16 May 2025 Manufacturers, importers and distributors of agro chemicals propose a raft of recommendations to counter the problem of counterfeits, key among them establishing a counterfeit fund to finance the fight. Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Inaugural Croplife symposium , the Chairperson CropLife Uganda Agnes Mbabazi said the manufacturers and distributors cannot fight counterfeit products in isolation. This after continued complaints about fake agro chemicals on the Ugandan market. Its against this background that Mbabazi is advocating for a fund where all players contribute money to finance the fight against fake agro-chemicals. “We must stand together to fight counterfeits and we must establish the fund immediately.” said Mbabazi. The Managing Director Syngenta Given Mudenda says farmers and communities are the most affected by the problem of counterfeits products noting that they end up making losses. The Managing Director Bayer East Africa Joern Krageloh says the sector players mainly manufacturers have resolved to instill security features on their products to help farmers discern genuine agrochemicals from fake ones. Krageloh says they are also establishing security teams to help apprehend individuals dealing in fake products. “We shall be proactive also about helping farmers on how they can identify a product, giving them other mechanism , SMS codes or scan codes and modern technologies to help them differentiate original products” said Joern Krageloh. Story by Wycliffe Sebunya
16 May 2025 Uganda’s poverty rate declines to 16.1% from 20.3% according to findings of the Uganda National House Hold survey 2023/24. The survey conducted by the Uganda National Bureau of standards indicates that Uganda has made notable progress in poverty alleviation with 7 million people living below the absolute poverty line of one dollar per day. However, according to the survey disparities remain between rural and urban areas, with rural poverty standing at 19.4% compared to urban poverty at 10.3 %. Karamoja remains the most affected region, with 74.2 % of its population living in absolute poverty, other regions with high poverty rates include Bukedi, Busoga, and west Nile among others. According to the survey Kampala reported the lowest poverty rate at 1.1 %. Minister of state for finance Amos Lugolobi launched the report today at Hotel Africana and noted that in spite of the decline of poverty rates there is still much to be done in regions like karamonja where the poverty rates are still very high. Executive Director Uganda Bureau of statistics Chris Mukiza says that this data is vital for informing public debate and shaping the path towards achieving the goals set in the national Development plan. Story by Rose Namale
16 May 2025 Uganda Human Rights Commission reveals that the ministry of justice and constitutional affairs has paid compensation awards arising from the Uganda Human rights commission amounting to 116,089,122 shillings in the financial year 2023/24. Chairperson Uganda Human Commission Mariam Wangadya says that the ministry is also yet to pay an outstanding amount of 435.6M shillings arising out of the commission’s tribunal orders. Majority of the compensated were in relation to the freedom from torture and ill treatment, right to life, right to personal liberty among others. This today at parliament while presenting the commission’s 27th annual report on the state of Uganda Human rights and freedoms for the year 2024 Wangadya also notes that the prison overcrowdings remains a major challenge in most of the prison facilities with most prison facilities housing four times their designed capacity with male inmates most affected. Commissioner of parliament also Nyendo Mukungwe MP Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba represented the Speaker of parliament and advocates for the speeding up of the trial processes to reduce on the overcrowding in prisons. Story by Rose Namale
16 May 2025 Manufacturers, importers and distributors of agro chemicals propose a raft of recommendations to counter the problem of counterfeits, key among them establishing a counterfeit fund to finance the fight. Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Inaugural Croplife symposium , the Chairperson CropLife Uganda Agnes Mbabazi said the manufacturers and distributors cannot fight counterfeit products in isolation. This after continued complaints about fake agro chemicals on the Ugandan market. Its against this background that Mbabazi is advocating for a fund where all players contribute money to finance the fight against fake agro-chemicals. “We must stand together to fight counterfeits and we must establish the fund immediately.” said Mbabazi. The Managing Director Syngenta Given Mudenda says farmers and communities are the most affected by the problem of counterfeits products noting that they end up making losses. The Managing Director Bayer East Africa Joern Krageloh says the sector players mainly manufacturers have resolved to instill security features on their products to help farmers discern genuine agrochemicals from fake ones. Krageloh says they are also establishing security teams to help apprehend individuals dealing in fake products. “We shall be proactive also about helping farmers on how they can identify a product, giving them other mechanism , SMS codes or scan codes and modern technologies to help them differentiate original products” said Joern Krageloh. Story by Wycliffe Sebunya
16 May 2025 Uganda’s poverty rate declines to 16.1% from 20.3% according to findings of the Uganda National House Hold survey 2023/24. The survey conducted by the Uganda National Bureau of standards indicates that Uganda has made notable progress in poverty alleviation with 7 million people living below the absolute poverty line of one dollar per day. However, according to the survey disparities remain between rural and urban areas, with rural poverty standing at 19.4% compared to urban poverty at 10.3 %. Karamoja remains the most affected region, with 74.2 % of its population living in absolute poverty, other regions with high poverty rates include Bukedi, Busoga, and west Nile among others. According to the survey Kampala reported the lowest poverty rate at 1.1 %. Minister of state for finance Amos Lugolobi launched the report today at Hotel Africana and noted that in spite of the decline of poverty rates there is still much to be done in regions like karamonja where the poverty rates are still very high. Executive Director Uganda Bureau of statistics Chris Mukiza says that this data is vital for informing public debate and shaping the path towards achieving the goals set in the national Development plan. Story by Rose Namale
16 May 2025 Uganda Human Rights Commission reveals that the ministry of justice and constitutional affairs has paid compensation awards arising from the Uganda Human rights commission amounting to 116,089,122 shillings in the financial year 2023/24. Chairperson Uganda Human Commission Mariam Wangadya says that the ministry is also yet to pay an outstanding amount of 435.6M shillings arising out of the commission’s tribunal orders. Majority of the compensated were in relation to the freedom from torture and ill treatment, right to life, right to personal liberty among others. This today at parliament while presenting the commission’s 27th annual report on the state of Uganda Human rights and freedoms for the year 2024 Wangadya also notes that the prison overcrowdings remains a major challenge in most of the prison facilities with most prison facilities housing four times their designed capacity with male inmates most affected. Commissioner of parliament also Nyendo Mukungwe MP Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba represented the Speaker of parliament and advocates for the speeding up of the trial processes to reduce on the overcrowding in prisons. Story by Rose Namale
