Author: user user

Misunderstandings among elders in Bugisu Sub-region, stemming from the renaming of the cultural institution, have worsened, with one faction electing a new parallel cultural leader to replace the current chief, Umukuuka III Jude Mike Mudoma. Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution was formed in 2010 to unite the descendants of Masaba, living around the slopes of Mount Elgon.

The tribe occupies districts such as Sironko, Bulambuli, Mbale, Manafa, Namisindwa, and Bududa in Uganda. The institution also extended its territories to western Kenya in Bungoma and Tanzoa, where residents are of Bugisu descent.

In May, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development gazetted the change of name of Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution to Bukuka Bwa Bugisu, which left many disgruntled and have since protested and questioned the motive.

As a result, a section of elders last week elected Mr Joram Khambo Mayatsa from the Wanale Clan to take on the mantle from the current Umukuuka, Mr Mudoma, saying his five-year term ends this October. Mr Mudoma was reportedly elected by the General Assembly under Inzu Ya Masaba in 2020.

Shortly after his election, he was engaged in fights for the throne with Mr John Amram Wagabyalile, but the Ministry of Gender in 2023 gazetted Mudoma as the rightful Umukuuka. Dr Edward Komoli, the Inzu Ya Masaba secretary general, said the change of the name of the institution meant that leadership of Inzu Ya Masaba that brought the current Umukuuka to the throne had fallen vacant.

‘As Bamasaba, we don’t want to identify ourselves as Bagisu. We held a meeting at Kayegi Hotel and all people denied being identified as Bagisu.There was a rescue team set to consult the government on why they would decide for us on how we should identify ourselves, but we found out that the changes were requested by the current Umukuuka III through his lawyer, Masereje and company advocates,’ he said.

Mr Komoli said in the meeting, they also agreed to bring back the structures of Inzu Ya Masaba to start the work of identifying Umukuuka IV, which resulted in the election of a new Umukuuka.

During its inception, it was agreed that leadership of the institution should be on a rotational basis, where the cultural head is to be picked from the clans of the three sons of Masaba- Wanale, Mwambu, and Mubuya.

According to the history of the Bamasaba, Masaba had three sons: Wanale settled in Mbale District, Mwambu in Sironko, Bulambuli, and Mubuya in Manafa, Bududa, and Namisindwa.

The late Wilson Weyasa Wamimbi from the Wanale family was elected as the first Umukuuka from Wanale, and he reigned from 2010 to 2015, handing over to late Sir Bob Mushikori from Mubuya, who steered the kingdom until 2020 when his reign ended. Mushikori passed on in 2021, and the institution’s operations came to a standstill over leadership wrangles until Mudoma III was gazetted in August 2023.

Mr Komoli said the government does not dictate how Bamasaba people should recognise themselves and reminded the current Umukuuka that his term started the moment he took an oath and not when the government gazetted him. Mr Robert Kimanai, an elder, also said the move by the elders is in good faith and asked the current Umukuuka to vacate the institution’s offices. ‘Our Umukuuka III was elected in 2020 and swore an oath at that time to start his work.

He was only gazetted in 2023, like all other past leaders. Let him be a gentleman enough and quit,’ he said. However, members from Mr Mudoma’s camp still argue that even when he was elected in 2020, he was not in charge of the institution’s affairs until he was gazetted in 2023.

Mr Sakwa Napokoli, the chair of clan heads in the Umukuuka Mudoma’s administration, said forcing them out of office at this time is calculated intrigue.

‘While it is true that Umukuuka I Wamimbi Weyasa Wilson and Bob Mushikori 11 took oath much earlier and was gazetted much later on, they were duly de facto leaders who we saw carry out their duties until the expiry of their term. Umukuuka III Mudoma was in charge of the state of affairs from 2020,’ Napokoli said.

Counsel Richard Masereje, the attorney general of Mudoma’s faction, refuted the claims that he advised the government to change the name.

‘In my letter, which they said I requested the solicitor general to change the institution’s name, I simply raised a matter of concern and guided the government to interpret the law after they found out that some of the cultural institutions, including Inzu Ya Masaba, were operating outside the law,’ he said.

He explained that the government rectified the mistake where most institutions were submitted as associations, citing examples of Lango Cultural Foundation, Inzu Ya Masaba, Kumam Heritage Foundation, among others, adding that the founders based on logic, not the law.

Mr Masereje said they are currently working with experienced lawyers to develop principles that will guide the institution going forward, rather than focusing on personalities.

‘Those who are saying Umukuuka IV has been elected are just ignorant of the law, and some of them are the ones who have been sabotaging cooperation efforts among the Bagisu for a very long time,’ he said.

Mr Masereje accuses elders of spearheading the election of the new Umukuuka for selfish interest such as targeting to benefit from the government remittance.

‘That money is paid directly to the cultural leaders. That is why some of those are against the changes since they don’t see how they will benefit,’ he said.

Response from the institution During an earlier interview, Mr Steven Masika, the spokesperson of the institution, however, said the change of the name was not only legal but necessary for the good of Bamasaba.

‘We identify ourselves as Bamasaba, but legally we are Bagisu, and that is why we are just trying to align our cultural institution with the Uganda Constitution that recognises us as Bagisu, not Bamasaba, and the ministry of gender made a corrigendum,’ he said.

Mr Masika claimed that the Inzu Ya Masaba was registered by a few individuals who had selfish interests and under that setting the institution was missing out privileges allocated to cultural institutions in every region.

However, the newly elected Umukuuka Mayatsa told our reporter that he didn’t have any influence in his election as new Umukuuka neither did he show any interest to become the next cultural head of Bamasaba.

‘I am going to work for unity. We are completing our processes of inauguration and at an opportune time I am going to engage the current leadership to accept and leave the leadership of the cultural institution to me,’ he said.

The institution

Inzu Ya Masaba Cultural Institution was formed in 2010 to unite the descendants of Masaba, staying around the slopes of Mount Elgon.

The tribe occupies districts of Sironko, Bulambuli, Mbale, Manafa, Namisindwa, Bududa and Mbale City, in Uganda.

The institution also extended its territories to western Kenya in Bungoma and Tanzaa, where residents are of Bugisu descent.

Agriculture remains the beating heart of Uganda’s economy, employing about 70 percent of the population and sustaining millions of households yet the sector suffers from chronic under-financing.

For most smallholder farmers and rural businesses, accessing affordable credit remains an uphill battle.

Banks shy away from lending to agriculture because of the risks posed by weather shocks, price volatility, and lack of collateral.

Farmers are therefore, left to rely on informal lenders, high-interest loans, or simply stay stuck in subsistence.

It is this gap that PostBank Uganda-soon to be Pearl Bank-and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) are now trying to fill.

The two institutions have signed a 13-year partnership aimed at expanding access to finance for farmers, cooperatives, and rural entrepreneurs.

The deal brings Shs60 billion in concessional credit, complemented by Shs4 billion in technical assistance.

Together, these resources are designed not just to inject money into the system, but to build capacity for climate-smart agriculture, deepen financial inclusion, and design products that reach women and youth.

‘PostBank’s purpose is to Foster Prosperity for Ugandans, and this has been showcased through the financing portfolio that we extend to the different sectors that continue to inspire economic growth. Among these is the agriculture sector, which employs about 70 percent of Uganda’s population,’ says Mr Julius Kakeeto, PostBank Uganda managing director.

Mr Kakeeto says that the partnership with AFD ‘reaffirms its commitment towards creating an enabling environment for Ugandans to participate in the rich agriculture value chain, which comprises sector actors like agro-input suppliers, mechanization dealers, irrigation solution providers, and regulatory institutions like the Bank of Uganda.’

From AFD’s side, ‘This collaboration aims to unlock new energy and investment across Uganda’s agribusiness sector from smallholder farmers and SACCOs to women and young people while driving the adaptation of agriculture to the realities of climate change,’ said Marc Trouyet, AFD’s Country Director in Uganda.

France’s Ambassador to Uganda, Mr Virginie Leroy, emphasized that the initiative reflects her country’s commitment to rural inclusion.

‘Through this initiative, France reaffirms its commitment to supporting Uganda’s farmers, cooperatives, and rural entrepreneurs, who remain at the heart of the nation’s agricultural sector,’ she noted.

But the deal is not only about credit lines. The Shs4 billion technical assistance grant will be channeled into building the systems, risk models, and staff expertise that PostBank needs to sustainably serve high-risk rural customers.

Without this technical backbone, concessional loans alone would likely fail. By marrying capital with capacity, the initiative tries to address the root causes of agricultural under-financing.

Still, success is not guaranteed. Agricultural finance everywhere carries risks: crop failure, climate shocks, and fluctuating commodity prices could undermine repayment.

Banks often struggle with the cost of reaching rural areas, and even concessional capital can be absorbed inefficiently if governance is weak.

The test will be whether PostBank can balance inclusion with discipline-serving women and youth without concentrating loans in safer, urban-linked farms only.

Yet the timing feels right. Uganda’s agricultural sector is under pressure to modernize, digitize, and adapt to climate change. Without long-term capital, this transition could stall.

Partnerships like PostBank-AFD offer capital that is not chasing quick returns, but willing to stay for over a decade to nurture systemic change.

Similar initiatives in Kenya and beyond have shown how blended finance can catalyze private investment once early risks are absorbed.

In Kenya, for instance, Hello Tractor, working with Heifer International and backed by Aceli Africa, piloted a blended finance model that de-risked lending to smallholder farmers.

The result was not only access to mechanization but also proof that concessional funding can unlock credit flows where traditional banks once hesitated.

Another example is Kenya’s PROFIT project, which combined risk-sharing facilities, concessional credit lines, and technical assistance.

This approach incentivized lenders to extend loans to rural farmers and diversify their services, demonstrating how structured blended instruments can create confidence in agricultural finance.

Closer to home, Uganda has also seen blended finance programs deliver impact. FSD Uganda, through initiatives like the Agricultural Credit Facility (ACF), the Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF), and the Micro and Small Enterprises Recovery Fund, has shown that carefully designed blended capital can expand formal financial services and reduce systemic risk in agricultural lending.

Meanwhile, the AgrInvest initiative-a joint effort of the FAO and Uganda Development Bank-goes a step further by using public funds to attract sustainable private investment into the agrifood sector.

This demonstrates that the blended approach is not just about subsidizing farmers but about crowding in investors who might otherwise remain on the sidelines.

With concessional capital absorbing early risk, the door is opened for private players to follow, creating deeper, more resilient markets across Uganda’s agricultural value chains.

Uganda’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr Zaake W Kibedi, has revealed that the economic relations between Uganda and the UAE have reached ‘unprecedented levels.’

Ambassador Kibedi, while addressing journalists ahead of the upcoming Fourth Uganda-UAE Business Forum next week, said foreign direct investments from the UAE to Uganda have grown from $300 million (about Shs1.1 trillion) in 2018 to $3.5 billion (about Shs13 trillion) in 2024.

‘Trade between both countries has significantly increased and is valued at $2.85 billion (about Shs10.8 trillion) as of September 2025, with the UAE emerging as Uganda’s leading export destination globally,’ Ambassador Kibedi said on Friday last week.

He added that improved connectivity has been key to this growth. ‘The connectivity has been enhanced by the six daily flights between Uganda and the UAE,’ he said.

Ambassador Kibedi also hailed the UAE for its ‘openness and hospitality’, saying their gesture has facilitated the increase of Ugandans living and working in the UAE from 40,000 in 2018 to over 160,000 in 2024.

The Uganda-UAE Business Forum is an annual event organised by the Uganda Embassy, Abu Dhabi and the Uganda Consulate General, Dubai in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Department for Economic Development, Abu Dhabi Chamber and Dubai Chambers to promote investments, trade, tourism, innovation and technology transfer.

The inaugural Forum in 2022 was held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, the second edition in 2023 was held in Kampala, Uganda, the third edition last year was held in Abu Dhabi.

This year’s edition, to be held at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala, from October 27-29, is expected to draw eminent business, private sector and senior government officials from Uganda and the UAE.

Objectives

The objectives are to strengthen bilateral partnerships for investment, trade, tourism and innovation, facilitate networking among business leaders, investors, policy makers and entrepreneurs; discuss opportunities and challenges of doing business between Uganda and the UAE.

It also aims to showcase innovative products, services and business models, influence policy dialogue and create an enabling environment for business. Thematic areas include commercialised agriculture, agro-industrialisation and agri-business, tourism development, energy, mineral-based development, oil and gas, and renewable energy, infrastructure development, innovation and technology and real estate, trading and manufacturing.

Background

President Museveni, in January, visited the UAE and in May, the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, visited Uganda, leading to the signing of six memoranda of understanding across various sectors.

These included protection of investment, works and transport, diplomatic training and capacity building, joint development agreement, digital transformation and energy.

Two men, Edison Makwa, 55, and Abdallah Kitakule, 49, have been remanded to Bubulo Prison after being charged with unlawful possession of government drugs and operating a pharmacy business without a license.

The suspects were arrested on October 2, 2025, at Bukigai Market in Bududa District after police received intelligence that government drugs were being openly sold there.

A police team led by D/Sgt. Charles Namisi found the suspects selling assorted medicines to members of the public. Upon search, the officers recovered numerous drugs, some of which were clearly labeled “Government of Uganda – For Public Use, Not for Sale.”

The suspects were subsequently arraigned before Magistrate Ivan Maloba at Bududa Court, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Maloba denied them bail and remanded them to Bubulo Prison until November 4, 2025, when the case will come up for hearing.

Dr. Warren Naamara, Director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit (HMU), said the suspects were caught selling government drugs in the market without any medical qualifications.

“They were arraigned in court and the law will take its course,” Dr. Naamara said.

He expressed concern over the increasing number of quacks operating in different parts of the country, selling medicines without any medical training.

“It’s unfortunate. These people know nothing about medicine, yet they are putting the lives of Ugandans at great risk,” he said.

Dr. Naamara described the theft of government drugs as a “syndicated move,” saying the racket has grown into an organized industry that deprives public health facilities of essential medicines.

“This kind of theft causes artificial shortages in hospitals,” he said.

He also called for the development of more digital applications to help track and combat drug theft across the country, expressing frustration that some suspects who are granted police bond or bail often disappear, making it difficult to bring them to justice.

Vipers’ uncompromising stance on the new Uganda Premier League (UPL) format bred a congested fixture calendar that threatens to test their endurance, squad depth and championship credentials once they finally return to domestic action.

The reigning champions, who are still embroiled in a high-stakes Caf Champions League tie against Zambia’s Power Dynamos, now face a daunting reality back home.

After boycotting their fixture against Kitara at Namboole in protest of the now-abandoned UPL format, and missing another against Calvary due to continental engagements, the Venoms’ calendar has become a jigsaw puzzle that the league secretariat must urgently solve.

The situation has been compounded by the postponement of their match against UPDF, initially scheduled for Saturday at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende, as Vipers will be in Kitwe for the return leg against Dynamos.

With the rest of the league already heading into match day four, Ivan Minnaert’s men could find themselves several games behind – and the backlog will soon bite.

UPL bosses on spot

Fufa’s U-turn on the controversial reforms – after immense backlash from clubs and fans – restored the traditional home-and-away format and reinstated clubs’ rights to host-match revenues.

However, Fufa President Moses Magogo maintained that the league would continue from where it had left off.

That ruling means the UPL Secretariat must first pronounce itself on the forfeited Kitara vs. Vipers match before drawing a new roadmap to reintegrate the Venoms into the running schedule.

Depending on that decision, Vipers could either be awarded a loss for their no-show at Namboole or granted a replay, both scenarios carrying significant implications for their title defence.

For President Lawrence Mulindwa, the saga is a bitter vindication of his earlier warnings. He had vowed that Vipers would not take part in a ‘prematurely introduced’ format, and indeed stood by his word even as 15 of the 16 clubs reluctantly agreed to play.

When the Venoms finally resume league action, they will have to navigate a flurry of games in quick succession to catch up with the rest of the pack.

Yet, with their pedigree, depth, and continental momentum, few would bet against them roaring back into contention.

The league defending champions remain heavy favourites to retain their crown – and when they finally return, expect them to come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders.

StarTimes Uganda Premier League

Matchday 4 fixtures

Wednesday

Lugazi vs. URA – Najjembe Stadium, Maroons vs. Calvary – Luzira

Thursday

Bul vs. Buhimba Saints – Njeru

Express vs. KCCA – Nakivubo

Friday

Kitara vs. Mbarara City – Butema

SC Villa vs. Police – Kadiba

Saturday

Entebbe UPPC vs. NEC – Bugonga

Vipers vs. UPDF – St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende (Postponed)

For 14 years, Edna Nyamwaka was diagnosed with endometriosis after which she underwent surgery. One problem led to another. She turned to prayer. This is her story.

‘After bearing occasional mild lower abdominal pain for 14 years, it was only discovered on October 4, 2023, that I had a cyst in one ovary, endometriosis, and a small fibroid. However, the gynaecologist who reviewed the scan report downplayed the issue, claiming he was more senior than the radiologist. He gave me antibiotics, which he said would clear the issue since the size of the ovarian cyst was small. After the medication, I still experienced pelvic pain.

He had no solution and told me majority of women have the same issue. It made me feel comfortable, but when I felt the pain after a few months, I decided to see three other gynaecologists, who still admnistered antibiotics, saying the cyst was small and that I should not worry.

I resorted to praying, believing God to heal me of the ovarian cyst and fibroid. I went ahead to share the prayer request with close friends, relatives, and my cell group members. We started praying, and along the journey, I developed back pain and resorted to changing beds, mattresses, and chairs. The back pain persisted. I decided to seek further medical attention and was given an X-ray request for back pain. Somehow, I decided to wait before I could do the X-ray, and during that wait, I developed a burning sensation around the pelvic area in addition to pelvic pain. This intensified.

On to the fifth gynaecologist

The fifth gynaecologist also requested a scan, which read ovarian complicated cyst or endometrioma and fibroid. When I told him the issue was discovered more than a year ago, he conducted a tumour marker test. The first test showed a value of 43.34. When the doctor read the results, he held his chin.

He encouraged me to wait for one month and test for the tumour marker again. But in that month, the burning sensation intensified, but I had to wait for the 30 days to end because the doctor had stated that if the tumour marker remained the same after 30 days, it would mean the cyst was normal, but if there was an increase, it would mean there was a possibility of cancer or endometriosis.

Meanwhile, that month, I was anxiously, praying the value remains the same. I took a step of faith by scanning the tumour marker results and posting them on my email with the subject line ‘Miracle in the Making’.

After one month, I went back for review, and the value had almost doubled; it was 66.37. I told the doctor I wanted whatever it was out of my body because I was tired of the backache and burning sensation. He then made a plan for me to see Dr Spire Kiggundu (RIP), whom he said was the main expert in that field.

I went to see Dr Kiggundu, who immediately scheduled me for an operation for endometriosis on April 4. (Note there was no fibroid identified.) He used another type of scan for diagnosis. In the theatre, I asked if I could pray before the operation could commence. One doctor wanted to pray, but Dr Kiggundu told the surgeons, ‘Let the patient pray for us.’ In my prayers, I asked God to give the doctors the spirit of excellence. Little did I know that instead of the planned four hours of surgery, the time would double, so they really needed a supernatural spirit of excellence to perform the operation.

Miracles start

So, the first miracle is when I found myself after nine hours in a high dependency room with machines all over me and Dr Kiggundu was telling me, ‘You are here because your surgery turned out to be complicated.’ It took longer than anticipated because the disease had started attacking the nerves, and we had to pull it out. He added, ‘I am happy I removed the disease.’

He told me that recovery would take at most eight weeks. Dr Kiggundu passed on in June 2025, almost two months after my operation. His patients will forever miss him. May he rest in peace. After two weeks, I went for review and found good news. The tissue that was removed during the operation was not cancerous. This test confirmed that I was suffering from only endometriosis and not ovarian cancer.

The eight weeks of recovery and beyond were very tough. I had severe bodyache, especially in my arms and legs. I conducted two Doppler scans to ensure there was no blood clot, and indeed the second miracle was that there was no blood clot, indicating the third miracle of a successful surgery. After surgery, I had blood transfusion because I lost a lot of blood in the theatre, so the fourth miracle was no effect from the blood transfusion.

Recovery sets in

I started sweating profusely, experienced general body weakness, light and heavy-headedness, vertigo, lack of sleep, anxiety, gastritis, spasms in the head and hands, sensitivity to light on the phone and computer, ear ringing, fluid movement in the brain, and migraine.

I was tested, and the results indicated that my cholesterol was very high; the sugar was also high. Thank God, I found a good physician who managed the conditions, so the fifth and sixth miracles were healing from high blood cholesterol and high sugar.

Some doctors told me of patients who take cholesterol medication for life. I am happy I took that drug for only one and a half months. I also did not cross into being diabetic. Then, I developed a fast heart rate due to anxiety and medication, but the Lord protected my heart. The seventh miracle was healing of the fast heart rate.

My heart was also okay after heart tests. I also developed stress and high blood pressure, but the Lord protected me. The eighth miracle was normalising the stress-induced high blood pressure. I was advised to do an MRI test for the brain due to too much dizziness, but it was normal, I thank God.

Even the kidneys were tested, and I was told I have the best in the world. The tumour marker was conducted again after three months of surgery to check if endometriosis had healed, and indeed it had been cleared out of the body just like the late Dr Kiggundu had told me.

As I type, the ninth miracle is that everything is normal. General body weakness, light-headednessand head heaviness, vertigo, lack of sleep, anxiety, gastritis, spasms in the head and hands, sensitivity to light, ear ringing, fluid movement in the brain, and migraines are all gone.

Lastly, five and a half years ago, I hurt my knee during pregnancy, and the pain also cropped up during recovery, so I am now believing God for healing of the small tear in the knee that was discovered by the MRI test that was conducted at the end of August this year. In short, I was on one medication after another from April 4 to October 3, 2025 (six months). May the name of the Lord be praised.