As part of the International Youth Day celebrations, we congratulate 582 South Sudanese youth aged 15-29 who graduated from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Youth Empowerment Activity (YEA) training on August 12 in Juba.

USAID’s Youth Empowerment project collaborated with civil society organizations and volunteer youth trainers targeting 317 females and 265 males, aged 15 to 29. The four-month program included numeracy and literacy strengthening and work experience to build life and employability skills. Participants also received training on sexual reproductive health information and how to use non-violent advocacy and action to address personal and community conflicts.

The graduates from Juba join the more than 7,000 youth who have participated in YEA.  By the end of this year, close to 14,000 youth will have benefited from this USAID program across South Sudan.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in South Sudan.

Government is moving to decommission the Kiteezi landfill following its collapse and eventual death of over 23 persons.

The Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Lillian Aber made this revelation while presenting a statement to the House chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa on Tuesday, 13 August 2024.

The Kiteezi landfill in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District has been the primary waste disposal site for Kampala since 1997 receiving 2,500 tonnes of waste daily.

Its collapse on 10 August 2024 has highlighted the need for a sustainable and safer waste management strategy.

Aber said that government will move to decommission the Kiteezi landfill citing the pressing need to prevent any further loss of life or environmental damage.

“The tragic events have underscored the critical vulnerabilities in our waste management system. As a result, the government has decided to fast-track the decommissioning of the Kiteezi landfill,” she said adding that, ‘a 200-meter buffer zone around the landfill has been preserved and we are flattening the garbage hill to stabilize the area as we phase out operations’.

She added that the government is actively pursuing alternative sites for waste disposal.

 “We have identified potential sites in Menvu, Nansana and Busumamura in Kira Municipality,” Aber added

These sites, she noted, are expected to replace Kiteezi and help mitigate the impending waste crisis in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA).

AUDIO Aber

The minister revealed that they are looking at adopting modern waste management practices.

“Our focus is on implementing incineration and recycling methods to ensure that waste disposal is sustainable and environmentally friendly. We are committed to transforming how we manage waste in Uganda to prevent such tragedies in the future,” Aber said.

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi said the tragedy was a disaster waiting to happen as earlier warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

Nkunyingi stated that there are reports of gas extraction at the landfill which may have caused the accident.

AUDIO Nkunyingi

He added that it was disheartening to see people who were killed by the disaster being termed as land encroachers. He called for a comprehensive support to the people affected by the disaster.

The Minister for Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon. Minsa Kabanda said it’s premature to talk about compensation when there are people believed to be still buried.
She disputed the information that gas was being extracted from Kiteezi.

AUDIO Minsa Kabanda

Ora County MP, Hon. Lawrence Songa said that the Committee on Climate Change had earlier advised the city authority to fast-track the decommissioning of the landfill but that, no action was taken.

Songa said that they had recommended that investors be invited to turn the waste into gas, but this was not done. He also highlighted that Uganda loses over Shs1 trillion annually due to waste-related issues.

“What we have in Kitezi is a dumping site, it is not a landfill. I do not see any landfill in Uganda with full engineering technology, which we are not doing,” he said.

The Third Deputy Premier, Rt Hon. Rukia Nakadama said the emergency rescue programme is ongoing and will be expedited by mobilising equipment from different partners to ensure that light is availed for a 24-hour rescue mission.

Deputy Speaker Tayebwa said that initially Parliament would have put up a committee to investigate the matter but acknowledged that other processes were now ongoing. He said as the presiding officer, his focus is on the people who are still stuck in the landfill.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Cezeri Lab, established at Kenyatta University with modern technology infrastructure, is designed to provide training and production in advanced technology fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D modeling and programming. The installation process included integrating the latest computer hardware, programming kits, robotic components and 3D printers into the laboratory.

As part of the two-week intensive training program held after the laboratory installation, a total of twenty academics from Kenyatta University’s mechanical, electrical, space and computer engineering, as well as technical design and planning departments, received detailed training on topics such as the design and programming of robotic systems, the development of artificial intelligence algorithms and 3D modeling techniques. At the end of the training, the participants had the opportunity to implement their own projects in the laboratory.

The establishment of the Cezeri Lab aims to accelerate research and development in advanced technology at Kenyatta University. By incorporating the laboratory into the practical education curriculum of various engineering and design departments, the project seeks to enhance students’ skills in design, modeling and robotics.

Additionally, the project aims to strengthen cooperation between Türkiye and Kenya and to encourage the exchange of knowledge and experience between young scientists and professionals from both countries.

Prof. Caroline Lang’at Thoruwa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Kenyatta University, expressed her gratitude to TİKA and the Turkish people for their support and friendship, stating that the Cezeri Lab has significantly advanced Kenyatta University’s capabilities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

Over the years, Uganda has successfully responded to public health emergencies including Ebola, COVID-19, measles, anthrax, and others. This has been partly attributed to strong leadership and early rapid execution of outbreak response strategies.

In a significant move to strengthen the country’s ability to combat infectious diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the AVoHC-SURGE training for 100 emergency responders in Uganda. AVoHC is a reference to Africa CDC’s African Volunteer Health Corps initiative while SURGE is a reference to WHO’s initiative, on Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies.

This intensive training, funded by the UK Government, kicked off on August 5, 2024, and will run until 24 September 2024. The program blends in-person and virtual learning, offering a comprehensive curriculum that includes public health emergency operations, humanitarian coordination, gender-based violence response, and rapid response team deployment.

AVoHC-SURGE, a collaboration between WHO and Africa CDC, is part of a broader initiative to enhance health security across Africa. The AvoHC-SURGE training is part of the SURGE component of the emergency preparedness and response flagships which include Promoting resilient systems for emergencies (PROSE), Transforming Africa surveillance system (TASS) and Strengthening&Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE). The flagships were launched by WHO Africa regional office in 2022 to address the continent’s urgent need for robust emergency preparedness and response in the African region. Subsequently, WHO and Africa CDC joined forces to collectively develop the AVoHC-SURGE roster.

Uganda now joins 20 other African nations that have initiated the AVoHC-SURGE training which equips responders to tackle crises within their own borders and across the African region. Participants, drawn from WHO member states, civil society, and volunteer organizations, will be at the forefront of national and regional emergency responses, backed by WHO and Africa CDC. The overall goal of the training is to build a resilient national health system capable of responding swiftly and effectively to public health emergencies.

“The globalized, interconnected world we live in amplifies the risks of infectious diseases and other emergencies. A trained and ready national workforce is our first line of defense,” said Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, Uganda’s Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health.

This training not only fortifies Uganda’s existing emergency response infrastructure but also ensures a steady supply of skilled personnel at both national and sub-national levels. It reinforces the leadership of national governments and enhances the resilience of health systems, enabling them to respond swiftly and effectively to public health threats.

This is an opportunity for Uganda to strengthen existing structures to respond more efficiently and effectively to crises and public health emergencies, limit interruption of essential health services, minimize socio-economic disruptions and contribute to enhancing global health security,” said Dr. Christine Musanhu Chiedza, WHO Representative in Uganda, OIC.

The program is led by subject matter experts from WHO, Africa CDC, and WAHO. The experts have over 10 years of experiences in their area and domain of facilitation. “All facilitators have completed various courses and are certified,” said Mukeh Kenneth Fahnbulleh, the lead facilitator and trainer.

With over 100 major public health events occurring annually in the African region, the need for a ready and capable workforce has never been more pressing. Recent emergencies have highlighted the urgent need for a workforce within the WHO African region, that is ready, willing, and able to operate, in increasingly challenging environments. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of being prepared, and Uganda is taking proactive steps to ensure it can meet future challenges head-on.

Supported by WHO, Uganda is embracing a multidisciplinary One Health approach that promotes the well-being of people, animals, and the environment. This approach ensures that when crises strike, Uganda will have a highly trained workforce ready to respond and protect the health of its citizens and those in African region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Uganda.