It was a Hot Week

It has been a hot weekend. This time round I come to you with 'mob' burning issues that happened through out the week. Expect this column every week.

First, the World Press Freedom day was celebrated on Saturday. Ugandan Parliamentary journalists and other journalists took to the streets of Kampala to demonstrate against some laws that make it hard for them to practice the profession freely. They demand for amendments in the existing laws like that on sedition.

There are plans to scrap off religious studies from Ugandan schools' curriculum. Some members of the public have supported the move while others have condemned it as being unfair.

With soaring food prices, the urban poor are grappling with how to survive. The high commodity prices have generated mixed reactions from the public. Some people are not happy with increment in food and commodity prices yet some are putting on great smiles.

For president Museveni, it is a blessing to Uganda peasantry. Well, maybe. However, with increased fuel prices one cannot hope for more reaping because it implies all goods and services will have their prices hiked.

Consider a subsistance farmer from Mt Rwenzori who has been delighted by talks on increment in the price of their produce but has to spend all their hard-earned income from sales on highly priced essential goods like kerosene (1900/= per litre), soap (1500/= per bar), salt (500/=), etc. The poor fellow is left with nearly nothing after selling. So Who benefits?

Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission has officially confirmed that Mugabe was traunced by Tsvangirai in the March 2008 Zimbabwean presidential poll. But Zimbabwe's Electoral Commissioner said Tsvangirai's victory could not make him outright president for he failed to raise 50 per cent plus one vote.

So Mugabe and Morgan are headed for a rerun. The announcement of the Poll results
comes five weeks after Zimbabweans cast their presidential and parliamentary vote.

In Uganda, the list for government sponsored students, in its Public Universities for next academic year, is out. Seventy per cent of these students is dominated by males and the rest is for female students.

hasinjam@gmail.com