Thursday 7 August 2014

CRIME RATE PER DISTRICT IN TESO FROM POLICE DATA BASE

Friday 15 February 2013

Uganda scientists developing disease-resistant pearl millet

By James Odong 16/2/2013

Scientists in Soroti are set to start a research in the genetically modified cotton in a bid to rescue farmers from the conventional cotton which had suffered a setback in production due to the ball warm pest thereby resulting into poor yields.

The Director of the National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute, Serere (NaSARRI), Dr Tom Areke with his team have already ploughed approximately one acre of land on the institute land for the field trials.

The government recently gave a go ahead for scientists to carry out research on the genetically modified cotton just as they have been doing on other crops such as the East African High land banana and cassava.

NaSARRI is one of the science research centres chosen to carry out the trial with the other centre being Mubuku in Western Uganda.

The National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) in conjunction with the programme for Biosafety Systems is already training the farm managers from the two centres who will manage the research work.

The programme director for Biosafety Systems, Dr Thereza Sengoba last week conducted a one day training for managers in both centres at NaSARRI in Soroti where a group of scientists from participated in the training to share their experience with the scientists in .

Dr Areke is optimistic that in case the research proves successful, it will be of advantage to the farmers in Teso who basically depend on cotton growing for their income since the Karamojong invaded them and took away all their cattle.

Dr Areke while presenting a paper "The Biology of Cotton" said, the genetically modified cotton if introduced in will be cost effective because it will reduce the cost of spraying. It is at the same time environmental friendly.

He said Teso and other parts of northern where the land is semi arid, the genetically modified cotton farming will prove successful because it is resistant to several factors in weather changes.

He said the field trial will serve as a multi- purpose research tool where science students pursuing agricultural science courses in various universities will access the research work in the trial when they come for their internship at the institute.

NaSARRI is one of the five research institutes of Naro with others being, the National Crop Resource Research Institute Namulonge, National Agricultural Laboratory Resource Research Institute Kawanda, National Livestock Resource Research Institute Tororo and National Fisheries Resource Research Institute Jinja.

The Institute's mandate is to undertake research in crop production for semi arid production systems in areas of seed research production and product management together with animal traction, pasture and range management.

Its mandate covers ecological zones of Eastern savannah, Karamoja dry lands, Northern Uganda and West Nile regions.

NaSARRI carries out research in areas of oil crop such as groundnuts and simsim which has Sesim I and Sesim II varieties containing white seeds that mature in 110 days and yields from 500 to 900 kg per hectare. They have oil content of 42 - 45 per cent.

Another variety is the open pollinated variety and hybrid which mature in 110 days and yield up, to 1,800 kg per hectare.

The Institute is also involved in carrying out research in grain legumes like pigeon pea which matures in 140 days and cow peas which matures in 90 days.

Other crops include cereal crops which include among others finger millet, Serere millet with Serere I and Serere II varieties, Sorghum which is grown in both high and low land.

Low land varieties grown are serena, serodo sekedo and epuripuri variety now being used for brewing Eagle Lager beer by Nile Breweries. Other crops are the fibre species under which the cotton variety falls. In NaSSARI the scientists have two types of cotton and they include BPA 2000 and BPA 2002 which according to Dr Areke is highly desired by ginners because it produces high quality fibre for spinning and lint export.

NaSARRI is on the pipeline to breed organic cotton where black ants will be used to control the ball warm. The researchers on the other hand have embarked on growing beans in the current conventional cotton fields as a measure of diverting the pests to feed on the bean leaves instead of destroying the cotton plant.

NaSARRI further develops improved livestock pasture which they usually distribute to farmers for planting to feed the few remaining cattle.

However whereas the conventional cotton variety seeds are directly planted in the field, the genetically modified cotton has to under go field trials for scientists to establish whether they can stand the environmental conditions here.

Mr Arthur Makara, a senior scientist and Director of Science Foundation for Livelihoods and Development (Scifode) said the government policy on the genetically modified products during filed is so stringent.

According to him, no person is allowed in the field unless he or she gives sufficient reasons to go there because of the fear that people may come out with the product that is being tried and take for planting in their fields without a regulatory measure in place, the reason genetically modified products are regulated the world over.

According to Ms Korene Hokanson of the University of Minnesota in , genetically modified products are regulated for safe use by the farmers to ensure that they are environmentally friendly.

Ms Korene who presented a paper on the topic "Why regulate Biotechnology" said the Cartagena Protocol, the globally legal binding agreement on Biotechnology requires all countries involved in adopting genetically modified products to have a regulator in place to monitor their movement as well as to ensure that they are environmentally friendly.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Mukura massacre survivors demand compensation.

By James Odong 13/6/2012

Over 7o civilians were massacred on May 11, 1989 at Mukuru trading centre by some indiscipline soldiers of the National Resistance Army (NRA). Our reporter James Odong visited the area recently

I visited Mukura recently to get the firsthand account of the effects of a series of civil wars from Idi Amin to Milton Obote amd from Alice Lakwena and to Uganda People’s Army that characterized Teso region in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I started here because it is the site of a July 11, massacre of over 70 civilians by some indiscipline soldiers of the National Resistance Army (NRA).

On the day I visited, I meet Paul Eupu, seated around the local brew pot. Eupu, is a survivor of the massacre. Every time he goes near the site or talks about it, fresh memories of the incident come back.

“Whenever I come to this site, I cry. I did not want to come here but because of you, I had to,” he explains as he leads us to three buildings; a library, chapel and mausoleum built in memory of the dead.

Inside a newly built modest permanent house, open with no doors on either side, stands a mausoleum, where the remains of the dead are buried. Inscribed on the giant cross, are 55 names of the victims.

Eupu, was one of about 200 people, who were arrested in July 1989 by the then National Resistance Army (NRA) soldiers on allegations of being involved in rebel activities.

The Uganda Peoples’ Army (UPA), a rebel outfit headed by Peter Otai and based in Teso was fighting the NRM Government that had similarly shot itself to power in January 1986.

But during the war, lots of people suffered. Civilians were herded in detention centres, tortured and maimed while women and girls were raped and defiled by indisciplined soldiers, acting on their own, admits President Yoweri Museveni on his recent visit to Mukura monument.

The UPA also committed unspeakable atrocities on civilians. According to accounts from elderly eye witnesses, they forced sticks and machetes into private parts of women and girls, and they killed innocent civilians, destroying property and their livelihood.

According to the US based Human Rights Watch (HRW), over 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed between 1986 and 1997 in Teso region.

In Mukura sub-county, Ngora district, over 186 people were herded into a ware house of the railway station and for about five days, tied on a rope and matched to an adjacent tiny, congested, filthy and unventilated train wagon.
“We were beaten with sticks and butts of guns.

They beat anywhere — the head, the hands and the body. We were transferred from the warehouse to the wagon. It had no fresh air and there was too much heat. Those who died were immediately buried and those who still had energy continued to be tortured,” explains Eupu,.

There was no water or food. “Most people died of hunger, contrary to reports that they were roasted. The wagon was small, with no ventilation for fresh air, so we suffocated,” he says.

Survival also depended on who managed to reach the floor of the wagon. According to Eupu,, the Wagon was old and rusty and it had developed some holes but not big enough to breathe through.

“I put my nose next to the hole I got some fresh air. However, the holes were not enough, so, many of my friends died. We cried for help but the soldiers were determined to finish us,” he says.

Even after this survival, many could not live to tell their story. By the fifth day, 55 people had suffocated to death. Those who were unconscious were killed by soldiers who hit them with the butts of their guns. Those who survived continued to be tortured.

They paraded, questioned them and when they were satisfied they were innocent, they let them go.

According to Eupu, the soldiers who tortured them were let to go scotch free.
Eupu, comes from Kumel village, Mukura sub-county in Ngora district. He found his home, a ghost of its former.

“It was as quiet as a grave yard. My family had fled and there was nobody. I did not know where they had gone or where I could start from. I was in pain and did not have any medication,” adds a tearful Eupu,.

Using his own meager resources he had saved, Eupu, went to a nearby clinic and received treatment.

Survivors not compensated
Eupu, says despite the misery, nobody compensated them or took them to the hospital, they were simply arrested.

“They did not tell us why we were arrested. In July 1989, I was harvesting my millet when two soldiers came, beat us and took us to Ajeluk Primary School, where hundreds of other people had been arrested,”he said.

They were then taken to the Mukura sub-county, where the NRA brigade was stationed.

“Recently, President Yoweri Museveni asked to meet all the families of Mukura victims who were killed. But, he did not meet us, the survivors.

He apologized and later promised them sh5m for each dead. But he did not talk about issues of the survivors, we are abandoned people,” he complains.
However, during the distribution of the money, the relatives received varying figures between sh1m to sh3m. This left many families bitter but also shocked about the amount.

“The President gave us sh200m to compensate for the over 69 people massacred by his NRA soldiers. Even this amount cannot compensate a dead person.

This is something but the Government should do better by atleast paying fees for children,” adds Joyce Esther Ruth Adiamo, 55, of Agirigiroi village,Kapir in Ngora district, whose husband, died in the train wagon leaving her with three children.

Adiamo says when her husband was killed; the family developed a miserable kind of life. “All of us became orphans. Losing a man in a family is a disaster because he provides everything. I could not send children to school or hire a garden to cultivate, so there was chronic hunger,” she says.

Most of her children dropped out of school and the family has been condemned to abject poverty.

Adiamo is also sick. Her legs are sick of an unknown disease and she cannot move one kilometer without falling down and yet she cannot afford medical care to take care of the sickness.

“I cannot farm for my children. Since they did not go to school, they have remained home, hopeless with no future. The money they gave us was very little.

I received about sh3m, used it to construct a small structure and it is over. If the Government was wise, they would have given each one of us sh200m or to educate our children up to university level,” adds.

Agnes Akiror Egunyu, the former Kumi district woman legislator, the person in charge of distributing the funds, claims that all the families of the 69 dead and five survivors shared the sh200m the President gave.

She, however, says money was not enough, so the relatives of the dead received sh3m and each survivor received between sh1–1.5m.

She admits that a few survivors may have not received their share because when they asked to see the survivors, more than 289 people came forward, and yet less than 30 people are said to have survived.

“Therefore, it became hard for us to distinguish between the real survivors and the fake ones among the 289. However, we very well know that less than 10 people are still surviving,” she said.

Bernard Eumu, LC5 district chairperson, Ngora district, says the war
harmed the people of Teso in all spheres. He explains that cattle that was the source of livelihood of the people was stolen.

“Cattle were used as oxen – plough to cultivate farms. This affected food production,” adds Eumu. He says this has forced Teso region to sink into an annual state of chronic hunger that devastates families.

By God’s mercy, the father of seven children is miraculously alive, but failing to come to terms with what he experienced.

According to Eupu, the physical beatings and torture broke his ribs, so he cannot sit up upright. “I cannot also do any other work because whenever I try, I collapse. This has incapacitated me from providing for my children. Ever since I was tortured, all my children dropped out of school,” he adds.

None of his children have gone beyond Primary seven and this has increased the poverty burden. Physically, Eupu also still experiences breathing difficulties and has to pause whenever he is talking.

He is psychologically and mentally challenged. According to him, he often experiences nightmares and sometimes tries to run away whenever he imagines that the NRA soldiers are coming to torture him.

“I am also not mentally stable. Sometimes I keep quiet and even if you talk to me, I find myself not responding and I do not realize this. I am only told later,” adds Eupu.
“I took three months to recover from physical pain. But I may never recover from the mental and psychological pain that I suffered.”

Mukura trading centre started as a cattle market in the 1920s, that eventually graduated into a train or railway stopover in the 1980s.

However, after the overthrow of Obote I regime in 1971, the centre suffered neglect and the railway deteriorated, with no business at all, during the economic turmoil that Uganda suffered. The eventual collapse of the centre started in 1979 when Idi Amin Dada was overthrown.

This was followed by the insurgency in the late 1980s that pitted the Government against UPA rebels that led to constant insecurity in the area, leading to the eventual collapse of Mukura and the suffocating of over 70 innocent civilians in a wagon, changing the social fabric of this tiny centre. ENDS.

Journalism Fellowship

Journalist Fellowship Program

Print PageThe AIDS Vaccine 2012 conference is offering up to 20 fellowships to qualified print, radio/broadcast and online journalists to attend the conference in Boston, Massachusetts USA (9 – 12 September 2012) and participate in a two-day workshop (8 – 9 September) on the global HIV epidemic and the latest in HIV vaccine research, featuring some of the leading scientists, advocates and experts in the field.
Journalist fellows will receive conference registration, transportation to and from Boston, accommodation, most meals and a per diem.

Apply Today

Applications are encouraged from reporters with experience covering the science of HIV/AIDS as well as the social, economic and larger societal impact of the epidemic. All applicants must have strong English speaking and reading skills. This is a competitive program. Click here to apply. Applications must be received by Friday, 6 July 2012.

About the Journalist Fellowship Program

The annual AIDS Vaccine conference has offered fellowships to journalists since 2009 in partnership with the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, conference local hosts and the National Press Foundation. This year, the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise will lead the program with support from stakeholders and local hosts to continue to help strengthen the corps of global media representatives covering HIV prevention developments and HIV vaccine research. Highlights from previous programs conducted with the National Press Foundation can be found below.

Program At-A-Glance

8 & 9 September	Intensive background briefings for fellows
10 September	Conference Day 1; morning plenary preview; afternoon press conference
11 September	Conference Day 2; morning plenary preview; afternoon press conference
12 September	Conference Day 3; morning plenary preview

For more information, please contact Jennifer Brunet at jbrunet@vaccineenterprise.org.

Saturday 12 May 2012

Safe male circumcision kicks off in Teso

By James Odong and Felix Osujo 12/5/2012

Over 259 students drawn from different secondary schools in Teso have undergone safe male circumcision.

The one week safe male circumcision exercise is spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Bayalor Uganda is being conducted in Ngora High School targeting an estimated 1000 students.

This was revealed by Dr.Barbra Nanteza the HIV Prevention Officer in the Ministry of Health during the launch of the exercise in Teso on Sunday 22/4/2012.

“In this particular camp, we had targeted 1000 students but we have registered 1023.The Ministry of Health is pushing on with prevention because prevention is better than cure. But even when you are circumcised, it does not mean that your are now safe and you cannot get HIV virus”, Dr. Nanteza said.

Speaking at the same function, Dr.Jushua Musinguzi, the acting Programme Manager, Aids Control Programme in the Ministry of Health revealed that the just concluded nationwide survey has shown that 129,000 new infections are occurring in Uganda annually.

“The survey showed that 6.7% of adult population aged between 15 to 49 years is infected with HIV/AIDS. The big burden of 7.7% is born by the women aged between 15 to 49 years have HIV compared to 5.6% among men. Urban areas are more affected than the rural areas.”, Dr. Musinguzi said.

Dr.Musinguzi said in the North East area covering Teso and karamoja, HIV prevalence is 5.8%; slightly lower that the national average.

He added that out of 1.2 million Ugandans who are HIV infected, 577,000 require anti retroviral treatment because their immunity has been destroyed.

“And yet as we speak, we only have 57% of those people who need treatment leaving 331,000 others require treatment, so the figures and the burden of the epidemic is big”, he said.

The function that was presided by the Minister of State for Teso Affairs, Hon Christine Amongin Aporu was attended by Ngora Woman MP, Jacqueline Amongin, RDCs and LC5 chairperson from Teso. Ends.

Stolen Soroti hospital CD4 count machine recovered

James Odong and Felix Osujo 12/5/2012

A CD 4 count machine which had been stolen from Uganda Cares, Soroti Anti-Retroviral Therapy Clinic at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital has been recovered.

The OC CID Soroti, Stephen Kaija says the machine was recoveredby Police following a tip off in Orwadai, suburb near Soroti Municipality.

“We recovered the machine in a house belonging to one Simon Elungat; who is also in our custody. The machine was covered under his bed. We are still interrogating the suspects to find out how the plan was hatched and where the machine was to be sold”, Kaija told The New vision on Sunday in his office.

He added that even as the machine has been recovered, seven suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.

The CD4 machine was stolen from Soroti Hospital on Good Friday.

A CD4 count machine is important for HIV/AIDS care and treatment since it allows doctors to know when to start patients on life-saving therapy.

For a patient with HIV infection, CD4 counts help determine the stage of infection, guide drug choices and indicate the patient’s response to treatment and disease progression.

The Medical Officer in charge Uganda Cares, Dr.Gilbert Sangadi said the recovery of the CD4 machine was a big relief and asked clients who were supposed to have been tested and missed out after the machine was stolen to go for their routine CD4 count check.

“Over the last nine days, more than 400 HIV patients who were due for CD4 count test missed out. I want to ask all those who missed the CD4 count to come and we run their CD4 count”, Dr.Sangadi told The New Vision on Sunday 15^th.April at Soroti Central Police Station.

He said Uganda Cares Soroti centre serves over 7,500 clients.

According to a July 2011 report by local authorities, the HIV prevalence has gone up in Soroti, now standing at 6.2 %. This has risen by more than 2 % since 2005, when prevalence stood at 4.3%.

Among other factors, the rise was attributed to excessive alcohol consumption and reluctance to use condoms.

The national census of 2002 estimated the district population to be approximately

193,300, of whom 51.2 % are female and 48.8% are male.

The district population growth rate was estimated at 2.8% annually. It is estimated that in 2010, the population of Soroti district was approximately 241,200.ENDS.

Construction of Soroti Fruit Factory delayed.

James Odongo and Felix Osujo 12/5/2012

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, HON. BRIGHT RWAMIRAMA has said the construction of the long awaited juice making factory in Soroti District has delayed because the site meant for the factory is water logged.

Rwamirama told the press in Soroti that progress has been made and the consultant hired to conduct a feasibility study on the environment impact assessment and the report concerning the site for the fruit factory which will soon be reviewed.

“The factory is on course. We however have a challenge. The consultant says the area which has been identified is water logged and is prone to floods. That’s why am here on a site visit but we have been assured by the District leaders that there is a better place in the same area which is not water logged; we shall make a report about it”,Rwamirama said.

Rwamirama, accompanied by the Director of Crop Resources in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Opolot Okasai and Soroti LC5 Chairman George Michael Egunyu visited the proposed fruit processing site.

The Minister was responding to concerns over the delayed construction of the fruit making factory in Soroti.

He said there were delays in the procurement process of the consultant and other technical issues but the factory is on schedule.

A key meeting to discuss the proposed fruit processing factory in the Teso region of Uganda had resolved that the plant should have been ready before the end of 2010.

Stakeholders in the factory met in Soroti last year in June and made a number of decisions regarding the proposals, including timeframes and distribution of roles.

The Minister said it was very unfortunate that there were people who are misinforming the public about the fruit factory because shs 10 billion which the government allocated to the Uganda Development Cooperation for the preparatory stage had not been misused and part of it has been spent in feasibility study and environment impact assessment.

“The South Korean government has provided US dollars 6.5 million for the factory civil works, procurement of equipment, training of the technical people and sensitization of the farmers”, he said.

Rwamirama pointed out that there was need to sensitize the farmers on the right variety of the oranges and mangoes for factory noting that the current number of oranges will not be able to sustain the factory once it’s operational.

“We have oranges and mangoes here but once the factory starts producing, it can chew all these oranges and mangoes within a week, so we need constant production to sustain the factory.

The construction of a fruit factory would fulfill a pledge made by President Yoweri Museveni when he toured the region in 2008. Museveni hoped the factory would enable farmers to add value to their fruit and help lift the Teso region, one of the poorest in the country, out of poverty. ENDS.

Teso Citizens Advocacy Forum

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