HiPipo Money

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The 2014 Tusker Malt Uganda Open officially teed off this morning at the Uganda Golf Club in Kitante.

The Uganda Open Golf Championship 2014 has commenced this morning on the luscious grounds of the Uganda Golf Club.The tournament’s official practice session was conducted on Monday while the Pro-Am teed off on Tuesday.

Speaking at the tee off, Charles Ireland, the Group Managing Director, East African Breweries Limited (EABL) said that the efforts put into popularizing the game are paying off as shown by the calibre and size of the field at this year’s edition.

“Golf is fast becoming a lifestyle preference for a considerable number of Ugandans. As East African Breweries Limited and Tusker Malt, we are honored to be partnering with the Uganda Golf Union. The four editions that we have sponsored, have allowed us to support the development of the game, as well as connect with our customers by sharing in their passion and interests,” he said.

A raft of professional golfers, including those who turn out on the respected Sunshine Tour in South Africa are featuring in the par 71 tournament. TC Charamba, Teboho Sefatsa, Alan Michell and Farayi Chitengwa participated in the Pro-Am on Tuesday to acquaint themselves with the course.

After their rounds, the golfers were impressed with the level of preparation and the state of the course, promising to put up a spirited fight against the home based professionals.

Charles Ireland added that the presence of the Sunshine tour players at this year’s Open shows the stature that Uganda’s golf has attained over the years.

“When we first sponsored the Uganda Open three years ago, the game of golf was not as popular as it is today. The entries were not high either. Today, we have over 400 participants. That points to something; good leadership at the Golf Union as well as good relationships with regionals unions,” he explained.

The 2014 Tusker Malt Uganda Open has had the largest entry and has received the highest sponsorship of any tournament held in the country.

The professionals will play for a share of the UGX 100million that has been staked for their category.

The event which is the biggest on the Uganda Golf Union Calendar will have an art exhibition from Thursday to the closing day on Saturday.

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So much has been said about the 2014 Tusker Malt Uganda Open, but now, it is down to work as the amateurs and professionals take to the Uganda Golf Club.

The quartet from the Sunshine Tour, TC Chramba, Teboho Sefatsa, Alan Michell and Farayi Chitengwa arrived today ahead of the tournament that tees off tomorrow (Wednesday).The four immediately got down to business, taking to the course in the PRO-AM event on Tuesday to acquaint themselves with the course.

“The Sunshine tour players arrived and I believe that the golfing fraternity and fans will witness some of the best golfing action. This year is special because we have a high caliber field,” Herbert Rwamibazi, the Tournament Director said.

He added that the crunch ties in the four rounds planned for the open will make the tournament that has so far dwarfed any other hosted in the country not only bigger but also better.

Nyimpindi Mabunda, the Managing Director of Uganda Breweries Limited says that the partnership between the union and the brewery will continue to flourish just as the popularity that the game has gained.

“We know that golf in Uganda is growing as shown by the interest the youth are showing in the game. The defending champions are prime examples. As Uganda Breweries Limited and Tusker Malt, this is an incentive to give the game a befitting platform to flourish,” he stated. 

At just 27 years, Chitengwa also referred to as Ferrari by his peers, is the youngest of the Sunshine Tour Players who will be taking part in this year’s Tusker Malt Uganda Open. He is just fresh from claiming his maiden Zambezi Tour Title with a one shot victory at the 2014 Open Classic at Chapman Golf Club.

The son of Lweis Muridzo, a renowned Zimbabwean golf coach, Chitengwa has set his sights on more silverware and a shot at the prestigious Sunshine Tour.TC Charamba, another Zimbabwean looking at winning the Tusker Malt Open became only the third black golfer to win on the Sunshine Tour when he claimed the SAA Pro-Am Invitational in 2006. In 2008, he won the MTC Namibia PGA Championship and finished a career best 27th on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.

He is the Winner of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit for three consecutive years from 2000 – 2002. Charamba was awarded player of the year in 2001 and 2002.Barely two weeks ago, Charamba underlined his intentions by claiming the annual Siphiwe Nyanda golf tournament that was held at the Swazi Royal Golf Course in Swaziland.

The other two players, South Africans, Alan Michell and Teboho Sefatsa will also give the Ugandan professionals good competition as they prepare to level up against internationally seeded golfers.

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Kampala, Uganda – By Financing 70% of the Church House project, Equity Bank was looking at a unique model that would enable the Church of Uganda share in the revenue that would be realized from the property while the loan is being repaid, Dr. James Mwangi, the CEO and Managing Director of Equity Bank has said.

“What is so special about this project is that the church is also participating not just in offering land that it has held for 50 years, but by contributing 30%. If it was 100% financed by the bank on a loan, the sense of ownership would be weak,” he said.

To raise the 30% financing, the dioceses under the Province of the Church of Uganda began selling their unutilized land in Kampala and in their Dioceses and bought shares in the Church House.

“The way this project was designed is that if we complete in December and in January we have tenants, we’ll be sharing almost equally the rental income. The Church will be taking about 45% of the income and Equity Bank takes the rest. This will be for only a period of 10 years then the Church takes over,” Mwangi explained.

The loan from Equity Bank had a two-year grace period, during which time the Church of Uganda paid only the interest on the loan. The balance of the loan will be repaid over a ten-year period using income received from tenants. 

Dr. Mwangi was speaking during the opening of the 22^nd Provincial Assembly of the Church of Uganda at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono recently.

He told the gathering of Bishops that there had been various challenges during construction process but that these hiccups have brought forth invaluable knowledge that will be vital going forward.

Having commenced construction of Church House in December 2010, the project temporarily stalled during 2013 due to a conflict between two parties involved in the construction. The conflict was successfully resolved and construction was re-started in July 2014.

“I know there has been a lot of anxiety; when are completing the project, how are we managing the project. In the words of Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, ‘This was a dream that the church had cherished for nearly 50 years.’  I am glad that in just four years, this dream is becoming a reality,” he explained. 

Mwangi concluded his speech by extending an invitation to the rest of dioceses to choose Equity Bank’s model of development so as to enable their followers lead a better livelihood.

“If we can actualize a dream of $16m together, why can’t we help our followers and our members in our parishes also realize their dreams? Remember villages are a creation of the aggregate of the villagers’ achievements.

“We can choose to make our church great by helping our followers achieve their personal dreams.    Their dreams may not be as big as Church House, but may be as simple as getting a better education for their children. I want to appeal to you; you may not be bankers, that is why we are here. If you raised your hands to the Lord, then we will win in empowering your followers,” he noted.

In response, Bishop Stanley Ntagali, the Archbishop Church of Uganda told the gathering that they had already received inquiries from several persons interested in occupying the building.

“There is a growing list of quality tenants who are interested in renting space in Church House.I am happy that Equity Bank will be the first tenant,” he said amidst cheers from the Assembly of Bishops. 

The Church House project estimated to cost $16m will house commercial banks, shops and offices, to generate money for the church. With Equity Bank financing 70% of the project through a syndicated loan and the church financing 30%, the building next to Crane Chambers is expected to be completed early next year.

Plans for Church House as a commercial real estate enterprise were first drawn up by the Provincial Assembly in 1966 but stalled for various reasons for the next 45 years. However, it is expected that by 2015, Church House will be fully operational at 16 levels.

The original proposed site for Church House was on Shimoni Road. Since, the Bank of Uganda, however, proposed to take over the Shimoni Road site, that property was exchanged for Plot 34 on Kampala Road in 1972. Church House Company was registered in 1971 as a Private Limited Company.

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On Thursday 28th August, Airtel Uganda announced their active sponsorship and participation in the Uganda Rotary Cancer run 2014 taking place on Sunday 31^st August 2014

The Cancer Run, an initiative of Rotarians in Uganda, is meant to raise funds for the construction of the second phase of the Cancer Ward at St. Francis Hospital, Nsambya, located in Kampala. The 32-bed capacity ward is estimated to cost shs1.1 billion and will help to supplement the current limited facilities in the country, in prevention and treatment of cancers.

According to Ms. Charity Rwabutomize, the CSR manager at Airtel Uganda, “We at Airtel realize that there are very many people all over Uganda affected by cancer hence the need to support the construction of a specialist center that will provide vital early detection and cure but also provide pre and post treatment. We believe that the money that will be got from this Cancer run will most importantly save many lives being lost needlessly”.

Many high profile personalities in Uganda have joined the cause and they will be led by the Former President of Tanzania H.E. Ali Hassan Mwinyi who is the chief Runner.

Airtel Uganda has, in the past, partnered with different private and government organizations to carry out various Corporate Social Responsibility projects. Some of these include;

·         Child Count +; a health program that ensures quality and accessible treatment for expectant mothers and their children at the Clinical health units Mbarara.

·         Shared Solar; A Solar Energy program through which people in the villages can use Airtel airtime on a prepaid system of payment for solar energy and thus keep their businesses and homes lit up with solar power.

·         Connect to learn; An Education program in which Airtel Uganda offers data to 5 secondary schools to enable both teachers and students connect with students all over the world to share knowledge and learning experiences

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Africa Magic, in association with MultiChoice and proud sponsors Amstel Malta, is announcing the call to entry for the 2015 edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), the prestigious initiative that honours film and TV talent across the continent. A special announcement will be screened on all Africa Magic channels on Wednesday 3 September at 20:00 CAT, when entry for the awards will be officially opened.

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 2013 and 2014 editions, preparations are in top gear for the 2015 edition.

Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Regional Director for M-Net (West), said: “We are pleased to announce the call to entry for the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. The African movie and television industry is brimming with exciting talent, and at Africa Magic we contribute to the industry by not only giving these talents the platform to showcase their art and celebrating their achievements, we also encourage them to keep honing their craft.”

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: editing, make-up, sound, and lighting amongst others.

John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, expressed his delight at the growing success of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, saying: “There have been two editions of the AMVCAs and so far, the improvement that this award has brought to African film production cannot be ignored. For us as MultiChoice, the success of these awards further showcases our commitment to recognising the amazing skills that exist in this ever-growing industry. Furthermore, our continued investment demonstrates our dedication in helping unearth and celebrate talent in the whole continent. I have much confidence that the next edition in 2015 will leave an even bigger impact on the African film production industry than the previous two.”

Also expressing her excitement for being part of the AMVCAs, Brand Manager, Amstel Malta, Miss Hannatu Ageni-Yusuf said: “As the number one premium Malt brand in Nigeria, Amstel Malta is again pleased to be part of this year’s Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards. It is truly a unique platform which aligns perfectly with the brand’s essence, encouraging and also rewarding young ambitious Africans. Last year on this platform, Amstel Malta launched its new campaign, tagged ‘the journey’. This year, the brand is set to allow consumers to witness the joys of being focused on their goals and even beating their best, while on their journey to success.”

The first edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards ceremony took place in Lagos in March, 2013, and was broadcast live to DStv and GOtv audiences across the continent. The event drew big names from across the continent’s TV and film industry and saw the Best Actor and Best Actress in a Drama awards going to Nigerian OC Ukeje and Ghanaian Jackie Appiah, in the respective categories.

In the 2014 edition, multi-award winning actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim, took home the award for best while Ghanaian film producer/director, Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s movie The Contract won in several categories. The 2014 AMVCAs also saw renowned film and TV veteran, Pete Edochie, clinching the prestigious lifetime achievement award.

Entry for the AMVCAs is free and the closing date for submissions is the 31 October, 2014. Entries should be sent t to: AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards, PO Box 2963, Pinegowrie, 2123, South Africa, with attention to the Manager, Local Productions Africa. They can also log on to www.africamagic.tv  for more details on the submission procedure and requirements.