Local media in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, report that numerous traders closed their shops on Tuesday in response to the implementation of a controversial tax invoicing system.
Many business owners fear that the new system will complicate their operations and increase their tax burdens. They also cite the high cost of the software as a significant concern.
The Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System (EFRIS) was introduced by the tax authority in January 2021 to monitor sales and taxes in real-time. However, its enforcement among small-scale traders has only recently begun, sparking protests.
Last week, traders in Kampala and other major cities staged two-day protests against the implementation of the system.
Despite the traders’ objections, Uganda’s Revenue Authority has proceeded with the system, arguing that its adoption will reduce tax evasion and streamline the tax filing process for businesses.
To combat an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease affecting animals, animal authorities in Uganda have reportedly prohibited the sale of meat in the capital city of Kampala.
In a letter cited by various local media outlets, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries stated, “Movement of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and their products and by-products from, to, through and within Kampala Capital City Authority, Kampala District, is prohibited until further notice.”
The ministry also ordered the closure of livestock markets, slaughter places, butcheries, loading grounds, and animal shows across the entire district with immediate effect.
Although the letter is dated March 1, Kampala authorities received it on Thursday, as reported by the privately owned Daily Monitor newspaper.
A city official informed the newspaper that they would collaborate with other agencies to enforce the quarantine measures. However, despite the restrictions, local media sources indicate that butcheries in the city are still operational.
Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious and causes fever and painful blisters inside the mouth and under the hooves of affected animals. It can be particularly lethal for young animals.
On Monday, January 15, 2024, President Akufo-Addo embarked on a journey from Ghana to attend the 2024 World Economic Forum Annual Meetings, scheduled from Tuesday, January 16, to Friday, January 19.
The invitation to this global forum came from Prof. Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.
Renowned as an iconic global assembly, the Davos Meeting gathers world leaders from various sectors such as politics, business, finance, and academia to deliberate on issues impacting the global community.
Following his participation in Davos, Switzerland, the president is set to travel to Kampala, Uganda, for the 2024 Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, themed “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.”
The Non-Aligned Movement traces its origins back to the first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference held from April 18 to 24, 1955, famously known as the Bandung Conference. Attended by delegations from 29 governments, primarily from Asia due to the colonial status of most African states at the time.
Subsequently, President Akufo-Addo will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the president-elect of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Boakai, in Monrovia, Liberia.
Accompanying the president are the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; along with officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Presidency.
The President is scheduled to return to Ghana on Monday, January 22, 2024. During his absence, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, Vice-President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will act as the head of state.
As revelers rang in the New Yearin Kampala, Uganda’s capital, at least nine people died in a shopping mall crush, according to authorities.
According to police, throngs racing to view a New Year’s fireworks display became jammed in a small hallway in a mall close to the capital of Uganda, killing at least nine people, including a 10-year-old boy.
Just after midnight, according to the police, people began pressing through a tunnel in the Freedom City Mall in Kampala.
“Very many people got stuck as they were entering in large numbers to see fireworks. In doing so, many people suffocated to death. So far nine people are confirmed dead,” the police statement said.
People had been celebrating the New Year at the mall which is on a highway linking Kampala to Entebbe International Airport.
“Emergency responders arrived on the scene and transported the injured individuals to the hospital, where nine were confirmed dead,” police spokesman Luke Owoyesigyire said.
Owoyesigyire added that “rash” acts and “negligence” had led to the tragedy.
The celebrations to welcome in 2023 were the first in the East African country since restrictions linked to theCOVID-19 pandemicand security issues were lifted.
Uganda’s health minister will receive a shipment of Ebola vaccine candidates on Thursday, which will be used in a clinical trial.
Since announcing an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola in September, the country has confirmed 142 cases, with 56 deaths.
The consignment will be received from World Health Organization representatives at a warehouse near the capital, Kampala, according to health ministry spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona in a tweet.
According to the AFP news agency, the health minister is expected to announce the start date of the trials.
Uganda has not registered any new positive Ebola cases in over three weeks, indicating that the outbreak might be under control.
As the government faces an Ebola outbreak, two areas in Uganda have been placed under lockdown for three weeks.
Bars, nightclubs, houses of worship, and entertainment venues in Mubende and neighbouring Kassanda will be closed, and a curfew will be imposed.
The move is a U-turn for Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who previously said there was no need for such measures.
This latest outbreak has killed 19 people among 58 recorded cases.
However, the real number of deaths and cases may be higher.
The outbreak began in early September in Mubende, about 80km (50 miles) from the capital Kampala, and has remained the epicentre.
President Museveni had previously ruled out lockdowns, saying Ebola was not an airborne virus so did not require the same measures as Covid-19.
But on Saturday he halted all movement in and out of Mubende and Kassanda districts for 21 days.
Cargo trucks will still be allowed to enter and leave the areas, he said, but all other transport will be stopped.
“These are temporary measures to control the spread of Ebola,” he said in a televised address.
“We should all cooperate with authorities so we bring this outbreak to an end in the shortest possible time.”
The president had already ordered police to arrest anyone suspected of having the virus who refused to isolate.
And he has forbidden traditional healers from trying to handle cases. In previous outbreaks, healers have been associated with hotspots for the spread of the virus.
The first recorded death in this outbreak was a 24-year-old man in Mubende. Six members of his family also died.
It later reached the capital Kampala, with one death recorded in October. But health officials said the city remained virus-free, as the man who died had travelled from Mubende.
This latest outbreak is of the Sudan strain of the virus, for which there is no approved vaccine. The Zaire strain, which killed 11,000 people in an outbreak across West Africa from 2013-2016, can be vaccinated against.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated material.
Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and in some cases internal or external bleeding.
The incubation period can last from two days to three weeks, and the virus can be associated with other illnesses, such as malaria and typhoid.
The Ugandan capital, Kampala, remains Ebola-free despite a 45-year-old man dying from the virus in the city a week ago, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
The victim – the 19th death from Ebola in the current outbreak – had fled from Mubende district.
On Thursday, the Ugandan authorities said that his wife had tested positive before giving birth at a clinic in the hospital, AFP reports.
“I want to state very clearly that this does not mean Kampala has Ebola,” Dr Aceng said.
“Cases that were already listed in Mubende remain cases of Mubende. Unless Kampala generates its own cases that start within Kampala, we cannot call that a Kampala case.”
Uganda has recorded 58 cases of the Sudan strain of Ebola since last month. There is no vaccine available for this strain.
President Yoweri Museveni’s office has announced that on Saturday he will be addressing the nation on Ebola for the second time this week.
As a continent with diverse cultures and landscapes, Africa is blessed with many cities that prospective tourists should definitely keep on their ‘bucket list’.
There’s no better experience in life than traveling and exploring several unique and exciting destinations.
But if you have your mind set on heading to a location that is always buzzing, then you might want to pick from one of these cities that never sleeps.
From the flashing lights to blazing hangouts, there are so many options worth checking out and definitely a lot of packed activities that come with it.
Let’s take a look at some exciting African cities that tourists should consider
Osu (Accra)
Experience the Osu Night Market, where for over 125 years, people have been coming for food, drink and household items, sharing stories and laughs among friends, and listening to local music blaring in the streets.
There is an amazing feast for the eyes and ears and the mouth. Come hungry for local foods and feel the life of this unique market.
Osu is popular for carnivals, live band displays, art fairs, and lots more. These events ultimately drive traffic to the night market.
Kampala
Located in the heart of Uganda, East Africa, Kampala is packed with fun activities all day and all night.
Ever heard of the “famous Kampala nightlife”?
Well, asides from the city’s incredible safari parks and lake tours, there are tons of Casinos and nightclubs that keep buzzing from dusk till dawn.
Interestingly they are noted for their insatiable cravings for “flavored beers” and you might find these at almost every pub.
Nairobi
Situated in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi has also been touted as a hub for real entertainment.
Nairobi gathers Kenya’s diverse cultures, cuisines, and people into one city.
There is always so much to see and do, such that it’s hard to know where to start.
One gets to experience more adventure that includes Safari parks, free cultural dances, crafts, music, and so on.
Also, Nairobi has carved a great niche for itself on the nightlife front.
Locals, expats, and visitors mingle at various venues that range from exclusive champagne bars to nightclubs that are flooded with the sounds of electrifying African beats.
Cairo
While many plan to do little in Egypt like just visiting the pyramids, those with more time will find this city possibly even more enchanting.
There are around-the-clock activities including romantic dinners and belly dancing shows on the legendary river Nile.
Also, there are tons of mind-blowing rooftop bars and night tours at some of its wonderful places.
Cairo asides from being noted for sightseeing also offers good fun.
Marakesh (Morroco)
Being the fourth largest city in Morrocco, Marrakech promises all sorts of wild sensations.
Horse-drawn carriage rides, Architectural tours, sunny terraces, desert rides, and other activities give a taste of a wishful comeback.
When the sun sets, Marrakech offers a “stress-free” experience.
The city overwhelmingly offers a good taste of food, dance, and music every day after sunset.
Disclaimer: This is subject to the writer’s discretion, research, and views from travelers. Readers might have their own favorites outside the list
Villagers try to pull up the minibus in which 14 bodies were retrieved from inside the river Nabuyonga in Namakwekwe, eastern Uganda, on August 1, 2022.
Kampala, Uganda Floods in parts of eastern Uganda resulting from torrential rains have killed at least 24 people, the government and Uganda Red Cross said.
The flooding in parts of Bugisu, Mbale, and Kapchorwa initially killed 10 people on Sunday, the state ministry in charge of relief, disaster preparedness, and refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement late on Sunday.
But the death toll rose further on Monday.
Uganda Red Cross spokesperson Irene Nakasita told reporters that so far rescuers had retrieved 21 bodies from Mbale and another three from Kapchorwa.
She said a truck carrying relief supplies was on its way to attend to those displaced in the affected areas.
The torrential rains come right after a prolonged drought in vast swaths of the country that has left many areas parched and crops in fields scorched.
Uganda’s eastern region is prone to flooding after heavy rains, but the whole country is vulnerable to natural disasters.
Intense rainfall has led to many fatalities in the past.
More than 30 people were killed and many more displaced when floods swept away homes in the country’s eastern Bududa district in 2018. Earlier in 2010, around 80 people were killed from intense landslides after a torrential downpour in Bududa, one of Uganda’s worst disasters in recent years.
More than 300,000 people have been affected by floods and landslides in Bududa and Sironko districts – both in eastern Uganda and Bundibugyo in the western region, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. An estimated 65,000 people have been displaced, the report added.
President Yoweri Museveni on Monday said the government will distribute free masks to all citizens aged over six before lifting coronavirus containment measures.
Thereafter, shops will be allowed to open, public transport vehicles will be allowed to carry only half their capacity and food market vendors who have been working and living at their stalls will be allowed to go home at the end of each day.
However, public transport is still banned in border districts for 21 days.
