XENO Uganda, an investment management firm, has announced that their total assets under management in the XENO Unit Trust Funds stood at UGX 8 billion as of December 2019, equivalent to a growth of 164%.
The announcement was made during the company’s annual general meeting on Monday. This was the first time the company was interacting directly with customers at an Annual General Meeting since their inception a little over 3 years ago.
During the meeting, it was also revealed that the average yields on money market funds rose from 14.50% in 2018 to 15.82% in 2019 while the bond funds rose from 9.35% to 11.79% for the same period. The rise was attributed to low inflation which stood at 2.9%, a steady growth of the economy, and stable exchange rate.
However, the company saw a fall in returns for its domestic equity fund from 15.60% in 2018 to -13.20% last year. This was blamed on negative market sentiment resulting in low demand and low activity for the domestic equities.
On the other hand, the company’s Regional Equity Fund yields grew from -7.50% to 39.10%. This was due to the lifting of interest rate caps in Kenya which resulted in a surge in the regional equities.
As other musicians are getting married and concentrating on having families. According to singer and NBS TV presenter Tuff B, it is not his priority and he is not marrying soon.
In a You Tube video where he was speaking to Ruth Kalibala, Tuff B said he is not in a rush and will not have him self do things he is not ready to do. “I always tell my friends that I want to marry at 40 because I understand that by that time, I will be able to be tolerant. I want to marry a woman much younger than me so that it is easier for me to understand her. But for now, I will concentrate on other things because my time to marry has not yet come.” He said
The multi talented singer further stressed that he does not live his life basing on what society wants. He believes everything happens at the right time and that it is only God who decides when but not people’s pressure. This however comes after fans to many artistes raised their concerns saying they should marry or get married following Nina Roz’s traditional ceremony where she introduced Daddy Andre to her parents.
Pastor Yiga Augustine, the lead pastor at Revival Church Kawaala and ABS TV proprietor, is dead.
He passed on Monday evening at Nsambya Hospital, ABS TV management has confirmed on social media.
“There are no goodbyes. Wherever you’ll be, you’ll be in our hearts. You will always be within us, it’s just the graveyard where you lay to rest. We cannot believe that you are no longer with us. This is a tragedy for us, we will pray for you dear friend, father, mentor, great pastor. Rest in peace. Pastor yiga abizaayo Augustine,” a statement on ABS TV Facebook page read.
Pastor Yiga had been bedridden for almost a fortnight with liver complications. His health condition continued worsening, and was last week pronounced prematurely dead, but his family was quick to refute the rumors.
It appears this time there will be no second resurrection.
Yiga will be remembered for introducing talents such as; Maggie Kayima (Nabbi Omukazi), Brenda Namisinga, Hassan Nduga, and Hajjati Madina (Bibuuza) among others to the music industry.
Thousands of mourners have since flocked Revival Church Kawaala premises to pay their last respects to the fallen pastor.
Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) has appointed Juliana Kagwa as the new Corporate Relations Director. Juliana has previously been the UBL Marketing & Innovations Director, responsible for ensuring the profitable and sustainable growth of the focus brands in the UBL portfolio.
During her tenure Juliana built a formidable, high performing team that has now become the highest net exporter of talent in Africa. She has built a reputation for herself in growing both the brand portfolio and her team members in tandem.
In the 4 years of her stewardship, UBL realized the overall premiumization of its portfolio registering double digit growth annually for Tusker lite, Guinness and the Reserve scotch brands. In the same period, the portfolio registered an all-time high share of voice in the marketplace alongside efficiencies created through her consolidation of media spend.
In the other changes in the senior executive team, Emmy Hashakimana has been appointed the Marketing and Innovations Director. He has previously been the Head of Beer at Uganda Breweries Limited.
Agnes Ssali replaces Charity Kiyemba Ekudu as the Legal Director and Company Secretary. Agnes joins the UBL team from British American Tobacco Area where she has been serving as Marketing, PRRP and Regulations Counsel for the East African Markets (EAM) Cluster, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
And finally, Eunice Waweru is the new Finance & Strategy Director, replacing Busola Doregos who was recently appointed as the Group Head of Finance & Strategy, East Africa Breweries Limited. Eunice was previously working with Guinness Nigeria Plc (GN) as Head of Commercial Finance.
Wafula Walter, Business Unit Head –PR, brainchild BCW
By Our Reporter
BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), was named Global Agency of the Year at PRovoke Media’s 2020 Global SABRE Awards ceremony, which was held virtually on October 21. The global communications agency, a partner to brainchild BCW in Uganda, was praised for its innovative new client offerings, attracting exceptional new talent and delivering consistently strong performances across all regions.
“It is thrilling for BCW to be named Global Agency of the Year just two years after the launch of our brand,” said Donna Imperato, Global CEO, BCW. “Our leaders and teams have worked so hard to exceed all expectations for our successes so far. I’m really honored and proud of everyone for their fierce dedication, incredible talent and their palpable passion for making BCW the next generation of communications agencies. This award is for them.”
Robyn de Villiers, CEO of BCW Africa added: “This Global Agency of the Year recognition is an amazing achievement and testament to the effort of BCW staff from around the world. It also honours the global effort that has been put into creating a winning culture at BCW, one that moves people internally to deliver their best client work.”
In his remarks, Wafula Walter, Business Unit Head –PR, brainchild BCW said, “We are thankful to our clients in Uganda and across the world who continue to challenge us to deliver outstanding work in line with their business and communications needs. When we win, they win and together, we scale new heights.”
Some of brainchild BCW’s clients in Uganda include; Crown Beverages Limited, Centenary Bank, JESA Farm Dairy, Roke Telecom, Sanlam, Uganda Baati, African Queen and Multichoice Uganda.
Fortebet, over the weekend, extended a helping hand to 100 expectant mothers with Mama kits. The donation was given free of charge to mothers at Namatala health centre in Mbale; a centre that mostly serves the needy community of Namatala. The aid was officially handed over by Mr. John Nanyumba, Fortebet Media Manager.
According to Scola Bukusela, the assistant in-charge for maternal health, the hospital was originally designed to handle only 20 deliveries a month, but now handles at least 120 cases. “This is the reason we need as much help from everyone, just like Fortebet has done today,” Buksela said just after receiving the kits on behalf of the hospital.
Nanyumba said, “As Fortebet, we don’t want to witness loss of life of a mother or child at birth. One of the ways to avoid such deaths is by preparing adequately, and this is why we are here today. Every mother here today will go back with a kit, free of charge.”
Fortebet donated sanitation and protective gears to the hospital such as trash cans, sanitizer, detergents, and face masks.
On-demand delivery app Glovo has launched its operations in Kampala, a move that is part of its continued market expansion strategy. Glovo entered Africa in 2018, Kenya was the second country for the continent after Morocco. The expansion into Uganda will make it the second market in East Africa for the company, and the fourth African country where the firm has established operations.
A Glovo rider ready to deliver to customers.
Glovo is a multi-category on-demand platform that allows users to order anything with a
simple tap on their smartphone. It is entirely focused on helping customers with their immediate needs in busy cities around the world. Customers can order anything that fits on a motorbike and it will be delivered to them by a specialist Glovo rider, called a Glover.
These include groceries from Carrefour and other partners, restaurant food from KFC, Java
House and a wide range of the best local food, and an array of drinks and other products.
Restaurant food is delivered in a triple layer multi-compartment thermally insulated bag that has been extensively tested to ensure hot food arrives steaming hot and even ice cream arrives cold, even in the same delivery.
Speaking during the launch, William Benthall, Glovo’s General Manager for Sub-Saharan
Africa, expressed his optimism towards the new venture. “We are extremely excited about
our launch in Uganda and we think that residents of Kampala should be feeling the same
way! Hundreds of thousands of people in cities across Africa are already used to integrating Glovo into their daily lives to help them to save time and money and we are optimistic that our solution will be a welcome addition to customers, restaurants and stores in Uganda,” said Benthall.
“Uganda is a uniquely interesting market for Glovo. Residents of Kampala are used to using Boda Boda’s to move around and order food and other products. In addition to this informal market, there is also a large segment of the population using apps to move around or order goods for delivery. This provides an interesting opportunity to introduce a fresh new service with low prices and amazing user experience,” he added.
Customers can also use the platform to request a rider to send or collect packages, and they can track their rider at all times and whatever they order on the platform should be with them in under 45 minutes and If it arrives in over 60 minutes the delivery is free.
By ReporterNews reaching out desk from singer Chris Johnz camp indicate that the People Power card holder has turned down an offer from his counterpart and the current mayor of Luwero Town Mukungu Paul of over 100m to step down from the mayoral race
According to our sources from the singers camp, Johnz was approached by what were identified as Paul’s representative offering him a huge deal in order for him to step down and let their candidate compete without any challenges
However Johnz turned down this offer and revealed how he is only contesting for Luwero Town Mayorship to serve his people and that he is not after any money.
“I want to serve the Luwero town people and I can’t be persuaded by money to step down because I have my own money” Johnz was heard saying
MTN CEO Wim Vanhelleputte (2L) hands over a cheque to the Ubimo of Alur, Phillip Olarker Rauni III.
By Our Reporter
MTN Uganda has offered Ker Alur Kingdom a sponsorship package worth Ugx 20 million as the Kingdom prepares to celebrate the tenth coronation anniversary of His Majesty, the Ubimo of Alur, Phillip Olarker Rauni III.
In addition to supporting the coronation ceremony, MTN has also pledged to support the kingdom’s inter-clan cycling events in a bid to promote social cohesion in the West Nile kingdom that displayed potential in that sport during MTN Uganda’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
While visiting the Rwoth, Ubimo Phillip Olarker Rauni III at his Bugolobi palace in Kampala on Monday, the MTN Chief Executive Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte handed over the cheque to the kingdom officials to support the coronation celebrations that are set to take place in Zombo this Saturday, 31st October.
Speaking at the cheque handover, Vanhelleputte expressed MTN’s elation towards working with the people of Ker Alur.
“At MTN, we are focused on actively demonstrating what can be achieved if we work together to enable a shared value system. We firmly believe that we are good together because MTN only succeeds if the communities in which we operate succeed,” Vanhelleputte said.
The Ubimo expressed his heartfelt gratitude to MTN Uganda for being the first Telecom Company to partner with Ker Alur Kingdom. On behalf of the Kingdom, the Ubimo named the MTN CEO “Jalngidhu”, an Alur name that is literally translated as “The one who brings a lot of good luck”.
“We trust that this mutually beneficial relationship will bond very well with all native Alur who have continuously enjoyed the excellent MTN services nationally and internationally. As the King of Alur, I guarantee that my Prime Minister and his officials will ensure the set objectives of this partnership to benefit both the MTN brand and the brand-loyal people of Ker Alur,” said the Ubimo noting that Alur values holistically involve gender and all age groups in culture, development, sports, health and humanitarian activities.
Given the prevailing Covid19 pandemic, the Ubimo will be celebrating his tenth scientific coronation anniversary under the theme “Live healthy and always wear a mask correctly” in order to address the control of the lethal virus.
In addition to Ker Alur Kingdom, MTN Uganda has entered a two-year partnership with 4 other cultural institutions namely; Tooro, Bunyoro, Busoga and Ker Kwaro (Acholi). The partnerships seek to uplift the socio-cultural wellbeing of the subjects of the respective kingdoms. These partnerships are based on the premise that cultural institutions play a central role in fostering shared beliefs and a unity of purpose as well as facilitating their subject’s social wellbeing through community programs.
Airtel Uganda has unveiled Manoj Murali as its new Managing Director. Manoj takes up the mantle from V.G. Somasekhar who is moving to India, where he will continue to be associated with the Bharti Airtel Group.
While announcing the appointment, Raghunath Mandava the CEO Airtel Africa detailed Manoj’s wealth of experience in the sector.
“Manoj has handled different roles and worked across geographies in India, the Corporate Office and the International operations of Sri Lanka, Seychelles and Channel Islands. His most recent assignment was as the Chief Executive Officer, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Prior to this he has held other roles including; Chief Operating (Executive) Officer in Rajasthan and Business Head (Chief Operating Officer) in Andhra Pradesh, amongst other positions within the system,” he said.
Prior to joining Bharti Airtel, Manoj worked with Crompton Greaves Limited where he was responsible for managing and expanding the Profit Centre operations of Karnataka state for the Lighting Business Group.
“I accept this responsibility with optimism, determination and confidence,” Manoj said while commenting on his appointment. “I will continue to build on the momentum Airtel is resonating so strongly in the market. I am excited to be in Uganda and look forward to disruptive and transformative approaches in the coming years.”
Manoj holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Poona, Pune.
Commenting on his move, Somasekhar was thankful for the opportunity to serve and contribute to the growth of the telecommunication sector and its impact on the socio-economic development of Uganda.
“It’s been a transformational journey since 2010. I have seen Airtel Uganda emerge as a leader, admired and respected digital brand among consumers and all stakeholders. I express my deepest gratitude for the support I have received from the Board, Management and Staff of Airtel Uganda, Uganda Communications Commission, Ministries and Government of Uganda,” he said.
Renowned Ugandan actor and comedian Richard Tuwangye is smiling all the way to the bank. This after he was unveiled as the face of Post Bank’s new digital campaign dubbed Beyi Powa.
Tuwangye who is believed to have bagged millions with the new role could not hide his excitement about the opportunity and working with the bank. “I am very happy to be a part of Post Bank’s digital transformation journey. As you may all be aware, we are in very unpredictable times Beyi Powa therefore comes as a savior in the whirlwind of uncertainty since one doesn’t need to make sporadic movements,” he said.
He added that, “the total lockdown drastically increased my appreciation of digital options available to me because the people viewing my art increased by more than 10-fold. So, I am excited to have the responsibility to preach the gospel of digital options, their efficiency and their benefits because I have experienced them first hand.”
The Beyi Powa campaign was launched recently to sensitize the bank’s customers about its alternative banking channels such as Post App and Post Mobile to promote their adoption and usage.
Ms. Doreen Nyiramugisha, the Head of Marketing and Communications at Post Bank Uganda said that, “Tuwangye is not only a customer of Post Bank but also a great ambassador for this campaign. We believe that by working with him, he will help us sensitize our customers about our affordable digital banking channels because he resonates with many of them.”
As an ambassador, Tuwangye is tasked with promoting digital banking among his peers and customers of the bank through electronic, outdoor and print media as well as his social media platforms.
For all of you who have overly doubted and questioned singer Bebe Cool’s son Allan Hendrick Ssali aka Paper Daddy regarding his ability in the music industry, you finally have been cleared now.
Allan Hendrick Ssali (Paper Daddy)
Well, it’s now that you get to know that Paper Daddy’s slow and skeptical moves in the music business have been intentional but not rather a misfortune as majority have often suggested.
This is because of the huge load of duties he has formerly been equipped with studies inclusive.
During his interview on a local TV station, Paper Daddy revealed how he held patient his thrilling music career in order to concentrate on his books.
He has been pursuing a degree in Software Engineering which has now completed and set for graduation this year in December.
“I have a couple of songs am going to release, its just that I have been previously held with my studies. Am completing my course and will be graduating in December. That’s the reason why I couldn’t release music while studying,” Paper Daddy said.
He also disclosed his intentions for further studies of a Master’s degree in the same field.
“As soon as I complete this bachelor’s degree, I want to do Master’s degree,” he added.
Apparently, Paper Daddy has a new jam dubbed ‘Lonely’ and has had such as an impressive reception in rotation.
It’s a wrap for another year of the BET Hip Hop Awards.
Despite being in the middle of a pandemic, the awards show went on without a hitch and brought performances from some of the hottest (and rising) artists in the genre.
City Girls performed two tracks, “Kitty Talk” and “Jobs,” while rocking skintight catsuits as Burna Boy and Chris Martin delivered a powerful performance of “Monsters You Made.”
Burna Boy performs “Monsters You Made” at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards
Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, and Ty Dolla $ign came together for “Body Language” while Mulatto and Gucci Mane collided for a down south medley.
Lil Baby and 42 Dugg opened things up with “We Paid” while Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz closed the show with “Money Maker,” and Tobe Nwigwe advised people to “Try Jesus, Not Me.”
Brandy, Erykah Badu, Teyana Taylor and H.E.R. put ladies first as they rapped over Brandy 1994 classic hit, “I Wanna Be Down.”
As far as the winners are concerned, Megan Thee Stallion took home three wins tonight, including “Savage (Remix)” with Beyoncé as well as Hustler of the Year and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year.
Best Duo or Group went to Young Thug and Chris Brown, Hip Hop Album of the Year was snagged by Roddy Ricch for Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Lil Baby won Impact Track for “The Bigger Picture,” and Drake and Future can celebrate winning Best Hip Hop Video for “Life is Good.”
Read through all of the 2020 BET Hip Hop Award winners and watch all of the performances below;
LYRICIST OF THE YEAR
Big Sean
DaBaby
Drake
J. Cole
Megan Thee Stallion
Rapsody
BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
“BOP” – DaBaby
“Rockstar” – DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Toosie Slide” – Drake
“Life Is Good” – Future feat. Drake
“The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby
“The Box” – Roddy Ricch
BEST COLLABORATION
“Rockstar” – DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Life Is Good” – Future feat. Drake
“WHATS POPPIN (Remix)” – Jack Harlow feat. Tory Lanez, DaBaby & Lil Wayne
Ragga Dancehall singer Baguma Crescent alias Beenie Gunter is now occupied with fathering responsibilities than never before after welcoming his son to the world.
Beenie Gunter and his new baby
Beenie’s fiancée Nickie Berry gave birth to a bouncing baby boy last weekend in a normal maternity condition.
The ‘Sekkle Down’ singer had earlier shocked the public by flashing a photo of girlfriend Nickie Berry’s with an overgrown baby tummy.
The couple has since named the baby ‘Joshua’ which biblically means “the Lord is my salvation.”
Baby Joshua and the mother are reported in a good health condition.
On Monday night, grief engulfed believers and fans of Pastor Yiga Augustine Abizaayo following the confirmation of his death.A number of top politicians and celebrities have come out to speak about him including the former Presidential press secretary Tamale Murundi.
He praised the late Pastor Yiga for being very innovative and hardworking. “Pastor Yiga was very hardworking and innovative. He worked so hard to make sure he gets to where he has been. He started from scratch and managed to get to the top by himself. He was a very loving man who wished good for everyone. Regardless of all his mistakes like any other human, Yiga was a respectable man and he will be missed.” Tamale said
It is a sad time in Kawaala. People are sad and mourning upon the demise of a popular figure in their area.
It is evident when you set foot at his church. Mourners and believers have thronged the Kawaala-based Church to condole with his family.
Pastor Yiga was the proprietor of the Revival Church and a local TV station ABS TV in Kawaala, Kampala.
Deceased Pastor Augustine Yiga’s body is currently being kept at A-Plus Funeral Management home in Mengo where it will be until the Sunday when he will be burried.
Following the news that flooded social media on last week of Daddy Andre being introduced by Nina Roz to her parents, Angella Katatumba has since not been moving on well with life.
The Grade A singer has come out to explain why she is so emotional about Daddy Andre’s move. While speaking to NBS’s Kaiyz, Angella revealed that it’s not envy but reality. She explained that she is human and will not run away from the fact that she is hurting
“Being emotional is acceptable and at this point I cannot hide my emotions. Daddy Andre was everything I ever needed and if I hadn’t moved away, he would have married me. It’s not that I am jealous but every time I remember the memories we shared, I get emotional.” She explained
She however urged the public not blame her for the decision she took to express her emotions in a song because it was too much for her to bear.
“I am waiting to perform on his wedding ceremony as long as he pays me to sing. He did a lot of things for me and I won’t forget him although I was also heart broken when I left but my emotion and thoughts will always remain with him,”she noted.
Goodlyfe Magic singer Weasel Manizo has a new song dubbed ‘Nawe’ featuring Godi Godi Music’s songstress, Ramlah.
Weasel Manizo
‘Nawe’ is off his new Extended Play (EP) ‘IamWEASEL’.
This time round, Weasel chants romantically throughout making it a sweet love ballad ideal for those dating. He is accompanied by nice vocals from Ramlah.
Apparently, Nawe visuals are being finalized and expected to drop sooner.
Multi-genre singer Pius Mayanja aka Pallaso is set to release his highly anticipated ‘Malamu’ video.
Pallaso
Through his social media, Pallaso has confirmed that Malamu video will drop next week Wednesday, 4th November and will be first premiered on his YouTube channel.
Malamu is one of those top ballads in 2020 and its visuals are also expected to just sum up the music fanatics’ thirst after such a long wait.
The video was shot last week and picking from some of the scenes the singer has been sharing on his social media, its a stunning project that also features his brothers; Jose Chameleone and Weasel Manizo.
Malamu Video drops November 5th. Please subscribe to my youtube channel now. 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/9i44koOKCV
American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer now turned politician; Omari West aka Kanye West (Ye) has lost over 100,000 followers on Twitter.
Kanye West
In the wake of Wednesday morning, the ‘Run This Town’ rapper had managed to drop from 31 million followers to 30.9 million followers on his official Twitter handle ‘Ye’.
The 43-year-old rapper went ahead to share a screenshot of his Twitter profile as he captioned it; “I was at 31 million followers 4 weeks ago and now I’ve been held at 30.9 million followers for the last 4 weeks.”
Meanwhile, Ye is prevailing with his Presidential campaigns as the United States general elections dates draw closer.
He recently, insisted that he believes God wants him to run for president of the United States.
🤔 I was at 31 million followers 4 weeks ago and now I’ve been held at 30.9 million followers for the last 4 weeks 🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/AV51hzh8bn
The internet fashionably positioned itself at the core of our lives empowering it on all aspects and levels. On this day we join the rest of the world to celebrate the International Internet Day.
If we were told few years back that a time would come when the world would advocate for less physical contact and reliance on means of communication that do not encourage clustering, we wouldn’t have believed it. But here we are in 2020 and the world is facing a pandemic the like of which we have not experienced which calls for social distancing as a mean of sanitary prevention and a reliance on digital communication. Globally, businesses and people had to adopt new work models that emphasize remote working powered by the internet relying on digitally solutions with apps like Microsoft teams, zoom and many others.
We at Africell, have had to adapt our products and services to ensure a smooth transition to remote working. Our team introduced a number of breakthrough mobile products that have enabled our customers to sail through this pandemic with some degree of comfort. Key among these services was the introduction of the W3 data bundles inclusive of OTT, and carry significant extra data bonuses as a means to help our customers not only financially but also to delay the time needed to get to the streets looking for a recharge, which was a most risky activity during the uncertain times of the lockdown.
We have also introduced the Hakuna Matata bundles loaded with SMS, Voice minutes, Data with OTT. Both the W3 and the Hakuna Bundles were available with daily, weekly and monthly validity.
On the enterprise front, we reduced the prices for dedicated internet per Mbps to make the new normal of remote working smoother. We provide guaranteed symmetric bandwidth with our dedicated internet solution which ensure that our customers enjoy same speeds for their downloads and uploads i.e. with a 2 mbps link for a business, the uploads and downloads will carry on at the same speed of 2 megabits per second.
Additionally, for the small and medium businesses we created the internet everywhere service enabled by our 4g modems, mifis and routers. This service can be customized to fit the customer’s budget and usage needs. Furthermore, the IEW (Internet Everywhere) service offers businesses great value for money with bundles that do not expire.
This service can be ideal for parents considering online options for home schooling. A parent can easily contact us through our enterprise email (corporate.care@africell.ug) and share a brief of how many hours their children are learning and from which app. Our enterprise team will then use this brief to tailor a suitable bundle.
The Internet made the tough journey of 2020 easier, enabling us to connect and stay in touch even when distant. On this International day of the Internet Africell reiterates the commitment to connect our communities with quality and affordable internet solutions.
News reaching out desk from singer Chris Johnz camp indicate that the People Power card holder has turned down an offer from his counterpart and the current mayor of Luwero Town Mukungu Paul of over 100m to step down from the mayoral race
The internet fashionably positioned itself at the core of our lives empowering it on all aspects and levels. On this day we join the rest of the world to celebrate the International Internet Day.