Key findings:

• Output and new orders rise for second month running
• Higher purchase and staff costs push up total expenses
• Employment expands further amid confidence in the outlook

Back-to-back expansions in both business activity and new orders resulted in Ugandan firms seeing a further improvement in performance during May with the headline Stanbic Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rising to 54.1 from 52.6 posted in April.

Christopher Legilisho, economist at Stanbic Bank, said, “May produced a second successive month of buoyant private sector activity in Uganda. Output and new orders gained from robust consumer demand, referrals, and newly acquired clients. Almost all sectors recorded growth except for agriculture. Ugandan firms increased staffing levels for a fourteenth month now, including both part-time and full-timeworkers, due to increased output. Staffing costs also ticked up as some companies paid bonuses to motivate workers.”

The monthly Stanbic PMI is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to about 400 purchasing managers. The sectors covered by the survey include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, construction, wholesale,retail,l and services.

The index is a weighted average of the following five indices: New Orders (30%), Output (25%), Employment (20%), Suppliers’ Delivery Times (15%) and Stocks of Purchases (10%). Readings above 50.0 signal an improvement in business conditions on the previous month, while readings below 50.0 show deterioration.

Favourable demand conditions during May also underpinned optimism in the year-ahead outlook for output, with companies encouraged to expand staffing numbers again. Shorter lead times and greater new orders allowed firms to increase their input buying and build stocks of purchases.

On the price front, greater purchase and staff costs were recorded, pushing total operating expenses up. In turn, firms raised their selling prices further.

Legilisho said, “Further, greater employment allowed firms to handle outstanding work, thereby further clearing backlogs during May. Purchasing activity expanded, with inventories growing in May due to higher input buying and faster delivery times by firms.

“Firms increased output prices due to favourable demand conditions with input prices and purchase prices rising as operating expenses increased, with costs connected to raw materials and utilities remaining high. This implies increasing inflationary pressures. Still, firms remain upbeat on the outlook for customer demand and output over the next 12 months,” he said.

A more upbeat sales environment contributed to the latest increase in new business in May. Ugandan companies suggested that new client wins stemming from increased customer referrals helped boost new orders.

As was the case for output, new sales rose in all monitored sectors bar agriculture.

Overall operating expenses rose further midway through the second quarter, as both purchase and staff costs increased again. Higher wage bills, in part stemming from performance-related bonuses to motivate staff, alongside greater utility and raw material prices, drove cost inflation according to panelists.

Nevertheless, sustained and upbeat demand conditions enabled firms to raise their output charges for the fourteenth month running in May. Businesses often sought to pass-through higher costs to customers, anecdotal evidence showed.

Confidence in the outlook for output over the next year encouraged firms to expand their workforce numbers and input buying during May. Four of the five monitored sectors signaled greater employment, with only construction bucking the wider trend and recording a decrease in staffing numbers.

Greater capacity allowed firms to work through their backlogs, which fell for the fifth month running. At the same time, another monthly upturn in purchasing activity and a further improvement in suppliers’ delivery times supported the building of stocks of purchases. Inventories rose for the third successive month in May.

Ends

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Ronald Makata has been appointed Chief Finance and Value Management Officer of Stanbic Bank Uganda. Abraham Ongenge, who was previously Executive Head for Personal and Private Banking at Stanbic Bank Kenya, has since moved to Stanbic Bank Uganda.

After starting out as a Manager of Financial Reporting at Stanbic Bank in 2013, Makata moved up to take on a number of top positions, including Head Banking under Client Solutions, Financial Controller, and most recently Head Treasury and Capital Management.

He is recognized for having spearheaded and oversaw a number of significant programs that revolutionized the bank, such as the implementation of strict financial controls throughout Africa, corporate transformation initiatives, client simplicity initiatives, and digitization initiatives.

“I am pleased to confirm Mr. Makata’s appointment as our substantive Chief Finance and Value Management Officer. His experience and passion for uplifting young professionals and supporting them through their career journeys to ensure they realise their full potential and progress through coaching, direct transfer of skills, and exposure to the real work environment are particularly exciting for our young professionals in the bank,” said Stanbic Bank Chief Executive Anne Juuko.

Makata said, “I am happy to take on this new responsibility and appreciate the confidence in my abilities. I look forward to working with a team of largely young, talented professionals to enhance operational efficiency, transform the client experience, and create more value for shareholders.”

Makata has over 17 years of extensive expertise as a financial professional in the financial services industry. He began his work at Barclays Uganda and advanced to the position of financial reporting manager. With a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Edinburgh Business School, a Bachelor of Commerce from Makerere University, a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), and membership in the Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (CPA), Makata is a certified coach and professional accountant.

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After today’s terrorist attack on the Kremlin, the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin; Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council has declared intentions of eliminating Ukraine’s President Zelensky and his men.

According to Kremlin’s Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine launched two drone UAV attacks on Tuesday 03 May, 2023 (overnight) with the intention of hitting Putin’s apartment in the Kremlin however, the head of State was not in at the time of on Tuesday night.

On his Telegram channel Dmitry Medvedev said that there are no options left other than the physical elimination of Ukraine’s President Zelensky and his clique.

“After today’s terrorist attack, Moscow is left with no choice other than the physical elimination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “and his clique,” according to Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, on his Telegram channel.

During a press conference in Helsinki, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied responsibility of the drone attack on Russia’s presidential palace “the Kremlin”.

“We fight on our territory, we are defending our villages and cities. We don’t have enough weapons for such attacks. That’s why we don’t use it anywhere else,” Zelensky explained.

Meanwhile, Medvedev still claims Zelenskyy is not even needed for signing an instrument of unconditional surrender.

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Rewinding the memories of ambulance sirens during the peaks of Covid19 makes me feel dizzy .It is deceitful to think that Covid19 is a gone case.

In the weekly media briefing   on Covid19 held on March 2022, Dr. Ahmed Ogwal, Director at Africa CDC communicated that since the declaration of the pandemic, Africa has so far registered 12.2 M cases with 256739 deaths, sadly recording 242 new cases. This kind of data should serve as a signal for us to do away with complacency related to Covid19.

With Uganda case ,every individual household felt the wrath of the pandemic .Schools closed, businesses collapsed ,job were lost ,teenage pregnancy shot to unexpected levels, and to the most extreme, lives were lost . To-date, Uganda has recorded over 3600 deaths from Covid19. I commiserate with families that lost their dear ones especially for those whose deceased were sole breadwinners.

When the declaration of the outbreak was made in Uganda, there was general skepticism; mis and disinformation were hoovering via both online platforms and communities with claims that the disease was a hoax, a political weapon to ban political rallies at a time when Uganda was heading for general presidential and parliamentary elections. Fortunate or unfortunate enough, the first case of Covid19, a 36-year-old male from Dubai detected at Entebbe international airport in March 2020 awakened the population to the reality of the situation.

Standard operating procedures as part of the global prevention measures that included handwashing, social distancing and masking were put in place. Unfortunately, these interventions were initially perceived as an inconvenience.

In the year 2021, vaccination commenced with safe, free and highly effective vaccines. With extensively available evidence of efficacy, uptake remained minimal in the first months of the exercise with allegations of causing sickness, impotence, and deaths, among others.

Thank God, many people flocked vaccination sites in quest for services after widespread-shared images of the dead and hospitalization on oxygen across the globe caused by corona virus.

It took international, regional and national efforts to invest heavily in risk communication and community engagement to create awareness for the virus to enhance risk perception so that people observed Sops and embraced vaccination.

For Uganda, 33M people were targeted for vaccination .As of Mid-2022, only 12.5M, which represents 37.8 % of the target, had been vaccinated, leaving about 17.5 M Ugandans unvaccinated. This calls for strengthened mobilization and awareness creation to improve demand for vaccines to raise the vaccination coverage.

It is rather disheartening to see people astonishingly forget all the sour experiences caused by the pandemic ,vaccination that saved lives  is still taken for granted yet it is the only savior from severe infection ,hospitalization and deaths .

Global ,regional and national data gives evidence  that the virus is still with and around us .In England, wales ,North Ireland ,Scotland have registered an increasing number of cases since the start of the year 2023.

A single infected individual poses an infection risk to the entire country and the world.All the worries about Covid19 can be condensed by all of us getting vaccinated .The target is to have 70% of all the qualified population in Africa vaccinated .

Launched in April 2022, the Africa Union set up the Bingwa initiative as part of the Africa CDC’s wide Programme of Saving Lives and Livelihoods consisting of locally based vaccination champions to accelerate vaccinate initiative should be supported by individual responsibility to appreciate the need to get vaccinated.

On availability of vaccines, the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, among other obligations is acquiring vaccines for more than 65 million people, supporting the delivery of vaccinations to millions across the continent.  The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative is a three-year, US $1.5 billion partnership between the MasterCard Foundation and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) designed to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa and hasten the economic recovery of the continent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is thus no need to worry about the availability of vaccines.

It is our responsivity to secure individual and community health as health security should be every one’s priority.

 Get vaccinated .Shoot Your Shot and contribute to health and wellbeing of communities sustainably.

Daraus, MPH, a Public Health Specialist (Health Promotion) is an Africa Union Covid19 Bingwa, under Africa CDC

He is also the founder and executive director for Purpose Health Care Africa, an organization championing community led disease interventions for sustainable health and wellbeing.

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Musinguzi, 52, showed up before Makindye Grade One Magistrate Igga Adiru on Tuesday to address allegations of a rush and negligent act that resulted in fatalities in violation of Section 227 of the Penal Code Act.

Musinguzi is charged on nine counts. On remand until January 10, he was.

According to the details of the crime, on December 31 and January 1 of 2022 and 2023, Musinguzi and other people who are still at large shut off other exits from Freedom City, leaving only one small gate that more than 20,000 people could reasonably utilize to leave the area securely.

The dead include Ibrahim Kizito, Margaret Nakatumba, Nakimati Nazama, Mary Namyalo, Daniel Kibuuka, Haddijja Nakakande, Kibuuka Daniella, Shafiq Mwane, and Viola Nakanwagi .

Abitex’s lawyer Erias Lukwago said that he had hoped that his client would be granted bail.

Asserting that Freedom City Mall owner John Sebalamu, his manager, and the police officers who were contracted to provide security should also be charged with carelessness, Lukwago voiced dissatisfaction and called the proceedings against Musinguzi “ironic.”

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According to security services, 28 cars and 222 motorcycles have already been impounded for breaking the restrictions.

Three automobiles and 145 motorcycles have been seized in Kassanda by police and affiliated security organisations, according to Senior Commissioner of Police-SCP Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson. 25 automobiles and 77 more motorcycles have been seized in the Mubende district.

According to Enanga, covert security organisations have been stationed at the borders to track down contacts of both those who have already died from the Ebola virus and those who have been diagnosed with the highly contagious virus. These organisations include crime intelligence and internal security organisations.

Security has issued a warning that anyone who attempts to disregard the precautions taken to contain the Ebola virus would not be spared. On Saturday night, Museveni proclaimed 21 days in the two districts. But according to the police, five people who made an attempt to challenge security organisations using the instructions were detained.

It should be highlighted that 19 individuals have died from Ebola, and many more are battling the infectious illness in hospitals in Mubende, Fort Portal, and Entebbe.

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According to a letter dated 16^th May, 2022, the Chairperson of the Uganda Electoral Commission Justice Simon Byabakama says campaign meetings will commence from May 16, 2022 to May 24, 2022 starting at 7:00am and ending at 6:00pm on each of the campaign dates.

Byabakama further emphasizes that during this period, candidates shall not use or publish any language or defamatory words, which incite disorder, hatred, violence or which threaten war and their agents and the public should adhere to the harmonized programme and set rules and regulations guiding the campaign period.

Also May 26, 2022 is the designated polling day and that voting shall be by universal adult suffrage, and shall only take place at polling stations in Omoro  County Constituency, beginning at 7:00am till 4:00pm and there after the counting of votes and declaration of results shall take place. Political parties and independent candidates have been encouraged to station their agents at polling stations throughout the Constituency. “Other than observing the exercise, candidates’ agents shall not be expected to interfere with the polling process. All persons participating in the above electoral exercise shall be required to comply with guidelines issued by the Electoral Commission in accordance with the Government of Uganda and Ministry of Health measures against the spread of Covid-19. This includes observing social distancing and wearing masks,” Justice Byabakama said.

Six (6) candidates were nominated to contest for the seat of Directly-elected Member of Parliament, namely; Onen Jimmy Walter (IND), Odonga Terence (IND), Tolit Simon Akecha (NUP), Kizza Oscar (ANT), Ojok Andrew Oulanyah (NRM) and Odong Justine (FDC).

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In a video released ahead of World Immunization Week, Neeson talks about how the efforts of scientists such as Jonas Salk, who developed the first vaccine against polio, and dedicated workers who fill vials at factories or deliver vaccine injections, have made it possible to save two to three million child lives each year.  

“Vaccines are a remarkable human success story. Over the last 75 years, billions of children have been vaccinated, thanks to scientists, health workers, to volunteers. If you’ve ever been vaccinated or vaccinated your children, then you are part of the arm-to-arm chain that keeps all humanity safe,” said Liam Neeson, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. “We live our lives free of worry about catching smallpox. Once a terrifying diagnosis, polio is no longer a threat in most of the world. The conversation about vaccines in recent years has lost sight of how much good they have done for each of us. We need to celebrate this. It is perhaps one of the biggest collective achievements in human history.” 

Every like, share or comment on posts mentioning a UNICEF social media account and using the hashtag #longlifeforall from now until May 10 will unlock the US $1 to UNICEF, from the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation  – up to a total of US$10 million – to help ensure all children get the life-saving vaccines they need.  

Videos are available to download here  

Despite the successes, an alarming 23 million children missed out on vaccinations in 2020. This number can only be reduced through a greater commitment to and investment in immunization services.  UNICEF is the world’s leading provider of vaccines to children in over 100 countries. With Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and partners UNICEF supply vaccines to reach 45 per cent of the world’s children under five.  UNICEF also works with Governments in over 130 countries to strengthen national health and immunization programmes.  

In Uganda, UNICEF and its partners have made great strides in reducing vaccine-preventable deaths, diseases, and disabilities. This progress is attributable to the introduction of new vaccines, as well as increasing rates of vaccination uptake, substantially contributing to the steady decline in under-five mortality since 1990. 

“The last two years have taught us that a health care system that leaves some children exposed, is a health care system that leaves all children exposed,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.  “The best way for the world to recover from this pandemic – and to prepare for future health emergencies — is to invest in stronger health systems, and immunization and essential health services for every child.”   

World Immunization Week – celebrated every year in the last week of April – is spearheaded by the World Health Organization and brings together global partners to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.  The theme for this year is #LongLifeForAll, with ‘long life’ reflecting the importance of lifespan vaccinations.   

“We are in a race against time to restore the immunization services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate progress against all vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Gargee Ghosh, President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “That is why we are thrilled to work with UNICEF and other partners around the world to ensure children – especially those in the world’s poorest countries – have access to the vaccines they need to live a long, healthy life.”  

“UNICEF ensures that nearly half of the world’s children under five are ‘protected by love’ with life-saving vaccines,” said Martha Rebour, Executive Director of Shot@Life, United Nations Foundation.  

Shot@Life is a grassroots advocacy campaign of the United Nations Foundation that champions global childhood immunization as one of the most effective ways to save the lives of children around the world. We rally members of the public, members of Congress, businesses, and civil society partners — through public education and grassroots advocacy — to support and invest in global childhood immunization programs.  

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The Acting Commissioner for Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister Douglas Asiimwe has revealed that there is a fresh influx of Congolese refugees through the Bunagana border from the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and this currently stands at 10,000.

Asiimwe warns that if the situation remains the way it is, there is a likelihood of an outbreak of a pandemic in the border town of Bunagana.

Fresh fighting between Congolese government forces and rebel elements in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo resumed yesterday after nearly two weeks of the ceasefire and our authoritative sources at the Nyakabande Transit Camp say the number of Congolese at the holding centre has reached 9,500 yet the facility was originally designed to handle 5000 people.

Asiimwe has said that the capacity at Nyakabande Transit Camp has been beefed up to handle about 20,000 refugees however, the biggest challenge is that some of the Congolese at Bunagana have refused to move to the camp claiming life at the camp is unbearable.

“We have enough food for now. We have medical teams at the reception centre doing the work, screening for health, and sanitation as well as Covid-19.”

It has also come to our attention that development partners like United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) are trying to respond to the gap of lack of enough accommodation at Nyakabande.

Asiimwe has called on the donor community and the international community not to abandon their obligation because the responsibility of refugees in Uganda is at the level of the Ukraine – Russia conflict where thousands of people have been displaced. UNHCR has since put the emergency in Kisoro district at a global level.

Currently, Uganda has more than 1.5 million refugees yet the financial requirement for the Refugee response plan stands at 20% which is still very low.

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The bars most of them are in Bugolobi, Nakawa Division include Mango Groove Bar & Lounge, Banana Bar & Lounge, Karibu Bar & Lounge, Arena Bar & Lounge, and Whispers Bar & Lounge.

The others are Caliente Bar & Lounge, and Casa de Roy Bar and Lounge, Yard Bar & Lounge, Piccolo Bar & Lounge, Gabz Bar & Lounge and Shisha Nyama Bar & Restaurant.

The latest likely crackdown on noise polluters follows repeated complaints by residents of Bugolobi and Kololo.

“I write to inform you that I have registered several complaints (both verbal and written) about excessively loud noise generated by your bar on several nights a week. This noise has allegedly denied the residents in your neighborhood their right to peace and quiet,” Mr Francis Emojong, the councillor for Bugolobi Parish wrote in a letter dated March 10, 2022 to the bar owners and managers.

He added: “I am also aware that despite several verbal warnings over time, (from residents, local leaders and police/law enforcement) your bar has continued to generate noise above the permitted levels with impunity and total disregard for the rights of the residents in your neighbourhood”.

Mr. Emojong said the law against noise pollution is clearly stipulated in the National Environment (noise standards and control) Regulations 2003. (Under sections 28 and 107 of the National Environment Act cap 153).

In latter also copied to KCCA executive director, Dr Dorothy Kisaka; the NEMA Executive Director, the Nakawa Division Town Clerk, the area police commander and area chairpersons, Mr. Emojong also warned that should the noise pollution continue, the bars will be closed and their licences revoked.

Following the reopening of places of entertainment such as bars and clubs after the lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown, revellers have flooded these areas which have been pulling crowds.

However, some of the places that operate in the wee hours of the night have been blasting music and making noise polluting the environment.

But. Dr Kisaka in February urged Bar and Pub owners to find ways they can manage sound from their entertainment centres to deter noise pollution.

KCCA environmental officer Henry Lutaaya in February also revealed that they had been receiving complaints from the areas Kololo, Bugolobi and some parts Makindye for excessive noise pollution.

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