Tag: Uganda

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EDUCATION HEADLINES NEWS & LIFE

172 Nigerians evacuated from Uganda, Kenya arrive in Abuja

Flight postponement delays evacuation of Nigerians from Canada
Evacuation of Nigerians

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says 172 Nigerian evacuated from Uganda and Kenya arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 10:20 am local time on Wednesday.

The commission disclosed this in a statement by Mr Gabriel Odu of its Media, Public Relations, and Protocol Unit.

He said that the evacuees arrived via @flyairpeace Flight B777-200 from Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

According to him, some of the evacuees disembarked at the airport in Abuja while others proceeded to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

“The exercise was put together by our Mission in Nairobi, Kenya in collaboration with the Mission in Kampala, Uganda.

“All evacuees tested negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days self-isolation as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria and PTF on #COVID-19,” he said.

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INTERNATIONAL

Uganda records highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases

Uganda receives Nigerian Technical Aid Volunteers
Uganda

Uganda’s Ministry of Health late Saturday reported 84 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily increase so far, bringing the nationwide tally to 413.

Out of the 1,835 samples collected from cross-border cargo truck drivers and communities in the last 24 hours, 52 Ugandan truck drivers and 32 contacts of previously confirmed cases under quarantine tested positive for the virus, the ministry said in a statement.

“Additionally, 51 positive foreign truck drivers were handed over to their country of origin,’’ it said.

It has been the highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases since the index case was confirmed on March 21.

A total of 72 recoveries and no death has so far been reported in the country, according to the ministry.

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INTERNATIONAL

Uganda records 36 new cases of COVID-19, total tally now 317

Uganda receives Nigerian Technical Aid Volunteers
Uganda

Uganda has recorded 36 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 317, the country’s Health Ministry said late Thursday.

Out of the 2,230 samples collected from cross-border cargo truck drivers and communities, 24 Ugandan truck drivers and 12 close contacts of previously confirmed cases under quarantine tested positive for the virus, the ministry said in a statement.

Twenty-six foreign truck drivers, who tested positive at the country’s common border entry points, were handed over to their country of origin, it said.

Out of the 317 COVID-19 cases, 69 have recovered and no one has died of the respiratory disease in the country, according to the health ministry.

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INTERNATIONAL

World Bank approves $48m to help Uganda fight locust plague

Uganda receives Nigerian Technical Aid Volunteers
Uganda

The World Bank said its board of executive directors has approved $48 million to help Uganda fight a desert locust invasion threatening livelihoods.

The funds, under the Emergency Locust Response Programme, will help Uganda monitor and manage locust swarms to limit the growth of existing and new desert locust populations, the bank said in a statement.

The funds will also provide livelihood protection and restoration to the affected households, communities and vulnerable groups.

“The project is expected to support 950,000 direct beneficiaries and about 1.2 million indirect beneficiaries in the locust-affected districts,’’ the bank said.

“The outbreak could undermine development gains and threaten the food security and livelihoods of millions of Ugandans.’’

With support from other development partners, Uganda has started the fight against the migratory insects.

The country deployed over 2,000 soldiers and 835 civilian personnel, including agriculture extension workers, to contain the locusts.

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INTERNATIONAL

13 workers die in building collapse in Uganda

13 workers die in building collapse in Uganda
13 workers die in building collapse in Uganda

Uganda authority said a rescue operation was called off on Monday after 13 bodies were recovered from a building that collapsed over the weekend in the nation’s capital of Kampala.

“We do not expect any other survivors…” Maureen Nabuduwa from the Red Cross said, adding that four people were rescued from the rubble.

Police spokesperson Luke Oweyisigire said “we think that the structure had over 20 workers who were working and sleeping there.”

Oweyisigire said that an investigation had been launched to find out why the three-storey building collapsed in the city’s southern suburb of Makindye.

Local newspaper the Daily Monitor reported that authorities had halted work on the building in March because of defects and inadequate plans.

The workers had been staying on site because of lockdown restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper said.

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INTERNATIONAL

Kenya, Uganda suffer nationwide power outages

Kenya, UK sign economic agreement to spur trade
Kenya

The East African nations of Kenya and Uganda were on Saturday plunged into nationwide electricity outages.

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company said that the country lost power supply in the National Grid due to a system disturbance which occurred on the transmission network.

According to the company, the blackout began at 5.49 a.m (0249 GMT).

“Engineers had identified a technical fault at a section of the main high voltage transmission power line that services the capital Nairobi.

“The fault on the critical line led to the overloading of other power generators countrywide and is suspected to have caused the nationwide blackout,“it said.

In neighbouring Uganda, the national electricity provider also announced a countrywide power failure on Saturday.

The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd. (UETCL), team was working to have the power supply restored as soon as possible.

It however, remained unclear on Saturday morning if the two blackouts were connected.

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INTERNATIONAL

Uganda cautions public on HIV/AIDS spread amid COVID-19 pandemic

Uganda receives Nigerian Technical Aid Volunteers
Uganda

The Ugandan Government, on Wednesday, cautioned the public not to relax efforts in combating HIV/AIDS in spite of all energies being targeted towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Esther Mbayo, the minister in charge of the presidency, told newsmen that gains made in the fight against HIV/AIDS may be reversed if efforts to combat the disease, that has leftover two million Ugandans dead since the 1980s, are relaxed.

“Currently, a lot of the national efforts are geared towards the management and prevention of the spread of COVID-19, but the population should not relax efforts and commitments towards preventing and ending HIV/AIDS,’’ Mbayo said.

She was speaking ahead of the International Candlelight Memorial Day scheduled for May 17 when communities stand in solidarity with those who lost their loved ones to AIDS.

According to Ministry of Health figures, Uganda has so far recorded 98 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the government fears that the disease may spread further since some of the confirmed cases interacted with the public.

Mbayo says ongoing efforts to combat HIV/AIDS are on course with successes registered to achieve the global target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

She said to remain on course, the efforts must be persistent.

Ministry of Health figures show that annually, 23,000 people die as a result of HIV and the country registers 50,000 new infections.

The minister said responsible government agencies will push out prevention messages countrywide for both COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS.

She said leaders at the district level should, in the face of COVID-19 lockdown, minimise disruption of access to HIV services and ensure adherence to antiretroviral therapy. (Xinhua/NAN)

ACO/AIB

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INTERNATIONAL

Floods sweep 2 children in western Uganda

Floods sweep 2 children in western Uganda
Floods sweep 2 children in western Uganda

At least two children were killed by floods following heavy rains in the western Ugandan district of Rubanda on Saturday, the Police said on Sunday.

Elly Maate, the Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson, in a statement, said two female juveniles were swept away by running water at Karengyere village, Muko Sub County, amid a heavy downpour.

“The Police in Muko received information that two female juveniles were yesterday (Saturday) swept by running water amid heavy downpour.

“The bodies were retrieved pending post-mortem,’’ Maate said.

Several parts of the East African country, especially western and eastern regions, are currently experiencing normal to above normal rainfall, with destructive effects, according to the weather department.

In its March-May seasonal rainfall outlook, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority warned of enhanced rainfall over several parts of the country that could result into disasters such as landslides and floods, leading to loss of lives and destruction of property in the first major rain season.

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INTERNATIONAL

5 people killed, 38 missing in Uganda as rains batter East Africa

4 buildings in Sanaa collapse amid heavy rainfall
Heavy rainfall

At least five people have died and 38 are missing after landslides caused by heavy rains buried homes in eastern Uganda, the Red Cross and police officials said on Thursday.

Three children were among the dead in villages on the hills that form the Elgon range in Bududa district, according to the Uganda Red Cross.

More than 200 people have been displaced.

The area’s police spokesman, Robert Tukei, told dpa that “many people have been killed in the landslides but we are yet to establish the exact numbers.”

Rivers in the area have also burst their banks, causing floods downstream, the Red Cross said.

Uganda and many other countries in East Africa have been hit by “unusually heavy rainfall and flooding,” according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA).

More than 2.8 million people have now been affected and more than 280 have reportedly died, UN-OCHA said in an updated issued on Wednesday.

Almost half of the deaths were reported in Kenya.

“Across the region, homes, infrastructure and livelihoods have been destroyed and damaged in the hardest-hit areas, and the risk of communicable diseases – including cholera – is rising,” the UN agency warned.

The rainfall has been driven by a weather phenomenon known as the positive Indian Ocean Dipole. It is expected to diminish in the coming weeks, but “heavy rains are likely to persist into December and to intensify in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,” it added

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INTERNATIONAL

6 killed in Uganda lightning strike

6 killed in Uganda lightning strike
6 killed in Uganda lightning strike

Six people were killed and 11 others critically injured when lightning struck on Thursday the northern Ugandan district of Pader.

Police Commander, Tom Bainomugisha, told Xinhua by telephone that the group of people was gathering under a big tree when the lightning struck during a morning drizzle.

“The group had spent the night in prayers for a bereaved person when the incident happened,’’ Bainomugisha said.

Lightning is common in the region, according to Bainomugisha.

In September, four farmers were killed by lightning in the southwestern district of Kanungu.

The country’s weather department said last month that the ongoing raining season was at its peak, warning that parts of the country are likely to face flooding, lightning and mudslides.