Chevening is the UK government’s flagship scholarship programme that offers a fully funded one-year master’s degree in any field at any of the UK’s top universities and is aimed at developing global leaders. Chevening Scholars have ambition, leadership potential, a strong academic background, and an excellent record of rising to prominent positions in their countries across a range of fields.

In its 41st year of existence, the Chevening scholarship programme has produced over 300 Chevening beneficiaries who have come back home to make a positive change in their communities. The Chevening Alumni Association currently has a network of 314 members from different backgrounds who have delivered on several impactful activities including in climate change, health, education to support to people with disabilities, run mentorship and leadership programmes to mention but a few.

The Commonwealth Scholarships are offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) as part of the UK’s ongoing commitment to the Commonwealth. Each year around 800 students are given the chance to undertake postgraduate degrees with UK universities, with an aim of nurturing talented and aspiring change makers who would otherwise not be able to afford an education in the UK. This year is particularly special as it marks 65 years of the Commonwealth scholarship. More than 1735 Ugandans have benefited from the Commonwealth Scholarships whose contribution to Uganda’s development can be seen in a wide variety of fields from education to finance.

The farewell event featured outgoing scholars from both the Chevening and Commonwealth scholarship programmes along with alumni from the association. Key stakeholders from the Ministry of Education and Prudential, who have partnered with Chevening to sponsor a scholar for the second year running, were in attendance as well as staff members of the British High Commission. This event provided an opportunity for the scholars to meet and interact with individuals and form lifelong networks for both their personal and professional growth.

Tiffany Kirlew said: “To our scholars, I urge you to remain true to the principles that brought you here: curiosity, integrity, and a passion for making a positive impact. Whether in public service, academia, business, or any other field, your contributions will shape the future of Uganda. We believe you have the power to create lasting change, to uplift others, and to lead with empathy and understanding”.

20 Chevening scholars have been selected for the scholarship for academic year 2024/2025 and more than 16 Commonwealth scholars for 2024/2025 academic year (AY).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British High Commission Kampala.

On September 18 (local time), Notes concerning the grant of Mpox vaccines and special inoculation needles were signed and exchanged in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Mr. OGAWA Hidetoshi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and H.E. Ms. Gracia YAMBA KAZADI, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The number of patients has continued to increase significantly since last November in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where a regional epidemic of Mpox has been recognized and the procurement of vaccines has been an important issue for the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is expected that the vaccination of people who are at-risk of Mpox infection will be initiated using the vaccines and inoculation needles to be granted by the Government of Japan. The vaccines and needles are expected to contribute to measures against Mpox.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Parliament has paid tribute to Rebecca Cheptegei, a long-distance athlete and Uganda People’s Defence Force Sergeant who died after suffering severe burns after an arson attack by her lover on 01 September 2024 in Kenya.

The tribute followed a motion presented by the State Minister for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang urging Parliament to honour Cheptegei’s legacy.

Ogwang described Cheptegei as a victim of gender-based violence (GBV) and condemned the cultural practices that often fuel domestic violence, highlighting that Cheptegei was killed in a property dispute. Ogwang Ugandans to denounce the practices that make men entitled to the money earned by women.

“As an athlete, she won medals that helped her acquire property, yet some men still believe they control their wives’ finances,” Ogwang said.

Hon. Kayemba Ssolo (Bukomansimbi South County) who seconded the motion emphasised that Cheptegei’s death could have been avoided if Uganda had better sports facilities, as she had been training in Kenya due to the lack of infrastructure.

“Her death should serve as a message against domestic violence and a call to improve sports facilities for our athletes,” he stated.

Oyam District Woman Representative, Hon. Santa Alum praised Cheptegei’s patriotism noting that, ‘despite training in Kenya, she always represented Uganda with pride’.

She proposed that a stadium be named after the fallen athlete.

Lawmakers rallied behind the motion with the House condemning violence.

Kaliro District Woman Representative, Hon. Brenda Namukuta revealed that many female lawmakers including herself are suffering silently, citing that many of the women come to her for advise on how she survived.

“As we pay tribute to Rebeca, let us take action; let us take GBV seriously and let us not look at protecting our names rather than our lives,” she said.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi called for more support to GBV victims adding that the victims should be open about their encounters.

The Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi said that GBV is not only a national problem but a global issue that is plaquing both men and women.

She revealed that the ministry is channeling interventions through cultural and religious institutions so that the bylaws being formed address the socio-cultural practices that subjugate the women.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa who chaired the session called for a united front in the fight against GBV stressing the importance of ‘addressing the epidemic of violence that continues to claim lives across the world’.

Cheptegei’s death was the third high-profile killing of a female athlete in Kenya by a current or former partner. Her death follows the murders of Kenyan runner, Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Bahraini athlete, Damaris Mutua in 2022.

The tragic incidents highlight the rise in GBV cases globally and in Uganda.

The UN reports that every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by a partner or family member.

Uganda’s Police Annual Crime Report of 2023 revealed that 14,681 GBV cases were reported averaging 40 cases daily.

According to the report, justice remains elusive for many victims with only a small percentage of cases reaching the courts and securing convictions.

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

 Ministers of Health of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad have pledged to scale up efforts to eradicate Guinea-worm disease by 2030 in line with the road map to end neglected tropical diseases by the end of the decade.

Meeting on 17 September 2024 at an international high-level meeting to advocate and mobilize resources for the eradication of Guinea-worm disease, the ministers signed the N’Djamena Declaration on interrupting the transmission of Guinea-worm disease or dracunculiasis in the subregion. The N’Djamena meeting was organized by the Government of Chad, in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and The Carter Center.

The meeting highlighted the need to scale up community-based surveillance, while maintaining and increasing domestic funding for national programmes to stop transmission. The discussions also identified the need to strengthen advocacy for access to drinking water and for implementing legal and regulatory measures to control dog and cat populations with a view to halting the spread of Guinea-worm disease and rabies within communities. The final point focused on strengthening synchronized cross-border interventions in endemic districts.

“The holding of this international meeting in N’Djamena takes on special significance, as only five countries in the world are currently endemic to this disease, including our own,” said H.E Allah-Maye Halina Mahamat, the Prime Minister of Chad. “As a signatory to the Abu Dhabi Declaration in March 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, Chad is committed to strengthening its leadership with a view to improving the health and well-being of its people. That commitment has been given tangible expression. In line with its steadfast commitment, Chad will continue to strengthen its strategies and actions to combat Guinea-worm disease.”

Chad accounts for over 50% of human cases of infection with Guinea-worm disease, and over 80% of animal infections recorded worldwide each year. The global incidence of the disease has dropped steeply, from around 3.5 million cases in the 1980s to just 14 in 2023, including nine in Chad. The human cases reported by Cameroon and the Central African Republic in 2019 and 2022 respectively are strongly suspected of having been imported from Chad, given the population movements on both sides of the border.

“Just as the people of Chad no longer face the threat of African trypanosomiasis, so today we stand on the threshold of freeing Chad – and the world – from Guinea-worm disease,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This achievement is not just about numbers; it is about lives transformed and communities empowered.”

Significant progress has been made to eradicate Guinea worm in the African region with over 99 % reduction in cases from 843 640 when the eradication campaign was launched in 1989, to just 14 cases in 2023. Forty-two countries have been certified as having eradicated the disease; five remain to be certified (Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali and South Sudan). The last mile to eradication faces huge challenges such as animal transmission creating spill-over infections to humans, inadequate safe water supply, dwindling funding, insecurity, cross border population movements, and climate change impacting water river basins.

“I encourage Governments to prioritize Guinea-worm disease surveillance across borders, integrate its eradication interventions into other disease control interventions and expand financing network through domestic resource mobilization,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, congratulating Chad on its progress towards the elimination of neglected tropical diseases, notably the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis as a public health problem by 2024.

WHO recommends maintaining active dracunculiasis surveillance for at least 3 consecutive years in countries and/or areas that have recently interrupted transmission. Such surveillance is essential to ensure that no human or animal cases of the disease go undetected, and to prevent any recurrence.

The Organization advocates for eradication, provides technical guidance, coordinates eradication activities, ensures the implementation of surveillance in dracunculiasis-free areas, monitors the situation and tracks progress.

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