Kagezi Village, Mpigi District   – A troop of aggressive monkeys has turned life into a nightmare for residents of Kagezi village in Lwambula Parish, with at least 12 people attacked recently while going about their daily activities.  

      
Primates from a nearby forest reserve are attacking villagers, stealing food, and causing panic.
Lukia Nabuloori, one of the victims, recounted her traumatic encounter: "They came suddenly while I was carrying groceries. One jumped on me and bit my arm before running off with my food basket."  

 
Local council officials have raised the issue with district authorities:  
 Moses Kasozi (LC3 Chairperson) : "These aren't ordinary monkeys - they're organized like traffic police, ambushing people at specific points along our paths."  

 Francis Sserugga (District Councilor)  confirmed plans are underway to control the monkey population through regulated culling.  

      Health Concerns Mount    
District Health Secretary Francis Ssendyowa warned: "Monkey bites pose serious rabies risks. Victims must seek immediate medical attention."  

James Kalokola, the District Wildlife Officer, acknowledged the crisis: "We're working with Uganda Wildlife Authority to find a lasting solution that balances conservation and community safety."  

  
Villagers have resorted to travelling in groups for protection, avoiding forest paths at dawn and dusk, and keeping children indoors.  

Amina Muteesaasira, another attack victim, pleaded: "We need government intervention before someone gets killed."  

The Mpigi District administration has promised to: Deploy wildlife experts to assess the situation. Publicise the importance of coexisting with wildlife. Explore humane population control methods.  

As the standoff continues, Kagezi residents remain vigilant, with many carrying sticks when moving through monkey-prone areas.  

Katovu Town Council, Lwengo – Frustrated residents from three villages in Katovu Town Council have stormed the office of Presidential Advisor Bonivencha Rwatangabo, demanding urgent intervention to reopen a critical community road that has been blocked for over 40 years.  

 
Residents of Kamazzi A, Kamazzi B, and Malongo villages accuse a local landlord of illegally blocking the traditional footpath connecting their communities. The contested route, vital for accessing water sources and grazing livestock, has become the centre of a bitter standoff.  

Key issues raised include a water access crisis, forcing families to travel long distances to fetch water, livestock restrictions prohibiting herders from using the path for cattle, and property damage claims from landowners alleging destruction of trees and property.  
 
Winfred Mukinda, representing the three villages, explained: "This path has served our ancestors for generations. Its closure has made daily life unbearable, especially for women fetching water."  
 
Isa Musiitwa, the accused landowner, countered: "I legally purchased this land years ago without being told about any public pathway. Now my property gets destroyed daily." He particularly objected to cattle damaging his land without compensation for milk produced.  
 
Presidential Advisor Rwatangabo highlighted three key points: ensuring citizens’ right to water sources, emphasising the importance of proper surveying before path usage, and reaffirming the government’s responsibility for providing water access.  

Lwengo District official Mary Jude Namuleme mediated the heated meeting, warning against violence: "We must follow legal procedures. No one should take the law into their own hands."  

 
Authorities have pledged to conduct immediate land surveys, establish legal right-of-way procedures, and ensure peaceful coexistence throughout the process.  

The tense standoff highlights growing conflicts over land access in rural Uganda, where customary rights often clash with modern land ownership systems.  
 

Children born with Cerebral Pulse in Goma Division in Mukono Municipality  have got a smile on their faces after charities from Rotary Club of Sonde helped them with basic necessities, including pamper, food and other items as well as the launch of the construction of the shelter.

The items were handed over to them by Christine Kirungi, the director of Umbrella Cerebral Palsy Association of Uganda at Charles Lwanga Primary School Bukerere where they were handed over to them by the District governor  District 9213  Geoffery Kitakule and Rotary Club of Sonde  President Christine Alupo during the  visiting  of their projects which they are working on as a club while hosting the new district governor in their club.

 

In his remarks, Governor Kitakule said they have donated feeding material or feeds for children with cerebral palsy and Rotary Club of Sonde is still supporting children within the community that have been affected by cerebral palsy.

“As you see, there is a big task ahead of us. We call upon our partners and all those who have seen this and they know that they can unite with us to do good. And what good are we talking about? The good thing is to make sure that we do things that make a difference and transform societies like this one in the UK.”

Christine Alupo, President Rotary Club Of Sonde, has seen children suffering from cerebral palsy, which affects their growth, and they are unable to fend for themselves. They need specialized care, and they have difficult learning conditions. It is a very specialized condition which requires awareness, which requires facilitation, which requires equipment, which requires care.

Alupo added that there are very many dimensions affected, including the livelihoods of parents who have to spend full time with them. So as a club, they have already done a classroom for them, but they are also constructing a shed, which can enhance their comfort and their specialized treatment. But they also need attention from medical experts, and as Rotary Club Of Sonde they are partnering with those ones so that they have the children assessed for their conditions, and so that it's clear both to their caregivers and everybody what needs they have.

“We are working to develop disability-enabled facilities, washrooms, and mobility, as you have seen; they are in a state that really requires full-time support. And as a club, we are working with St Charles' lwanga Primary School, which has accepted to host them, really to give the care that is needed. Again, we have done a number of things, but there are several dimensions not yet done, and as a club we are committed to continuing in that regard.”

Dorothy Namarome Muinda on Behalf of the employees from Bank Of Uganda said that they  did it for the parents of children with Cerebral Palsy, because they have had friends even in the corporate world whom they have been interacting with and one of their  friends them that , his  marriage crashed because of this disabled child. And he was a father, and the mother of the child left and they just couldn't understand it.

“When she mentioned that she needed to raise money for this project, it was a project that was close to me at heart. I have relatives who have Cerebral Palsy and one evening we dropped our child at a school and when we left the child, I told the father, "I think you brought this girl to the wrong place, she may retire, because the image that was there was heartbreaking.”

She added that when this came to her , it was close to her  heart and Ishe rallied her friends.  And went to offices she had never been to, but she did it for Christine Alupo  and she  did it for the parents of children with Cerebral Palsy. She  thanked Rotary Club Of Sonde , Doctor, for this noble cause and as far as we are able to, they promise  to  continue to support them.

Christine Kirungi, the head of Umbrella Cerebral Palsy Association of Uganda, said they have been facing challenges from the location of the place where children are brought in shifts which cause some to stay at home and since they got another shelter no children will be left behind.

Some parents applauded the Rotary Club for the donation  and said that they are facing a big challenge  to sustain their  children because the prices  for the commodities they use towards them are so high and they need much  time and some cannot go to work.

They say the place will help their children to interact  with their peers and play with them because they are often inside the building in the unprofitable opportunity to get to know each other.

The Construction will cost 20 million Ugandan Shilling .

 

This has prompted the UDCL technical  team, to switch off the substations especially at the pick hours in the evening the accommodate the existing pressure

The Ministry of Works and Energy has attributed existing incidents of load shedding to power substations being overloaded. Load shedding, which began with continuous power shortages in previous months, has affected many businesses in various urban centers since the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) took over from UMEME as the power distributor.

On March 31st, UEDCL took over power distribution from UMEME after UMEME's 20-year contract had elapsed. The transaction agreement involved the government paying UMEME $118 million as a buyout. The same process also included incorporating 94% of former UMEME employees into UEDCL. However, load shedding still remains a significant challenge in maintaining a constant power supply.

Speaking at a media briefing when UEDCL was marking 100 days since the takeover, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, stated that the existing substations cannot manage the current power consumption. This has prompted the UEDCL technical team to switch off substations, especially during peak hours in the evening, to accommodate the existing pressure. She also cited areas that have been grossly affected by the shedding, including Mukono, after the shutdown at Namugongo, the main station, and Mutundwe.

However, UEDCL Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa says they have been able to rehabilitate many substations in a phased manner in the areas of Kakiri, Mbarara, Nansana, and Matugga, among others. Mwesigwa adds that UEDCL has been able to increase power supply from April to May by 2% to 8%.

The 100 days have seen the government gaining confidence in UEDCL, guaranteeing it a loan of $50 million to enable it to install 116 transformers, thereby increasing transmission since March. The ministry also boasts of having injected over 250 billion shillings, which has reduced power tariffs by 14 percent.

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