The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Events of 2019

 

2019 has been quite the year, political turmoil, deaths, beauty contests, floods, diseases, businesses among others. We celebrate the good ones and regret the bad ones with hope that 2020 will be kinder.

In this list, we bring you the good and bad events in 2019 that shaped news, discussions and policies in Uganda

Miss curvy beauty contest

In February 2019, state minister for tourism Godfrey Kiwanda introduced the first ever Miss Curvy Beauty Contest in Uganda under the theme ‘Epitome of African beauty’ amidst criticism from the general public.

The minister said showcasing the curvaceous beauty plus size women of Uganda will be one way of promoting Uganda’s tourism sector.

This was however, deemed by many as demeaning and perversion.

Despite the criticism, the contest went on and a finale was held in April and won by one Nasasi Belinda. However, the other contestants accused the organizers of cheating. Things went from bad to worse when it emerged that the Jeep Grand Cherokee car that was given to the winner was a sham. It is unclear if the contest will be repeated this year. We wait.

Aidah Natamba

The outgoing state minister for ICT and Kayunga Member of Parliament Aidah Natamba on 24th March caused a steer, when she run to police claiming someone had attempted to assassinate her.

She claimed two men riding on a bike trailed her from Kayunga until she diverted into a police station.

Officers in response chased after and arrested one Ronald Ssebulime, who they later on shot dead.

The police under growing pressure, apologized after it was discovered that Ssebulime was in fact on his way to see his daughter at school.

Natamba insisted that Ssebulime wanted to kill her but questioned why police had shot him after arresting him. She argued that this could have been done to cover up evidence.

For months that followed, Natamba was bashed for causing the death of an innocent man, and was reportedly directed by the president to take a bread from work.

Age limit appeal

Following months of court hearings, the Supreme Court sat on 18th April 2019 to give its final verdict on the appeal against the presidential age limit constitutional amendment that has just been upheld by the Constitutional Court in Mbale in August 2018.

A panel of 7 judges sat in Kampala to determine whether the scrapping of age limit for the presidential candidates by parliament was done in accordance with the law.

It was a very important day for Ugandans especially the opposition who felt that age limit was the only way of putting a stop to Uganda’s longest serving president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

In the end however, the panel of judges led by Chief justice Bart Katurebe upheld the constitutional court judgement, allowing the president of Uganda to rule until the electorates vote him/ her out

Bobi Wine

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has been in the news through this year. He has been playing cat and mouse games with the police, was arrested, presented in court, his musical concerts cancelled.

He also put in appearances at international TVs and formally announced that he will stand for presidency in 2021.

Uganda Airline

On 28 august, after 2 decades of waiting, the long awaited Uganda Airlines relaunch flight took to the skies.

A group of politicians, celebrities including Golola Moses of Uganda and journalists took the maiden Ugandan Airline flight to Nairobi.

Uganda received its first two Bombardier CRJ 900 aircrafts in April after Parliament approved the revival of the National Airline that had collapsed in 2001.

The two planes were expected to start commercial operations in July as Uganda waits for the delivery of the other two planes. However, due to a few glitches, the commercial flights only started a month later.

Entebbe Expressway Murder

On 5th September, two people were gruesomely shot to death along the Kampala- Entebbe express highway near Nambigirwa Bridge at around 10:30pm Thursday.

The two were later identified as Joshua Nteireho Rushegera, a relative of the first family and a one Mellina Tumukunde, a wife to a businessman in Mbarara.

The actual cause of the killing was never discovered although Security organs arrested a few individuals including the relatives of the deceased and a constable Davis Taremwa whose gun was found at the crime scene. However, they were later let free as there was no evidence to show they were involved in the killings

Fuel tank accident in Rubirizi

On august 18, A truck carrying fuel from Kenya to Congo lost control and rammed into shops in Kyambura Trading Centre, Rubirizi district in western Uganda, killing at least 23 people while others were left with serious injuries and   properties worth millions destroyed.

The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni visited the place and offered Shs 5m to the families of those that lost people and Shs 1m to the injured victims

 

Maria Nagirinya

A social worker by names of Maria Nagirinya Gateni and her driver, one Ronald Kitayimbwa were kidnapped from Lungujja at her gate as they returned home in the late hours of the morning of 18th August 2019.

Both were killed by what pathologists said was a blunt object which was used to hit them on the head. Their bodies were found dumped on August 30^th in Mukono district.

A group of assailants confessed to have been paid by a certain individual to kill Nagirinya. A number of policemen were also convicted for failing to detect and respond to the kidnap faster although there were CTTV cameras in the area where there were kidnapped

Miss Uganda

Following a very successful 2018 Miss Uganda and Miss World contest that saw Ms Quiin Abenakyo become the 2018 Miss Uganda and Miss World Africa, the organizers were at it again, trying to find another Ugandan beauty that would stand in the shoes of the famous Busoga beauty Abenakyo. After a long search.

Oliver Nakakande was crowned Miss Uganda 2019 amidst public criticism and drama on the finale from the self-styled queen Zari Hassan and Anita Fabiola who were co-hosts.

Med Kaggwa

On November 2019, the country woke up to the shock at the passing of the Uganda human rights commission chairman Med Kagwa.

The 64-year-old collapsed in his car around Mulago hospital, was rushed to Case Clinic where he was announced dead on arrival.

Cases of people dying from Non communicable diseases like pressure, heart diseases, cancer are on the rise in Uganda.

Floods

The year has been characterized with heavy rains that led to deaths of people and destruction of properties.

The heavy rains are attributed to the changing climate times triggered by climate change. The most affected areas included Bundibugyo, Kasese, Wakiso, Entebbe have also been experiencing heavy floods that have paralyzed movements, destroyed properties and led to deaths.

The Measles-Rubella Immunization Campaign

The Ministry of Health organized and carried out a mass national measles and Rubella campaign for children between 9 months and 15 years from the 16th to 22th of December in different parts of the country. The campaign was largely successful and over 19m children were immunized.

The Anti-Corruption walk 

On 4th December, the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni led hundreds of government officials, civil society and civilians in the first ever Anti-Corruption walk. Roads and everyday work in and around Kampala were paralyzed a thing that angered Ugandans who felt the walk was unnecessary and another way of swindling the tax payers money as the people taking the walk were the ones practicing corruption mostly

Cabinet reshuffle

Finally, when we thought the year could get less interesting, the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni on 15th December came through with an early Christmas shocker by reshuffling his cabinet, largely maintaining the same old ministers on top while making a few interesting changes in some positions.

Some ministers like Irene Muloni from Energy, Janet Mukwaya from Gender, Azuba Ntenge from Works, The infamous Aidah Natamba from ICT, Haji Nadduli from Minister without Portfolio among others lost their ministerial positions.

New comers include Raphael Magezi was rewarded with Minister for Local Government, former police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba who replaced Frank Tumwebaze as the Minister for ICT.

Gen Katumba Wamala in the new changes became the the full Minister for Works and transport while Mary Kitutu was named the Minister for Energy.