State House war over Museveni social media accounts explodes
Kampala. What was initially an in-house war in State House’s Presidential Press Unit (PPU) has become public, sucking in the President, who finds himself at the centre of a conflict over his Facebook account and Twitter handle.
The explosion of the intrigue pits Ms Sarah Kagingo, the special presidential assistant for communication, against Ms Linda Nabusayi, the deputy presidential press secretary. Ms Kagingo has been running Mr Museveni’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
However, presidential press secretary Tamale Mirundi said yesterday: “Recently, changes were made at State House and everybody was informed of the changes.”
The responsibility of updating the President’s social media platforms, he added, “is no longer under Sarah Kagingo. Linda Nabusayi took over.”
But Ms Kagingo insists she still runs the show. “Well, I await official communication, a termination letter,” she said.
When contacted, State House comptroller Lucy Nakyobe declined to answer all questions put to her by this reporter, consistently replying, “I have no comment.” In an interview with The Observer newspaper last week, Ms Nakyobe said: “Kagingo was overwhelmed and she needed someone (Nabusayi) to help her.”
The standoff hit its climax on Monday when Ms Kagingo announced on her private Facebook page that the President’s Twitter and Facebook accounts had been hacked by saboteurs and all tweets and updates were invalid.
Minutes later a tweet from @YoweriMuseveni read: “I am still in charge of my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Forgive@SarahKagingo.”
A parallel Twitter account @YoweriKMuseveni has since been opened with Ms Kagingo claiming she has been locked out and denied access as the administrator of the original account @YoweriMuseveni which boasts of more than 68,000 followers.
The last two weeks have seen public anger increase on the new Twitter account, with followers openly decrying the standard of English in particular, and the presidential language in general.
Ms Kagingo said: “I sought to immortalise the President’s ideas through online platforms but this seems to have made some people unhappy. He is a self-selling brand but if I have been sabotaged, it is okay, public offices are not person to holder.”
Efforts to contact Ms Nabusayi for a comment were futile as she did not answer nor return repeated phone calls and reply messages but Mr Mirundi insisted: “Whether she does what or what (sic), Kagingo is no longer in charge, it is now Nabusayi.”
The spillover of the intrigue in the press unit, inside sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, revealed, “is the culmination of a protracted fight over money and power among State House cliques.”
Ms Nabusayi, sources reveal, has the blessing of President Museveni’s private secretary, Maj Edith Nakalema and Ms Nakyobe.
“When Nabusayi came, Mirundi lost control of the administrative and financial roles in the unit. He now has no choice but side with the Nakalema-Nakyobe-Nabusayi clique which runs the show in State House,” our source revealed.
On the other hand, Ms Kagingo is seen as close and loyal to principal private secretary Mary Amajo, “who is seen as hostile to the Nakalema clique and hated for being overly principled.”
Recently, PPU photographers reportedly received express orders from Maj Nakalema and Ms Nakyobe, “to strictly send photographs to only Nabusayi or be fired”.
In one of the meetings early this year, Mr Museveni asked the PPU top leadership how much it would cost them to run his online communication. After long silence, a member suggested Shs400m but as the President wrote it down, Ms Kagingo said: “Your excellency, about Shs4m is enough. There aren’t many costs.”
Neither Ms Nakyobe nor Mr Mirundi accepted to comment on these particular issues.
Social media dispute
Some PPU members, our sources say, insisted State House should hire a private public relations firm to manage Mr Museveni’s social media platforms, a move Ms Kagingo is seen as a stumbling block to.
Source: Daily Monitor
iDroid launches in Uganda
iDroid USA, the makers of the iDroid phones, have launched their products in Uganda.
During the launch of the event at Sheraton hotel Kampala last week, Joe Qureshi, the co-founder and chief marketing officer of iDroid USA, unveiled two new phones, the iDroid Royal V7 and iDroid Tango A5, describing them as devices that will change the way mobile phones are used. He said the phones ran on the latest Android operating system KitKat 4.4 OS.
“iDroid phone combines basic everyday tasks - tasks associated with e-mail, browsing the web, playing games, watching movies, reading the e-books and sharing pictures. So people can do more in fewer steps,” said Qureshi.
The company already employs more than 60 Ugandans after less than two months in the market.
Sam Engola, the minister of state for Housing, presided over the event, together with Pakistan consular in Uganda, Bonny Katatumba.
“Qureshi, a Pakistan citizen has been in Uganda for just 45 days but has already invested in the country. We would like more of such people in Uganda,” said Katatumba.
iDroid US has partnered with local mobile carriers such as MTN Uganda, Airtel and Africell, to sell their products. Other private and online outlets such as Jumia sell the phones. The iDroid Royal V7 cost Shs 949,000, while the Tango A5 goes for Shs 649,000.
Source: The Observer
Why does the anti-lock braking system light come on?
From the time when vehicles were first manufactured to date, a lot of changes, in terms of technologies and performance, have occurred.
This is largely because there are so many competing companies all over the world which has led to the successive production of vehicles of quality, incorporating new technologies that ensure comfort and safety.
One of the technologies that were incorporated into vehicles in the last 30 years or so is the anti-lock braking system, commonly known as the ABS.
Friction between the tyres and the road is so essential for all aspects of the vehicle’s control. But many a time on applying the brakes, they may lock up all the wheels, making the driver lose control and send the vehicle into a dangerous skid.
This can happen even with the most careful driver, especially during an emergency braking or when the road surface is wet or slippery. Anti-lock braking systems are now fitted to most vehicles so as to help drivers maintain directional control while decreasing the stopping distance.
Vehicles these days have onboard computers/electronic control units (ECUs) which we may safely call the brains of a vehicle. This unit is fed with information inputs, or signals, from each wheel, information such as whether the wheel is revolving and at what speed.
All this is collected by sensors and fed into the ECU and in return, the ECU outputs continuous instructions to the baking unit. Based on the input signals from the wheel sensors, the ABS system’s ECU knows the speed of each wheel, so when the brakes are applied, the wheels, and hence the vehicle, start to slow down.
The ECU monitors each of the wheels’ speeds and in case it is about to lock, then the ECU reduces the braking pressure for that wheel unit the tyre gains grip once again.
This process of sensing and reacting happens so rapidly that it may not be noticed by a vehicle’s occupants. Now, when the ABS system shows signs of failure, a warning light will appear on the vehicle’s dashboard. And these are some of the reasons the ABS may fail to work:
It often indicates that one of the wheel speed sensors has a problem/is faulty. This means that it cannot effectively communicate a fault to the ECU, and because of this, the light will come on.
An ABS warning light may also indicate the loss of power-assist, if the vehicle’s ABS system relies on an electric pump and the pressure accumulator pump, rather than the conventional vacuum booster.
If both the ABS and brake warning lights come on, yet the power assist is present, then the brake fluid level could be too low and there is loss in one of the brake circuits.
In most cases, the wheels are fitted with rings on their driving shafts which the wheel sensor operates hand-in-hand with. Most mechanics, while replacing the drive shafts, tend to disregard the rings. This means the sensors cannot work effectively and may trigger off the ABS light.
Because many vehicles have very low ground clearance, the cables connecting the ABS system underneath the vehicle often break, most especially when one drives through rough terrain, although they can also break after wearing out, or when a mechanic is working around that particular area in the vehicle.
Lastly, a vehicle showing an ABS warning light doesn’t mean it will not brake. However, that is how it was designed to operate for it to work maximally. This means as soon as the ABS light comes on, make sure you immediately take it to a professional mechanic.
Source: The Observer
Senzo Meyiwa: 'Shock and devastation' over shooting
Furman, who plays for Doncaster Rovers, told BBC Sport: "It's complete and utter shock and devastation.
"He has a young family so there's more to it than losing a footballer - someone's lost a dad."
Meyiwa, a goalkeeper, played for Orlando Pirates and featured in South Africa's last four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
South Africa's football coach Ephraim Mashaba paid a tearful tribute to captain Senzo Meyiwa
On Saturday, he was in action for his club, when they progressed to the semi-finals of the South African League Cup.
He was reportedly attacked after men entered his girlfriend's house in Vosloorus, south of Johannesburg and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.
Former Chelsea, Rangers and Oldham player Furman, who has 18 caps for South Africa, described Meyiwa as a "lovely guy".
He added: "He was very respectful, very friendly and he was just the nicest guy you could wish to meet. He had a lot of great relationships within the team, kept everyone together and his performances were exemplary."
"We don't know what happened but whatever has it's a life taken away far too soon."
Nigeria’s Michael Babatunde appears to have arm broken by teammate’s...
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Museveni praises FDC’s Kassiano Wadri
Kassiano Wadri, the outspoken former chairman of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, has won praise from President Yoweri Museveni for his leadership of the oversight committee.
In a speech on Tuesday, the president told the NRM MPs’ caucus that under the opposition Terego MP’s leadership between 2011-13, PAC “consulted” him on every contentious issue that touched his name.
Museveni attended the caucus at the prime minister’s office at Parliament on Tuesday to, among other things, discuss a report by PAC that implicated key officials in the mismanagement of Shs 10bn meant for the Presidential Initiative on market vendors and other small business operators. The officials are incoming government chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa and former finance minister Syda Bbumba.
INTENTIONS
Museveni wondered why PAC, now under Alice Alaso (Serere Woman, FDC), did not give him an opportunity to answer queries raised during the course of the committee’s investigation before the final report was written.
“These people who signed the report were either not knowledgeable or they had their intentions,” the president reportedly said. “PAC chaired by Wadri always consulted me on all issues which involved my name, but these ones didn’t.
“This was my project, but because I wanted to ensure accountability, I used the Micro-Finance Support Centre, to recommend the beneficiaries, but I wanted the poor traders to get capital,” Museveni added.
The president was flanked by Rwampara MP Vincent Kyamadidi, who said: “It’s true some of the people [MPs on PAC] didn’t attend the public hearings where we got the opinions of the would-be beneficiaries.”
In response, Evelyn Naome Kaabule (Luuka, Woman), who signed the report, said: “We were new on the committee and when we joined, we found many reports on the shelves and we divided ourselves into groups within the committee such that each group writes a report, but all members signed all reports without participating in its writing.”
Ahead of the 2011 elections, President Museveni earmarked Shs 10bn to support small businesses, but, according to the PAC report, the money was misappropriated by politicians and technocrats.
CHINESE LOANS
In his brief presentation, Museveni told his party MPs that he was more interested not in defending the errant government officials but in getting the caucus to support loan requests for $567.7 million (about 1.6 trillion) to facilitate the construction of Isimba-Bujagali interconnection project and Isimba Hydropower that would generate over 183MW once completed.
According to our sources, the president said that the loans approved by the Chinese government only await Parliament’s approval here.
“I have come here for those requests and you are going to support me, but you people have a tendency of shouting [in Parliament] without any knowledge,” he warned, adding: “So, leave those who can talk to speak,” a source further quoted Museveni as saying.
He said the Chinese are perplexed by Uganda’s reluctance to approve the loans: “They were approved by China and they are wondering what Uganda, which applied for these loans, is still doing to approve them. I am going to China [very soon] to sign an agreement with them.”
Source: The Observer
Will Ferrell Crashes US Soccer Rally, Threatens To Bite A Lot Of Germans
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Zambia's President Sata dies in UK
Zambian President Michael Sata has died in London, where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness, three private Zambian media outlets said.
The reports on the private Muzi television station, and the Zambia Reports and Zambian Watchdog websites, said the southern African nation's cabinet was about to meet.
Government officials gave no immediate comment.
The reports said Sata had died on Tuesday evening at London's King Edward VII hospital. The hospital declined to comment.
Sata, 77, left Zambia for medical treatment on October 19 accompanied by his wife and family members, according to a brief government statement that gave no further details.
There has been no official update on his condition and acting president Edgar Lungu had to lead celebrations last week to mark the landlocked nation's 50th anniversary of independence from Britain.
Concern over Sata's health has been mounting in the country since June, when he disappeared from the public eye without explanation and was then reported to be getting medical treatment in Israel.
He missed a scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly in September amid reports that he had fallen ill in his New York hotel.
A few days before that, he had attended the opening of parliament in Lusaka, joking: "I am not dead." Sata has not been seen in public since he returned to Zambia from New York in late September.
Sata, who once worked as a railway porter in London, had been the country's president since September, 2011 after winning a tight presidential race against the then incumbent, Rupiah Banda.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
British women’s handbags are as heavy as small dogs and full of crap
If your handbag weighs a ton and is full of crap, you’re not alone.
In fact you’re in the majority, as nine out of ten British women have admitted to carrying more then 10 items of junk in their bags at any given time.
So it’s hardly surprising that on average our handbags weigh 5.4Ibs – around the same as a small dog.
The survey of 3,000 women, conducted by Vapestick, also reflected on the changes to the contents of women’s bags over the past 20 years.
While back in the 90s a filofax (remember them?), A-Z (kids: this was a book version of Google maps. Imagine!) and cheque book would have been handbag staples, they’ve now been replaced by the likes of smart phones, tablets and credit cards.
All of which means that most of us have over £1,000 of kit hanging off our elbows. Scary.
But how true are these stats? Well, we decided to delve into the handbags of the women of the Metro.co.uk office to find out…
A pretty streamlined affair… but this picture doesn’t tell the full story. It’s missing my iPad and phone, and I also lug around a canvas bag full of various other ‘just in case’ items too.
As you can see, Ellen is one of the 36 per cent of women who carries spare underwear in her bag. In fact, she has a whole other outfit in there. Amazing.
Sunglasses (in the winter?), a spare necklace, nail varnish and an iPhone charger are just some of Emily’s ‘essentials’.
Sarah doesn’t usually carry soup in her bag (it’s her lunch, so we’ll let her off), but the takeaway menu is typical of the kind of junk women accidentally leave languishing at the bottom of their bags for weeks.
Amy’s handbag not only contains her entire makeup bag, but also four hair clips, tweezers (in the office?) and a weeks worth of contact lenses. Surely she doesn’t need it all?
No wonder Vaishali’s bag weighs so much – she has three full-sized beauty products and a hairbrush in there. Maybe it’s time she treated herself to some handy minis.
Source: metro.co.uk
DRC embassy officials receive death threats over Mugumya
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has launched investigations into recent death threats to officials at the DR Congo embassy in Kampala following the recent finger-pointing between Kampala and Kinshasa over the arrest of Opposition activist, Sam Mugumya.
The ministry’s spokesperson Mr Fred Opolot, told Daily Monitor last week, the embassy had lodged a complaint of the diplomats receiving “anonymous” threatening calls.
“The security of the embassy and all its employees is our responsibility here, and we have intensified security at the premises,” he said.
Mr Opolot said whereas they would conduct their own inquest, the matter had been forwarded to police.
To this date, Mr Opolot said they were yet to make official communication with the Kinshasa government on the whereabouts [fate] of Mr Mugumya, whose disappearance was later known to have been arrested in Eastern DR Congo over illegal entry.
Denied his where about
The DR Congo Embassy in Kampala denied knowledge of his whereabouts and said the Ugandan military who broke the news of his arrest were best suited to comment on the matter.
The UPDF spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda said Mr Mugumya, a youth activist of the Forum Democratic Change, was arrested in company of four others with huge sums of dollars and documents linking them to a plot to oust the Ugandan government.
The Eastern DR Congo military- FARDC commander in North Kivu Province, Brig Gen Muhindo Akili Mundos, last week admitted to be holding Mr Mugumya, also an aide to three-time presidential election runner-up, Dr Kizza Besigye, but said he would be transferred to Kishansa as investigations continue.
Source: Daily Monitor
