DHL Express, the world’s leading international express services provider and Total Uganda, Uganda’s leading company fuel retailer and provider of convenience services, have signed a retail partnership in Uganda, in a bid to provide customers with better access to global express services.

A consumer looking to send documents or parcels overseas can simply walk into a TOTAL service station to send their shipment, ensuring greater convenience and accessibility to the over 220 countries and territories that DHL serves.

The project, which will pilot at fifteen TOTAL service stations around Uganda, will then be rolled out in phases. Fifteen further service stations are earmarked for phase two.

Fatma  Abubakar, Country Manager, DHL Express Uganda, welcomed the news, saying that it would have a great impact on consumers across the country.

“The express logistics industry, and specifically retail services for consumers and small and medium enterprises, are becoming hugely important in Uganda. For us to better service this market and open up global opportunities for students, small business owners and general consumers, we needed to both increase access to our express products but, simultaneously, make it easier and more affordable to use them. Total is therefore a good strategic fit for us as they an extensive retail footprint across the country. ”

“Total delivers high quality fuels safely, swiftly and reliably to our customers. Partnering with DHL means that we can extend our service offering and also provide our valued customers the access and affordability around express services that they need” said Mr. Florentin de Loppinot, Managing Director of Total Uganda

Uganda Telecom has launched a platform where subscribers can access customer care services via WhatsApp.

This is innovation makes UTL the first telecom company in the country to utilize what is arguably the world’s most popular texting app, for customer service.

The whatsapp customer care number is 0717 700 700 and it is available for all inquiries about UTL’s broad range of products and services including internet connections, mobile data connections, fixed lines

“We are a telecom company that strives to satisfy and bring the customer closer to us. We always put the customer first and will keep on making it easier for our customers to interact with us,” said UTL’s Brand and Communications manager, Regina Corry. “Since we launched Customer Care via whatsapp, the number of people who have added us is tremendous and the responses to inquiries are prompt and immediate,” she added.

UTL spokesperson, Tonny Achidria, further explained that simcard registration is also on going via whatsapp. “A customer can register their simcard, by sending a filled in registration form downloaded from the UTL website, www.utl.co.ug, together with a passport size photo and a valid identity card to the UTL whatsapp customer care number.”

Recent surveys have shown that customers want immediate responses and solutions to their issues and this innovation aims at resolving this.

Africell has continued to lead with the latest being the unbelievable 0.5 shillings per second rate on their popular Tokota bundle which awed the telecom industry at launch last week.

This follows the king of the bundles launch that offers the cheapest and most affordable voice and data rates for their customers.

The telecom company has strongly put emphasis on the need for affordable call rates enhancing communication and business.

Other offers that Africell has previously offered its customers includes the popular Tokota 500 which gives the customer 15 minutes, Tokota 1,000, free night calls from 12pm to 6am and other voice and data bundles that have been hailed as the cheapest in the market.

Africell also recently launched the King of the Bundles as its latest campaign that offers royal and affordable bundles on data and voice.

Africell Commercial Director Milad Khairallah insists their offers will change the scope of telephony in Uganda.

He says “At Africell, we still consider our customers as our biggest asset and as such we will continue to give them the best and most affordable rates of any network. Our range of cheap services will continue to flow as we grow”.

The half a shilling call rate is presently the cheapest call rate in the Uganda telecom industry considering that the other players are six times more expensive at their average 3 shillings per second rate.

Africell is leading the drive for affordable telecommunications services

Africell is leading the pack at the forefront of promoting Uganda’s economy by providing cheap and affordable telephone services to people.

Telecommunication services play a major role in improving the economy especially in the agricultural and SME services industries where telephony services are crucial for sustainable development.

“We know people need easy access to telecommunications at an affordable rate to be able to transact business. That’s why we have the best rates and have the widest coverage. We believe in developing together with our customers” asserted Milad Khairallah the Africell Commercial Director.

Victoria University has added South Sudan on the list of countries it hopes to expand its operations. 

The university’s marketing and recruitment specialist, Charity Byarugaba, early this week led a team to S. Sudan for a five day visit in the country.

She told Red Pepper that, upon their arrival, they were wowed by the level of hospitality that was showed to them by education officials, different delegates from government, students and guardians.

During their meeting at Juba Regency Hotel, an education fair was held and useful presentations on career guidance and courses that are being offered to students at VU were made.

The peace in the country, security, location of the university, Expert lecturers who are ready to create global scholars, research based education among many other reasons were emphasized as reasons that one would miss out if he/she don’t  join Victoria.

Wishing and creating an informed society within South Sudan, is one of the big motive Victoria University has in mind through education.

According to Charity, re-building the country’s socio-economic development alongside working towards the realization of peace and sustainability is also one of the university’s major missions through offering the country’s young generation, a wide range of marketable training courses.

During the visit, VU officials assured S. Sudan that, the university is open to all nationals come January-February 2016 intake.

VU currently offers quality education to students who come from countries like; Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Gambia, Uganda inclusive, and the rest of the world including USA among others.

“We offer free laptops to each new student who joins us, then internships and work placements, the conducive learning atmosphere with state of art facilities, well stocked library, and Wi-Fi in a fully stocked computer lab, among others,” Charity told S. Sudan officials.

She added that, the central location of the University makes it accessible by their students within the city (Kampala)

The Sheraton Kampala Hotel’s is committed to excellent customer service.

A blended learning approach to training the associates working here is being encouraged by the Learning & Development Manager, Sheila Bugingo.

The E-Learning Centre was launched today and is equipped with tools to enhance the associates’ skillset via online training programs.

The first training program, Lobster Ink is a hospitality education system that educates staff and management within the hospitality industry worldwide, using the most detailed, high-definition courses on international skills, international standards and product knowledge

Speaking at the launch of the E-Learning Centre, Mr. Ian Duncan the GM of Sheraton Kampala Hotel said “Sheraton is committed to delivering the best service standards in all areas of the hotel.

We have partnered with Lobster Ink because they are one of the most renowned hospitality training companies in the world and we believe our associates and the hospitality trainees will benefit greatly from this facility.”

The E-Learning Center will be a training centre where associates will get trained on hospitality skills, via online training programs.

The facility is open to all associates, as well as to hospitality trainees that are completing their internships at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.

The knowledge gained will be very fundamental in strengthening professionalism and interpersonal skills.

“With the growing trend of internet use in everything, we are certain that this additional learning tool will be beneficial to our associates. We encourage our fellow hoteliers in Uganda to open similar facilities at their establishments” Concluded Duncan.

Activities along Kampala road almost came to a standstill on Friday as stylish Boomboom headsets were being unveiled in Kampala for the first time in history.

The colorful event took place at Crown house near Uganda house.

While talking at the inaugural event, Boomboom boss, Hudson Kwezi said that their new headsets have brought a new music experience that gives maximum satisfaction to all music lovers.

“Available in two colours; Sapphire Gold and Gun grey and retailing at 79,900 UGX and a 2year warranty, Soltune is the most beautiful earphone in the world. Its Meticulously handcrafted from the finest rare materials to uncompromising standards,” said Boomboom managing director, Hudson Kwezi.

He added that these headsets have a variety of features that will make your music life very easy and interesting, including Answer/ reject calls hands free, play/pause/fast forward/rewind/skip songs, turn Volume up/Down, and voice command your device remotely all with just a touch of a button.

That is not all, too available in two colors; mystic black and nugget white and retailing at UGX 499,000 is The Tunefella, a thing of beauty ready for music eruption.

“With its lightweight structure and sleek glossy finish, Tunefellafits comfortably on the head & caps the ears so well, dipping you into the energy and splendor of music,” Kwezi said.

Boomboom also introduced Studio XT headsets. It comes in two colors: mysticblack and nugget white and retails at UGX 149,900 with a 2-year free replacement warranty. Boomboom has established its offices and store at Crown House room number FB.5 opposite Clear Media, plot 4 A/B Kampala Road.

Africell Uganda on Friday morning launched the first ever Luganda language smart phone at the opening of their new state-of-the art shop at Forest Mall.

This launch comes on the heels of other campaigns such as the half a shilling per second call rate which is the cheapest in the market and the king of the bundles campaign that unleashed the best data and voice packages in Uganda.

The new shop was unveiled as an initiative to get Africell services closer to customers.

The first of its kind in Uganda iDROID simu will be FREE on Africell for customers who will buy 3GB worth of data for 3 months at only 199,000/=.

The perfectly sized 4.0 inch Multi-touch screen is operational in Luganda and English.

Its 5MP rear camera captures moments with clarity and has a standby battery time of upto 180 hours.

The iDROID Simu incorporates iDROID’s latest innovative design and technology giving customers the ability to express their individuality in their mother tongue- Luganda; a language spoken and read by the majority.

Africell has also lined the iDROID Hero 1 which will also be FREE on purchase of a 3GB data package for 4 months for only 259,000/= at all Africell shops.

The Brand new iDROID Hero 1 offers unmatched style, performance along with enhanced features perfect for self-expressions.

Speaking at the launch, Milad Khairallah Africell’s Commercial Director said “As Africell, we continue to offer our customers the best deals at the cheapest prices.

We have launched a number of affordable customer-friendly initiatives that come with the best rates for voice and data packages.

Initiatives like the king of the bundles that has the cheapest data and voice rates, free night calls, the revolutionary half a shilling per second call rate are proof of our commitment to our customer needs.”

These innovative campaigns by Africell are one of the many customer oriented plans that the telecom company plans over the next months.

Africell has always been a market leader in the telephony internet category and continues to lead while leveraging on their internet infrastructure investment.

Milad closed it off “Africell is the network for those customers who want innovation, quality of data and voice at a reasonable price”

Speaking at the same launch, the iDROID Uganda  Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer Jawad Qureshi said the iDROID brand will continue to partner with brands like Africell that are enthusiastic about offering their customers the innovative choices.

He asserted “As iDROID, we are committed to continued innovation, inspired by the feedback and needs of our wide range of customers.

Our newly launched rescue App gives a strong evidence of our focus on innovation. This App has greatly solved an industry problem since phones with any software problems can now be remotely fixed by the iDROID certified technicians saving client’s precious time when it comes to repairs.”

The latest Africell campaigns like this one where they are offering free phones for customers who buy their data will target internet users who want data at fast speeds with smart phones that give them the best options at affordable prices. The free iDROID Simu smartphone will be available at selected Africell stores effective today 18^th December, 2015.

Ever since Startimes entered the Pay TV industry 5 years ago, a lot has happened.

Consumers have jointly voted Startimes as their most preferred Pay TV Company in Uganda.

During the Consumers Preference Awards dinner held at Serena Hotel in Kampala, the team from Startimes headed by the company Chief Executive Officer (John Yang) had multiple reasons to smile after being announced the winners of the Award.

Christine Nagujja, the Startimes Publicist described the Award as a reward to the company for the continuous investments in network expansion as well as offering of services and products that are affordable to the Ugandan consumers.

“This award is dedicated to our subscribers that have made us shine since we started business in Uganda. We have always been the people’s choice and we shall continue to put in place all avenues that seek to make Ugandans fully connected on the digital platform,” noted Nagujja.

Consumers Preference Award (CPA) was established with the sole purpose of recognizing business excellence.

CPA is the only organization in Uganda to recognize business excellence by conducting statistically a comprehensive and objective accurate independent market research survey, to determine brand reputation, customer satisfaction and business excellence for the quality of their service, value, professionalism and integrity.

idroid Africa continued its winning streak of unveiling crowd fav0urite Smart Phones that have taken the Uganda market by storm.

As a year ender surprise, the giant smart phone maker unleashed the first ever Luganda smart phone at the close of December last year.

The idroid simu which went on sale on a few weeks into December won the hearts of many smart phone seeking customers who have since made it their favourite.

The first of its kind in Uganda iDROID simu is being offered for free on Africell for customers who buy 3GB worth of data for 3 months at an unbeatable price of only 199,000/=.

The perfectly sized 4.0 inch Multi-touch screen is operational in Luganda and English.

Its 5MP rear camera captures moments with clarity and has a standby battery time of upto 180 hours.

The iDROID Simu additionally incorporates iDROID’s latest innovative design and technology giving customers the ability to express their individuality in their mother tongue- Luganda; a language spoken and read by the majority.

Mountain Dew, the sports-centric brand of Uganda’s leading soft drinks bottler, Crown Beverages Limited has announced a shs50 million contribution to the success of the Lato Milk Mbarara rally scheduled to take place between January 30^th and 31^st 2016.

The rally route, covering a total of approximately 447 kilometers, will run through several administrative districts including Kabale, Wakiso, Mpigi, Butambala, Masaka, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Kiruhura and Mbarara.

According to Mrs. Bernadette Kizza- the Mountain Dew brand manager, the sponsorship aims to take the sport to the next level.

“We first came on board in April 2015 and have since not looked back. We all know that Mountain Dew is a brand associated with extreme sport and as such, will be on board for all activities this year with a contribution of up to shs50 million, bringing to life the “experience extreme” thematic as we continue to refresh the fans,” Kizza said.

She added that the Lato Milk Mbarara Rally is in line with the Mountain Dew brand which is synonymous with being bold, energetic, adventurous, and daring.  The traits are expressed in the brands new tagline.

Various accommodation options have been availed for the drivers and spectators such as Hotel Brovad, Lake View Hotel and Vienna Guest House. During the rally, the Uganda Police will set up stations along the route to ensure law and order is maintained.

Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Dusman Okee- Vice President of Administration for the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of Uganda expressed his gratitude towards Mountain Dew for the continued support towards Motorsport and promised a stellar event that will conclude with an awards ceremony at Lake View Hotel- Mbarara.

“I want to thank our partner sponsors- Lato Milk and Mountain Dew for the continued support to the sport. Because of you, the sport gets to live on. I want to urge all the fans that will be at the race track to maintain law and order and remain vigilant in fighting acts of terrorism. Keep an eye out and report anything suspicious that could be a threat to us all,” Okee said.

Among the rally drivers set to compete in the second biggest motor rally championship set to take place in Mbarara will be; Jas Mangat, Ronald Sebuguzi, Duncan Mubiru, Leon Senyange among others.

Africell Uganda continues to make life easier for smart phone seeking customers.

The giant telecom company was the first to offer free smart phones to customers and continues to offer even better offers including free data, voice minutes and other goodies.

As one of its many festive season offers, Africell last December put up the first of its kind offer in Uganda with a free iDROID simu for all Africell customers who buy 3GB worth of data for 3 months at only 199,000/=.

The perfectly sized 4.0 inch Multi-touch screen is operational in Luganda and English.

Its 5MP rear camera captures moments with clarity and has a standby battery time of upto 180 hours.

The iDROID Simu incorporates iDROID’s latest innovative design and technology giving customers the ability to express their individuality in their mother tongue- Luganda; a language spoken and read by the majority.

Africell also lined the iDROID Hero 1 which is FREE on purchase of a 3GB data package for 4 months for only 259,000/= at all Africell shops.

The Brand new iDROID Hero 1 offers unmatched style, performance along with enhanced features perfect for self-expressions.

Milad Khairallah the Africell Chief Commercial Manager says this is the network’s vision to be lead the telecom market by offering products and services that are affordable for all.

He said “We are the market leaders at offering our customers what is the best at affordable prices. Our voice and data bundles on offer make our service the best there can be at a price that is the lowest. Customers should come take advantage of our free phone offers while stocks last. Our festive season offer continues into January”

Africell Uganda started off the free smart phone offer last August when they put up the iDROID Royal V7 for free for customers buying voice and data bundles in a campaign dubbed “Bakakase”. Africell’s core strength has always been in the line of data offerings.

Africell has done it again. From being ranked the best telecom in Uganda in terms of customer service, the giant telecom at the close of last year clinched the top position with the fastest data network speeds.

This not only makes Africell Uganda the market leader in terms of mobile data network speeds, but also gives them a leading position as the fastest telecom with the best nationwide data coverage.

In Uganda, when it comes to choosing mobile internet service, there’s more to put into consideration than just price.

Africell Uganda still has this number one positioning in terms of price comparison when pitted against the other players.

With a considerably low and affordable half a shilling per second rate, Africell is six times cheaper than the nearest competitor whose lowest billing stands at three shillings per second.

Africell has always led the pack with its affordable pricing for data and voice packages which actually saw them launch the “King of the Bundles” in October 2015.

The data of the findings which gave Africell the number one position were extracted from the last 9 months of coverage data and 6 months of speed test data and was last updated on December 1st 2015.

The statistics are the work of Cell network-mapping app, OpenSignal which helps compare speeds and network availability for the most used data carriers in Uganda and around the globe.

Africell scored top honors when it came to network speeds overall putting all network technologies into consideration.

Africell also had unmatched prowess with their 3G, 4G and LTE offerings.

According to the OpenSignal report, Africell has average download data speeds of 4.21 Mbps. With average download speeds of 1.62Mbps, Africell is 4 times faster than the other players.

When it comes to reliability, Africell still leads the way overall with 87.93%. The telecom network greatly improved its ping times from 333 ms previously, to number one with 151 ms. Ping is a utility used to test the reachability of a website on the network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from your device to a destination computer/website and back.

Speaking about the new ranking, Africell Uganda’s Chief Commercial Officer Milad Khairallah says this is in their strategic direction to provide affordable data and voice services at the best speeds and with the widest coverage. “We have always given our customers the fastest speeds at the lowest tariffs with the best quality service. We will continue to deliver in that direction to satisfy our customers. We are the network of choice for all looking for better mobile technology at low prices”

Africell has from last year been investing on their network infrastructure investments especially in the areas of 3G, 4G and LTE technology, a direction that has now earned them the number one telecom in Uganda.

Mr. Jean Philippe Bittencourt replaces Mr. Ian Duncan as the new General Manager of Sheraton Kampala hotel.

Mr. Ian Duncan has worked dedicatedly for Sheraton Kampala Hotel for the past two years and he has nurtured relationships from the business Community, Government and Diplomatic missions.

Mr. Ian Duncan’s wealth experience in the hospitality industry has greatly impacted the Sheraton Kampala Hotel from the delightful culinary that guests get to enjoy at the hotel, to the exceptional service that is unrivaled.

“I am very grateful for your support for the past two years I have been in Uganda and I definitely hold Uganda close to my heart. I have cherished the support that I have received from the community and the team work from the staff that has helped me achieve my goals and those of Sheraton Kampala Hotel. I believe my counterpart Mr. Bittencourte will continue to raise Sheraton Kampala Hotel to new heights.” said Mr. Duncan.

Mr. Jean Philippe is an experienced hotelier with over 30 years across multiple continents, with 15 years at a General Manager-level, with the last posting at the Sheraton Djibouti.

He has been instrumental in opening hotels in key markets, driving renovations and fitments, in overseeing service and experience consolidation, deepening of guest relations through business development and all core hotel functions.

“My goal is to engage with you so that you can let us know your requirements or even feedback so that we can improve and offer value and bespoke needs. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all so much for giving me such a great, warm welcome and look forward to meeting you all once again in the weeks ahead.” Said the new Sheraton Kampala Hotel General Manager Mr. Jean Philippe Bittencourt

MTN Uganda today announced a new promotional offer, dubbed Kithuffu, in which MTN customers automatically get a 30 percent bonus on airtime purchases made through mobile money.

The bonuses apply to airtime purchases between UGX. 500/- and 5,000/- and are valid until midnight on the day of purchase.

This new promotion is part of MTN’s commitment to reward its customers and offer them even more value. The offer will be available to over 7 million customers currently using MTN Mobile Money on Uganda’s leading Financial Services provider.

Chief Marketing Officer, Ms. Mapula Bodibe, emphasized MTN’s commitment to offer customers more value and convenience as well as rewarding them for their commitment.

“As MTN, we constantly evaluate how we can add more value to our customers, while providing them with more value, and innovative ways for them to stay connected on their cellphones. Through “Kithuffu”, MTN is enabling customers to get more for their spend, whilst allowing them to meet their affordability needs,” she said.

“MTN Mobile Money offers the ultimate convenience, with thousands of mobile money agents available countrywide. Not only can you perform day-to-day banking transactions, you can also pay for utilities and pay various merchants fast, securely and conveniently. By using mobile money to also purchase airtime, MTN will reward you with a 30% bonus,” Ms. Bodibe added.

In order to receive 30% value, MTN customers must buy MTN airtime using Mobile Money from as little as 500/-, on any day of the week.

The Board of Directors, Uganda Telecom has appointed Mr. Mark Shoebridge as the Managing Director.

Mark Shoebridge will assume the new role effective February 8^th, 2016, taking over from Mr. Godfrey Kisekka who has been heading the Executive Management Team that has been in place since July 21^st, 2015.

The appointment of Mr. Shoebridge has been hailed by staff.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I welcome him back to the UTL family at this time. I am personally excited about UTL’s future and look forward to the continued rescue push. I remain confident that our strategy and investment plan that is being discussed by the shareholders, will allow UTL to recover and retain its competitive position in the market, as we endeavor to deliver on our commitment to create value for our stakeholders,” said Stephen Kaboyo, the Board Chairman, Uganda Telecom.

In his recent role, Mark Shoebridge has been the Executive Head of Operations at Vodacom Business in Nigeria.

Before that he was a substantive Chief Fixed Services Officer, heading the fixed line and ISP divisions of the Company since 2013.

He is a highly qualified telecommunications and IT professional with over 20 years’ experience in diverse business conglomerates including Nostracom Telecomunicaciones, SDL plc, Modus Media International, R.R. Donnelley Global Turnkey Solutions and Lionbridge.

Commenting on his new appointment, Mr. Mark Shoebridge remarked:

“I am delighted to accept the role of Managing Director of Uganda Telecom and welcome this exciting opportunity to lead the team to deliver continued business development and success of the company.”

MTN Group today announced that customers in Zambia, Rwanda and Uganda will now be able to receive money instantly into their MTN Mobile Money wallets from WorldRemit, a leading digital money transfer service.

The launch follows the signing of a global partnership agreement earlier this year, to enable WorldRemit customers all over the world to send international remittances to MTN’s Mobile Money customers.

“This partnership makes sense for both companies, as WorldRemit and MTN share a disruptive approach to innovation and bringing impactful services to our customers. Together, we are now providing an instant, fully digital and very affordable solution to send international remittance to Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia (TBC). Other countries will follow soon,” says Serigne Dioum, Head of Mobile Financial Services, MTN Group.

“At WorldRemit, we are pioneering international mobile-to-mobile remittances. Our partnership with MTN allows our customers around the world to send money instantly from the WorldRemit app to MTN Mobile Money users in Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. Together with MTN, we make sending money home as easy as sending an instant message,” says Alix Murphy, Senior Mobile Analyst at WorldRemit.

People in more than 52 countries use the WorldRemit app to send over 300,000 money transfers every month to over 125 destinations.

WorldRemit is the leading sender of remittances to Mobile Money wallets connecting to over 20 different services worldwide.

MTN Mobile Money enables users to perform utility payments, save money, purchase airtime and access a range of mobile financial products.

To date, MTN Mobile Money is used by customers in 14 countries across Africa.

In keeping with its aim to accelerate the rollout of international remittance, MTN launched recently cross-border mobile money transfer services between Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

The service allows customers in both countries to transact via MTN Mobile Money with the same simplicity as for a local money transfer.

MTN also offers a mobile money cross-border remittance service between Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger.

As of 30 September 2015, MTN Mobile Money had 36,5 million registered subscribers across 14 operations.

Uganda’s first large-scale solar car project, the Kayoola bus, was over the weekend inaugurated by the minister for state for Higher Education, Science and Technology Hon Prof Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, representing one of the country’s first clear steps towards institutionalizing a sustainable Vehicle manufacturing industry.

“We started this project in 2007 as a means to make our engineering students busy at Makerere Universtity and now see how far we have come,” Prof Tickodri  said during the bus’ test drive at Namboole Stadium on Sunday morning.

“We have buses all over but we thought  why not find an alternative means of powering these vehicles and the best option was to make use of the 8 hours of sun energy that Uganda enjoys daily being situated along the equator,” he added.

The Kayoola is a mid-capacity, standard bus designed to carry 35 people including the driver. It is a Semi Deluxe Bus as it has been designed for higher comfort levels with provision for ergonomically designed seats.

It has one service door for use for the driver and passengers.

The prototype which is designed to serve as an Executive City bus, is easy for riders to spot, thanks to the pearl white color adorned by the colors of the national flag.

The Kayoola bus will be easier to maintain, in terms of not having to change oil as it is done in the diesel-powered buses and not having to repair hydraulic lines that run through a conventional bus.

The bus is expected to run 80km, or virtually a full operational day (for example Kampala – Entebbe – Kampala), between recharges.

“There are only 13 countries along the equator in the whole universe and this presented a very viable opportunity in moving closer to build Africa’s first home-grown family of vehicles.  Kira Motors  and Uganda have the equator which is not enjoyed by any of the big vehicle making countries like Japan, South Africa or China,”  Kiira Motors CEO Pual Isaac Musasizi told this website.

The Kiira Motors Project is an industrial development intervention supported through the Presidential Initiative for Science and Technology Innovations.

The Project is aimed at establishing Vehicle Manufacturing Capabilities in Uganda for Pickups, SUVs, Sedans, Light and Medium Duty Trucks, and Buses.

The ultimate goal is to establish Kiira Motors Corporation as an Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in East and Central Africa.

The project is also working with local industries such as Specialized Welding Services in industrial area for chassis fabrication and support for Mechanical systems integration from the Makerere’s Regional Industrial Parks Projects (CRIPPs) garage in the College of Engineering and Design Art and Technology, under the leadership of Dr Joseph Byaruhanga and Engineer Peter Luyima, working with a team of mechanics, who include Moses Kalule and Bosco Ssali.

The development of the Kayoola Solar Electric Bus concept represents the commitment of

The bus shall be launched on Tuesday 16th February, 2016, 0800-1300, Serena Hotel, Kampala at a function to be officiated by His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the President of the Republic of Uganda.

By Willy Mutenza

During a debate on Central and East Africa, Bob Blackman, Conservative Party MP for Harrow (Harrow MP) east made a remark of the contribution that the Ugandan Asian Diaspora has made right across the UK. He said that, Uganda’s loss was Britain’s gain and that Britain gained tremendously in all field most importantly in politics and business.

He highlighted the fact that it was mostly the Asians who use to ran Uganda’s economy up until the late 1970’s. These are the individuals who came to the UK.  They brought with them strong business acumen, hard work and a strong sense of community development and cohesion.

“Forty years on, we are now seeing the third or possibly fourth generation of individuals who came to this country. They are leaders in business and commerce, they are great employers, and they generate valuable resources for this country” He once stated

Bob further affirmed that the current economic progress in Uganda is obvious. Uganda is progressing quite well under President Museveni.

Stability has assisted in providing investment security

Uganda is not on the list of Dangerous countries any more!

The economy in Uganda is growing by about 5% a year. There is an opportunity to diversify the economy, expand education and invest in infrastructure. The forthcoming elections on 18 February will show how the Ugandan people are participating in democracy and how they feel the country is progressing.

However, he said that, in Kenya, the situation is much more of a mixed bag. There will be elections next year in about 18 months.

President Kenyatta won in 2013 in an alliance with William Ruto, who has since been arraigned at the International Criminal Court for instigating violence in 2007. There are concerns about corruption.

President Kenyatta recently said that corruption posed a threat to national security after the main Opposition party claimed that the Government could not account for almost half of last year’s Eurobond sale. There are pressures on the public finances and the fiscal deficit is at 9% of GDP. The Government recently secured a syndicated loan for infrastructure projects in November and a loan from China for the extension of the standard gauge railway in December.

With Tanzania he stressed that following the presidential elections in October 2015, the new President, John “The Bulldozer” Magufuli, has proved popular domestically, but is causing tensions in the region. In 2014, many donors suspended aid to Tanzania following a scandal in which $100 million went missing. Tanzania languishes in the bottom third of Transparency International’s corruption index. Despite Tanzania having abundant natural resources and being the second largest aid recipient in sub-Saharan Africa, poverty remains endemic, with 70% of the population living on less than $2 a day. The new President has undertaken a war on corruption and wasteful government spending.

Bob finally congratulated Lord Popat as the trade envoy to Uganda and Rwanda; a part of the Prime Minister’s new approach to exports. This is a welcomed gesture in UK- Uganda/ Rwanda economics development boost.

Recently another milestone, The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Uganda was launched in the UK parliament to further understanding within Westminster of issues relating to Uganda.

It was stated that during the past thirty years Britain’s policy and approach to Africa has overly passive. We have failed to grasp the tremendous changes that are afoot across the continent, and have instead relied on a narrative of aid and charity rather than investment and partnership.

Britain’s reputation in Africa – particularly amongst the business and political communities ­remains strong. However its position as a dominant trading force has been surrendered; China have invested heavily in the continent and now other countries are prioritising investment in Africa. Britain is very much in danger of missing out on the opportunities Africa offers; both economically and politically.

The Uganda APPG will play an active and essential role in helping to prioritise relations with Africa. Among its purpose is to support initiatives that help to foster stronger UK-Uganda relations, including the annual Uganda Convention organised by Mr. Willy Mutenza in London.

Ugandan Willy Mutenza has been recognised as one of the most influential and inspirational black business role models in Britain today contributing to the African people in United Kingdom.

The prestigious ceremony was held at the RBS Bank Headquarters in London, supported by NatWest, Bank and the Mayor of London. An annual publication ‘BE Mogul’ was launched to celebrate the contribution of black British business owners and highlights the contribution of entrepreneurs of African and Caribbean origin to the UK economy and acknowledges the movers and shakers in Britain’s black business community.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London in his message highlighted that over 1.2 million Londoners are of black descent, almost 16% of our city’s population, so it is obvious that black businesses and entrepreneurs have a vital role to play in our future prosperity, bringing innovation and dynamism, as well as links to overseas markets. From finance to design and retail to food, black entrepreneurs are already making a huge contribution to our city’s success.

There are many successful Black British entrepreneurs, some of whom have worked hard against all odds to make it. Unfortunately they’re not always acknowledged for their hard work. That’s the inspiration behind ME Mogul.

Here are some facts and figures you might not have seen before:

• In the 1990s, the majority of black-owned businesses mainly served the black community, with niche services like hairdressing, food retail and catering.
• Today an increasing number of black entrepreneurs are running multimillion pound companies in mainstream sectors such as IT, financial services, property, media and fashion, as well as law, consulting, recruitment and other professional services.
• In London alone, there are 16,000 businesses owned by people of black African and Caribbean descent.
• London’s black-owned businesses currently employ 100,000 people and generate a combined annual sales turnover of around £10 billion*.

“BE Mogul provides a platform for positive business role models, who may not have been recognised in the mainstream media, to inspire and encourage others. We want to shout loud and proud about the positive economic contribution black-owned businesses are making in Britain today.” – Mavis Amankwah, co-founder

Willy has won various awards among others: Common Wealth Business Innovation Award (2008), UCAA Awards – Communications and Media (2008), Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award – BB Awards (2014), GAB Award for promotion of the Positive image of Africa (2014).

Willy also won an innovative award for inventing a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi marketing device (ePRO Bluetooth Long Range advertising transmitter). The “ePro Bluetooth” a mobile marketing device, allows businesses to send adverts to mobile phones by free transfer of content between mobile devices using the Bluetooth signal.

“It is not how much turnover your business make a year but how much inspiration and value to your community” Willy Muteza.

Business:  The Promota Africa Ltd

Business interests in magazine publication, events management, private equity bridging, printing and design, web and multimedia design and property in Uganda.

How did you get into the business? :

I started my business after graduated in 2002 with a BA in Digital Arts and Multimedia Computing from Thames Valley University, London.

What has been the highlight of your career? :

Over the past 12 years, I have engaged the UK business community as a trade and investment consultant and advisor for the Ugandan Government and Uganda Private Sector.

I became a Marketing Ethnic Consultant for Western Union from 2005 to 2010 and subsequently for Brussels Airlines.

In 2011, I initiated and championed the annual Uganda UK Convention, a Trade and Investment event which has been highly successful, and continues to grow from strength to strength every year.

These prestigious conventions have been presided over by several high profile speakers and delegates both from the UK and Uganda, such as Uganda Vice President Hon Edward Ssekandi, Lord Popat, Patrick Bitature, First Lady of Uganda Janet Kataaha Museveni and many high profile people.

In 2010, I founded an innovative Bluetooth and Wi-Fi mobile marketing device (ePRO Bluetooth Long Range advertising transmitter).

The “ePro Bluetooth” allows businesses to send adverts to mobile phones by free transfer of content between mobile devices using the Bluetooth signal. The device has now been deployed and bought by top companies like MoneyGram International.

What three pieces of advice would you offer entrepreneurs starting out today? :

• Understand your market and seek for business support and training whenever needed
• Surround yourself with the best talent you can and those who positively motivate you
• Have a business plan to guide you and have a financial model in place

Victoria University today launched the Certificate of Achievement in Oil and Gas Management (7^th intake) and classes are scheduled to start on 6^th February 2016.

Classes are conducted every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9.00am.

In a bid to contribute to local content in Uganda’s oil and gas sector and to enable Ugandans understand the working of the oil and gas industry, Victoria University has positioned itself as the leading provider of oil and gas education and training in Uganda.

International certifications in the Petroleum Industry such as Health and Safety and Environmental Auditing (ISO 14001 EMS), Project Finance, Law and Energy Management can be arranged on request.

The program targets individuals from Oil and Gas companies, Business managers and Executives, Parliamentarians/Civil society, Vocational workers and Marketers etc.

The program is designed to provide students with a well-rounded, global understanding of the ever changing Oil and Gas industry.

Dr Drake Kyalimpa, the Head, Oil and Gas Department urged all potential students that the course shall include a field trip to the Albertine Graben (Hoima and Buliisa Oil fields) to ensure that our students and professionals acquire hands on experience.

Other degree programs include: Bachelor of Oil and Gas Accounting among many programmes to be offered in the January –February intake currently ongoing.