————–

In Picture: (Left – Right)  Kawempe Mosque Imam, Sheik Maarji Bivanju ,  MTN CEO Mazen Mroué hands over, Kawempe Mosque Chairman Construction Committee Semakula Yakubu.

MTN Uganda through MTN Foundation has donated UGX 10 million towards the re-development of Kawempe Mosque project. Kawempe ku TTano Mosque was first built in 1923, it is located at Kawempe Muslim primary school in Kawempe Town Centre.

“As MTN Uganda, we realise and understand the importance of continued support towards the communities where we operate. The re-development of the mosque will help in accommodating more people during prayers,” said Mazen Mrouè, CEO, MTN Uganda.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, chairman of the Mosque, Mr. Semakula Yakub thanked MTN Uganda Foundation saying “MTN contribution came at a time when the redevelopment had stalled due to financial wrangles and added that work would resume immediately.”

MTN Uganda has in the past given back to the community through education, health, and sports initiatives like;

• Infrastructural development; building and renovating classrooms, pit-latrines and water tanks in schools.
• Providing furniture foodstuff, computers, text books and even low-cost bandwidth.

In the area of health MTN has actively supported a number of local health awareness causes, inclusive of HIV/AIDS:

• Uganda Child Cancer Foundation
• Hospice Africa Uganda
• Malaria Consortium
• The Red Cross for flood victims
• Red Cross, the proceeds from the MTN Kampala International Marathon

Read full press release for details below

MTN Foundation has handed over a donation of UShs. 10 million towards the re-development of Kawempe Mosque project.

The Kawempe ku TTano Mosque originally built in 1923 is located at Kawempe Muslim primary school in Kawempe Town Centre and is one of the main mosques in the area.

“As MTN Uganda, we realise and understand the importance of continued support towards the communities where we operate. The re-development of the mosque will help in accommodating more people during prayers,” said Mazen Mrouè, CEO, and MTN Uganda.

The re-development project was initiated in 2010 and the plan includes the demolishing of the old mosque to pave way for a 1.5 billion shilling school development plan that will include a health center, a Quran school and a mega mosque.

The chairman of the Mosque, Mr. Semakula Yakub said that MTN contribution came at a time when the redevelopment had stalled due to financial wrangles and added that work would resume immediately.

He thanked the MTN Uganda Foundation for their support towards this project.

“We believe that through this contribution, Kawempe mosque redevelopment will be completed and will be able to accommodate more people during Friday prayers,” Mroué said.

The MTN Uganda Foundation is a not-for-profit legal entity that was inaugurated in July 2007 as a vehicle through which MTN U implements its’ Corporate Social Investments (CSI). The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life in communities where MTN Uganda operates in a sustainable way. Over the past five years since its launch, the MTN Foundation has supported a number of initiatives in the areas of Education, Health, Arts and Culture, Environment, Community Development and Low cost housing.

The MTN Uganda Foundation partners with both public and non-profit credible organizations to execute sustainable projects in each of the chosen focus areas. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that the selection and approval of its projects are conducted in a manner that is transparent, systematic, efficient, and effective while promoting its mission.

In 2013 and onwards, the MTN Foundation will focus on three key areas so as to leverage scale to achieve significant development impact. The three sectors will be Education, Health and National Priority Areas.

Also in attendance at the handover of the cheque was the Imam of Kawempe Mosque, Haji Divanju Maliki.

-Ends-

About MTN Uganda

Launched in 1998, MTN Uganda is the leading telecommunications firm in country with more than 7.7 million customers as of 31 December 2012.

Visit us at www.mtn.co.ug; www.youtube.com/mtnug; www.facebook.com/mtnug and www.twitter.com/mtnugandacare.

About the MTN Group

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 22 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 31 December 2012, MTN recorded almost 190 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Visit us at www.mtn.com and www.mtnfootball.com.

BBC Reports: Samsung has unveiled the biggest smartphone to date – the Galaxy Mega, which features a 6.3in (16cm) screen.

The firm suggested its size made it ideal for watching videos or running two apps alongside each other.

Samsung helped popularise the so-called “phablet” category – in which phones approach tablet dimensions – with its original 5.3in Galaxy Note in 2011.

That proved more popular than many expected, but one analyst suggested the latest device might be a step too far.

Samsung is marketing the Android-powered handset as having a high-definition screen – however, a spokesman was unable to confirm whether it supported 720p or the “full HD” 1080p resolution.

The DStv Rewards campaign continues to transform lives of DStv customers. The latest celebrant and winner of the massive prize money is Duncan Aturinda, General Manager of African Queen Limited a distribution company. He is the 8^th winner in the campaign that was launched in February 2013 aimed at appreciating customer loyalty and support. Customers who remain connected from February 5^th until April 10^th   2013 enter a draw and one customer wins UGX 13,500,000 million per week. 

Aturinda said “I was in shock; I have never won anything in my life. When I got the information I had won 13.5 million I couldn’t believe it but I am so grateful to DStv for this cash prize. I intend to use part of the money towards the construction of my house”. 

The trend continues for DStv customers to win USD 5 000 in cash for simply staying connected to DStv’s exciting world of sport, movies, music, news, kids, documentary and lifestyle entertainment week on week in the eight week campaign.  MultiChoice Africa has also announced that all its DStv subscribers in Uganda are eligible to win cash prizes, regardless of the bouquet they subscribe to. 

MultiChoice Uganda Public Relations Manager Tina Wamala says that this has been an incredible campaign that has demonstrated the brands appreciation for customer support. We look forward to rewarding more winners in this campaign as we draw nearer to the conclusion of the campaign. 

“We decided to consolidate all our subscriber loyalty competitions and initiatives into one portfolio called DStv Rewards, as a result of demonstrating our sincere gratitude for all the customers who have embraced our campaign and more specifically our world class product DStv. The entertainment and gratitude never stops with DStv.”

She continues, “With the exciting game show THE MONEY DROP currently on AfricaMagic, we decided that the time was right for significant cash give-away. So you can watch people win on TV and you can win at home! We definitely intend for DStv Rewards to become a major part of our brand’s overall identity in future. DStv Rewards may include cash prizes, trip give-aways, luxury gifting, channel promotions and more. And we will move between markets so while a country may not be included in one promotion, it will be included in others.”

But that’s not all… winners walking away with cash prizes will be filmed for inserts that will be screened during the hit game show THE MONEY DROP on AfricaMagic and AfricaMagic Entertainment. So not only could you win, but you could also be on TV!

In addition, DStv audiences can win a full year’s subscription to their current bouquet, just by watching their favourite shows.  Tune in and when you see a blue DStv Rewards Box pop up on screen, make sure you SMS/TEXT the competition hotline (details onscreen and at www.dstv.com) with your name. It’s that easy to win!

 DStv has also confirmed that there will definitely be winners from Uganda because it will be drawing winners from all its key markets. One word of advice – make sure your contact details are updated on your DStv account so that if you win, you will get the good news quickly.

The latest initiatives come just a few short months after DStv launched its attention-grabbing 10% discount campaign, also part of the DStv Rewards initiative, which knocks 10% off the subscription price for those consumers who pay on time and who enjoy unbroken service.  So make sure you pay before you are disconnected and you will earn this discount. With 2013 getting off to a fantastic start for DStv subscribers, the question is…what would you do with your cash winnings?

British Airways’ first A380 double-decker superjumbo has emerged from the largest paint hangar in the world after gaining the airline’s famous red, white and blue livery.

The double-deck A380 is the world’s largest commercial aircraft flying today, with capacity to carry 525 passengers in a comfortable three class configuration, and up to 853 in a single-class configuration that provides wider seats than its competitor. The A380 two decks offer 50% more floor surface than any other high-capacity aircraft.

At Airbus’ Hamburg hangar, 24 painters spent two weeks on eight movable platforms up to 98ft (30m) from the ground applying five coats of red, white and blue gloss paint to the huge aircraft.  The work was conducted by hand using spray guns, traditional paint rollers and small paint brushes.

The specialists, who spent three years training to learn how to paint an A380, used 2,300 litres of paint to cover an area of 37,674sq ft (3,500m²).  Although the total weight of the five layers of paint covering the aircraft weighs around 650kg, the paint applied is no thicker than a human hair.

One of the most challenging aspects for the Airbus team was painting the 10,000 black and white dots on the tailfin of the aircraft.  Christoph Hettwer, senior manager Airbus A380 paint shop, said: “This was a difficult task – you can imagine someone had to peel off the thousands of little dots from a stencil – but now it’s finished it looks great.”

The A380 now has all of its cabins installed and will be flown to Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, where it will begin its final stage of checks before being handed over to British Airways in July.

The superjumbo will become the largest aircraft in the British Airways fleet, with 469 seats across four cabins.  The First cabin is situated at the front of the main deck and can accommodate 14 customers.  Club World (business class) customers can choose to sit in one of the 44 seats on the main deck, or the 53 seats on the upper deck.  British Airways’ designers have introduced a new 2:3:2 configuration on the upper deck.  Those who choose to travel in one of the 55 seats in the World Traveller Plus (premium economy) cabin will sit on the upper deck, while World Traveller (economy) cabins are located on both the main and upper deck.

The aircraft’s innovative design makes it much quieter during take-off and landing and more fuel efficient than its predecessors.  British Airways has ordered 12 for delivery by 2016 as part of a £5bn (US$7.7bn) investment in new aircraft, smarter cabins, elegant lounges, and new technologies to make life more comfortable in the air and on the ground. 

——

HiPipo Team

Telecommunication giant MTN Uganda was at the end of the last week recognized as the Best Mobile Telecom provider of the year (2012).

This was during the 2013 Uganda Responsible Investment (URI) awards ceremony held at the Imperial Royal Hotel in Kampala.

MTN’s triumph as telecom of the year 2012 came at a time when the telecom continues to lead in subscribers’ base. It has close to 8 million subscribers on the about 16 million total subscribers in the country.

However the entire telecommunication sector continues to be challenged with issues relating to poor quality of service. On several occasions, subscribers suffer with blocked, dropped and unsuccessful calls. Internet connections equally go off due to damages on mainly fibre cables that deliver data from Europe, Asia and America via Mombasa to Uganda.

Uganda has seven active telecoms that provide both voice and data. These are MTN Uganda, Airtel, Warid, Orange, UTL, Smile and K2 telecom.

Full Statement from MTN Uganda following this triumph:

MTN Uganda has been awarded the Best Mobile Telecom provider of the year(2012) at the just concluded the 2013 Uganda Responsible Investment (URI) awards ceremony held at the Imperial Royal Hotel in Kampala.

According to Public Opinions the organizer of the Uganda Responsible Investment awards, MTN was voted for by the people of Uganda in appreciation and recognition of its contribution towards the promotion of international best practices and standards in their day to days operations such as; respect for internationally proclaimed rights of workers, elimination of discrimination in respect of occupation and employment, work against all forms of corruption including extortion and bribery, respect of public procurement guidelines, delivery of quality products and services, involvement in productive Corporate Social investment and environmental protection and payment of Taxes.

MTN Uganda is the largest telecom player in Uganda with close to 8million subscribers and the most robust mobile money service in Uganda with transactions in excess of 20 million per month. MTN is also the largest data provider in Uganda currently providing the fastest internet with the 42mbps, and LTE very close to going live. In a highly competitive environment, with seven network operators, MTN Uganda has maintained its leading position in subscriber numbers and market share. By year end 2012, MTN Uganda had 7.7 million subscribers and total 3.5 million Mobile Money users.

“MTN as a good corporate citizen in Uganda has vowed to invest in the country and contribute to the growth of the economy. MTN’s investment in Uganda spans over 14 years of its existence and has reached innovation, capacity building, education, health and many other national priority areas. Our products and services, too, has been growing steadily, and our efforts will continue to be just as persistent as ever at ensuring that we lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to our customers,” said Mazen Mroue, the MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Mroue reiterated that MTN has been providing best mobile network communication services, world class internet access, and high range of innovative products with wide footprint covering all regions and focus on giving back to the community through sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are some of the key success factors that have endeared the public to the telecom giant.

“We continue to invest in Uganda so as to make our customer’s lives even better. In 2012, we invested in excess of $80million in upgrading infrastructure and reaching areas that were hitherto uncovered. This year, we plan to invest another $70million. All this is meant to create convenience and universal access for our customers and this is not just to communication, but to other fundamental human needs,” said Mroue. 

In 2012 alone MTN Uganda paid more than UGX 360 billion shillings in taxes to the Ugandan government. With a current workforce of 1,250 staff, the continuous investment by MTN in Uganda has enabled job creation with direct and indirect support for over 500,000 Ugandans which has largely contributed to the overall economic growth.

Also, in 2012 MTN Uganda invested close to UGX1.5 billion shillings in training and development of its employees. The company is also committed to exporting talent and currently has more than 10 Ugandan employees working as expatriates for other MTN Operations in other countries holding senior positions, sharing knowledge and transferring skills across the MTN Group.

Public Opinions is a civil society organization (CSO) which was founded by the late Brig. Noble Mayombo, former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defense at Makerere University in 2003 as a students’ forum for advocacy, research and study group on key issues of national and global concern. In partnership with Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), the CSO’s objective led to the formation of the Uganda Responsible Investment awards.

This year’s Buzz Teeniez Awards event is slated for Saturday 11th May, 2013 at Kati Kati Grounds Lugogo. To grace the event will be Lil Wayne’s official DJ *DJ 4OUR 5IVE*. Buzz Teeniez Awards 2013 is powered by *MOUNTAIN DEW UGANDA*. Below is the full nominations list; 

MUSIC CATEGORY

1. Teeniez male Artist
a. Mun G
b. Navio
c. Young Mulo
d. Maurice Kirya

2. Teeniez Female Artist
a. Cindy
b. Keko
c. Rema
d. Jackie Chandiru

3. Teeniez Hottest Group/Crew
a. Airport Taxi
b. Baboon Forest
c. Goodlyfe Crew

4. Teeniez wickedest DJ
a. Aludah
b. Shiru
c. Roger
d. Beekay

5. Teeniez gospel artist/group
a. Pastor Wilson Bugembe
b. Coopy bly
c. Levixone LALA
d. Kingsley and Philla

6. Teeniez Flyest video
a. Cant let you go – Goodlyfe
b. Let me go – Keko
c. One and only – Navio
d. Fantastic – Good lyfe

7. Teeniez hottest Riddim
a. Tebatusobola – Young Mulo
b. Ladies night – DJ Shiru and All
stars
c. Gimme Gimme – Chameleone ft
Dot star
d. Can’t let you go – Goodlyfe

8. Teeniez gospel song
a. Biriba Bitya – Pastor Wilson
Bugembe
b. Sidda mukyalo – Coopy Bly
c. Prophesy – Exodus
d. Ampade – Haawa Musa

9. Teeniez hottest Collabo
a. Zina – Viboyo ft Vampino &
Benon
b. Babandule – Larry ft Mun G
c. Take it off – Jackie Chandiru &
Urban boys
d. Missing you – Rema & Bebe Cool

10. Teeniez hottest Hip Hop song
a. Yes yes – Don MC
b. One and only – Navio
c. Tutuuse – Ruyonga
d. Toast to life – The Mith ft Lillian
Mbabazi

11. Teeniez beat maker
a. Hanz Tactic
b. Washington
c. Producer Exo
d. Ethan

12. Teeniez top hood rapper
a. Big Tril
b. Ruyonga
c. Enygma
d. Navio
e. The Mith

13. Teeniez breakout artist
a. Young Mulo
b. Gravity Omutujju
c. Maro
d. Ruyonga

14. Teeniez Rn’B artist/group
a. Maurice Kirya
b. Rema
c. Toniks
d. Lillian Mbabazi

15. Teeniez dancehall artist/group
a. Young Mulo
b. Coco Finger
c. Cindy
d. AK 47
 

RADIO CATEGORY

16. Teeniez hottest Radio personality
a. KK – X FM
b. Dj GERO – Hot 100
c. Captain DMS – Hot 100
d. Mister Deejay – Radiocity

17. Teeniez Funkiest FM station
a. Hot 100
b. Radiocity
c. X FM
 

TELEVISION CATEGORY
18. Teeniez Teen TV Show presenter
a. Vicky – NBS
b. Bridget – NBS
c. Sheila Gashumba – NTV
d. Kleith Kyatuhaire – NTV

19. Teeniez hottest TV personality
a. Robin Kisti – NTV
b. Douglas Katogo – Record TV
c. Calvin Entertainer – UBC
d. MC Kats – NTV

20. Teeniez TV Show
a. Youth Voice – NBS
b. Xposed – NTV
c. Katogo – Record TV
d. T Nation – NTV

21. Teeniez TV station
a. NTV
b. NBS
c. URBAN TV
d. WBS

ACHIEVEMENT WARDS
22. Teeniez Role Model
a. Cleopatra Koheirwe
b. Maurice Kirya
c. Patrick Bitature
d. Flavia Tumusiime
e. Humphrey Nabimanya
f. Jennifer Musisi
g. Hon. Proscovia Alengot
h. Juliana Kanyomoozi
i. Moses Kiprotich

SCHOOL CATEGORIES

23. Teeniez Male Team
a. Kitende foot ball team
b. Ssaku SSS Basketball team
c. Namilyango Rugby team
d. Hanna Mixed Rugby team

24. Teeniez Female Team
a. Gayaza High Netball team
b. Nabisunsa Basketball team
c. Kibuli ss girls’ Basket ball team
d. Buddo SSS girls’ Basketball team

25. Teeniez Male Sports personality
a. Mayambala Tonny – Kibuli ss
b. Ddamulira Jonathan – MACOS
c. Kerimundu Kevin – Hanna Mixed
d. Ochieng Collin – Lubiri SSS

26. Teeniez Female Sports personality
a. Akello Mercy – Gayaza High
School
b. Nakidde Lukia – KibuliSS
c. Lokwameri Zaina – Nabisunsa
d. Nyakende Maurine – Buddo SS

27. Teeniez Most Valuable player Basketball (male)
e. Agutu Sam – Ssaku SSS
f. Majooko John – SMACK
g. Ojo Aron – Ndejje SSS
h. Kasujja Suubi – Kibuli SSS

28. Teeniez Most Valuable player Basketball (female)
a. Lokwameri Zaina – Nabisunsa
b. Muwanguzi Racheal – Mukono Parents
c. Nyakende Maurine – Buddo SSS
d. Naigaga Angella – Kitende SSS

29. Teeniez Best Rugger
a. Kalisto Adrin – SMACK
b. Okia Solomon – Kyambogo College
c. Kerimundu Kevin (Jaguar) – Hana Mixed School
d. Masende Robert (Okudi) – Hana Mixed School