News - Pison Public Relations

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi wins major literature prize

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi struggled to find a publisher for her book because it was deemed “too African many years ago.” Her refusal to compromise on her ’’Proper Proper’’ African novel has now paid off.

Makumbi was recently awarded one of literature’s biggest prizes, the Windham-Campbell Prize from Yale University. The award of $165,000 is aimed at supporting creatives as they focus on their work. The Ugandan author was recognized alongside poets, artists, and other writers for her debut novel Kintu, published in 2014.

“I haven’t been earning for a long, long time,” She told BBC . “I really put everything into writing. So for this to happen is unbelievable.”

Kintu is the story of a cursed bloodline. It begins with a manbeaten to death by a mob after being mistaken for a thief in a market outside Kampala and traces his fate to his ancestor, the titular Kintu. The inter-generational story delves into ancestry, the supernatural, mental illness, and patriarchy, all while examining what it means to be Ugandan.

Hailed as ’’the great Ugandan novel’’ Kintu goes into great detail explaining 18th-century life at court in the Kingdom of Buganda and the enduring fabric of what makes a Ugandan family, then and now. It does not, however, spend much time on the entrance of colonialism or the violent reign of military dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s. Because Makumbi, who has lived in Manchester for the last 17 years, doesn’t cater to European audiences, UK publishers feared that British audiences wouldn’t be able to connect with the book.

Kintu was published in 2014 in Kenya by the nonprofit publisher Transit Books after the novel won the Kwani Manuscript project the previous year. It was finally published in the UK in January 2018.

“Readers are realising, OK, if I want to explore Africa I’d rather be told from an African point of view rather than being told things that I’m expected to want to know,” Makumbi told the BBC.

13th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Ekkula Pearl Of Africa Awards 2018 outs Nominees list

Ekkula Pearl Of Africa Awards 2018 committee released the nominees list this morning at the Uganda Media Centre. Honourable Kiwanda Godfrey Suubi, State Minister for Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities announced this while officiating the Awards Ceremony that will take place on 29^th March 2018, Pearl Of Africa Hotel in Nakasero where stakeholders in the Tourism fraternity will be awarded for their efforts rendered towards the Industry.

Ekkula is a Luganda word that translates ‘’Beauty of our Country’’ hence the natural beautiful sceneries gifted to us by God.

Uganda’s tourism sector is experiencing steady growth in terms of the number of employment as well as contribution to GDP. Tourism has without doubt become everybody’s Business as many Individuals, Companies and Associations are increasingly playing key roles to boost the sector.

While regional clusters playing different roles are getting more involved in tourism initiatives like, Boda Boda Tours, Tulambule Weekend Escape ,Sports Tourism, Food Festivals like Rolex festival, City Festivals like Kampala City Festival, Mbarara and Jinja Festival, Cultural festivals like Bayimba, Nyege nyege Cultural Festivals among others have and still increase on the numbers of tourism participation than ever before.

Performing Artistes have also contributed a tremendous role in lifting the Ugandan flag high and these include; the music artists using music as a medium of tourism promotion, Writers, Photographers, poets, Comedians to mention but a few.

This year’s Award ceremony theme ‘CELEBRATING TOURISM IN CULTURAL DIVERSITY’ is aimed at seeing the different cultures offer the best traditions interms of food, entertainment, traits, norms that seem so interesting contemplating tourists.

Having gone through a nomination process for this year’s 26 categories, below are the different categories.

BEST CUISINE RESTAURANT.

2k Restaurant

Haji and Haji

Baguma restaurant

Victoria cafe’

BEST PRIVATE CULTURAL CENTER.

Nshenyi cultural village

Igongo cultural center

Koi Koi cultural centre.

Ndere cultural centre

BEST TRAVEL MAGAZINE.

Pearl Guide

The eye magazine

View uganda

African secrets

BEST WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER- (PRIVATE)

Kavumba Wildlife education & research education

Ziwa rhino sanctuary

Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary.

Camps crocs

BEST TOURISM BLOGGER/BLOG.

Sarah Kagingo/Soft power

Charlotte Nagawa-diary of a muzungu.

Joy Lydia Apolot-tour East Africa

Ryan Nathan Atiluk X-rated

Exceptional tourism photographer

L-Joe experience

Ivan Sebuma

Herbert Byaruhanga

Edward Echwalu

FINEST TRADITIONAL DANCE TROUPE

Rockies Troupe

The Planets

Kika troupe

Crane performers

BEST TOURISM PROMOTIONAL/CULTURAL FUSION SONG

Nzira Nago by Maro

Tumunonye-Navio

Home to Africa- Good Lyfe and PJ powers

Nsambila Nyuma Nga Janzi by Irene Namatovu

TOURISM DESTINATION OF THE YEAR

The Ssese Islands (kalangala)

White Nile Rafting (Jinja adventure city)

Murchison falls/ Budongo forest

Bwindi Impenetrable-Western Uganda

BEST ECO/COMMUNITY FRIENDLY SAFARI LODGE

Rain Forest Lodge

Park View Safari Lodge (Queen Elizabeth)

Pakuba Safari Lodge (Murchison falls)

Serenada Eco Lodge

MOST ACTIVE TOURISM CLUSTER.

Busoga Tourism Initiative

Kigezi Tourism cluster

Karamoja Tourism cluster

West Nile Tourism cluster

Outstanding Museum.

Igongo Museum

Kikonyongo Money museum

Bishop Nkoyo museum

great lakes museum

EXCEPTIONAL TOURISM JOURNALIST

Denis Segoa

Pamela Amia

Edgar Batte

Herman Kalanzi

BEST SUPPORTING CORPORATE COMPANY

Marasa Africa/Madhvani

MOVIT PRODUCTS

Aerolink

Vision Group

MOST USER FRIENDLY TOURISM ASSOCIATION

U.H.O.A

TUGATA

A.U.T.O

USAGA

MOST ADVENTUROUS RECREATIONAL CENTER

Extreme Adventure Park- (BUSIKA)

Mabira Forest Zip-line (JINJA)

Kavumba Wildlife Recreation Center – (WAKISO)

Supreme Adventure Park- (KABALE)

BEST SUPPORTING AIRLINES (ECONOMY CLASS)

RwandAir

Ethiopian airways

Egypt air

Qatar airways

BEST SUPPORTING AIRLINES (BUSINESS CLASS)

Brussels Airlines

Fly Emirates

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

South African Airlines

OUTSTANDING TOURISM PERSONALITY

Maria Balyomujura

Barbrah Adoso

Naminya Saleh

Ivan Batuma

TOURISM EVENT OF THE YEAR

Nyege Nyege

Rolex Festival

Kampala City Festival

Uganda International Cultural Fair

BEST TOURISM AMBASSORDOR

Anne Kansime-(Comedian)

The Ghettho Kids-(Dancers)

Alex Masiko (Kick Boxer)

Jacob Kiplimo (Athlete)

BEST SUPPORTING HOTEL

Pearl of Africa Hotel

Hotel Africana

Imperial Royale

Serena Hotel Kampala

BEST SERVICE/LUXURY STANDARD HOTEL

Pearl of Africa Hotel

Serena Hotel Kampala

Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo

Kampala Sheraton Hotel

YOUNG TOURISM ACHIEVER’S AWARD

Naminya Saleh (Casa lodges)

Nakitende Irene (African secrets)

Carol Amutuhaire (Gorilla link tours)

Donald Champion (The African encounters)

TOP TOURISM INVESTOR

Wild Places Africa

Ruparelia Group

Marasa Africa Lodges

Uganda lodges

To Vote visit www.brandambassadors256/ekkula

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13th March 2018/0 Comments

News

PRI collects 177 kilograms of plastics during the FIFA World Cup trophy tour Viewing

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Uganda collected 177 kilograms of plastic waste under its subsidiary Plastic Recycling Industries at Lugogo Cricket Oval on 6th March 2018 at the World Cup Trophy viewing session.

This, at an average of 30 bottles per kg translates to 5310 bottles which links to about the same number of Ugandans who attended the Trophy Tour viewing and perhaps got an opportunity to take a picture with the most coveted sports icon.

This is a %-age collection of about 0.1% of the 25% average monthly collection. Efforts such as these and more shall get us close to our 40% by 2019 collection target as CCBA Uganda.

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), drives the initiative to collect plastics and help conserve the environment which is vital to the quality of life of all communities in Uganda. The philosophy behind Plastic Recycling Industries (PRI) is to take plastic waste out of the environment, reduce it, and re-use it as valuable products. While doing so, we not only protect the environment, but also create jobs for youth and women from underprivileged backgrounds who have found a livelihood in waste collection.

In Uganda, we are committed to achieve the 100% collection target ahead of 2030. “At Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Uganda, we are cognizant of the fact that for a Country to have a successful recycling program, it takes collective effort of several stakeholders. On this note, I would like to appreciate our partners KCCA and Masaka Recycling Initiative in walking with us on this journey. Through PRI, we are ready to work with KCCA to put collection points at all public concerts and events going forward.” Conrad Van Niekerk, Managing Director Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Uganda.

He added. “As well, I would like to commend the team from PRI which includes Betty Kirabo, Absalom Adutu, Peter Olwenyi, Akello Angala, Sharon Biyinzika, Yuda Mukama, Annet Kwagala under the supervision of Farouk Balabyeki.

These employees not only experienced the magical magnificence of the Trophy, but also exhibited the Company`s commitment to disposing plastic waste responsibly”.

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13th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Emirates unveils more spacious Business Class seats on its Boeing 777 aircraft

Emirates unveiled a brand new Business Class cabin and configuration on its Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, with new wider seats laid out in a 2-2-2 configuration for the first time.

The airline has invested over US$150 million to refurbish the 10 existing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet.

The newly refurbished Emirates 777-200LR aircraft is set in a two-class configuration which offers 38 Business Class seats and 264 seats in Economy Class. While the Business Class seats are in the same design and shape of Emirates’ latest lie-flat seats, they are now two inches wider for a more comfortable journey. The seats retain the champagne coloured finish and diamond stitch pattern on the full leather cover, and the ergonomically designed headrest revealed on Emirates’ newest Boeing 777 in November.

The Business Class seat has a pitch of 72 inches and moves into a fully flat sleeping position. It also has touchscreen controls for the seat and inflight entertainment system, several personal lighting options, privacy panels between seats, a shoe stowage area, footrest and a personal mini-bar.

Luxury and comfort are at the heart of Emirates’ product refresh as overhead bins in center of the cabin have been removed for an airier and more spacious feel on board. The cabin boasts electronic windows and the largest personal in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens in Business Class at 23 inches wide.

The cabin also features the Ghaf tree – considered the national tree of the United Arab Emirates, and now a signature design on the latest Emirates aircraft.

In addition, the new Business Class cabin features a social area – unique to the Boeing 777-200LR fleet. The mini lounge area features snacks such as crisps, sandwiches and fruit, as well as beverages for customers to help themselves to during the flight.

The offering will complement Emirates’ full service of regionally inspired cuisine prepared by gourmet chefs, and accompanied by some of the most exclusive wines, champagnes and spirits in the world.

Economy class seats onboard the 777-200LR have also been refreshed to the latest colour palette of soft greys and blues. The ergonomically designed seats come with full leather headrests that have flexible side panels and can also be adjusted vertically for optimum support. Customers can enjoy up to 3,000 channels of on-demand entertainment in ice with 600 movies, over 200 hours of TV, and thousands of music tracks every month. The aircraft is also equipped with Wi-Fi and Live TV across all classes.

Emirates’ newly refurbished 777-200LR aircraft will go into service on 6 March to Fort Lauderdale. This is the first of 10 aircraft which will be retrofitted with the new configuration over the course of the year. The refurbished 777-200LR aircraft is planned for several destinations including Emirates’ most recently announced destination Santiago, Chile.

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12th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Three Schools receive clean water under the DStv Kampala Kids Run

DStv Kampala Kids Run selected Namusita Primary School, Ekanba Primary School and Kakoge Primary School in Buyende District, Eastern Uganda as beneficiaries of clean water systems to improve sanitation.

This is in line with the run’s main objective to provide safe clean water in primary schools. UGX 20 million was collected from the run which attracted over 4,000 children between 4 -14 years from over 20 schools in Kampala and Entebbe Districts. Free tickets were given to UPE schools to support their participation in the run.

During the handover ceremony held at Kakoge Primary school, Phoebe Nakabazzi, DStv Marketing Manager said, “The DStv Kampala Kids Run management is grateful for all the children that participated and most importantly the parents that allowed their children participate in the run. Your immense generosity has enabled us provide safe clean water to selected schools. Through this initiative, we believe more children will be guarded from contracting water borne diseases. Today marks the accomplishment of the 2017 DStv Kampala Kids’ run pledge and we are pleased that we have fully delivered.”

The DStv Kampala Kids Run comprised of two races – 1.5 kilometres and 3 kilometres. All the runners regardless of their rank in the race were rewarded with certificates of participation while the top 10 won themselves medals courtesy of DStv Uganda. Further to that DStv Uganda rewarded the winners for the 1.5 and 3 kms races with HD Explora decoders.

Some of the schools that participated in the run included Namirembe Parents, Sir Apollo Kaggwa, Kabojja Junior, City Parents, Kampala Parents, Silver Spoon, Lohana, Entebbe Junior, Greenhill to mention but a few.

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7th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Showcasing biometric card solutions for refugees

Equity Bank Uganda and UNCDF are partners in driving financial inclusion in Uganda under a program called MM4P – Mobile Money for the Poor.

EBUL showcased the technology, process and applicability of this solution in Uganda at the Kampala Serena hotel through their biometric card solutions that will enable secure electronic cash transfer to refugees.

Equity Bank is the first to go to market with this innovative solution in Uganda delivering last mile distributions & enabling a transition from humanitarian response to development.

Equity Bank in Kenya is currently running a program called the national hunger safety net program with 420,000 beneficiaries with total funds disbursed at 4.79 billion Kenya shillings.

Equity Bank partners include UN, World Bank, UNCDF, Financial Sector Deepening to mention but a few.

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7th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Over 400 women entrepreneurs to benefit from financial literacy training

As we prepare to celebrate women day and role of women in society this month of march, dfcu Bank has organised a series of financial literacy sessions across the country to inspire and empower women to tackle the challenges they face in the business environment.

Over 400 women in trade and agribusiness are set to benefit from these sessions to be held in Kampala, Mbale, Gulu and Mbarara.

In pushing for progress among women entrepreneurs, dfcu Bank established the Women in Business program (dfcu WiB) in 2007 to support Ugandan women entrepreneurs achieve their full potential. The program was motivated by a number of factors including the fact that despite women being over 50% of the population of Uganda, this was not proportionate to the ratio of women who are banked.

Speaking at the first session at the Biraj Hotel in Nakasero down town Kampala, dfcu Bank’s Head of Consumer Banking, Denis Kibukamusoke said: “The gender imbalances in accessing credit continue to be of major concern to women. The majority of women tend to have low financial literacy levels and therefore have challenges documenting their business, articulating their plans and projections, which are key in assessing bank credit. Since inception of the Women in Business program over 4,000 women have benefited from the dfcu WiB loans but this number could be a lot better.”

“For dfcu Bank, helping women to overcome financial barriers while supporting them in their quest for growth is not just a business proposition; it is in fact an obligation,” he added.

In 2012, dfcu Bank established the Women Business Advisory Services to press for women’s economic empowerment while increasing their financial literacy as well as creating business linkages for them. Through these advisory services at the dfcu WiB Centre, regular customized workshops are undertaken in fields such as; financial advisory, business to business linkage advisory, marketing and branding, legal advisory and human resource advisory.

To make this possible, dfcu Bank collaborated with Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Uganda Law Society (ULS) and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) to offer business and financial advisory services to thousands of women, especially those engaged in productive economic activity at no cost.

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7th March 2018/0 Comments

News

2018 AMVCAS are back with Africa Magic

Africa Magic and MultiChoice announce the call to entry for the 2018 edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), the prestigious initiative that honours film and TV talent across the continent billed to hold on the 1st of September 2018.

The AMVCAs were created to celebrate the contribution of African filmmakers, actors and technicians in the success of the continent’s film and television industry and with the success of the previous five editions, preparations are in top gear for the 2018 edition as entries for the AMVCAs open on the 1^st of March and close on the 30^th of April, 2018.

The AMVCAs celebrate filmmakers in different categories ranging from acting and directing to scriptwriting and cinematography. This year, a number of awards in different categories will be presented ranging from acting and directing to scriptwriting and cinematography.

Other categories will include short film or online video, soundtrack, costume designing, sound and lighting amongst others. For 2018 there are 27 categories in all, with 7 open to viewer voting and 20 decided by the respected AMVCA panel of judges.

Entry for the AMVCAs is free and the closing date for submissions is the 30^th of April 2018.

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7th March 2018/0 Comments

News

UBL in women’s day campaign against drunk driving

Ahead of women’s day, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) under their responsible drinking Red Card initiative, has rolled out a responsible drinking campaign spearheaded by women and aimed at reducing drunk-driving traffic fatalities and general alcohol abuse in society by people who do not choose to enjoy alcohol responsibly

The campaign, Dubbed “Girls against Drunk Driving.” seeks to leverage the proverbial “soft power” or “feminine strength” that women wield over men to encourage them to adopt responsible behavior when consuming alcohol so as not to over drink or when they have had one too many, to choose an alternate means of transport, say a cab instead of getting behind the wheel and risking death.

Speaking during the launch of the campaign at The Lawns, Kololo, Uganda Breweries Corporate Relations and Legal Director Charity Kiyemba said, “We have decided to use women to lead this campaign as they are mostly affected by drunk driving incidences. This month as we celebrate women, we are asking them to come out and strongly have their voices heard on the issue of Drunk Driving. As victims, we women need to make it our responsibility to ensure that our husbands, spouses, boyfriends, friends, brothers, sons etc, do not fall victim to drunk Driving.”

At the launch, UBL announced three female ambassadors; Crystal Newman, Siima Sabiti and Flavia Tumusiime that will champion this campaign.

“We have had an opportunity to engage with each of our ambassadors personally and are confident we picked the right ones. Flavia doubles as a Designated Driver for her friends on many occasions, and both Siima and Crystal have personal Drunk driving incidents that they will be sharing down the line, that we believe will resonate with many people out there.” Said Charity of the decision to work with these ambassadors.

Uganda Breweries Limited has for the last 5 years been running the Red Card campaign to inform, sensitize and engage consumers about the dangers of alcohol misuse.

According to a research by Research World International Limited Red Card campaigns have achieved tremendous success in changing people’s attitudes and raised awareness on Responsible Drinking. 81% of people aware about the Red Card campaign confirmed that the campaign messaging has brought about a positive change in their social behavior with regard to alcohol consumption.

With this campaign, we call upon the millions of wives, girlfriends, mothers, grandmothers, fiancés, work mates out there to join us and fight against drunk driving and other dangers of alcohol abuse.

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6th March 2018/0 Comments