Source: The Observer
Often, women who face domestic violence fear to come out because of stigma and other reasons.

For prominent women, it's even worse because there is a certain public image they feel at pains to project. But the deputy secretary general of the East African Community, Beatrice Kiraso, has refused to keep quiet. In her new book, Making a Difference, Kiraso reveals she was a victim of domestic violence and other forms of abuse in her failed marriage. She says, like many victims of abuse, she was scared to speak out and didn't know where to turn for help.

"Even with an abusive, demeaning marriage, I was able to jump out and still feel I was a winner," Kiraso now says.
In Making a Difference, Kiraso writes that no matter what has happened in her life, her children always came first.
"I could have remarried or even enjoyed affairs or filled my closet with the most modern clothes, but I did not," Kiraso says.

"I have principles I hold dear. Most people don't try hard enough to examine choices, especially in hard times."
Making a Difference is a story of one woman who has studied, worked, married, had children, divorced and moved on.

Kiraso holds a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University. She has worked with the World Bank, USAID and State University of New York on public finance management. Before joining the East African Community, she was a vocal woman MP for Kabarole district.
MPs on cloud nine over Gulf Stream hop

According to the latest on the grapevine, two lawmakers are on cloud nine apparently after learning they will take a first time trip on a private jet in the company of President Museveni. Kaberamaido MP, Dr Kenneth Omona, and the Otuke Woman MP, Annet Nyaketcho, currently two of the ruling party's blue-eyed lawmakers, are restless and cannot wait any longer to take the odyssey on the luxurious Gulf Stream alongside the first citizen, who will be flying to Ethiopia for the African Union summit.

"They have informed almost everyone who cares to listen about the trip. Actually one of them reminds us all the time that she will be travelling with His Excellency," said a source at Parliament.

If there is anyone, perhaps, who can attest to the comfort that awaits the duo on this luxurious bird, it is the Bundibugyo Woman MP, Harriet Ntabazi, who keeps reminding all and sundry about her recent trip to South Africa alongside the President. They had gone to attend the ruling ANC's centenary celebrations.
Museveni gives Byanyima brother shot in the arm

The love-hate relationship between President Museveni and the Byanyimas continues to play out. Of recent, Museveni has attempted to mend the fractured relationship with the family of Boniface Byanyima where he spent his early years. Byanyima, former national chairman of the Democratic Party, is the father of Winnie Byanyima, the wife of opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. Sources have told us that the President contributed money for the wedding of Byanyima's son Anthony.

President Museveni, we have also been told, recently ordered the Attorney General to compensate Mzee Byanyima for the loss of his ranch in Mbarara during the restructuring process in the late 1990s where landless people were resettled. Mzee Byanyima has always indicated that this was his biggest quarrel with Museveni.
Simple Makubuya at home on a boda

General Duties minister Prof Khiddu Makubuya is an embattled man after he was accused by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of inflating the compensation of businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba to the tune of Shs 162bn while he served as attorney general.
The acedemician-turned-politician has always lived a simple life but Wolokoso didn't know he could go to the extent of riding on a boda boda. Last week, the Yale University-trained law professor took a boda boda ride from his home at the minister's village in Ntinda to the Ntinda-Nakawa stage.

"Is Makubuya trying to test life outside the marbled corridors of power?" asked some taxi touts who had identified his unmistakable look.
'Rebel' Gen Otafiire shuns NRM retreat

The maverick Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire barely respects the rigours of party officialdom. In June 2011, Otafiire skipped the swearing-in ceremony of ministers. At the just-concluded NRM retreat at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) Kyankwanzi, Otafiire was nowhere in sight.

"In fact, I cannot recall when he last attended the retreat; even in 2003 when the Mugisha Muntus, Eriya Kategayas and Jaberi Bidandis rejected the lifting of presidential term limits, Otafiire was not there," said a source.

Now that we have "rebel MPs", perhaps Otafiire qualifies to be called "rebel minister."
Tinkasiimire ridicules Museveni presentation

In one of the papers he presented at Kyankwanzi, President Museveni spoke on his pet subject — the need for the East African federation, among other things. That was before outspoken Buyaga West MP, Barnabas Tinkasiimire, accused the President of regurgitating the same paper he presented in 2004. Tinkasiimire, seated at the back of the room, was heard telling colleagues nearest to him that Museveni has nothing new to say and was just repeating himself.

"This man is presenting papers made in 2004. He presented this same paper in 2004; can't he present something new?" asked Tinkasiimire in a soft tone, which was, however, audible enough to cause laughter at the back of the hall.

The laughter prompted the President, who could barely hear what Tinkasiimire was saying, to ask the MP to come forward and make his point. Tinkasiimire obliged, telling the President to his face what he made of his paper.

"Mr President, your speech is outdated," the MP said, according to our source.

But Museveni kept his cool and defended his presentation.

"The Bible was written thousands of years ago, but it is still quoted," the President retorted. "So, what is wrong with my paper?"

• Uganda