Good afternoon, Briefing reader!
This is the Saturday edition of Your Briefing. Before you start devouring what we gathered for you, we’ve quotes from innovators Elon Musk and Steve Jobs to inspire your Saturday afternoon.
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor,” Elon Musk
“I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary,” Elon Musk
“For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through,” Steve Jobs
“I do not adopt softness towards others because I want to make them better,” Steve Jobs
‘We’ll have more MyUG WiFi’
Minister of ICT and National Guidance Frank Tumwebaze has hinted on the possibility of more MyUG WiFi hotspots opening up to the public once cabinet ministers give the nod to the idea.
Tumwebaze, who was responding to a tweep who asked about the progress of the MyUG WiFi project, said that the current hotspots that are being accessed were rolled out in a pilot program and the reason they haven’t widely expanded the free WiFi sites is due to lack of funds to drive the initiative.
The free WiFi was never a project funded. It was our a pilot initative to open up hot spots in public areas using the unused capacity of #govt offices after 5pm when they close & before 9am when they open. Its only a few public spots and there are many that use it. https://t.co/Xh1ePMqenV
— Frank K Tumwebaze,MP : Psalms 124 : 1-8 (@FrankTumwebazek) May 26, 2019
MyUG was unveiled in 2016 so that people can have access to free wireless internet and the number of people using the service has grown tremendously.
There are now 284 MyUG WiFi hotspots/sites in Kampala, its suburbs and Entebbe. You can see all the sites here and how to log in (though most of the times your phone will automatically connect when you are in a location that’s within reach.)
Museveni pardons Wim over kids
Daily Monitor reported Friday that President Museveni learning the Wim Vanhelleputte had children in Uganda was among the main reasons he pardoned him to return to Uganda and resume his duties. He, however, warned him against getting involved in politics again.
Vanhelleputte, who hails from Belgium, is married to Babra Adoso, a Ugandan national with whom they’ve two children. They are Jonathan Vanhelleputte, 17, and Jason Vanhelleputte, 13.
Read the full report here
CEO @wimMTNUG is back to work after the President of the Republic Of Uganda, H.E. @KagutaMuseveni exercised his executive discretion & permitted him back in the country. Wim who came with Group President @ShuterRob has been welcomed by the leadership team & staff. #WelcomeBackWim pic.twitter.com/9ajMEnGPWt
— MTN Uganda (@mtnug) May 31, 2019
ICT Minister should resign, says Ssebulime family
The family of the late Ronald Ssebulime who was shot dead after security operatives suspected he was trailing junior ICT minister Aidah Nantaba has petitioned the Director of Public Prosecutions to ask the minister to resign to pave the way for investigations.
The family feels that the police has “feared” to investigate the minister because of the authority and position she holds in government.
Read the full story here
Jobs
Startups are hiring. Zembo, the engineering startup that wants to sell electric bikes in Uganda, is looking for a business team leader.
Electric/solar motorcycle (boda boda) startup Zembo is looking for a Business Team Leader for Uganda. JD: https://t.co/TPC6SqpVOv pic.twitter.com/H6KQGAEZZy
— ??? ☕️?? ? (@StoneAtwine) May 30, 2019
Vskit, a video social and sharing platform operated by Bloomplay, the music download, and streaming service, is looking for an operations specialist to run Kampala business.
Check here to apply.
SolarNow, an off-grid solar company, has over thirty positions that need to be occupied. Check out which role you can fill.
Rwanda warns on cryptocurrency scams
The National Bank of Rwanda joined other central banks to caution people against digital currency fraud firms., including OneCoin that are masquerading as cryptocurrencies even before being registered by the government.
Other firms that the Bank warned people to stay away from are Supermarketings Global Ltd, 3 friends System Group, and Kwakoo.
PUBLIC NOTICE: Warning against Pyramid Schemes, Network Marketing Programs and Scam Coins. #Rwanda #RwOT pic.twitter.com/Vv4Ad2hXwr
— National Bank Rwanda (@CentralBankRw) May 30, 2019
A look at Uganda’s communications sector
UCC has released statistics, giving a summary of the state of the communications sector. The stats show that there are over 24 million mobile subscribers in Uganda, over 180,000 fixed-line subscribers, that internet subscription is at 14 million people for mobile and over 11000 for fixed.
Internet penetration is at 36.8%. We have 8 pay-TV subscribers in Uganda, 40 TV stations and over 2 million subscribers.
