A one Susan Namata and a friend have learnt the hard way that freedom is not entirely free even if you have an Iphone.
The duo recorded a video in which Susan threatened to hit President Yoweri Museveni’s teeth this her ‘private parts’. This was in protest to release Kyadondod East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine who was under military detention.
She denied the charges before Buganda Road Grade One magistrate Stella Maria Amabilis who remanded her to Luzira until later this week.
Bobi Wine’s bodyguard Edward Sebuufu aka Eddie Mutwe, has been granted bail at Gulu High Court.
The court was presided over by Justice Stephen Mubiru.
Eddie Mutwe was charged with treason by Gulu Grade One Magistrate, Yunus Ndiwalana.
They were charged just hours after the High Court in Kampala ordered for their unconditional release because they were being held illegally following their arrest on August 25.
The state contends that the two and others used a grader to block President Museveni’s convoy in Arua Municipality on August 13.
On October 1, the two joined the other 33 suspects on similar charges at Gulu Magistrates Court before their case was deferred to December 3 for further mention.
Just a day after President Museveni celebrated his 74th birthday, former MAK Research Fellow Stella Nyanzi has sent him a late but unpleasant message.
President Museveni, who was born 74 years ago to Mr. Kaguta and Mrs. Esteri Kokundeka was a mistake and should have been aborted according to Stella Nyanzi.
In a long Facebook post that was engineered like a poem, Stella Nyanzi does not only shamelessly attack the President for being the fuel for corruption, but also clearly states how much she hates him.
“I wish that Esiteri’s cursed genitals had pushed out a monstrously greenish-bluish still-birth.
You should have died at birth, you dirty delinquent dictator. You should have died in birth, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, ” part of Stella Nyanzi’s long post read.
Stella Nyanzi goes ahead and attacks the President in the same poem before directing him where she can be found incase they want her arrested for her vulgar language and cyber attack.
Despite being a strong pillar of the opposition, a big section of the opposition members on social media condemned Stella Nyanzi’s approach saying it was unethical and uncalled for in that particular manner.
“We condemn such language in People Power… this is not how we represent our side. Esteri Kokundeka is a mother, who innocently gave birth to someone. She deserves respect as a mother. And moreover she’s dead and gone #RIP_Mum
#RedThursday #BobiComingHome,” a message from one of the opposition leaders read.
Despite the the uncensored cyber attack, the President, police and Ethics minister are still mute about the whole saga. We will keep you posted.
The Kyadondo East MP says he is WORRIED he may never function or will not be as good as he has always been. According to Ssewanyana, Bobi cries while talking about the situation he finds himself in now.
The musician and politician wants to fly out of the country to get medical attention however the President denied claims that Bobi is fine.
The Free Bobi wine campaigns took over the nation and abroad from early Monday morning.
Business came to a standstill in Kampala after fans of Kyadondo East MP, Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert took to streets protesting his continued holding by military.
Bobi Wine who is currently held at Makindye Military barracks was arrested last week after he allegedly commanded a group of supporters of Kassiano Wadri the Arua Municipality MP elect, to pelt stones at the president’s convoy.
Now, reports have been going around social media indicating that the Kyadondo MP was allegedly tortured by the army and that his kidney got a problem.
At Kisekka market, Nakivubo and Kamwokya among other areas police fired teargas and live bullets to disperse crowds that were starting to form. The situation remains tense with military officers heavily deployed downtown.
If you doubted people power, this support for Bobi wine from Ugandans in the Diaspora might change your mind.
Pictures reaching our desk show how Ugandans all over the world are rooting for change.
After the recent events leading up to Bobi wine’s arrest, the world has refused to go silent about this injustice.
Ugandans everywhere have decided to use their voices and now let us hope it works out for the best.
We have been waiting with batted breath for President Museveni to comment on the current issues with Bobi Wine.
Honorable Kyagulanyi Robert Sentamu commonly known as Bobi Wine was arrested a week ago after riots in Arua that led to the president’s lead convoy car to be stoned after the by-elections campaigns.
In a post on Facebook, Museveni made a statement saying;
“I decided to check with my Army Doctors because being a disciplined Army, UPDF doctors always take precautions in such situations. Bobi Wine had already been seen by doctors in Arua, Gulu and Kampala. He has no head or chest injuries or bone fractures, they informed me.”
We shall keep you posted.
Uganda police force has named and shamed a Newly wed woman accused of stealing household property, three weeks into a marriage.
Patrick Kusemererwa, a clothes vendor fell victim to a cunning Hasifah Mudondo 22 whom he met at a restaurant and took home for a wife.
Like any scheming thief, Hasifah stayed with Kusemererwa for the past 3 weeks working out a plan to rob him clean. As fate would have it, on Thursday July 19th, the suspect convinced her three weeks husband to give her transportation money to go check on her sick mother in Bududa.
The man gave her money and left for work. But as soon as he left, the suspect packed every household item she could land on including clothes, woofers, a bicycle, among others. She however met Kusemererwa on his way back from work.
The suspect was running away with items on a boda boda. “He immediately reported a case to Old Kampala Police station who swiftly responded, trailed and arrested the suspect. Hasifah revealed that she was tire of being with a mean husband and got a new boyfriend” police says.
She is currently being held at Old Kampala police station on charges of theft.
Musician turned Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi alias Omubanda Wakabaka Owakabi, but mostly referred to as Bobi Wine, hinted that he will not be part of governments nonsense of beefing up parliamentarians security.
The Kyadondo East legislator made the renouncement after President Museveni had suggested that each member of parliament be given a sharp shooter and added an escort police car to tighten their security and reduce on the brutal gunning of politicians.
He also added that he is not interested in being given security yet there have been rampant deaths and kidnaps of women and kids more over 19 each day yet no security measure was improved or stepped up.
He further went on to question the deaths of those that were gunned down with heavy security personals like Afande Kweesi, Hon Ibrahim Abiriga among others.
Several Ugandans have fallen victim of a fake unregistered labor export company known as Miracle Recruitment Services International Limited located behind Old Kampala police station along Sir Apollo Kaggwa road opposite Daily Loaf Bakery in Dheli Gardens claiming to be an employment recruitment agency taking people for work abroad.
Law Development Centre (LDC)Court yesterday remanded Evaristo Ayebazibwe for allegedly conning over Shs212m from people promising them jobs abroad.
This comes after 70 reports of obtaining money by false pretenses were registered at Old Kampala Police Station vide CRB.628/2018. The suspect was first charged on 6th July 2018 of 25 counts, convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment however the file was today amended to a total of 70 counts.
He allegedly conned his unsuspecting clients promising to help them acquire jobs abroad. Various victims told court that standard charges had been set by the suspect where Ugandan foreign workers were expected to pay Shs10m Canada, Qatar Shs4.5m, Dubai Shs5m and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Shs5m.
The suspect recruited several people, claiming that he could link them to the in charge of a Canadian employment Programme.
Everisto is charged of obtaining money by false pretense C/s 305 of Penal Code Act and operating a recruitment agency without a license C/s 38(1) of Employment Act of 2006, Regulation of 4 & 85(a) of Employment (Recruitment of Uganda Migrant Workers Abroad) Regulations 2005
The investigating officer in the matter, however, told the magistrate that several complainants have come forward and that the police are taking their statements with a view of laying additional charges.
A police officer identified as Cpl. Amos Opolot attached to Sironko Central Police station has been arrested for allegedly shooting dead a one Richard Matunda, 23, chappati seller, a resident of Busukuya village, Sironko district.
It is alleged that Opolot attempted to arrest Matunda over a debt of Shs15, 000 on Saturday morning. In a bid to resist the arrest, Opolot shot him in the leg and hands and died on his way to Mbale referral hospital due to over bleeding.
President Yoweri Museveni has directed parliament to hold further discussions with the view to reaching consensus on how government should raise the much needed revenue to finance the budget and undertake the development agenda without causing unbearable burden to the citizens.
This was carried in a statement delivered before parliament by Rt. Hon. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the Prime minister this afternoon. The house was discussing the infamous Social Media tax (OTT) and mobile money tax.
The Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill 2018 was presented, debated and passed by parliament last month. It was subsequently assented to by President Yoweri Museveni and became an Act of Parliament. This Act imposes 1% levy on all mobile money transactions with exception from deposits. It further imposes a specific charge of UGX 200 on over the top (OTT) services per day of access.
“Since the Act came into force on 1st July 2018; government has noted public concerns regarding some of the elements in implementation of especially tax on mobile money transactions and OTT. H.E has provided guidance on the matter and encouraged further discussion with a view to reaching consensus on how we should raise the much needed revenue to finance our budget and undertake the development agenda we have set for ourselves without causing unbearable burden to the citizen” the Prime Minister said.
The PM added that government is now reviewing the taxes taking into consideration the concerns of the public and its implications on the budget. This review he says is being expedited to ensure that government presents an Amendment of the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act 2018 to the house for debate on Thursday July 19th 2018.
“Hon. Members will therefore have the opportunity to debate and consult widely to guide Parliament during the consideration and debate of the Amendment Bill” the premier said.
Adding that; “Rt.Hon. speaker and Hon Colleagues, I would like to assure this Parliament that Government is committed to ensuring that the tax on mobile money and OTT are designed taking into account the public concerns and balancing the need to raise revenue to finance our development agenda.”
During the plenary, MPs wondered what will happen to the money already collected from OTT and Mobile money tax. Hon. Cecilia Ogwal asked government to refund people.
The speaker in turn promised to make a ruling on the proposed bill in tomorrow’s sitting.
Kyadondo East MP, Hon. Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has taunted police that to arrest him, they have to be ready to face “people power.”
Kyagulanyi led a demonstration on the morning of Wednesday, July 11, against Social Media and Mobile Money Taxes escaped arrest by a whisker after the police swang into quelling the demo and arresting some protestors.
When tear gas was unleashed, Kyagulanyi fled for the heels and resurfaced in Parliament where the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Ruhakana Ruganda assured the members that government had listened to the citizen’s cries and was reviewing the Excise Duty Bill on the said taxes.
Members of Parliament will each get a sniper security guards and a follow-up armoured vehicle on top of their usual police bodyguards, President Museveni has revealed.
“Each MP will now have a marksman with a body armour, bulletproof four wheel-drive escort vehical with an open carriage bed, in addidtion to police guards,” a statement signed by the president reads.
This revealation follows an outcry by mostly NRM MPs to the president that lives were threatened and their police bodyguards were afraid to move in the same vehicles with them.
In his response, the president ordered the Chief of Defence Forces to deploy the UPDF to guard the legislators – a directive that caused a public uproar as critics noted that the army should protect all citizens, not just the ‘VIPs.’
Museveni also ordered the Inspector General of Police, Okoth Ochola to sack police offices that refuse to guard MPs.
Incase you were wondering what your OTT tax is doing, here are your results 
Mwenda has been on the receiving end of public backlash over his support of the unpopular OTT and Mobile Money taxes that were introduced at the beginning of this week.
While appearing on the Hot Seat show on KFM, Mwenda said the new OTT tax is one of the good things Museveni has done for Uganda.
“Right now people are feeling the pinch of paying taxes and they will demand accountability for their taxes,” he said.
Mwenda’s only worry is that Museveni will scrap the OTT tax.
“Museveni is a populist president and he is going to scrap the tax because people are making noise,” he said.
The veteran journalist said the best Ugandans can do is pay tax or not expect service delivery from government.
“Teachers’ salaries were increased, doctors’ salaries were increased. Where is this money going to come from?”
He also cautioned Ugandans not to expect heaven on earth when they belong to a poor country.
“If your father is Sudhir’s guard and he earns Shs400,000 a month, you can’t ask him for the same things Sudhir’s children ask him for,” Mwenda argued.
“Ugandans are going to force me to commit suicide or go to exile,” he said.
Samson Onyango Agutu, a Kenyan national and conductor of Modern Coast bus has this morning kicked the bucket when a vehicle his was travelling in, Modern Coast bus registration number UBA 067Y destined for Rwanda collided with a trailer registration number T467BFX/T714ATW heading to Kenya along Kabale-Katuna road a few kilometers to the Uganda-Rwanda border.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson says the accident occurred at Kyonyo village in Buranga parish kamuganguzi Sub County around 5:30am this morning.
Maate identified the injured persons as; Phionah Kamikaz and Hamina Jasibu, both residents of Kagarama in Kigali Rwanda, Eridoni Mageto, also a conductor on the bus, David Nyaga, the driver of the bus and Peter Omboga, all Kenyan nationals.
According to Moses Kwehangana, a resident of Kyonyo village, the area was covered with fog when the accident occurred, which could have affected the visibility of the drivers. Maate says police have started investigations to ascertain the cause of the accident and the deceased’s body and the injured were taken to Kabale Regional Referral hospital.
“We are investigating to establish the right cause, but what I know between that time of 4-6am, because of the terrain of this place, there’s always mist that makes drivers not to see clearly and there is a likelihood that drivers also get fatigued and they sleep but not also ruling out that these drivers who are used to keeping right could have also had the same problem” Maate explained in a phone call with our writer.
President Museveni yesterday took to social Media to tell Ugandans that social media tax is here to say.
Dear Ugandans,
Greetings. I am using social media to share with you the reasons for the social-media tax and the mobile money tax.
Our budget for this financial year is Ug.Sh 32 trillion. The taxes collected from within Uganda and the other fees for this financial year will be Ug.sh.17.5 trillion. The balance (the difference) is handled by borrowing from outside the country, Ug.Sh 8.3 trillion, as well as borrowing from within the country, Sh 7 trillion. We, then, also get grants from outside to the tune of Sh280bn i.e 0.28 trillions.
Why do we have to borrow or beg from outside or even borrow from within? We do so because many people who are supposed to pay tax do not pay the tax. How do we know this? We know this by using the standard measurement used all over the World. This is the GDP: tax ratio. This means the amount of taxes paid compared to the size of the GDP, the size of the economy.
In 1991, it was only 4% of GDP. When we formed the URA, it rose to 12% and it has stagnated there for a long time. Last financial year it rose to 14.2%. In other countries in Europe, the GDP: tax ratio is 30% or more. The avarage GDP: tax ratio in Africa is 18% . Why is the GDP: tax ratio in Uganda so low? The following are the reasons:
(a) telephone companies have been under-declaring calls until recently when we acquired machines to see the telephone calls ourselves. Big shame to the culprits;
(b) Many of the people who should be paying taxes of incomes from rent do not pay or underpay;
(c) Many citizens are still in subsistence agriculture (okukolera olubuto kyokka, Itiyo pi ikeni ) and informal sector (juakali) and I always oppose taxes on those sectors (gonja roasters, mchomo sellers, mechanics, carpenters etc); in any case, it is difficult to know how much they earn;
(d) Absence of scanners on the borders allows false declarations of goods in containers. The URA now has 4 scanners only. I have directed them to buy enough scanners to cover all entry points by land, water and air; and
(e) Slowness in introducing electronic stamps to the goods imported from outside at the factory level.
We, therefore, end up getting revenue from consumer taxes on mainly luxuries; income tax; profit tax; and import tax on consumables minus the production inputs only. That is why we end up with the low GDP: tax ratio of only 14.2% and have to borrow or beg, yet our economy is growing.
Coming specifically to the social media and mobile money taxes, Ugandans need to ask the following questions:
1. Do you send social media messages to Facebook or whatever for free or do you pay?
2. Do you send mobile money for free or do you pay?
3. If you pay, whom do you pay?
4. Do you pay in dollars or in local shillings?
5. If you pay in local shillings, do the ones you pay, most of whom are foreign companies, take money out of Uganda in local shillings or in dollars?
6. If it is dollars, who earned those dollars?
Let us answer the last question first. Those dollars are earned by us who produce coffee, tea, the milk products, by our gold, by our tourism, by our processed fish , by our manufactured goods (e.g cement, textiles, soap, mattresses, cooking oil, etc).
Therefore, some of us, myself included, either earn the dollars or save the dollars by producing products instead of importing them, but some of our countrymen donate those dollars back to the foreigners by chatting endlessly on the social media. Is this correct or fair? Is it good for our country?
Mobile money transfer is, of course, different from the social media chatting. Social media chatting is a luxury by those who are enjoying themselves or those who are malicious.
Mobile money transfer, on the other hand, is a useful service. Since the informal sector (juakali, mchomo selling etc) is never taxed and I am always against those direct taxes on those sectors, is it too much for users of the mobile money senders and receivers to also make a modest contribution to the development of their country? The 1% was a miscommunication. The actual figure was 0.5%, half of one percent. That is what we should debate, on the mobile money.
As to social- media tax, all the moral reasons are in favour of that tax. The social – media users have no right to squander the dollars I earn from my coffee , my milk etc by endlessly donating money to foreign telephone companies through chatting or even lying and, then, they are allergic to even a modest contribution to their country whose collective wealth they are misusing.
The same with those who engage in games betting. They bet in local shillings. Since, however, our economy is an open one, the foreign owners of betting machines rush to the forex bureaus, buy dollars, the ones I earned , so as to externalize them. This is what affects our shilling.
The importers of foreign luxury goods- wines, whiskies, artificial hair, furniture, textiles, shoes etc, goods that can be made here, also squander our dollars. Fortunately, on account of our campaigns, the import bill has decreased from US$ 7 billion to US$ 5 billion. That is not enough, however.
There are no taxes on agricultural products, no taxes on machinery for factories or agricultural machinery , no taxes on raw- materials , no taxes on scholastic materials, no taxes on medicine, no tax on exports, no graduated tax etc. Most of the inputs in wealth and job creation are not taxed because we want people to engage in production. The essentials are never taxed.
This is to clarify that there is no tax on mere depositing of money on a mobile phone account. That confusion should be clarified. The half -percent tax, not 1 percent, is only on the sender and the receiver of money through mobile money. Discuss this.
I congratulate our Science team for demonstrating that we now have the eyes to see all the goings on in the telecommunication and financial services. No more games.
This capacity will be extended to deal with the criminal pigs that have made it a hobby to kill Ugandans. They will pay. I am, however, interested in a rational and honest dialogue, especially on the half -percent tax on mobile money sending and receiving.
Signed
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The office of the president released and amended list of cabinet ministers last night and you will be amazed at the changes.
CABINET IS OUT.
PRESS RELEASE
TODAY JULY 4, 2017
In Exercise of Powers conferred on the President of Uganda by Articles 108(1), 108 (2), 113(1), 114(1) and Article 99(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, I have appointed the Vice President, the Prime Minister, created new Departments of Government (Ministries); and appointed Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State as indicated below:
H.E. the Vice President ─ HON. RUGUNDA RUHAKANA
1. Rt. Hon. Prime Minister ─ HON. KUTEESA SAM
KAHAMBA
2. 1st Deputy Prime Minister ─ GEN. MOSES ALI
& Deputy Leader of Gov’t
Business in Parliament
3. 2nd Deputy Prime Minister and ─ HON. ONEK
Minister of East African HILARY
Affairs
4. Minister of Education and ─ HON. MUSEVENI
Sports JANET KATAAHA
5. Minister of Public Service ─ HON. MURULI
MUKASA
6. Minister of Trade, ─ HON. SSEMPIJJA VINCENT
Industry & Cooperatives BAMULANGAKI
7. Minister of Internal Affairs ─ LT. GEN. TUMUKUNDE HENRY
8. Minister of Agriculture, ─ GEN. AKANDWANAHO
Animal Industry & VINCENT
Fisheries CALEB (Salim Saleh)
9. Minister of Finance and
Economic Planning ─ HON. KASAIJA MATIA
10. Minister of Foreign ─ HON. ODONGO
Affairs JEJE
11. Minister of Health ─ ATWIINE DIANA
12. Minister of Works and ─ GEN KATUMBA EDWARD
Transport WAMALA
13. Minister of Lands, ─ HON. NAMUGANZA
Housing & Urban
Development PERSIS
14. Minister of Water & ─ HON. CHEPTORIS
Environment SAM
15. Minister of Justice ─ MAJ. GEN.KAHINDA
& Constitutional Affairs OTAFIIRE
16. Attorney General ─ MR. KIWANUKA
KIRYOWA (ADVOCATE)
17. Minister of Defence and ─ HON. MWESIGE
Veteran Affairs ADOLF
18. Minister of Local ─ HON. TUMWEBAZE FRANK
Government
KAGYIGYI
19. Minister for Karamoja Affairs ─ HON. AMONGI ANITA
20. Minister of Energy and
Minerals ─ HON. MULONI IRENE
21. Minister of Information, ICT ─ HON. BARYOMUNSI
& Communications CHRIS
22. Minister for Science, ─ HON. NAKIWALA
Technology and Innovation
KIYINGI
23. Minister in Charge of ─ HON. BUSINGYE
General Duties/Office of MARY KAROORO
the Prime Minister OKURUT
24. Minister of Disaster
Preparedness &
Refugees ─ HON. NANTABA AIDAH
25. Minister of Tourism, ─ HON.KIWANDA GODFREY
Wildlife & Antiquities
SSUUBI
26. Minister for the Presidency ─ HON. KYAMBADDE AMELIA
27. Minister of Security ─ GEN. TUMWINE ELLY
28. Minister without ─ MBAYO ESTHER
Portfolio MBALAKUZA
29. Minister for Kampala City ─ HON. NAMISANGO
Authority BETTY KAMYA
30. Government Chief Whip – HON. NANKABIRWA
SENTAMU RUTH
31. Minister of Gender, Labour ─ HON. MUKWAYA
& Social affairs JANAT
MINISTERS OF STATE:
Office of the President:
1. Minister of State for ─ HON. KASIRIVU
Economic Monitoring BALTAZAH ATWOKI
2. Minister of State for ─ HON.KIRUNDA ALI
Ethics and Integrity KIVEJINJA
Office of the Vice President:
3. Minister of State
Vice President’s Office ─ HON. ONZIMA ALEX
Office of the Prime Minister:
4. Minister of State for
Relief and Disaster ─ HON. ECWERU
Preparedness MUSA FRANCIS
5. Minister of State for ─ HON. KWIYUUCWINY
Northern Uganda GRACE
6. Minister of State for ─ HON. ANDREW MARTIAL
Karamoja
7. Minister of State ─ HON. GALABUZI
for Luwero Triangle DENNIS SSOZI
8. Minister of State for ─ HON. AKIROR AGNES
Teso Affairs
9. Minister of State for
Bunyoro Affairs ─ HON. KIIZA ERNEST
Ministry of Public Service
10. Minister of State for ─ HON. KARUBANGA
Public Service DAVID
Ministry of East African Affairs
11. Minister of State for ─ HON. MAGANDA
East African Affairs JULIUS WANDERA
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
12. Minister of State for ─ HON. KIBAZANGA
Agriculture CHRISTOPHER
13. Minister of State for ─ HON. AKAMPULIRA
Fisheries DAVIS
14. Minister of State for Animal ─ MRS. KABATSI JOY
Industry
Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs
15. Minister of State for
Defence ─ LT COL. ANKUNDA PADDY
16. Minister of State for ─ MAJOR RWAMIRAMA
Veteran Affairs BRIGHT
Ministry of Education and Sports
17. Minister of State for Higher ─ DR. MUYINGO JOHN
Education CHRYSOSTOM
18. Minister of State for ─ HON. NANSUBUGA
Primary Education, ROSEMARY SENINDE
19. Minister of State for Sports ─ MR. MULINDWA LAWRENCE
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development:
20. Minister of State for Energy ─ HON. D’UJANGA
SIMON
21. Minister of State for Minerals ─ MR. GADAFFI
NASSUR
Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development:
22. Minister of State for Finance ─ HON. AJEDRA
(General) GABRIEL GADISON
ARIDRU
23. Minister of State for Planning ─ HON. BAHATI DAVID
24. Minister of State for ─ HON. RUYONDO
Privatization and Investment ANNA LUMUMBA
25. Minister of State for Micro- ─ HON. KYEYUNE
Finance HARUNA KASOLO
Ministry of Works and Transport:
26. Minister of State for ─ HON. BAGIIRE
Transport AGGREY
27. Minister of State for ─ HON. KIBUULE
Works RONALD
Ministry of Water and Environment:
28. Minister of State for Water ─ HON. OROT
ISMAEL
29. Minister of State for ─ HON. MAWANDA
Environment MICHAEL
Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development:
30. Minister of State for ─ HON. MATSIKO
Housing WINNIE
31. Minister of State for ─ HON. MUSUMBA
Urban Development ISAAC
32. Minister of State for ─ HON. NAMUGANYA
Lands BENNA
Ministry of Health:
33. Minister of State for ─ HON. OPENDI
Health (General) OCHIENG SARAH
34. Minister of State for ─ DR. MORIKU JOYCE
Primary Health Care
Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
35. Deputy Attorney General ─ HON. KATUNTU ABDU
Ministry of Trade and Industry and Cooperatives:
36. Minister of State for ─ HON. KAFABUSA
Trade WERIKHE MICHEAL
37. Minister of State for ─ HON. MPUUGA
Industry MATHIAS
38. Minister of State for ─ HON. GUME
Cooperatives FREDRICK NGOBI
39. Kampala Capital City ─ MUZAATA
Authority NUHU
Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
40. Minister of State for ─ HON. ORYEM
International Affairs OKELLO
41. Minister of State for ─ GEN BIRAARO
Regional Affairs BENON
Ministry of Local Government
42. Minister of State for ─ HON. NAMUYANGU
Local Government JENIFER
Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities:
43. Minister of State for ─ HON. ANYWAR
Tourism BEATRICE
Ministry of ICT
44. Minister of State for ICT and ─ HON. OPONDO
Communications OFWONO
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development:
45. Minister of State for Gender ─ MADAME MUTUUZO
and Culture PEACE
46. Minister of State for Youth and ─ MRS. ABER
Children Affairs LILIAN
47. Minister of State for Labour,
Employment and Industrial ─ MR. NYABWANA
Relations TITO
48. Minister of State for the Elderly ─ HAJJI.NADDULI
and Disability: ABDUL
Ministry of Internal Affairs
49. Minister of State for
Internal Affairs ─ HON. OBIGA KANIA
SIGNED this …………………..day of ………, in the Year of our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen.
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
Godfrey Mutabazi the Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director has directed telecommunication companies to block virtual private networks (VPN) applications that are aiding Ugandans to evade social media tax.
The development comes after government put into effect the Uganda shilling 200 per day Over the Top (OTT) commonly known as social media tax at the start of the 2018/2019 financial year. The unpopular tax has triggered anger from Ugandans.
While some have resentfully paid it, others are evading it to access social sites using VPNs applications.
Now, virtual private networks enable internet users to use data bought from Uganda telecom companies but hide their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which are distributed geographically and can be used to identify internet users’ location. People with VPN unblocked their social media sites without paying tax.
But, Mutabazi says telecom companies promised and are already blocking VPNs, adding that there are many VPNs, admitting that not all of them can be blocked.
He also argues that those who are going for VPNs instead of paying the social media tax are taking an unwise decision as they allegedly consume more data than the Uganda shilling 200 that is paid as social media tax.
The UCC boss said Ugandans should pay the tax instead of going for VPNs. “It’s a government decision it’s not a UCC decision. People should pay tax. It’s a law, if the government says pay tax, you should pay,” he said.
A constitutional petition challenging the tax is expected to be filed in court today.
The State Minister for Planning, David Bahati has revealed that the one percent tax charged when depositing money on Mobile Money will be scrapped off as it was passed in error.
The tax which took effect on Sunday July 1 alongside the Over the Top (OTT) tax that blocks social media platforms until users pay a mandatory Shs200 daily.
Bahati also noted that cabinet resolved that the rest of the new taxes stay urging citizens and adhere and respect them.
“Government expects to earn over Shs100bn from the new OTT tax in the new financial year and this money will help solve a number of infrastructural problems,” he said.
