UPDF in Control Of National ID Project

By Red paper 

 KAMPALA-Colonel Stephen Kwiringira is the new head of National Security Information System project, which is in charge of producing National Identity Cards. He was appointed by General Aronda Nyakairima, the new internal affairs minister. 


Colonel Stephen Kwiringira is deputized by Major Kweri Celet Twino and Betty Nasenja, a lawyer in the Directorate of Immigration. Nasenja was involved in the initial national identity card project before it hit a snag. Colonel Kwiringira is the former Head of Information Technology in the UPDF.
His abrupt appointment during a stakeholders meeting recently took other stakeholders like Uganda Registration Services Bureau –URSB, NITA Uganda, UBOS, Electoral Commission (EC), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Police Force (UPF), Prisons Service, Ministries of Local Government, Finance and ICT by surprise.

The appointment by Nyakairima is the last straw in the Directorate of Immigration and Citizenship control’s attempts to shield UPDF from taking control of the national Identity card project. However, sources privy to the identity card project indicate that UPDF is banking on its experience of registering its personnel and perceived popularity amongst Ugandans to execute the project.

Col. Paddy Ankunda, the UPDF spokesperson denies claims that the army has taken firm control of the national identity card project saying it is still under the internal affairs ministry.
He explained that Col. Kwiringira has only been seconded to the project by UPDF. Issuance of National Identity cards was suspended two months ago amidst reports of inter-agency fights over management of the multi-billion shillings project.

In February, UPDF announced that it had introduced the Integrated Resource Management System in readiness for capturing Ugandans’ bio-metric data, a thing that was brushed off by Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Stephen Kagoda, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs declined to confirm the appointment of the UPDF Soldier as Project Manager saying that was outside his docket.

He however, says people should be bold enough to execute their job, on what to be in reference to the failure by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration control to come out on the appointment.
As government departments bicker of who should execute the national identity card project, the equipment imported for the job continues to waste away at Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation in Entebbe.

Westgate attack; Safaricom, Airtel on spot

The Communications Commission of Kenya( CCK) had given mobile service firms up-to December 2012 to registers all their subscribers and switch off the SIM cards belonging to those who had not complied to the regulation. The firms have however found themselves on the wrong side of the law with the police claiming some of the SIM cards used by the Westgate Mall attackers were not registered.

                                          CCKoffices in Nairobi

Police has warned four mobile phone firms' bosses and their vendors  that they risked arrest over criminal offences committed through any unregistered SIM cards on their network.  Bob Collymore,the Safaricom boss was questioned at CID headquarters while  Shivan Bhargava of Airtel reported to Makadara DCIO office to record his statement. Telkom’s Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein was grilled  at the Kilimani CID offices on Monday night.

The police and CCK officials   are carrying out a swoop around the country to investigate if mobile phone companies and their agents comply with the Communications Act and regulations that were issued last December.

The Flame of Freedom,Raila Odinga launches his auto biography

Kenya's former prime minister yesterday unveiled his auto-biograghy in an event attended by high profile dignitaries. The 959 page The Flame of Freedom tells tells of Raila's political life in the struggle for the second liberation of kenya. The book however is silent on the events that precceded the March 4 elections in which Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the president of kenya. Rail said the book is dedicated to the youth and the dream of Pan Africa which he said had been derailed by poverty, ignorance, disease and bad governance. “I have dedicated the book to the youths of Kenya; youths are like a constant river that flows to the ocean,” Raila said

The chief guest, the retired Nigerian president Olesugon Obasanjo hailed the Raila for writing up the book and encouraged other prominent persons in Kenya to emulate him. He said one deprives the future generation a lot when he/she refuses to write a book. He gave an example of Nigeria’s first African AG who refused to author a book. Obasanjo paid said Raila had sacrificed a lot in his life to ensure Kenya enjoys freedom whose culmination was the successful promulgation of the new constitution.

This comes after Babafemi A. Badejo's Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics. The event that took place at the KICC in Nairobi. Those who attended the launching included retired Nigerian president Olesugon Obansanjo, former AG sir Charles Njojo, fromer VP Kalonzo Musyoka, Governor Evans KideroSenators, Industrialists Manu Chandaria, Tabitha Karanja among other top dignitaries

Sanitary pads affair; a big heart from comrades

Accessing sanitary pads for most girls coming from poor background has been a great challenge. They have always resorted to using materials that pose as health hazards. Though many non-governmental organizations have made efforts to help the girls, they have not been able to reach all the needy girls. The girls undergo many untold difficulties because of lack of this very important commodity. It is unfortunate that some female leaders have done little to help. One of the touching incidences was when Citizen TV aired a news feature highlighting the problems girls in Marigat in Baringo County faced. Some female leaders from the region come out to refute the claims as a make of the media. Some went ahead to give solutions such as using mattress instead of the soil and animal skin the girls were using. If the Swahili saying “Adui wa mwanamke ni mwanake” is to go by, then these leaders are more than enemies of women. ‘Period of shame’ a news feature story depicting the responses from the leaders, clearly paints a vivid  picture of what really takes place on the ground. 

Zero Stain Supper Confidence

A section of students from Moi University have come up with an initiative to collect sanitary pads on behalf of the girls from poor families.  The initiative dubbed Zero Stain Supper Confidence targets to collect over 10,000 sanitary pads. The initiative was officially launched on 27^th of September at Moi University Main Campus. The initiative has since then seen tremendous positive response from the students. So far over 1000 sanitary pads have been collected. Dropping points have been set in different locations within the Main Campus where students can drop the pads they wish to donate. Since the initiative aims at collecting as many pads as possible, students are encouraged to donate as low as one pad or a minimum of Ksh. 50 for those who may not be in position to buy the pads. Ms. Linda Ng’ang’a, the initiative’s projects coordinator said they are having plans to bring all Moi University stakeholders on board so as to expand the initiative. She added that they are targeting both the teaching and the non-teaching staff.

Ms. Karen Ondwasi, the initiative’s chairperson said they are planning to also bring on board corporate bodies that will be willing to offer assistance. She also added that they were planning to roll out the initiative in all the campuses of Moi University. Speaking to My Herald Magazine, Mr.Henry Orimbo, the initiatives’s public relations officer confirmed that they had received a go ahead from the office of the dean of students which had also promised financial support in the initiative. Seemly it is due to the selfless spirit within the students that has made them to come to the rescue of their Kenyan sisters in need of the pads. The initiative has a facebook page “Zero Stain Supper Confidence” where interested parties can interact to the benefit of the project. The pioneers of the initiative include Karen Ondwasi, Linda Ng’ang’a, Henry Orimbo, Domnic Mitiro,Shaddy Mweke among others

This comes a few weeks after the Senator of Nairobi, Hon Mike Mbuvi Sonko donated about 6000 sanitary pads to some schools in Nairobi.

CHAMELEONE OUT FOR KONY

Ugandan Badilisha hit singer, Jose Chameleone is planning to meet Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony. Chameleone intends to convince Kony to pursue peaceful means in fighting for ‘liberation’
Chameleone who is set to perform in Central African Republic believes he will get a chance to meet the war lord. Kony is believed to be hiding in Central African Republic after being forced out of Uganda by the Uganda People's Defence Force in an operation to apprehend him.

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He was indicted in 2005 on 12 counts of crimes against humanity and 21 counts of war crimes by ICC. LRA is claimed to have been started to   establish a theocratic state based on the Ten Commandments and local Acholi tradition. The militia however later turned to killing its own people, the Acholi , and abducting and recruiting  children to become soldiers.

 Chameleone left Uganda yesterday after releasing his new single 'Tubonge' a Swahili gospel single.