Uganda's Super Cop

Standing in the rains battering the rain, she stood firm directing traffic for those in the comfort of their cars. The splashes, mud run off and damp clothing not deterring her duty. Only a helmet protected her hair, green jacket and black trouser shielding her wet skin. This is a rare show of work commitment by a Uganda Police Force officer. 

But Betty Chemisto (CPL) did just that, braving the afternoon rain on October 30 to guide traffic along Lugogo Bypass.

And her actions have not gone unnoticed. When her unidentified picture was posted on social media, it went viral. Many were touched by her selfless devotion and requested to recognize her #Supercop action.

From public contributions, special lunch was organized for her, and cash contributions, said to be about 1.7 million, handed to her.

“I was very happy. I am very happy with Chemisto. This is the image we want to see, because on the century celebrations the president criticised us and since then we have tried to change,” said AIGP Steven Kusima in a ‘lunch message.
“Uganda Police Force is very happy. The recognition will not stop here. We will see to it that her work is duly recognized. I encourage you to continue to do what you are doing, the public is watching,” he added.

CPL Betty Chemisto had this to say, “I thought I had committed a crime (when I was called to office). I love my job whether it rains or not. My OC is very tough he moves around to check especially when it’s about to rain. I carry my packed food, water and raincoat, because in Kampala you are never sure of the weather. Long live Uganda Police."

Messages are still pouring in on social media. 

Tubonge and Copyright Debate

When Ugandan musicians met the president at a evening siesta dubbed Tubonge along the shores of L Victoria at Speke Resort Munyonyo, it was a funfair. Spiced with music, comedy and camera flashlights, the venue was a chatterbox filled with Uganda’s unedited musical voices.

At the end of the sumptuous meal, the president promised a sweetening package of 400 million shillings to be put in their support fund. Accusations and counter accusations of ‘misappropriation’ of the funds are already boiling.

One of the scorns they woke up to a day later was of meeting the president and failing to raise issues of copyright for their music. In defense, some say it was a wrong forum for such an issue.

Music industry in Uganda is still disorganized, and as a result under rewarding in the long term. Ask James Wasula, secretary general of the Uganda Performing Rights Society (UPRS), a collecting society managing music performing rights. Whereas UPRS has a structure for collecting fees from users of music; radio stations, hotels, conference venues, discotheques among others, the collections are meager.

Despite the increase in numbers of potential collection points, the individual benefits of artists from their works are short lived, in relation to copyright aspects. Commercial benefits of music and artistic works in Uganda are catered for under the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, 2006 and the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Regulations of 2010.  

The implementation of this act is the problem, not the lack of a presidential statement at a dinner besides a lake.

In this crowded city, musicians get their money from concert/musical performance sales, corporate endorsements, participation in commercials and other social performance gigs. The CD sales, airplay revenue and royalties are just a peanut that would not meet the cost of the next trip to the recording studio.

An announcement by the president at Munyonyo would have little, if any, effect to the copyright implementation.In fact, he has through his government set for them the ground to achieve more than a mere statement. The acts and regulations have been passed to cater for intellectual property, and that contains copyright issues.  Institutions like police, judiciary, Uganda RegistrationService Bureau are already in place.

The artists themselves are supposed to be ‘lead actors’ in promoting the copyright benefits of their work.

Wakaliwood – A Breed of Ugandan Film

Over the course of this year, one Ugandan film producer has received more international reporters at his studio and home than all the rest in the field. Newspaper, radio, television, online, he has welcomed them all to his Wakaliga based Ramon Film Productions.

 Isaac Nabwana is the man behind Ramon Film Productions, and Wakaliwood, the new slogan coined out of Wakaliga slum, on the outskirts of Kampala, where his studio is located.

In one of the latest reports, Aljazeera’s Malcolm Webb describes Nabwana as “Uganda's rockstar filmmaker. He produces a new film every month, most with a budget of around $200, attracting millions of views online and filling seats at local theaters,”.

One of the most watched trailers from this production house is a trailer titled Who Killed Captain Alex?. Other films include: tebaatusasula, (they don’t pay us), Bad Black, ‘crazyPeople’ – Ani mulalu and about 50 others.

“It is a surprise that he did not feature anywhere in this year’s Uganda film festival awards,” says Muloma Timothy, one of Wakaliwood films’ fan. “He is flying our flag high outside Uganda, especially in these hard and chaotic times of election”.

With his friends and neighbors, Nabwana is turning Wakaliga into a home of film production.

Ugandan Doctor Invents Ebola Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit, Files for Patents

A Ugandan doctor, Misaki Wayengera, has filed to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the African RegionalIntellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), for patents of his innovations in biometric interventions that include an HIV-1 cure and rapid tuberculosis diagnostics. 

His rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for Ebola virus disease (EVD) is able to detect Ebola recombinant antigens in less than five minutes.

In an article by Agnes Nanyogo, published on the website http://www.internationalhealthpolicies.org, titled “Ugandan innovation could end up being manufactured elsewhere: the plight of a young scientist in Africa”, it reveals that Wayengera kicked off his research with the EVD RDT under start-up (2008) biotech Restrizymes Biotherapeutics (U) limited.

Among the challenges he has faced is shortage of funds to facilitate his research.

“Dr Wayengera then resorted to applying for funding from Grand Challenges Canada in 2013;  he was awarded a grant worth CAN$100,000. In addition, Grand Challenges Canada was willing to award to him an extra one million dollars for his research, if matched by financial commitment [of any value] to the project by his home Government. Subsequent efforts to secure local funding from the Ugandan government through follow up letters and social media pressure were futile. Luckily, in a rare turn of events, a breach of the prevailing rules and in a show of trust, Grand Challenges Canada offered Dr. Wayengera and his research team CAN$1.5 million, possibly due to the devastating EVD in West Africa and beyond.  The money enabled Dr. Wayengera and his team to continue with their research which led to a breakthrough innovation,” 

This quote is from Agnes Nanyogo’s article, which can be accessed on this link: http://www.internationalhealthpolicies.org/ugandan-innovation-could-end-up-being-manufactured-elsewhere-the-plight-of-a-young-scientist-in-africa/

Wayengera is now looking to manufacture and scale up his technology in North America. 

The United Republic Of Tanzania Signs The Arusha Protocol For The Protection Of New Varieties Of Plants

© IP Desk: The United Republic of Tanzania has become the fifth member state of African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) to sign the Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, (PVP).
According to ARIPO, “Hon. Stephen M. Wasira (MP), Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives signed the Protocol on behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania at a ceremony held in Dar es Salaam on September 28, 2015”.
The other four ARIPO Member States to have signed the protocol include; The Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe. These signed the protocol on July 6, 2015, the day the protocol was adopted a Diplomatic Conference that was held in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania.
PVP Protocol seeks to provide Member States with a regional plant variety protection system that recognizes the need to provide growers and farmers with improved varieties of plants in order to ensure sustainable Agricultural production. Member States, cooperating partners and other stakeholders are expected to provide financial and material support for the effective implementation of the Protocol.
The Protocol remains open for signature by Member States of the Organization and other States, members of the African Union until December 31, 2015. It will enter into force only when four States have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession.

Zambia Becomes Party to Swakopmund Protocol

2nd Floor The Republic of Zambia has become the seventh member state to become party to the Swakopmund Protocol. This was after Zambia deposited Instrument of Ratification with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe, on August 28, 2015. The Member States of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) adopted the Swakopmund Protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of folklore on August 9, 2010 at Swakopmund in the Republic of Namibia. The protocol entered into force on May 11, 2015. The protocol is meant to “protect creations derived from the exploitation of traditional knowledge in ARIPO member states against misappropriation and illicit use through bio-piracy, within ARIPO.

Global Census at population.io

You do know your age. But how many people are older or younger than you? Population.io is an online site that keeps track of the world’s population. It also lets you know how many people in the world, home country or any other country are either older or younger than you. And for some you, or us, the numbers and percentages are very surprising. Or are they not? At the time of writing this, we are 7,340,356,127 and adding up like seconds of a clock. That means by the time you visit, the numbers will be considerably higher. I came across this site after reading an article by Charles Onyango-Obbo in the Daily Monitor. All you need to do is enter your date of birth, country of birth and sex, then hit the GO button. In seconds you will get to know your age position, in the world.

About Population.io aims to make demography – the study of human populations – accessible to a wider audience. We believe that demographic data can play an important role in understanding the social and economic developments of our time. Our hope is that people from all walks of life, in all ages and across all countries will explore a new perspective of their own life and find their own place in the world of today and tomorrow. Credits Population.io has been developed by Wolfgang Fengler (wfengler AT worldbank DOT org,@wolfgangfengler), together with K.C. Samir (@kcsamir) and Benedikt Groß (@bndktgrs).