recall parliament from recess to debate matters relating to the death of Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda


Jan7: Adam Kalungi alias Luli, alleged boyfriend to the late Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda pleads guilty to a charge of manslaughter, while Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki appoints Anti-corruption head, Justice Paul Mugamba, to conduct the inquest into Nebanda’s death.

Jan11-15: National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs attend a retreat at The National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi to discuss the party’s performance and also internal wrangles resulting from some MPs who do not support the party line were labeled rebels.

Jan 15: industrialist and entrepreneur James Mulwana dies at age 76 years.

Jan 23: Gen. Aronda Nyakairima warns parliament that the army can take over in reaction to MPs protesting a clause in the Petroleum (Exploration, Development, Production) Bill,2012.

February

Feb. 5: Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate throws out a treason case brought to the court by Luwero Woman MP Brenda Nabukenya against Gen. Aronda Nyakairima. Nabukenya alleged Aronda had contrived a plot to overrun the government by force of arms.

Feb. 11: The leader of the global Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, resigns saying he no longer has the mental and physical strength to cope with demands of his ministry.

Feb 15: URA impounds Pioneer Easy Bus Ltd Buses for failure to pay Shs8billion in tax.

Feb 21: Court of Appeal ceilings collapse on judges following a heavy downpour that ripped through Twed Towers that houses the court.

March

March 2: The First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Tukahirwa Kategaya passes away at Nairobi Hospital where he had been admitted. He succumbed to a blood clot.

March 12: Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi appears before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee over alleged theft of over Shs50 billion in donor money. He says he regrets the thefts and says he was not involved.

March 12: Father Anthony Musaala writes a dossier to Bishops, priests and laity over ìthe failure of celibate chastity among Diocesan priestsî leading to his suspension form ministry.

March 13: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires is elected new Pope Francis.

March24: Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) report shows that Primary six pupils in 75percent of the districts surveyed cannot read while 68 percent cannot do simple maths.

Mar.30: Kenyaís Supreme Court upholds Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto’s victory as president and deputy president respectively.

April

April 1: Kampala Archbishop, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga apologizes to sexual abuse victims but says church should not be blamed for priests personal failings. This was after an expose by father Anthony Musaala on the prevalence of sexual adventure by his colleagues.

April 2: A report indicates that government loses Shs200 billion in dubious court awards as lawyers fail to defend cases or collude with litigants.

April 3: NSSF lists over 300 firms not remitting money to the fund despite collecting it from the beneficiaries

April 4: Government tables Bill to outlaw miniskirts. The Bill proposed restrictions on revealing clothing while cabinet sought 90-day break for the controversial Marriage Bill consultations.

April 4: Uganda wins US$434 million oil tax case against Heritage oil and Gas limited.

April 6: Phiona Mutesi a teenage Chess champion made history by becoming the first Ugandan to be hosted on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

April 6: Teachers joined civil servants, police, and soldiers not paid for close to 3 months.

April 7: MPs are paid Shs5 million facilitation for Marriage and Divorce bill consultation.

April 7: Human rights Activists accused police for raping and robbing suspects in night operations

April 8:Millions worth of property is lost as fire guts Owino market.

April 9: Opposition FDC asks President Yoweri Museveni to explain whether he received payments from oil companies to fund the 2011 elections

April 9: Margret Thatcher, the first female prime minister dies. She was 87 years old.

April 11: Court stopped KCCA taxi levy

April 12: It is reported that State House spends Shs600 million everyday.

April 13: The Treasury limits Ministries and other government departments to withdrawing not more than Shs20 million in cash daily; down from Shs300 million.

April 13:  Former Health Minister Dr. Stephen Malinga dies.

April 14: President Yoweri Museveni accuses some of his ministers of seeking a US$200 million (Approx. Shs500 billion) bribe from a contractor bidding to construct the Karuma Hydro Power Dam.

April 17: Makerere Students developed a phone a phone App. to fight Malaria.

April 18: President Museveni launches Vision 2040; a plan to transform Uganda from a peasant to a modern country.

April 19: Former spy chief Brig. Henry Tumukunde gains some reprieve as he is sentenced to serious warning over a long-running case at the army court martial.

April 21: Ugandan politician Isaac Musumba and his business partners are arrested in India over alleged extortion.

April 22:Renegade army officer, Maj. Herbert Itongwa Kikomeko dies in Germany

April 23: Activists question Museveni’s spending habits after he makes a cash donation in a sack to Busoga youth.

April 24: Telecommunication firm Airtel acquires Warid telecom

April 25: 400 soldiers are reported to have deserted the army with guns. They include 37 members of the presidential guard brigade.

April 27: The Uganda Peopleís Defense Forces start issuing national identity cards to the public.

April 29: Two primary school teachers are sentenced to 35 years in jail for raping their school pupils

May

May 2:Maverick army Brigadier Kasirye Gwanga warns the army should resist any attempts to front the First Son, Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for presidency.

May 2:  IGP Kale Kayihura bans lipstick and moustache for police officers.

May 3: After a raging debate, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga rules that rebel MPs who government wanted expelled would stay in in parliament.

May 4: The former VP, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya announces intent to take on President Museveni in 2016.

May 5: Makerere University lecturers strike over poor pay.

May 7: Gen. David Sejusaís letter to the head of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) calling for investigations into reports that top military officers including the president’s brother Gen Salim Saleh had hatched a plot to eliminate senior government officials opposed to Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba succeeding his father; President Museveni, is published in the press. Gen. Sejusa is reported to have fled.

May 14: Donors give the government 7 conditions it must comply with before they can reinstate Shs700 billion in aid.

May 15: Attorney General disagreed with Speaker Rebecca Kadaga saying the so-called rebel MPs have to leave parliament.

May 17:The Public Service and Local Government committee makes a controversial report to parliament recommending that President Museveni takes over KCCA.

May 21: Police sealed off Red pepper, Daily Monitor, and a host of other FM radio stations

May 28: President Yoweri Museveni tells the International Criminal Court (ICC) to respect the Kenya poll results and drop cases against the winners; Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

June

June 1: Over 1.5 million mobile users face being switched off over registration

June 3: Dr Alex Coutinho wins Shs 2.5 billion prestigious award for pioneering HIV fight in Uganda.

June 6: Frank Tumwebaze; the minister for Kampala sets up a tribunal to probe a petition against Kampala Capital City Authority Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

June 19: Row erupts in the opposition FDC party over calls for fresh party elections of its president.

June 20: Former Principle Accountant in the Officer of the Prime Minister, Godfrey Kazinda, is convicted on 28 counts of fraud and abuse of office.

June 21: The Chinese firm; Sino- Hydro Corporation is awarded the tender to construct the Karuma600MW Hydropower Dam on the River Nile.

June 28:Kampala traders strike against new Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (P-VOC) regulations.

June 29: Over 40 die and many more suffer severe burns in an inferno at Namungoona roundabout in Kampala following a fuel tanker accident in which looters attempted to scoop spewing petrol.

July

July 4: A minor earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale sweeps through Uganda and 25 other countries.

July 15:  After years of controversy surrounding the ID project, the government begins issuing national IDs to about 30,000 Ugandans aged 18 and above in a pilot project covering selected parishes in Kampala, Kasese, Buyende and Lira districts.

July 18: Parliament approves Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, the former Chief of Defence Forces, as the new Internal Affairs Minister without him first resigning from active service in the army as the MPs had demanded.

July 28: Former Vice President, Gen. Mustafa Adrisi, who served as VP to Idi Amin (1976ó1978) dies at Mulago Hospital.

August

Aug. 3: ó President Museveni pledges to return Buganda properties, commonly known as ebyaffe, including County and Sub-county administrative buildings and land, markets, as well as rent arrears to the tune of Ushs 20b. This was at Lubiri Palace at Mengo during celebration of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s 20th coronation anniversary.

Aug. 6:  The controversial and unpopular Public Order Management Bill (POB) that critics say infringes upon the Constitutional provisions that guarantee the right of assembly, association and expression is passed.

Aug.12:  President Museveni finally commissions a new project on River Nile, the 600 MW Karuma Power Project estimated to cost about US$1.5 billion.

Aug. 15: The Ministry of Health declares an outbreak of another zoonotic disease, the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, in Omot Sub-County, Agago District, northern Uganda. By the time, the outbreak is contained a month later, two deaths were confirmed.

Aug.17: Stephen Kiprotich writes his name into Uganda Sports history as he spectacularly follows up on his 2012 London Olympic Gold with another Marathon Gold in Moscow at the 2013 World Athletics Championship.

Aug. 29: Makerere University lecturers call off a month-long strike after the University Council agrees to meet their demands for a 70% pay raise using internally generated funds.

September

Sept. 3: Former Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya says the 2016 elections are already rigged in favour of the incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni. Bukenya who has declared his intention to stand for the 2016 presidential elections says, the Electoral Commission is in bed with the government and hence voting will only be for formality.

Sept. 4: Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda’s first female speaker, is elected Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians-International; a post she will hold for the next three years.

Sept.21: Militant gunmen linked to the Somali terrorist outfit Al-Shabaab storm the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi killing at least 39 on the first day. By the time the 80-hour ordeal is brought under control, 67, including 6 Kenya security officers are dead.

Sept.25: Youth Affairs Minister, Ronald Kibuule causes uproar over remarks that women who dress indecently and are consequently raped have themselves to blame and should instead be charged in the courts of law.

October

Oct. 5: Construction of the 188MW Isimba power station starts as the country seeks to add 2,088 MW to the grid over the next seven years.

On Oct. 9: Former FDC president, Kiiza Besigye, and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and other opposition leaders walk out in protest during Independence Day celebrations in Rukungiri. They were reportedly upset that the MC, Ofwono Opondo, claimed the people of Rukungiri had requested that the celebration be held in their district in order to recommit their faith in President Museveni and the NRM.  Besigye and group were arrested for walking out.

Oct. 11: Police confirms it is investigating the case of five Pakistani nationals allegedly repeatedly raping a 23-year old Ugandan woman. Police said they had arrested two of the culprits and efforts were under way to have the remaining three arrested. The suspects were workers at Yuasa Motor Agency.

Oct. 14: President Yoweri Museveni commissions the construction of the ultra-modern Nakawa-Naguru satellite housing project being developed in partnership with the Irish property Company; Comer Homes Group Company based in the United Kingdom and implemented under the Private-Public arrangement. The project includes residential, commercial and recreational facilities among others.

November

Nov. 30: The five heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) countries: Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya) and Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi) sign the Monetary Union Protocol paving way to the final stage of EAC integration as a political federation. The ceremony took place in Kampala and implementation is expected in the next 10 years.

Nov. 3: A rare total solar eclipse, where the moon appears to completely block out the sun’s view from the earth, occurred. In Uganda, the best views were in Pakwach town, Nebbi district where President Yoweri Museveni was the chief viewer. As the eclipse occurred at about 5:23pm, crowds jubilated, and some people knelt down in prayers, saying the moment signified a spiritual moment.

Lukwago voted out of office

Nov. 25: Kampala City Mayor Erias Lukwago is voted out of office by city councilors in a controversial special council meeting that was held at City Hall chaired by Frank Tumwebaze the minister for Kampala. Lukwago’s lawyers had earlier secured a court injunction halting the proceedings at City Hall but that did not stop the impeachment exercise.

December

Dec. 5: Nelson†Rolihlahla†Mandela, the former South African president who endured 27 years in prison in opposition to apartheid died at the age of 95 at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg. The African hero was hospitalised on June 8 with a recurring lung infection.

Dec. 4: Fire guts the Nakivubo Park Yard Market for the second time in a year destroying tradersí merchandise worth millions of shillings. A number of traders fainted on visiting the scene which by 7:00am was still on fire. Over 20,000 traders operate in the market.

Dec. 12: The government of DR Congo and the M23 rebels signed a deal to demobilise the fighters and transform themselves into a political party. Ugandaís president Yoweri Museveni and Malawian President Joyce Banda oversaw the signing ceremony in Nairobi when the latter was celebrating 50 years of independence. The rebel group had launched its rebellion in eastern Congo in April 2012 after they disagreed with the leadership of the current Congolese government.

Dec.14: Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Chairman Sam Kalega Njuba dies aged 72 years. Njuba was a former Kyadondo East MP, Constituent Assembly delegate and one time Minister for Constitutional affairs in President Museveniís government. He died of intestinal complications.

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