Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has advised Ugandans to be on the lookout and be vigilant to detect and report to relevant security organs, any suspicious people bent on perpetrating bomb scare in the country. The call was made in a press statement read during UPC’s weekly press briefing, by Mr. Muzeyi Faizo, the party Head of Media and Communications at their Head Office, located on Uganda House in Kampala, on Wednesday.
Mr. Faizo said over the weekend, the country experienced another spate of bomb scares within Kampala city suburbs of Kabalagala and Nansana Municipality.
“This calls for a special degree of alertness, care and vigilance,”he said.
He added that not a long time ago, both the United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK) Governments had strongly advised their citizens to be cautious of their movements in Uganda and where possible avoid congested places.
“UPC encourages the Government to consider borrowing a leaf from such terror alerts despite coming from external sources and tightening the loose ends,”he added.
On Education, UPC says that the government has announced in advance the recruitment of 3,500 new teaching staff for the SEED Schools that are due to open-up in a phased manner in addition to those in existence awaiting expansion.
UPC observes that; the immediate target is for the refugee community that exerts too much pressure on the limited facilities available while at the same time, the local communities that are upgraded to the status of a Sub County find themselves with no Secondary Schools.
“This demands quick initiative and UPC calls upon the Government through her line Ministry of Education and sports to extend the project of SEED Schools in such areas and across the country,” UPC statement reads in part.
UPC points out that; having SEED Schools and recruitment of teachers alone is not enough guarantee of quality education service to our children, as evidenced by the continued impasse in the education sector.
“UPC urges the Government to fully engage teachers with their unions and work out reasonable conditions of service that will go a long way in retaining the man-power and its subsequent development through in-service training as well as ensuring availability of necessary instructional materials in schools,” adds the statement.
The Party points out that; the recent negative experience of COVID-19 lock downs proved the extent by which the teaching fraternity can be very much vulnerable and yet education is very key in the growth and development of any given economy globally.
“UPC, therefore, calls for a holistic approach to shape our education system that will provide quality and equitable education service to our people in the country,” reads the UPC statement.
UPC further points out that Uganda is in a tight corner and making frantic efforts to restore the Mpondwe Bridge that caved in and disrupting transport between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), thus putting the trade at standstill. This follows other incidents and the bad state of roads especially in the Capital City, Kampala and other areas across the country. UPC recommends that; Uganda needs to renew to total respect and satisfaction for a public service and good with immediate effect.
“In most cases, the genesis of such incidents; like the caved in Mpondwe bridge is merely a greedy and corrupt mind that opted to comprise on the basic infrastructure within the set up for cheaper gains at the expense of the country, her citizenry and the immediate neighbor, DRC. This should stop and restore respect for public service and good. The Government institutions that are charged with respective responsibilities are called upon to ensure diligent service with a patriotic heart,”points out the UPC statement.
Regarding destruction of infrastructure, UPC says; there has been also a trend of plucking out metal parts from the bridge to sell as scrap by the criminals overtime, adding that the same trend is affecting most of the newly upgraded roads in Kampala, street lights of solar type are under attack for their coveted batteries and we end up plunged in darkness.
“Manhole lids are vandalized too on a regular basis in some areas thus putting the lives our people at risk. UMEME has equally incurred heavy losses over such vandals who descend on pylons for scrap which disrupts electricity supply, loss of lives, damage to property and business. Back in our residential areas, the society is at tension with the very characters who roam around in guise of picking disposed bottles and scrap,” UPC points out.
“This rogue behavior towards public service and good undermines our championing efforts towards the path for regional integration in the East African Community setup and should be rigorously fought by the responsible authorities which calls for concerted efforts,” concludes the statement.
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