HiPipo Money

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MTN Uganda has launched MTN Please Call Me. This is a free service that allows an MTN customer to send an SMS message to any other MTN customer requesting them to call back.

Customers can access the service by dialing *160*1*5# and use either the default message which reads “Please call me” or a personalized message where they type their preferred message of up to 20 characters. A customer will receive a maximum of three (3) free MTN Please Call Me messages daily.

MTN has continuously launched products designed to address different customer needs and segments. “When we commenced operations in Uganda in 1998, we had a mission to deliver the best quality and relevant services in the industry to our customers and over the years we have steadily achieved this with the numerous services we offer.” said Kenneth Kiddu MTN’s Ag. Chief Marketing officer.

MTN Please Call Me is an easy to use and free service that provides customers from all walks of life an alternative to beeping and ensuring that customers can always stay in touch regardless of whether they have airtime or not. 

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NBS will now be available on Channels 94 on GOtv

 Viewers in Kampala, Entebbe, Mbarara, Gulu, Arua, Mbale, Jinja and Iganga to enjoy NBS tv

Part of GOtv’s strategic plan of promoting and showcasing quality local content

GOtv Uganda, the number one Pay TV digital terrestrial television platform in  the country and NBS TV, one of Uganda’s top ranked privately owned television station have signed an agreement that will see NBS TV, being carried on GOtv. This exciting partnership will give Ugandan viewers that can access the GOtv network across the major towns in the country the opportunity of enjoying NBS’s fantastic all round local and international programming in crystal clear digital quality.

Kin Kariisa, the Director of NBS said “This is a historic partnership which have been looking forward to for a long time, we are both proud and excited about the opportunities this collaboration presents and are confident that our viewers will appreciate the value it will bring them in terms of reach and quality of signal”.

He continued “NBS is ranked amongst the top television stations in country based on our local, attractive programming that resonates with Ugandans. We are also an innovative brand, with fresh exciting technologies and programs that everyone can enjoy anytime and anywhere”.

Ms Patricia Kiconco Brand Segment Manager of GOtv Uganda said “At GOtv we are constantly looking for ways of improving the viewing experience for our current and potential subscribers, this includes promoting local content on our platforms; the addition of NBS TV onto GOtv is a manifestation of our commitment towards this objective. Our business firmly believes that the future of digital television in Africa lies in the adoption of the latest technology and a company’s willingness to invest in showcasing programming that is increasingly relevant to the end consumer. NBS fits within this strategy which is the reason we have entered this partnership”.

In closing Ms Kiconco thanked NBS for committing itself to the partnership with GOtv which will bear fruit for the company and its viewers. She encouraged Ugandan viewers to go out and purchase GOtv kits so they can enjoy watching NBS and other fantastic GOtv channels on the platform.

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Black was the dress code as revelers made their way to the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala to celebrate Guinness’ new-look in the ‘All-Black VIP Party.’

The celebration that was christened the ‘Party of the Year’ attracted hordes of Guinness consumers and celebrities who included Nigerian Standup comedian Basket Mouth, musicians Chameleon, Cindy, Maurice Kirya, among others.

Headlining at the party was Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun popularly known as Wizkid. A host of other performances had also been lined up for the night.

As early as 7pm, revelers were already making their way into the venue, anticipating an unforgettable night of fun and merrymaking.

Speaking prior to the event, Mark Mugisha, the Marketing Manager at Uganda Breweries Limited said; “We have put together the biggest party of the year for existing and new consumers to reveal to them that they can enjoy a colorful world of more. A world made of more style, more fun and more adventure.”

Despite having only two albums to his name, Wizkid has amassed a following of adoring fans world over and it was evident that the Nigerian superstar’s maiden appearance in Uganda was going to be a memorable one.

By 9pm, there a full house at Golf Course Hotel’s Banquet Hall drinking chilled Guinness that was available free of charge as they wiggled to mixes from Uganda’s top DJs like spin master, Aludah.

Afro-pop singer Cindy then took to the stage, belting out her popular hits like ‘Amateeka’, Selector, among others as the audience danced and sang along. The audience that was now fully in party mode created a sea of black waves as they danced, waved their hands and as is the norm today, took photos of the proceedings.

After Cindy’s performance, the DJs momentarily stole the show as they played different genres of music before Uganda’s self-proclaimed Music Doctor Jose Chameleon stepped onto the catwalk. In his signature coarse voice, the ‘heavyweight’ thrilled with his latest hits; ‘Wale Wale’, ‘Owakabi’, among others.

The party reached a crescendo when DJ Exclusive, Wiz kid’s official spin master took over the turntables. Hysterical screams could be heard as the lanky Nigerian prostrated before the audience.

His mixes ushered in the main act, Wizkid who was, as he said in the press conference a day before, eager to ‘bring the house down.’

He took the audience on a musical journey; kicking off with ‘Holla at yo boy’, ‘Tease Me’, before taking it a notch higher with his more recent tracks.

The award winning singer/songwriter then continued with JaiyeJaiye (featuring Femi Kuti), Star boy, Love My Baby and the very popular Only Man She Want (featuring Popcaan). He then performed Sexy Mama, a song hesang with Iyanya a popular hit among Ugandans. 

As the party drew to a close, it was evident that the event had lived up to its billing as the Party of the year.

Uganda Breweries Limited’s Mark Mugisha says that the new-look Guinness still retains the dark, rich and deeply satisfying taste that the brand has come to be known for since 1759.

“By hosting our consumers to this party, our aim was to celebrate the new bold look of the brand and to show appreciation to them because they are behind the popularity of the brand. We shall as usual continue engaging with them in various for a,” he said.

The new look Guinness pack comes with more pronounced features including an accentuated harp, a more distinct, Arthur Guinness signature and a stylish foil cover that gives the pack a modern contemporary look.

Guinness has always engaged its customers in several activities and is the brand behind the popular television show Guinness Football Challenge, Guinness Fantasy Football Manager that saw several soccer fans win cash and prizes across Uganda.

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MTN Grouptoday announcedit is the Platinum EventSponsorfor the GSMA Mobile 36-Africa event to be held in Cape Town from5-7 November 2014.

Mobile 360-Africa will attractkey stakeholders from mobile and adjacent industries to examine practical steps to help bring about collaboration, including coordinating and enabling policies to promote digital and financial inclusion.

MTN Group President and CEO Sifiso Dabengwa will also deliver a keynote address on the opening day of the conference. Dabengwawill share his thoughts about the development of the industry and the role of telecoms in the further growth and evolution of the African continent.

Commenting on the partnership with the GSMA, Executive for Corporate Affairs at MTN Group, Chris Maroleng said: “MTN is at the coalface of the mobile evolution underway in the majority of our markets, where we are enabling customers to access financial and digital services through mobile devices. Oursponsorship of the GSMA Mobile 360-Africa event gives us an opportunity to take an active role in engagements that seek to move the continent closer to realising the promise of mobile.”

Mobile 360-Africa serves as an extension of previously established GSMA events, including the Mobile for Development Summit and the Mobile Money for the Unbanked Leadership Forum.  These events are featured at Mobile 360-Africa as co-located programmes, showcasing the progress of initiatives already benefitting millions within the region.The co-located programmes will take a closer look at many of the initiatives driven by GSMA’s work in Mobile for Development, Mobile Money for the Unbanked (MMU), Connected Women and policy and regulation.

We’re very pleased to have MTN Group’s strong support of Mobile 360-Africa,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions globally, with the number of unique mobile subscribers growing by 18 per cent annually over the last five years, and it’s also a tremendously diverse environment. We’re looking forward to Mobile 360-Africa and exploring how mobile is driving digital and financial inclusion in the region, for the benefit of citizens, businesses and governments alike.”

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• Locomotives are the first to have been purchased for commercial use on the Uganda – Kenya Railway in 27 years
• RVR set to double its locomotive capacity with the arrival of another 17 over the next 8 months
• Business community welcomes development as a game changer

The first three of 20 locomotives RVR purchased in a project aimed at doubling its freight haulage capacity arrived in Kampala today at a ceremony held at the central railway station.

The GE B23-7 locomotives which cost 64 Billion shillings were built by American industrial conglomerate General Electric, are equipped with a state of the art microprocessor control system that monitors the engine’s performance and boosts the load-carrying capacity by 20 per cent by optimizing the traction between the wheels and the railway track.

RVR’s Locomotive capacity has been growing steadily over the last 18 months through a combination of rehabilitation of existing locos and purchases.

The arrival of the Locomotives is considered to be a major milestone in the history of the concession and a further sign that the investments being made into the railway by RVR are beginning to register tangible results by delivering the much needed infrastructure and rolling stock required to turnaround the Kenya Uganda railway.

Eng. Michael Kamau, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure noted last month at a ceremony in Mombasa to commission the GE locomotives that “since January 2013, RVR’s performance on freight haulage has seen a fairly steady rise mainly due to investment in railway track on the Mombasa-Nairobi section and the refurbishment of rolling stock”.

Highlighting the investments the shareholders have made in the Railway so far Charles Mbire a shareholder and company director noted that RVR has made significant capital injections aimed at improving both the commercial and operational side of the business resulting in reduced turnaround times and increased efficiencies. “Transit times between Mombasa and Kampala are now down by 40pc from November last year with one way trips Mombasa –Kampala now taking less than 4 days, our target is to cut this down further to approximately 2.2 days”.

Members of the business community who attended the ceremony welcomed the arrival of the Locomotives which regional economists believe will be a game changer in the East African transport sector given the additional capacity that will be available, this will provide more flexibility and the possibility of doing greater volumes business, eventually driving down transport prices and benefiting the rest of the regional economy.

Speech by Hon. John Byabagambi, Minister of State for Works

At inceptionceremony of the first three of 20 US built locomotives acquired by RVR

Monday 20^th October 2014, Kampala Railway Station

Honourable Members of Parliament, the Managing Director of the Uganda Railways Corporation, representatives from Kenya Railways Corporation, Directors and Management of RVR present, representatives of RVR investors and lenders, ladies and gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to officiate at this ceremony to receive in Kampala the first three locomotives of a larger consignment of 20, purchased by Rift Valley Railways.

These 20 US-built locomotives, acquired at a cost of shillings 64 billion shillings, or 25 million dollars will help expand haulage of cargo on the Uganda – Kenya railway, and I am told will help double RVR’s freight cargo carrying capacity when the full consignment is delivered by April next year.

The investment is significant as it is the first major acquisition of railway locomotives to for the Kenya-Uganda railway in 27 years.[i]

This is a commendable achievement which cannot go unnoticed. It is a further sign that the investments being made into the railway by RVR are beginning to register tangible results and delivering the much needed improvements in infrastructure and rolling stock required to revitalise the Kenya – Uganda railway.

Ladies and gentlemen the value of a fully functional railway for Uganda and the region cannot be overstated. The trucks carrying heavy loads in and out of Uganda are exerting unsustainable pressure on our road infrastructure.

As government we are therefore very supportive of the efforts being made by RVR to improve railway services because we fully appreciate the direct impact an efficient railway system has on our overall transport network, and the impact that this, in turn, has on the growth of the economy of Uganda and indeed of the region.

I am also pleased to hear that, in order to ensure there is adequate capacity to maintain these locomotives and the other mechanized track maintenance equipment RVR has acquired, the RVR workshop at Nalukulongo has now achieved ISO certification in environmental management, safety and overall quality management.

I am also encouraged by comments from my counterpart, Eng. Michael Kamau, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure in Kenya who noted just a month ago at ceremony in Mombasa to commission these locomotives that since January 2013, RVR’s performance on freight haulage has seen a fairly steady rise mainly due to investment in railway track on the Mombasa-Nairobi section and the refurbishment of rolling stock.[ii]

The arrival of these locomotives holds the potential for further major increases in rail freight transportation and provision of logistics services by RVR for Uganda based importers and exporters. 

The growth in freight volume is a clear sign of the renewed confidence the business community has in the railway in the wake of these improvements in efficiencies and performance.

One notable example is that heavy steel coils for the construction industry in Uganda have begun being transported by rail on specially adapted wagons, helping decongest and protect our roads, while taking advantage of the many benefits of long distance haulage of heavy cargo by rail.[iii]

I would encourage other companies and operators to emulate this example and help support the government’s efforts to spreadthe transport load by getting more heavy freight off our overburdened roads.

I was also pleased to hear that last week RVR commissioned a train simulator in Nairobi to improve train driver performance and skills in safely handling locomotives. Rail safety and driver training are aspects that are often overlooked and the fact that RVR has made it a priority to ensure all its train drivers will get the opportunity to refresh and upgrade their skillsusing modern technologyis commendable.

In closing I would like to thank RVR’s investors and the lenders, our partners in this Public Private Partnership for your commitment to continue investing and working to turn around the railway company. The funding envelope you have committed of 746 billion shillings, or 287 million dollars over a 5 year period that begun towards the end of 2011, speaks eloquently of your resolve to make this partnership succeed.

I wish you every success as you continue to roll out your investment and improvement plans.

Thank you and I wish you all a pleasant rest of the day.

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• All MOGAS products and services to be accessed using Airtel Money
• 38MOGAS stations across Uganda are now Airtel Money outlets

Airtel Uganda and MOGAShave officially unveiled their new partnership that allows customers to pay for any MOGAS products and services using Airtel Money attheir 38 stations across Uganda.

Airtel Uganda has continued to be at the forefront of innovation, especially when it comes to their Airtel money platform which has undergone numerous transformations to ensure that it remains safe as well as affordable for all the Airtel Uganda customers.With innovations such as; sending and receiving money across networks, Airtel Money ATM withdrawals, Bank integration, bill payments with Airtel money, Airtime topping up using Airtel Money and now this MOGAS partnership, Airtel has always had the interests of their customers at heart and has managed to cater to all of them despite their different locations and economic activities.

With the new Airtel – MOGAS partnership, Airtel subscribers will havethe ability to pay for fuel and other services offered at MOGASpetrol stationsfrom their mobile phones, using Airtel Money at no extra cost, other than the cost of sending the money as per the Airtel money tariffs.

Speaking at the event,Airtel Money Director – Mr. Nuhu Kanyike said he was confident that Airtel subscribers in Uganda will embrace and enjoy this new service. “We are very excited to partner with MOGAS as we introduce this payment method. At Airtel, we put our customers first and partnering with well-established and constantly growing companies such as MOGASto ease and improve their lives is testament to that.”

Mr. Partha Ghosh, the Managing Director of MOGASdescribed the Airtel partnership as an opportunity for MOGAS to satisfy their customer needs by offering them the convenience of using the Airtel Money platform. “We believe that to continue growing and expanding, we have to make alliances with other companies that are at the top of the industries they operate in; Airtel is one of those companies,” he said.  “This is why this partnership with Airtel Uganda is very important to us,” he added.

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Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, is to offer an e-lab to Dr. Obote College School Lira District as a reward for being champions in the recently concluded Science and Technology innovations Challenge (STIC) 2014 held at Makerere University.

The STIC is an annual event that began in 2010 with the initiative to promote Science and technology incubation through project-based learning in secondary schools. Outreach programs to select secondary schools in the different regions in the country were conducted to train design and prototype meaningful robotic applications.

The challenge involved presenting projects depicting applications of robotics in real life, assembling and disassembling mobile phones and a quiz which covers both robotics and mobile phone technologies.

Various schools from Central, Northern, Western and Eastern region took part in the grand finale that was held at Makerere University on Saturday 18^th October, 2014, these were; St Mary’s College Kisubi, Dr. Obote College School, Ntare School and Maryhill School Mbarara among others.

Dr. Obote College School from Lira District emerged as the winner with the Poulex project; a modernized poultry farm system which disperses chicken feeds and water automatically to the feeding and drinking troughs of the birds at intervals set by the farmer. The system uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect the water depth so as to determine whether to allow water to flow in the drinking trough or not. With the help of a light sensor, the system automatically turns on the light in the chicken house at night and turns off during the day.

‘Huawei Uganda has been sponsoring this initiative since 2012 after an MOU with Makerere, we shall once again offer an e-lab for the winning school and over 30 Huawei Smart phones to the winning individuals’, says Mr. Dai Xia, the Public relations manager for Huawei Uganda.

The minister of education and sports Mrs. Jessica Alupo also the guest of honor commended Huawei for their continuous support to the competition. She further pledged government support to this challenge.

The e-lab commissioning ceremony shall be held at the Dr. Obote College School Premises in Lira district next month.   

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A service which is enriching the way small and largeenterprises across Africa operate, and a powerful campaign about the impact of mobile technology, have garnered the attention of the 2014 AfricaCom Awards judging panel.

MTN’s Global Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Virtual Private Network(VPN) service and the company’s Corporate Campaignhave been shortlisted in the AfricaCom Awards categories for Best Pan-African Initiative and Best Marketing Campaign respectively.

MTN’s Global MPLS VPN was launched in 2013 and is now live across 17 countries, with five more countries to introduce the service this year. The service allows enterprises across Africa to connect seamlessly with their local and international operations, making use of MTN’s extensive network infrastructure.

In particular, the financial services, logistics, gas and oil, manufacturing and retail sectors, have benefitted from MTN’s Global MPLS VPN service, which ensures that for millions of consumers in the region, banking services are ‘always-on’, manufacturing never stops, logistics are always available, and  internet servicesare uninterrupted.

Thesecond shortlisted entry,MTN’s corporate campaign, is aligned to the company’s new vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to customers. MTN has begun a significant transitional journey as its vision changedfrom being a leading telecoms provider to leading the delivery of digital services.

The corporate campaign, which utilisedtelevision commercials as well as digital and print channels, was about highlighting andembracingnew technologies and saying goodbye to old ways of doing things, while showcasing innovative solutions to everyday problems.

The 2014 AfricaCom Awards winners will be announced at the AfricaCom conference in Cape Town on 12 November.

– Issued by MTN Group Corporate Affairs

About shortlisted entries

Please follow the links below for details:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APAa77YwHbs (Global MPLS)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9fJb8LTd_o(“Say goodbye to the wallet” TV commercial)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLCedkWPsdY (“Say goodbye to the book” TV commercial)

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Over 500 of the city’s pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, asset managers, bankers, corporates, professional services firms and project developers, collectively representing over USD265 billion in capital, convened today at the Savoy Hotel for The Global African Investment Summit (TGAIS) to review the continent’s most bankable projects in strategic sectors spurring the continent’s growth and competitiveness: power and transport infrastructure, agribusiness, natural resources and tourism.

The Summit, opened by former President of Nigeria OlusegunObasanjo, Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf and First Secretary of State William Hague,  seeks to direct funds from some of the world’s largest institutional investors into quality projects across the continent.

A hundred and thirty-six bankable projects worth a combined total of $US246 billion will be presented during the Summit, which was addressed by the Presidents of Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda, HE John DramaniMahama, Paul Kagame and YoweriMuseveni respectively, and the Prime Minister of Tanzania MizengoPinda during the presidential keynote panel.

Speaking about her visit to South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda last month Lord Mayor Fiona Woolf remarked: “Africa is at the front and centre of our agenda, which is growth and jobs. The continent is a key area of focus for the City of London and a key geography for the financial sector; we want to deepen our relationship with all participant nations. We can work with business to make a contribution in many fields, to support growth and development and create capacity, added value and jobs.”

Highlighting UK-Africa relations, Rt Hon William Hague said “the British government is investing in relationships across Africa as never before. We are expanding our diplomacy and backing British businesses investing and trading in Africa with unprecedented energy and determination, because we know that this is Africa’s moment and we want to be the partner of choice for African nations in the coming decades. We see an Africa of opportunity, with six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world, a young and growing population, and vast natural resources, and limitless potential if aspirations can be met with education, job creation and good governance. We are determined to be a partner for sustainable growth that benefits Africa and British businesses.”

During the presidential panel, President of Ghana HE John DramaniMahama noted “governments in Africa have come to the realization that we cannot make enough public sector investment to finance infrastructure projects – we need the private sector. We need to be innovative in our financing, such as creating tax incentives for companies that are investing in infrastructure and energy, through public private partnerships and joint ventures.”

Following the opening remarks, thematic panels and roundtables were held covering Africa’s emerging middle class, investor rights, the growing agribusiness sector, natural resources and the family office.

Speaking at a panel focused on serving the emerging middle class, Jin Guangze, Vice President of the China-Africa Development Fund said “diversifying Africa’s economies is very important for Africa’s development in the long run. We have to date committed approximately US$3 billion – we are confident that our investment activities have bridged Africa’s investment gap to a certain extent. We nevertheless need to implement continuous investment in infrastructure, agriculture and other key sectors to prioritise Africa’s development.”

Tomorrow will see the second and final day of TGAIS, with opening remarks from former President of Nigeria OlusegunObasanjo and panels and roundtables on private equity, capital markets, transport and ICT infrastructure and financing’s Africa’s power sector. The summit ends with a drinks reception hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

TGAIS is sponsored by a range of African and multinational companies, including Invest Africa, PwC, Sepco, Visa, Baker and McKenzie, Ecobank, Globeleq, Heritage Bank, Prudential, Seplat, Standard Chartered, Denham Capital, DLA Piper, Greenheart Energy, Greenwich Trust, Liquid Telecom, Salamanca Group, Tullow Oil, Mozambique LNG, Winston and Strawn, Access Bank UK, Bombardier, Clarke Energy, Ghana International Bank, Nedbank Capital and PW Power Systems.

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…..lucky winner walks away with a brand new Toyota Premio.

Unilever Uganda today announced the first winner of one of the ten Toyota Premio vehicles of its exclusive promotion dubbed “Collect and Win” that has been ongoing since 11^th August, 2014.

To participate in the Collect and Win promotion, a customer has to collect Omo Fast Action wrappers, put them in an envelope with their details; name and telephone contact and drop them at the nearest collection point country wide.

The entries to the promotion are as thus;

• 45gm:  15gpacks=1 entry
• 500gm: 2packs=1 entry
• 1kg: 1pack=1entry

While handing over the keys of a brand new Toyota Premio car to NabawanukaSaidat, Diana Nabukenya, Unilever Uganda Customer Marketing Manager said that the Collect and Win promotion that commenced on 11^th August 2014 is slated to run till 16^th November 2014 will also see customers walk away with other exciting prizes likemotorcycles, washing machines, shopping vouchers, flat irons, duvets, ironing boards among others.

“Unilever products have in essence become part of Ugandan families’ everyday lives. Therefore, we are looking at strengthening that bond by rewarding our loyal customers for the trust they have put into our wide range of products. We pledge to continue offering our customers the best and most affordable products on the market,” Nabukenya said.

On receiving his car, an ecstatic Nabawanuka, a nurse by profession could not hide her excitement as she leaped up for joy, thanking the heavens for the gift.

“I am so excited to be the winner of a brand new Toyota Premio courtesy of Unilever Uganda. This car is surely going to ease my movements. I collected over 900 wrappers and I urge everyone out there to collect Omo Fast Action wrappers and win like I have. This is a dream come true for me,” she said. 

Other winners were NakajubiResty who won a brand new motorcycle, RukiaOnyaru, Katende Fred who both won new washing machines and Abba Irene who won a duvet, bedsheets and flat iron.

The draws for other prizes such as washing machines, shopping vouchers, flat irons, duvets and ironing boardshave been ongoing in the weekly activations country wide. Winners will be notified by a Unilever phone number 0312226200.

The draws for the remaining nine Toyota Premios vehicles will commence in November 2014 with regional winners and climax with the grand finale in Kampala.

Launched on the backdrop of meticulous research and trials, OMO Fast Action is set to revolutionize the washing experience for Ugandans and has so far delivered maximum consumer satisfaction to all consumers sampled.