Transport along the western and northern routes has this morning been paralyzed by a strike by bus drivers.

Operators of 4 bus companies plying these routes are protesting the decision by the transport licensing board to suspend buses that get involved in accidents.

The affected bus companies include Allied and Kalita Bus Companies among others.

Early this week the transport licensing board suspended buses belonging to Kalita bus company from operating after one of their buses was involved in an accident.

This is the second incident since this year began were the transport licensing board is suspending buses after getting involved in accidents.

The bus owners however say that the transport licensing board should only suspend a particular bus that is involved in an accident and not the entire fleet.

They are now asking the ministry of works and transport to review the regulation, threatening not to resume operation until a common position is reached.

A group of bus Owners this morning is taking their petition to the minister of transport, to have their demands addressed.

Kampala former physical planner George Agaba has been further remanded to Luzira prison until 7th March this year.

This is after the prosecution informed court that investigations into the matter are in final stages.

Agaba appeared together with his body guard Satos Macmot before Nakawa Court Grade one Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu for mention of the case.

George Agaba and his co-accused are alleged to have shot dead one John Onyango on 22nd January at Luzira port bell during a KCCA eviction exercise that turned bloody.

The track in Busika off Gayaza road has been upgraded to international standards under the close supervision of renowned expert Ray Wilson mainly in preparation for the All Africa Motocross of Nations championship due in August.

However this event presents an opportunity for riders to have a feel of the new track while at the same time Asaf Natan,Maxim Van Pee and Barack Orland will be unveiling new bikes as the 2012 season gets underway.

Record champion Arthur Blick Jnr despite not acquiring a new bike remains optimistic that he is still a force to reckon with, though Natan’s new Honda 2012 model will be key in determing who wins the national championship.

According the Arena Manager  Bryan Tumusime Tumusime,a new state of the art timing equipment called Mylaps will also be used for the first time in Uganda.

Arthur Blick Jnr flying his 2010 model bike

Nabilah at a recent rally

Kampala Woman MP Nabilah Nagayi is still admitted at Case Clinic, nursing injuries from a scuffle between the police and members of the opposition yesterday.

Nabilah suffered suffocation after she inhaled too much teargas, from what was fired yesterday to disperse a rally called by Activists for Change at Katwe.
The FDC Party President Col. Kizza Besigye also sustained injuries but was discharged last evening.
His aide Francis Mwijukye is however still at the clinic, having sustained deeper wounds.
MP Nabilah is said to be improving and is now breathing on her own having been put off oxygen.
The doctors however say her breathing system has not yet cleared entirely and she has a severe headache.
Speaking to KFM, Nabilah said she informed the police in time about the rally and accused the force of acting illegally.
She however says the rallies will continue despite yesterday’s events.
In a statement issued last evening, the Police boss General Kale Kaihura said the gathering at Katwe was illegal and that the activists ignored police orders not to conduct the rally there.
He says police officers were attacked violently as they tried to disperse the gathering, with 4 of them admitted in hospital, nursing various forms of injuries.

Obua celebrating one of his Cranes goals

David Obua has written to Fufa formally announcing his retirement from the national team a day after hitherto Uganda Cranes skipper Ibrahim Sekagya led the way on Monday.

According to the National team, The Hearts forward penned the letter last night saying he had decided to end his over 10 years in the national team to allow upcoming youngsters a chance to grow and for him to concentrate on his club football career.

In the letter, Obua further added that failing to qualify for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and events surrounding his expulsion from camp before the game were unfortunate but he would continue to support Uganda as a proud Ugandan.

Obua completes a hat-trick of high profile Cranes stars to call time on their careers in a space of six days, left back Nestroy Kizito, 29, having thrown in the towel last week and 31 year old Sekagya on Monday.

But observers are questioning the timing of the trio’s quitting.

The FDC Party President Col.Kizza has today sustained minor injuries following in a scuffle with the police.

Besigye sustained the injuries as the police disbanded a rally called by the opposition Activists for Change at the Katwe Playground.

The Kampala Woman MP Nabilah Nagayi suffered suffocation from taking in excessive teargas.

Besigye’s aide Francis Mwijukye also suffered injuries on his thigh, as he tried to block a teargas canister from hitting his boss.

The injured were taken to Case Clinic from where they have been treated. Speaking to KFM, Col. Besigye accused the police of serving the notice to block the rally too late, at the actual venue.

He however says they will continue with their campaign despite the run ins with the police.

The police warned that the rally could not be held in Katwe because it could easily disrupt traffic along the Entebbe highway and disrupt business in the area.

Kampala Capital City Authority has today demolished illegal structures in Wandegeya.
The road side kiosks operating illegally in the area have all been demolished.
The owners of containers have been given one day to relocate them following pleas to the KCCA officials not to drag them away.
The authority’s head of law enforcement Patrick Katungyi says the vendors operating illegally were given adequate notice to vacate the area.
He says the demolition exercise that has previously been conducted in the central division will now be spread to the outskirts, to ensure a more orderly city.
The evictions have been conducted along Makerere road, in Wandegeya trading centre and along the road towards Bwaise.
Today’s operation saw KCCA partnering with the police and has been largely peaceful.
The evictions had earlier been halted following an incident that turned bloody, leaving at least 1 person dead
KCCA Executive Director Jenipher Musisi said the exercise was to be reviewed to avoid a repeat of the same.
……………………

Bank of Uganda has denied responsibility in the case in which it was sued, over a sculpture used on the 20,000 shs note.

The Bank was sued by a Makerere University lecturer Sylvia Nabiteeko Katende for 1 billion Shs, over alleged violation of her intellectual properties.

Through her lawyer Masembe Kanyerezi, the bank says the artist was paid by then KCC for the sculpture for the work done.

The bank also argues that the sculpture is in a public place and anyone can take pictures of the same.

Katende however says her sculpture shouldn’t have been used by the Bank without consulting her.

She says the sculpture which appears on the left hand side of the 20,000 Shs note released in 2010 is her creation, which she named the Social Economic Growth of Kampala City, to commemorate the city’s centenary celebrations.

Katende wants the court to halt the circulation of the currency note, until the dispute is resolved.

The case has been adjourned until 26th April for further hearing before Commercial Court Judge Irene Mulyagonja.

Leukemia is one of the most deadly cancers that affect children. Also known as cancer of the blood, it accounts for 40% of the cases of cancer reported among children at Mulago Hospital.

As I enter the children’s ward for cancer, my attention is first drawn to a 14 year old boy. Badru Were looks much younger than his age, a condition blamed on his disease.

Am later told he is battling Leukemia. His mother Monica Kaija says he has been battling the disease since he was 8 years old and slowly, they have lost hope of his recovery.

Monica says that aside from the pain her son has endured, raising the money from his treatment is also very difficult. She says leukemia is one of the most expensive cancers to treat and that it has drained much of her finances. Badru’s case was not detected early.

According to his mother, they treated fever for a very long time and went to different hospitals, before the disease was diagnosed. Monica says her son was first put on palliative care and the cancer was discovered in its advanced stages.

The acting principle nursing officer at the Uganda cancer institute, Allen Namala says Lukemia is a cancer that cannot be easily recognized.

Namala says many parents even spend a lot of money on traditional healers and report to the hospital when it is too late to save the children’s lives.

According to the doctors, the symptoms of leukemia in its advanced stages include high fever, bone pain, uncontrolled bleeding, swelling of the abdomen and weight loss among others.

Namala notes that treating Lukemia is quite expensive since just one component of the drug combination costs about 1.5 million shillings. Research conducted over the years points to certain risk factors that increase the chance of one getting the disease.

These include exposure to high levels of radiation, family history of leukemia or other blood disorders, smoking, genetic disorders such as the Down syndrome and excessive exposure to herbicides, among others.

Doctors encourage parents to take their children for health checkups every 6months to enable early detection and treatment of any disease.

Namara explains that Lukemia can be cured once detected early and urges parents to seek proper medical care whenever children fall sick. Though you may not be able to avoid cancer totally, doctors encourage a few practices that can help you live a healthier life.

These include regular exercise, avoiding smoking and second hand smoke, eating a balanced diet and careful note of abrupt changes in health, such as sudden weight loss of gain.

The doctors also encourage seeking advice for any change in health noted, to enable early diagnosis and possible cure.

Diana Wanyana