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Former Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Ms Dorothy Kisaka has launched a new poverty eradication campaign in Busoga Sub-region, aimed at empowering communities to improve household incomes and reduce dependence on handouts.

Speaking during the launch of the ‘NEYENDEIRE’ initiative at Elohim Primary School in Kiyinikibi Zone, Bugiri Municipality, on November 4, Ms Kisaka said the project seeks to tackle poverty from the grassroots by promoting practical, income-generating activities and mindset change.

‘I have visited every district in Busoga, and the biggest challenge is that local leaders have not mobilized people to get involved in productive ventures,’ she said. ‘Through NEYENDEIRE, we want to change that mindset and promote self-reliance.’

She explained that the project will focus on three pillars, economic empowerment, health, and hygiene, noting that poor health practices have a direct link to poverty.

‘Many families spend most of their income treating preventable diseases. If we improve hygiene and promote good health, people will be stronger and able to focus on improving their livelihoods,’ Ms Kisaka said.

The NEYENDEIRE initiative will encourage families to embrace vegetable farming, both for nutrition and income generation, as a way of diversifying household sources of food and revenue.

‘Vegetables are not only a source of food security but also vital in fighting malnutrition, especially among children and the elderly,’ she added.

Under the program, over 2,000 households will be sensitized to become model homes, showcasing best practices in sanitation, sustainable agriculture, and small-scale entrepreneurship.

Ms Kisaka said the long-term goal is to reach 4,700 villages across Busoga in partnership with government agencies and development partners.

‘As NEYENDEIRE, we are working closely with the government to ensure Busoga becomes one of the most transformed regions in Uganda,’ she said.

According to Ms Hadija Bagye, the project’s vice chairperson, the initiative will place a strong emphasis on empowering women.

‘This project mainly targets women because they play a key role in driving household transformation. We are seeking both political and community support to ensure its success,’ Ms Bagye said.

Statistics from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) show that Busoga remains the poorest sub-region in Uganda, largely due to over-reliance on sugarcane farming and limited economic diversification.

Through NEYENDEIRE, Ms Kisaka hopes to shift communities toward a more diversified and self-sustaining rural economy.

At 34, Zohran Kwame Mamdani could be New York City’s youngest mayor since 1892. But 18 years ago, he was the youngest reporter in the Daily Monitor newsroom. Zohran, as he preferred to be known, was born in Africa – Nsambya, Kampala, Uganda, in 1991.

In 2007, Zohran walked into the Monitor newsroom at the tender age of 15, not necessarily to become a journalist, but ‘trying to find himself out,’ as then-chief sports editor Mark Namanya recalls.

He had studied in South Africa and the United States, where his family lived at the time, before returning to his birthplace in 2003 at age 12. His debut in journalism, or writing, came nearly three years before he graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in Kingsbridge Heights, New York, in 2010. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2014.

Thanks to his father’s connection with the newsroom, Zohran bypassed the conventional intern entry route, but he made sure his time counted.

According to our archives, his byline appears in sports articles from August 2007 and July 2008, many of which received notable prominence.

He mostly wrote about football – or soccer, as most New Yorkers call it. His first story was a multi-sport report titled ‘utl sponsors World University Games team,’ published on August 1, 2007. It was a solo effort ahead of the Games in Thailand and hinted at the team’s inadequate government funding.

The story appeared just below a Uganda Cranes article and Mark Ssali’s legendary ‘Mark My Word’ column, one of the most-read features of the time.

Zohran’s piece got attention. His August 3 story announced Sports Betting Africa, Uganda’s first professional betting house. Some of Zohran’s stories were event-based, others follow-ups. But most importantly, they appeared regularly: between August 1 and 7, his byline appeared four times.

You don’t know what that means to an intern, much less a 15-year-old. Perhaps Zohran’s excitement didn’t hit the ceiling, given his father Mahmood Mamdani is a renowned academic, author, and global opinion leader, and his mother Mira Nair is a celebrated filmmaker. August 7, Zohran combined with Eden Kironde for the story: ‘Kipsiro clinches UTL-Uspa Award for month of July.’ Moses Kipsiro had recently won 5000m gold at the All-Africa.

Games in Algiers and the sports press gave him 565 votes, 120 more than badminton ace Edwin Ekiring. Express FC captain Badru

Kiyega got 315 votes. Kipsiro would soon win bronze at the World Championship in Osaka, Japan. Every writer hopes their stories are backed by photos – it lends visibility and importance. Most of Zohran’s stories had that. That suggests a good relationship with editors, potential, and to some extent, luck. Zohran may have fused all three. Many of his stories were collaborations with experienced reporters, some of whom are now US citizens like him, or immigrants. That’s how good writers are groomed.

The August 4, 2007 story ‘GTV unveils Shs8.3b 5-year sponsorship’ may have been his first back-page article, co-written with Douglas Bugingo and Lambert Rusoke. He shared another back page with Yasser Kalyango: ‘Csaba still Cranes coach – Mulindwa,’ published July 16, 2008, amid speculation that Laszlo Csaba was set to join Hearts of Midlothian in the Scottish Premier League.

On the same page, Zohran hit a double, co-authoring another story with Innocent Ndawula, who would later become arguably Uganda’s best cricket reporter. (Ndawula, who still reports with this paper, recalls Zohran playing cricket with Nile Cricket Club in Uganda.) Together, they broke the story about Micho’s interest in succeeding Csaba as Cranes coach.

Two days later, the Zohran-Kalyango duo returned with ‘Fufa hands coach Csaba ultimatum,’ reporting that the Hungarian coach had ‘absconded’ duty and signed a more lucrative contract with Hearts. Fufa’s threats, however, were likely pretentious. Csaba relocated to Edinburgh. On July 19, 2008, just days before the Beijing Olympics, Zohran wrote an update: ‘Dstv upgrades Olympic coverage to 24 hours.’

On July 22, Zohran and Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo co-authored ‘Obua’s ascent,’ detailing striker David Obua’s historic transfer to Hearts, reuniting with former Cranes manager Csaba. You may not see Zohran’s handwriting in that one, but he was included because of his recent reports on Csaba and the Cranes. That’s how you motivate rising stars.

Consistency is key to any journalist’s growth. On July 23, Zohran and Kalyango returned with ‘Csaba refutes Fufa claims.’ Fufa was demanding Shs330m ($200,000) from Csaba for walking out on his contract. But Csaba responded via The Scotsman newspaper, accusing Fufa of repeatedly failing ‘to meet its bargain of the contract.’

He even claimed that Fufa president Lawrence Mulindwa had blessed his move, saying: ‘Okay, if you want to go, we can’t keep you. We don’t want to cut your career, you’ve done a very good job here and after negotiations you can go to Hearts.’ That may have been Zohran’s final article for the Monitor sports desk during his two stints as a fledgling writer. He was too young to write features, but his precocious storytelling hinted at the orator who, 18 years later, would persuade New York voters to discard their biases and cast a history-making ballot.

The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala has set free Mr Baker Mugaino, the Commissioner for Land Registration, after the High Court quashed corruption-related charges that had been filed against him by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG).

Chief Magistrate Racheal Nakyazze of the Anti-Corruption Court in a Thursday ruling, said her court was duty-bound to comply with the orders of the High Court issued by Justice Collins Acellam, who nullified the charges contained in a June 4, 2025, charge sheet.

‘This court has only one option: to abide by the orders of the High Court. Since the charges have been quashed, the accused is hereby discharged and set free unless held on another lawful charge,’ Nakyazze ruled.

The ruling followed an application filed by Mr Mugaino’s lawyer, Mr Anthony Bazira, on October 22, 2025, seeking the termination of the proceedings in line with the High Court’s decision.

Mr Bazira argued that the High Court’s ruling rendered the ongoing case in a lower court null and void.

‘Court orders do not operate in vain. An appeal does not operate as a stay, and neither should a lawful court order be interpreted to suit the convenience of a dissatisfied party,’ his lawyer argued.

However, the prosecution, led by Mr William Moses Ntumwa from the IGG’s office, had objected to the application, insisting that the High Court order did not specifically mention the case number.

‘The order does not refer to this specific case and therefore, cannot be assumed to have quashed these proceedings,’ Mr Ntumwa submitted. He added that the IGG intended to appeal the High Court ruling and urged the magistrate not to act prematurely.

Mr Ntumwa also argued that the case before the magistrate’s court had progressed beyond the charge sheet, since committal papers had already been filed to prepare for Mugaino’s trial in the High Court Anti-Corruption Division.

But Ms Nakyazze rejected the prosecution’s submissions, stating that a valid High Court order had been filed in her court and must be obeyed.

‘In practice, a court order begins to operate once a certified copy is filed. An appeal does not stay its enforcement. This court cannot rely on an anticipated appeal to delay compliance,’ she ruled.

She further directed that Mr Mugaino’s bail money be refunded.

‘I so order,’ she concluded.

Earlier, Justice Collins Acellam had ruled that the IGG acted illegally, irrationally, and procedurally improperly when she directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands to interdict Mr. Mugaino over allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

In his decision, Justice Acellam held that the IGG had no constitutional authority to interdict senior public officers of Mr. Mugaino’s rank, noting that ‘the power to exercise disciplinary control over officers of the rank of Head of Department and above is vested in the President.’

He also faulted the IGG for denying Mr. Mugaino a fair hearing before his interdiction and for proceeding to charge him in court despite an existing order restraining the action.

Justice Acellam subsequently issued orders quashing the interdiction letters, prohibiting further implementation of the IGG’s directives, and nullifying the criminal charges filed on June 4, 2025. The court also awarded Mr Mugaino Shs50 million in damages, describing the IGG’s conduct as a ‘blatant abuse of power and total disregard of the law.’

‘The sanctity of the rule of law demands that court orders be respected irrespective of whether a party is happy with the decision,’ the judge emphasised.

Museveni intervention

His release comes months after President Museveni questioned the IGG’s interdiction of him.

Mr Mugaino is a presidential appointee.

In a strongly worded letter dated May 24 and addressed to Lands Minister Ms Judith Nabakooba, President Museveni expressed outrage over Mr Mugaino’s interdiction, which he said was carried out without his consultation, despite being the appointing authority.

‘I have now been informed that the Commissioner of Land Registration, who is implementing this solution, has been removed from office on unspecified grounds, apparently acting on the directives of the IGG,’ the President wrote.

He added, ‘How convenient! Do you have the authority to interdict such an officer [a presidential appointee] without my involvement? Why was I not consulted prior to this action being taken?’

Grief and fear have gripped residents of Kahyooro B Village, Nyamiti Ward in Muhorro Town Council, Kagadi District, after a chimpanzee attacked and killed a four-month-old baby. The incident has increased the community’s worries over the escalating cases of wildlife attacks in the area. The tragic incident occurred last week when the baby’s mother, Ms Rogers Ahaisibwe, left the child, Miracle Ngonzize, resting near her garden as she tended to her crops.

A chimpanzee reportedly came from the nearby Katyobona Private Forest Reserve, grabbed the baby, and disappeared into the thick bushes. Neighbours who heard the mother’s cries rushed to help search for the baby, but their efforts ended in tears when they found the child’s lifeless body abandoned deep inside the forest.

‘I received information that the baby girl had gone missing. We immediately organised a search, only to discover her lifeless body. It was a horrifying scene. This is not the first time this has happened here,’ Mr Yasin Mugabi, the Local Council 1 chairperson of Kahyooro B, said in an interview last week. Mr Mugabi said such attacks have become common, forcing residents to abandon their gardens out of fear. He said chimpanzees from the nearby forests roam freely, attacking people and destroying crops.

For many locals in Kagadi District, farming is their only way of survival, but the growing threat from chimpanzees has left them torn between trying to earn a living and staying safe. Ms Glorious Ajuna said her child narrowly survived last year after a chimpanzee entered their home, grabbed the child, and injured her before villagers chased it away. Ms Ajuna said she later spent a lot of money on medical treatment for the child. ‘Since then, I have lived with fear and debts due to medical bills. If the government can’t gazette these reserves, they should relocate them to another forest. I don’t know if UWA wants us to first die and then they come to remove these animals. Our gardens are also destroyed,’ she said.

Mr Kisembo Matia, a resident of Nyamiti, said chimpanzee attacks have been happening for more than 20 years. Over that time, many people have been killed or injured, and gardens repeatedly destroyed. ‘I have attended over 20 burials of people killed by chimpanzees in our area. For years, we’ve been promised that the land would be gazetted, but nothing has been done. We are living like prisoners in our own homes,’ he said.

He added that the attacks have also affected children’s education, as many are too scared to walk to school. Some roads to school pass through places where the chimpanzees roam, forcing children to stay home. A Primary Five pupil, Richard Ayesiga, from Nyamiti Primary School, said: ‘Whenever I try to go to school, chimpanzees cross the road and chase us. I get scared and run back home. I want to study, but I’m afraid.’

Local leaders have condemned what they call government negligence in addressing the growing menace. Mr Godfrey Nangonza, the LC3 chairperson of Muhorro Town Council, described the situation as ‘dire and unacceptable’. ‘As leaders, we have repeatedly informed the authorities, especially the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), but there has been no effective response. If this continues, people might resort to killing the animals in self-defence, and that will be another crisis,’ he said.

Mr Nangonza said Kagadi District registers at least one death annually from chimpanzee attacks, with several others suffering injuries. ‘This year’s case is the first fatality, but we’ve already had two other minor incidents. The villages of Karuswiga, Nyamiti, and Kahyooro are the most affected,’ he said. The residents are now demanding immediate government intervention. Some have threatened to stage protests if their pleas continue to go unanswered.

Ms Kahunde Muhereza, a community member, said they had earlier reached an agreement with the UWA for compensation, but nothing has come out of it.

‘We were told that victims would be compensated, but until now, no payment has been made. Even the proposed compensation was not worth the land we’ve lost,’ she lamented. Mr Bashir Hangi, the spokesperson for UWA, sympathised with the bereaved family and assured residents that the matter had been reported to the central government.

‘The government is in the process of compensating all the affected families. We are also working toward gazetting the area once funds are available. In the meantime, we urge locals to remain vigilant and avoid provoking the animals,’ he said.

The board members of Deposits Protection Fund (DPF) have asked the police to tackle cyber bank crime in the country, which is directly affecting the banks and their clientele.

Dr Andrew Obara, a board member of DPF, made the request while meeting stakeholders and bank managers in Soroti city on Wednesday, saying that this is an area where the police should up their investigations.

“In Uganda, cyber bank crime remains a growing concern, with a significant increase in financial losses and cases, these crimes range from sophisticated attacks like hacking, fraud, and ransomware often involving insider breaches,” he said.

In 2024, the losses as a result of cyber bank crime were approximated at Shs1.02 trillion.

Mr Obara’s plea was in response to the outcry from the RDCs that the beneficiaries of PDM are being fleeced of their money by officers who are managing the fund after their bank details are compromised by third-party officers.

“This cannot be the problem of the bank but police can help investigate this under the cybercrime act,” the DPF board member said.

Mr Ibrahim Saiga, the RPC Kyoga East, said that police have a cybercrime department whose work is highly commendable whenever called upon. He added that among other issues, they often receive are matters of fraud, and a number of the suspects have been prosecuted.

Mr. Saiga said that some of the issues involving PDM have also been handled by police and suspects forced to refund the money to the beneficiaries.

Ms. Julia Oyet, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DPF, told the stakeholders drawn from the various sectorial departments and private sector that the DPF is doing well, and so is the bank sector.

She appealed to the people to continue banking with confidence in their respective banks where they have and hold accounts.

Mr Patrick Ezaga, the Director Communications at DPF, told participants that DPF is a government-based institution that was designed to protect depositors in the eventuality that a bank closes.

He added that DPF guarantees payment of up to Shs10M per depositor in the event the financial institution fails, this coverage includes 98 per cent of the deposit accounts in the country, with the majority belonging to low-income earners.

Shortly after he was announced newly elected mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani took to the podium, flanked by his wife, and parents, Ugandan power couple, Prof Mahmood Mamdani and Ms Mira Nair. The couple has lived in Uganda’s capital Kampala, for decades, where Prof Mamdani first moved with his family in his childhood.

Prof Mamdani is a scholar, commentator, an academic, and author, who specialises in the study of colonialism, anti-colonialism, decolonisation, race, and governance. He has taught at universities in Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and the United States.

He was born in 1946 in India and moved to Uganda, where he was raised. In an essay he wrote in the literary magazine, London Review of Books, in 2022, Prof Mamdani indicated he registered as a Ugandan citizen at independence.

He left Uganda in 1972 when Idi Amin expelled Asians who lived in Uganda at the time. The political scientist fled to Britain and later took up a teaching position at the University of Dar es Salaam.

He graduated with a PhD from Harvard University in 1974 and returned to Uganda after the fall of Amin in 1979. Prof Mamdani then worked with Makerere University from 1980 to 1993, and later served as the director of Makerere Institute of Social Research from 2010 to 2022.

He is credited with building a strong PhD programme at the institute and improving research. But his tenure was also riddled with infighting, including with colleagues and students, with some escalating to legal suits.

Prof Mamdani has also authored more than a dozen books, including Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, Neither Settler nor Native, Citizen and Subject, and the latest, Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni and the Making of the Ugandan State.

In his 2022 Essay, where he discusses the expulsion of the Asians and the question of citizenship, Mamdani concludes that ‘For the Asians who were thrown out in 1972, Uganda was home.’ It is here that he met Ms Nair. The couple married in 1991. Ms Nair is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker. Her works including Salaam Bombay, and Mississippi Masala, explore delicate themes on race, homelessness, and culture, among others.

Ms Nair also directed the Queen of Katwe, a film set in Kampala. The 68-year-old 1957 Oscar-nominated filmmaker studied sociology at Delhi University and later attended Harvard University. Ms Nair, The New York Times writes, believes their works influenced Zohran.

‘Of course, the world we live in, and what we write and film and think about, is the world that Zohran has very much absorbed,’ the publication quotes Ms Nair.

Yesterday, Ugandans took to social media to celebrate Zohran’s victory, which several agree has its foundation in his upbringing, the works, and calibre of his parents.

‘I saw Zohran at house parties when he was a little boy tagging along with his mom and dad and the usual clique of Pan Africanists.No wonder he is who he is today. His growing up was influenced by so many good people, he had role models and, to his advantage, focused parents who thought beyond themselves and gave our world a wealth of knowledge and creativity,’ Ms Nada Anderson posted on X.

Mathew Prince Mwase wants ‘to go as far my talent can take me.’

That is probably also the approach he takes to all his races. His effort is always noticeable and his ability to live up with the top seeds in his races has made him one of the swimmers to watch in the recent past.

Mathew, 17, for the uninitiated is the first of three sons of Uganda Aquatics (UAq) president Moses Mwase. All three boys hit the scene at almost the same time but the younger Jaden was probably more noticeable because of his diminutive figure.

But in the recent past, Mathew and Arthur, 16, are hitting the right codes in their swimming careers, not only under the watch of coach Joseph Kabogoza at Sailfish Swim Club but also for their nation.

At the UAq National Championships in July, Mathew was probably the dark horse in the 17 and Over age group taking up three bronze medals in the; 100m backstroke behind Tendo Kaumi and Joshua Kaganda, 100m freestyle behind Tendo and his brother Pendo, then in the 50m free behind Tendo and his namesake Mukalazi.

Another intriguing race from Mathew came at the UAq League Meet III at Rockwood Swimming Pool, Bweyogerere. In a bid to spice up the events of the day, Pendo, who had elected to skip this leg of the league, asked to race in the 100m freestyle to take on guest American swimmer Gatt Lachlan. As everyone concentrated on what Lachlan and Pendo were up to, Mathew focused on himself and led the race for 80m.

But Pendo turned up a gear in the final lap to win it – although the official winner was recorded as Mathew as the former was not officially registered.

Zone III performance

Mathew went on to represent Uganda at the 10th edition of the Africa Aquatics Zone III Swimming Championships held October 16-19 at Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mathew bagged the 17 and Over boys’ 50m free bronze (25.28) in another ballistic race where under 50 microseconds separated the first five finishers.

He also finished 4th in the 100m back (1:06.92) and free (56.75), then 5th in 50m back (31.06). He also got four silver medals from the 15 and Over relays; first combining with Silverfin’s Ampaire Namanya and Isaiah Kuc, plus Gators’ Peterson Inhensiko in the 4x50m medley, then Kisawuzi, Kaumi, and Kirabo in the mixed 4x50m free. Mathew also worked with Kaumi, Jordan Munyikwa, and Malcolm Nahamya in the 4x100m free relay. Then Inhensiko substituted Munyikwa as the boys got second place in the 4x50m free relay.

‘I am doing well but maybe not so much in the individual races,’ Mathew said ahead of his 50m free, which he needed to do in the best way possible to get an individual medal. He duly delivered.

‘Just after we had been told to take our mark in the 50m back, the official in my lane told me I could not put my toes above the water. That is how I ended up having a bad start,’ he explained.

Mathew has always been self-critical. In fact, his eureka moment came from analyzing his ‘bad performance at the Zone III in Tanzania (2022)’. That was the third time he was swimming at the competition having made his debut in 2019 in Kasarani and also swum at the 2021 edition in Uganda.

‘Okay, the times were not as bad but I was disappointed in my performance and decided to lock in and be more intentional and focused in training,’ Mathew recalls.

Mathew also represented Uganda at the Africa Zone IV Championships in Zambia (2022). He continues to be a lead light for his brothers but also recognizes their strengths over his.

Pushing each other

‘Arthur is better at long distance events. I am better at sprinting. In between there, in the 200m and 400m freestyle, he is better.

‘Jaden is definitely the better breaststroker but he is a lot younger, so we beat him because of that. Backstroke is the weaker stroke for both of them but I am good at it. Then I am better at 50m fly and Arthur is better at the 100m.’

Arthur’s middle and long distance efforts earned him a call up to the team representing Uganda at the Africa Aquatics Junior and Senior Open Water Swimming Championships in Mombasa, Kenya last week.

The boys have earned all their stripes but the unavoidable question is how they feel playing a sport led by their father.

‘We were encouraged to take up swimming, nine or 10 years ago, by our parents because they did not want us to drown. But, I personally feel no pressure because when I started, I was so far down and did not know about the federation. I have worked my way all the way to where I am. I believe Jaden and Arthur feel the same way too,’ Mathew said.

The trio love music too while Mathew and Arthur could probably be found playing top level chess if they are not at a swimming competition.

‘Maybe I am ranked top 20 in Uganda and Arthur is possibly in the top 40. Jaden does not play as much. We love music and have done some competitions but right now, we are focused on getting better at it,’ Mathew, who is finishing high school next year, said.

‘We have passion for all the things we do. I love the practice and competition, and probably Arthur and Jaden do too.”

AT A GLANCE

Name: Mathew Prince Mwase

Brothers: Jaden (14), Arthur (17)

Sport: Swimming, chess

Club: Sailfish

On Monday this week, we reported that Ntungamo District leaders had started an investigation into an incident at Kajumbajumba Primary School in Kyafoora Parish, Rugarama North Sub-county, where health workers mistakenly administered the wrong drug to more than 100 pupils during a deworming exercise.

It is incomprehensible how a deworming drug could have been confused with an epilepsy drug. Drugs come with extensive labelling, which begs the question, could the personnel administering the drug read? Were the labels in a foreign language? As the teams go out to carry out programmes such as mass vaccination, are they adequately supervised? Was there a qualified health worker in charge? This district exercise would surely be flagged off by a senior health official, perhaps a doctor?

Investigations should also cover the storage of drugs for such exercises. If the wrong medication can escape the notice of officials to the extent of it being used undetected, what is to stop officials from releasing expired drugs from the stores and embarking on vaccination or any other such exercise?

According to the Practical Guidelines for Dispensing at Lower Level Health Centres 2014 (PGD) produced by the Ministry of Health, Pharmacy Division, the personnel dispensing drugs should check the dispensed medicine against the prescription and the stock containers used, which includes checking that the label is correct and all information is filled in.

While outlining what constitutes good dispensing practice, the guidelines state that when preparing the prescribed medicine, one must select the stock container (pack or tin) by reading the label properly and cross-checking the medicine’s name and strength with the prescription; one also ought to make sure the medicine has not expired. Dispensers should read the container label at least twice during this process.

Therefore, as Ntungamo District health office and hopefully, the Ministry of Health as a whole, investigate this incident of drug mix-up, one of the initial questions that ought to be dealt with is whether the dispensers of the problem drugs were qualified to carry out the function, if the drugs were labelled clearly to avoid confusion and what chain of custody and verification was in place before the drugs were dispensed?

Mass drug administration ought to be more closely supervised to avoid a repeat of such unfortunate incidents, but also to maintain community faith in vaccination and other government mass mobilisation efforts for preventive healthcare.

President Museveni has urged farmers in the Teso and Bugisu sub-regions to stop cultivating rice in wetlands, saying the practice is destroying the environment.

The President made the call yesterday while commissioning the Shs71 billion Achomai Irrigation Scheme in Kamutur Sub-county, Bukedea District. The scheme, which sits on 2,200 hectares of land and serves nine villages across Bukedea and Bulambuli districts, is part of the government’s broader plan to promote commercial agriculture through irrigation and sustainable water use.

‘I’m happy to be here to commission this Achomai Irrigation Scheme. I don’t eat rice myself; I eat cassava and bananas and our indigenous foods, but some of our people eat rice,’ Mr Museveni said. ‘It’s good to grow it but grow it safely, not in the swamp. You should take water from the swamp to the dry land and then irrigate,’ he added.

Mr Museveni explained that while rice has become an important cash crop for many farmers, growing it in swamps interferes with the ecosystem. ‘I don’t want rice in the swamp (osamai). I want it in the aroo (dry land), and then you irrigate. That is good because you’re now helping God to make rain. You’re creating rain in months when God is not bringing it. That is healthy and very good,’ he said.

He added that irrigation ensures farmers produce consistently while protecting communities from floods. ‘When you irrigate, you yield and produce more per hectare, but there is also another element of taming floods. When you make a dam, you capture water and retain it somewhere, and then you can use it when you want,’ he explained.

The President said the project demonstrates government’s commitment to turning subsistence farming into commercial agriculture through the use of modern technology and infrastructure.

Fulfilling pledge

Speaker of Parliament and Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among thanked President Museveni for fulfilling his promise to the people of Bukedea. ‘Before you brought this dam here, I used to think it was a myth. Now I’m seeing it in reality. This place used to flood, but now we have a fully-fledged irrigation scheme serving nine villages,’ Ms Among said.

She also commended Dott Services Limited, the contractor, for quality work. ‘They’ve done a very good job. You’ve commissioned the Achomai Irrigation Scheme and the breeding centre that’s just in the next village. As the people of Bukedea, we thank you,’ she added. Mr Athanasius Ssebugwawo, the project’s contract manager, said the scheme was constructed under the Agricultural Value Chain Development Programme funded by the government and the African Development Bank.

‘Before this project, the area suffered both extremes-harsh droughts during the dry season and floods during the rainy season. Now farmers can grow crops all year round,’ Mr Ssebugwawo said. He revealed that more than 1,800 acres were planted and harvested in the last season, with plans to expand to 2,000 acres in the next cycle.

The Achomai Irrigation Scheme features two drying yards, a warehouse, a workshop, a bridge, an administration block, and 58 kilometres of access roads.

The commissioning marked the end of President Museveni’s tour of the Teso Sub-region and the start of his campaign activities in Bugisu, where he is emphasising irrigation and value addition as key drivers for Uganda’s transition to a middle-income economy.

BACKGROUND

Through the National Irrigation Policy (2019) and the Irrigation Master Plan (2020), the government aims to increase the area under irrigated agriculture, promote water-efficient technologies, and support smallholder farmers with access to finance and extension services. The strategy emphasises the development of both large-scale public irrigation schemes and smallholder-based systems, integrating sustainable water management practices, climate-smart agriculture, and modern infrastructure.

Driss El Mountaqi, the African representative on the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), believes African nations need more regular local tournaments, refresher courses for coaches, guides and referees if they are to catch up with the more developed blind football countries in America, Europe and Asia.

El Mountaqi presided over the 2025 IBSA Blind Football African Championship Division II from October 27-29 at Hamz Stadium in Kampala.

‘Compared to America and Europe, I would give the event 60 percent. But by African standards, 80 percent because it’s the first Africa Division II tournament,’ El Mountaqi exclusively told Daily Monitor.

Only Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Uganda played the tournament, South Sudan proving a class apart by beating Uganda 3-0 in the opening match and in the final to win the title.

Having beaten Zimbabwe 2-0, South Sudan also finished the tournament with the most number of goals-eight and conceding none. They also dominated the individual awards: Charles Bepo, emerged the best goalkeeper, Yona Sabri the top scorer with six goals, and their captain Martin Lado, the tournament’s MVP.

Both Uganda and South Sudan qualified for Division I, the winner of which will automatically qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

But El Mountaqi, who has coached Morocco to the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, believes African teams still have a lot to do to reach the level of Europe, America and Asia.

‘They need to have local championships where players can compete regularly. Even in Morocco we have few games. It’s not enough. Africa also needs championships like the ones regularly played in America, Europe and Asia,’ El Mountaqi said.

‘There’s also a need for refresher training for coaches, guides and referees.’

For the three match days, El Mountaqi observed that coaches lack a good grasp of the rules. ‘Because knowledge of the rules help you coach well. That’s why you need more courses for referees, coaches and guides. For example, Uganda has been changing guides. It’s not good. A good guide has codes with the players. ‘When I say this you know what I mean’ but when you change the guides all the time, the players lose that connection.’

El Mountaqi urged the Uganda Paralympic Committee and Blind Football Uganda to be intentional in creating a formidable national team.

‘You don’t have to wait for an event to pick the national team. Every two months, they need 10 days or a week to play and train together to create and strengthen connection,’ he said.

As UPC president Bumali Mpindi usually says, that will need more government investment into para-sport.

Ball per player

‘In Africa we are strong, physically. But we must train every day. And every player must have a ball. Not one ball for the whole team.’

El Mountaqi added: ‘The ball should become like your leg. You should worry about other things, not the ball. Otherwise, you won’t play well, you will have accidents.’

He found Lado and Sabri, both of South Sudan, outstanding. Zimbabwe’s Arnold Swella, who got injured against South Sudan, and Uganda’s Gad Tumusiime, showed signs of potential.

‘But all of these players need to work on their speed. They must be faster. Europeans and Americans play very fast and if you are not as fast you can’t compete against them.

DIVISION II RESULTS

Uganda 0-3 South Sudan

South Sudan 2-0 Zimbabwe

Uganda 1-0 Zimbabwe

FINAL

Uganda 0-3 South Sudan