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The pressure is mounting fast in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, and for two of its traditional powerhouses – Express and URA – Thursday’s fixtures could define the direction of their seasons.

For seven-time champions Express, coach Badru Kaddu must hastily rediscover the team’s sharp claws to overcome what has been a diabolical league start.

Since their opening-day 1-0 victory over equally struggling UPDF on September 26 at Nakivubo Stadium, the Red Eagles have looked unrecognizable from their once-feared selves.

They have since slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Police, a 1-0 loss to KCCA, and battled to uninspiring draws-0-0 with Bul and 1-1 with URA. That poor run leaves them languishing in 10th place on five points from five matches, a far cry from their traditional giant status.

Kaddu’s men now face a must-win situation this evening at Nakivubo, hosting a wounded Mbarara City outfit that has also forgotten how to win.

The Ankole Lions, under Simon Peter Mugerwa, remain second from bottom with just two points from five matches and are reeling from a 1-0 home defeat to Nec – a result that handed James Odoch’s charges their first victory of the campaign.

Mbarara’s struggles have been both psychological and structural. They have lost 1-0 to UPDF and 3-2 to Kitara, while managing only draws – 1-1 with Bul and 1-1 with Police.

Their defensive frailties and lack of cutting edge up front have condemned them to the early relegation mix. For the visitors, anything less than a point tonight could spell disaster, as another slump would likely trap them in the bottom two.

Express, however, will have to cope without creative attacking midfielder John Asiimwe, who is away in Qatar with Uganda’s U-17 World Cup team.

Kaddu will instead pin his hopes on forwards Richard Basangwa, Muhamad Ssenoga, and Rashid Kawawa to deliver the crucial goals against Mbarara’s fragile backline.

With the Nakivubo crowd expectant and patience wearing thin, the Red Eagles’ faithful will demand nothing less than a return to winning ways if any trophy hopes – however faint – are to remain alive.

Taxmen invade Luzira

Meanwhile, at Luzira Prisons Grounds, Muhammad Ssenfuma’s Maroons, 11th on four points, welcome URA FC, who are seventh with seven points.

The Tax Collectors, led by Alex Isabirye, finally broke their winless streak with a thrilling 3-2 triumph over UPDF last Wednesday at Nakivubo Stadium.

Skipper Moses Aliro struck twice – including a decisive penalty – to secure URA’s first win in five matches and promised to extend his goal-scoring form today.

But Maroons, still smarting from a 2-1 defeat to Police in Kamwokya, will look to capitalize on home comfort and frustrate the inconsistent Tax Collectors.

With both sides seeking stability, this encounter promises tactical discipline and flashes of attacking flair as the season’s early tension begins to bite across the league.

StarTimes Uganda Premier League

Thursday

Maroons vs. URA, 4pm

Luzira Prisons Ground

Express vs. Mbarara City, 8pm

Nakivubo Stadium

Express first five league matches

Bul 0-0 Express

Express 0-1 KCCA

URA 1-1 Express

Police 2-1 Express

Express 1-0 UPDF

More invigilators and teachers were locked up by police over allegations of examination malpractices as Primary Seven candidates wrote their last papers. Yesterday, candidates did their Integrated Science and English papers, sealing their seven-year academic cycle.

A total of 817,885 candidates registered for this year’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). In the Greater Masaka Sub-region, 15 people were arrested for reportedly aiding candidates during exams. The suspects, including invigilators, were arrested in the districts of Masaka, Rakai, Kyotera, and Masaka City.

Mr Twaha Kasirye, the Southern Regional Police spokesperson, said they are still hunting for a male proprietor of one of the prominent schools in Masaka City. He said the school director, who is also a parliamentary candidate in Masaka City, attempted to bribe Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) officials to influence their examination monitoring process.

In Masaka District alone, Mr Kasirye said eight teachers were arrested for examination malpractices. ‘The teachers were caught red-handed writing answers for candidates and coaching them on how to approach Social Studies questions. Evidence was obtained at the scene to support the case,’ he said Police also arrested Uneb invigilators and a scout on allegations of aiding pupils during exams. The regional police spokesperson said another man was arrested at a school for impersonation.

‘The suspect falsely presented himself as a Uneb scout when he was not officially recognised as one,’ Mr Kasirye said. At least 2,724 candidates from 53 schools in Masaka District sat the exams. In the eastern district of Katakwi, the District Inspector of Schools, Mr Daniel Ailileng, said despite the fact that some examination centres are currently water logged, PLE was concluded without any hindrances. He said during the two-day exercise, all centres received the examinations in time, and for the case of schools that suffered floods, they were relocated to churches.

At Oriau Primary School in Magor Sub-county, a total of 62 candidates registered for the papers, of which 34 were girls. At Swaria Primary School, Mr Stanley Elwongu, the head teacher, said one candidate failed to show up during the two-day exercise. In Bugiri District, several Primary Seven candidates failed to sit for their exams after reportedly getting married, and others dropped out to engage in casual labour. Mr Nathan Wabwire, the Bugiri District Inspector of Schools, revealed that at Katuba Muslim Primary School, 190 candidates registered, but two did not turn up.

‘The school administration informed me that one of the pupils had died, while the other could not be traced,’ he said. He added that at Wandegeya Primary School, four pupils were absent without any communication about their whereabouts, while at Bukatabira Primary School, one candidate had been married off and another could not be located. Mr Moses Seema, the chairperson of the Bugiri District Head Teachers’ Association and head teacher of Nankoma Primary School, said the poor road network affected the timely distribution of exam materials.

Ms Scovia Achom, the head teacher of Kasongoire Primary School in Nankoma Sub-county, urged the government to prioritise road maintenance in rural areas. She added that rural schools face numerous challenges, including bad roads, lack of accommodation for teachers, and parents’ failure to provide lunch for the candidates.

Rwenzori sub-region

Despite last weekend’s machete-wielding assailants attacks and years of flooding challenges, schools in Bundibugyo District and along the Uganda-DR Congo border defied the odds to ensure all candidates sit for their exams. In Sindira Sub-county in Bundibugyo District, where suspected machete-wielding attackers struck on Saturday, local leaders said fear initially disrupted exam attendance. Mr Burasio Bwambale, the sub-county chairperson, said about 14 candidates from Mutiti Primary School fled to the DR Congo after the incident but were later persuaded to return and sit for their exams. He added that security was tightened at all exam centres in the sub-county to ensure smooth conduct of the examinations.

‘One parent, who had two children sitting for PLE, was among the suspects arrested over the attacks. When he disappeared, he went with the children, and they missed the exams. Another candidate was also arrested as a suspect, and despite our plea for his release, he missed the exams too,’ Mr Bwambale revealed. Mr John Byamukama, the Bundibugyo District Education Officer (DEO), confirmed that exams were conducted in all 65 centres across the district. However, he said the recent insecurity affected three Uneb exam centres in Sindila Sub-county, including Mutiti Primary School. Mr Byamukama added that at Kagugu Primary School, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had to deploy soldiers to secure the area so that candidates could sit their final exams without fear.

Mr Benson Atujuna, the head teacher of Umoja Primary School in Ntoroko District, said all 30 registered candidates turned up for the exams despite the harsh learning conditions they have endured since 2019, when floods from Lake Albert submerged their school. Mr Atujuna said the school combined its candidates with 45 others from Rwangara Primary School, and the exams were conducted at the Rwenyena IDP camp in makeshift classrooms.

In West Nile

Four candidates of Jiako Primary School in Arua City, Ali Agu, Fahad Rashid, Juma Yanan, and Yusuf Andrunga, missed the examinations after they discovered that they were not registered. At Arua Hill Primary school, a Uneb scout was on Tuesday morning handed over to the police on Tuesday morning after he allegedly reported for duty while drunk and attempted to slap a candidate. In Adjumani District, education officials said a total of 5,901 candidates, both nationals and refugees, sat for their examinations across 45 Uneb centres in the district.

In Gulu City, a 17-year-old female candidate with hearing impairment, Elizabeth Agenorwot, is among 39 candidates who sat for PLE at Laroo Primary School in Gulu City. Unfortunately, Uneb failed to assign her a transcriber. Mr Ernest Ndinawe, the Mbarara DEO, said a total of 3,517 candidates sat exams in the district, but one of the girls failed to turn up. Mr Godfrey Nkuba, the Isingiro DEO, said: ‘The only challenge we got is exams reaching a bit late in hard-to-reach areas, but otherwise everything went on well, and I hope all candidates will pass.’

Tanzania’s October 29 general election may have gone down as the country’s bloodiest since Tanganyika merged with Zanzibar to form Tanzania on April 26, 1964.

In three days of protests and clashes that followed, diplomats in Dar es Salaam estimated that between 700 and 1,000 people were killed. For a nation that had cultivated an image of calm, consensus, and order for nearly six decades, the violence shattered the myth completely. The region should not look away, least of all Uganda.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in quietly at State House, without the public, in a ceremony that lacked the celebratory air that once accompanied Tanzanian inaugurations.

The event was televised but stripped of the music and colour that used to fill stadiums. This was not a triumphant return to power. Suluhu’s 98 percent victory, achieved after Opposition parties were barred, journalists arrested, and entire communities silenced, is too large to be credible and too neat to be democratic. It reduced her triumph to theatre.

For a president who entered office after John Magufuli’s sudden death in March 2021, this was meant to be her democratic coronation. Instead, it stripped away the legitimacy she had been building over the past four years.

Tanzania’s and East Africa’s first elected woman president (Burundi’s Sylvie Kinigi was Africa’s first female president from October 27, 1993, to February 5, 1994, after Burundi President Melchior Ndadaye was assassinated, but she wasn’t elected) was expected to soften the iron habits of the State that hardened under her predecessor.

Instead, she reinforced them. In doing so, she has rewritten the expectations that many African feminists once held, emerging not as the gentler face of power but as perhaps the most despotic woman leader of the post-independence era.

What just happened recalls the 2000 Zanzibar election, when the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s heavy hand sent dozens to their deaths, mainly in Pemba and Unguja, and drove more than 2,000 islanders fleeing by dhows to the Kenyan coast.

Some, in a desperate search for safety, sailed further north to Somalia, where a small Zanzibari community still resides in Mogadishu’s Hamarweyne district.

The illusion, which was quickly re-established that the country was immune to the contagion of electoral violence, has collapsed. The CCM’s uninterrupted rule since independence has become a liability, breeding complacency and arrogance.

Uganda, more than any other country in the neighbourhood, has reason to pay attention. The Uganda-Tanzania border stretches approximately 396 kilometres, which is shorter than Uganda’s 435-kilometre boundary with South Sudan and far less than the 877 kilometres it shares with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Yet its economic and strategic weight far outweighs its size. Along that narrow stretch runs a network of trade and kinship ties that have quietly underpinned Uganda’s economy and politics for decades.

At the heart of this relationship lies the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, a 1,445-kilometre mega-project carrying Uganda’s oil from Hoima to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.

The pipeline has been promoted as a symbol of regional integration. Yet the recent unrest revealed that beneath the slogans of stability and brotherhood lies a fragility that could upend years of planning.

If Tanzania burns, Uganda’s dream of becoming a petroleum exporter could be extinguished along with it. For Uganda, whose trade flows still rely mainly on Mombasa but increasingly lean on the Dar port as a secondary artery, the violence was a jolt to its assumptions.

The comfort of thinking Tanzania was the region’s unshakable anchor is gone. Even cautious diplomats now admit that the ground beneath Dodoma’s calm exterior is shifting.

This should push Uganda toward a new kind of pragmatism. For decades, Kampala’s foreign policy has mirrored its domestic instincts: loyalty to incumbents, wrapped in the language of liberation. Its relationships have been with ruling parties or presidents, not nations.

That has worked in predictable times, but when power fragments, that loyalty turns into a liability. Tanzania’s crisis reminds us that Uganda needs a two-track strategy. The first is official diplomacy: strengthening trade, coordinating infrastructure, keeping the oil project on course, and maintaining cordial ties with Dodoma. The second, more discreet, must be hedging.

A landlocked State cannot afford to bet everything on a single political alliance. Kampala should quietly open informal channels with Tanzania’s Opposition, not to interfere but to protect its interests.

If the Uganda government-or more likely, the Museveni State House, contributes $250,000 (Shs866m) as a solidarity donation to the CCM for a “sisterly” cause, it should consider discreetly funnelling $100,000 (Shs346m) to CHADEMA and perhaps $50,000 (Shs173m) to ACT-Wazalendo through deniable vehicles and actors.

Should power shift unexpectedly or the ruling party lose influence, Uganda would still have allies who understand its economic stakes and the logic of the oil pipeline.

The crude oil pipeline might yet rise as a monument to East Africa’s ambition, but only if the politics surrounding it are anchored in realpolitik.

In the aftermath of Uganda’s 2021 General Election, President Museveni declared his intention to form a ‘Cabinet of fishermen.’

Drawing a biblical parallel, he likened himself to Jesus and his appointees to the disciples who carried the gospel long after his death. But deep beneath the theatrics lied a political message of a calculated response to an electorate that had rejected his preferred seasoned politicians in key constituencies.

In this defiant vote for change, Ugandans had overwhelmingly spoken of a fatigue with old politicians who refuse to go.

Since the elections of Members of Parliament in urban centre has a semblance for being free and fair, it is the right measure of the temperate across board, and in this one, polished technocrats and career politicians were rejected.

Instead, the masses opted for musicians, activists, and political newcomers, a rebuke of the status quo and a cry for relatable leadership and tangible service delivery. The President’s ‘fishermen’ metaphor was a subtle warning cloaked in satire.

As is the case that every after an election, he modifies the NRM’s five-year term manifesto with Opposition wants, he truly did the same by delivering amateurs lacking experience or temperament for high office.

As we conclude this term, the consequences of the President’s decision are painfully clear that while he chose a populist view, it is important to use meritocratic principles to choose leaders.

This is not to say that political outsiders should be excluded from leadership, as, on the contrary, democracy thrives when diverse voices are represented. But ambition must be matched with preparation, and leadership is not a performance but a responsibility.

Developed economies have built institutions that weather such storms and keep excited, amateurish decision makers in check. If we had term limits and a trusted, a well-guarded election system would have self-checked us from the inexperience, insecurity, and the outright abuse of power.

Five years later, we find ourselves exhausted and fatigued from the pariah that we have become, yet we shall not apologize for our choices in 2021.

What we now face is the cost of inexperience and corruption at the heart of our legislature. Yes, its okay to harbour great political ambitions even for the highest office of the land, but a great politician is one who prepares for the position way before they ascend to it.

Throwing in half-baked deputies into an already corrupt and compromised system has only deepened dysfunction.

We must, therefore, demand this government of higher standards and ask of the NRM leaning Opposition parties to articulate clear expectations of who we want to lead such a young and vibrant generation.

They should care to imagine the chaos that would befall us all if another senior leader like the president left the office mid-term, to an unprepared leader selected on loyalty on a regional strategic basis.

As the NRM prepares to stage another election to protect their gains, the least we should expect is for them to steady the ship, for a just transition demands more than loyalty and symbolism.

It requires competence, integrity, and readiness. They should stop the sulking over who doesn’t vote for them and instead rein in the ‘fishermen’ or remove them entirely.

We are a nation bigger than just an election cycle, and rather deserve a leadership that reflects the dignity and seriousness of our challenges. We deserve better.

History will be written on Monday at the Aspire Zone in Doha, Qatar, as Uganda’s U17 national team, the ‘Cubs,’ step onto the Fifa World Cup stage for the first time ever, kicking off their dream campaign in Group K against Canada.

For Uganda, this is more than just a match; it is the realisation of a decades-long dream, secured through a dramatic playoff victory over The Gambia.

For Canada, veterans of eight previous U17 World Cups, the motivation is equally high: they are desperately seeking their first-ever win in the history of the tournament.

Cubs, the history makers

Cubs head coach Brian Ssenyondo leads a dynamic side that has shown glimpses of potential during their pre-tournament training camp in Dubai. The Cubs played competitive friendlies against World Cup-bound sides, securing a draw with Venezuela and suffering narrow defeats to Panama (1-2) and Paraguay (2-3).

The key takeaway from the preparation games is a potent attack coupled with some fragility at the back.

The man to watch for the Cubs is prolific forward James Bogere, the team’s top scorer during qualification who recently bagged goals against Venezuela and Paraguay. Bogere’s partnership with team captain Richard Okello will be crucial in unlocking Canada’s defense.

The team is acutely aware of the global spotlight. Bogere summed up the magnitude of the moment.

‘It’s my chance to show what I can do because you never know it might never come again,’ he said.

Ssenyondo believes the preparation has been sufficient, particularly the friendlies against Latin American opposition. He noted the team’s attacking consistency but pointed to areas needing polish.

“The good thing is that in all three games, we have scored, which shows our attacking potential. What we need to improve is defending and game management. I believe by the time we play our first match, everything will be in place,’ Ssenyondo said.

Hungry Canadians seek first win

While this is Uganda’s first dance, Canada is looking to end a long-standing, frustrating drought. Despite this being their ninth appearance, the Canucks have yet to register a victory at the Fifa U17 World Cup.

Under Head Coach Mike Vitulano, this generation of Canadian talent is determined to change that narrative.

Canada’s squad draws heavily from professional Major League Soccer academies, alongside several promising players based in Europe, such as defender William Daniels (Leicester City, England).

Vitulano underscored the team’s ambition heading into group action. ‘This group has grown a lot over the past year and our ambition continues to drive us forward,’ Vitulano said. ‘The players are determined to represent Canada with pride and purpose… We’re focused on improving every day and making our country proud.’

The North Americans secured their spot in Qatar with an impressive run in the Concacaf qualifiers, going undefeated with a strong scoring record.

Outlook

Group K is unforgiving, featuring European giants France and tough nuts Chile.

Both Uganda and Canada view this opening fixture as their most realistic chance for a precious three points or, at least, a positive result that could set up a run for one of the best third-place spots in the expanded 48-team tournament.

The match is expected to be a classic contrast in styles: Canada’s structure and physicality against Uganda’s raw pace and energy.

The battle in midfield, specifically how Uganda’s defensive midfielders handle Canada’s attempts to build play, will decide the flow of the game.

Uganda’s attacking moments, spearheaded by Bogere, could trouble the Canadian defense, but Canada’s World Cup experience, even if unsuccessful in the past, will likely lend them an organisational edge.

Fifa U17 World Cup 2025

Uganda vs Canada

Venue: Aspire Zone, Doha, Qatar

Kick-off time: 6:45pm

Streaming: FIFA+ (Worldwide)

TV: SuperSport, beIN Sports

Quality Chemical Industries weathered a tough first half to September, a stretch marked by a stronger shilling and softer demand, but still managed to come out with higher earnings, record cash, and a bump in dividends.

The shilling rose about 4 to 5 percent against the dollar during the period, according to Bank of Uganda.

And because Quality Chemical sells much of its output in sub-Saharan Africa and invoices in dollars, those same foreign sales are converted into fewer shillings on paper.

That is why reported revenue slipped 2.6 percent to Shs148.2b even as the business itself didn’t weaken because of the unusually strong shilling.

If exchange rates had stayed the same as the ones in the first half of 2025, Quality Chemical’s sales would have been about Shs154.6b, roughly 1.6 percent higher.

Profitability drivers

What changed, in a good way, was how much profit Quality Chemical squeezed from each shilling of sales.

Gross profits rose 7.9 percent to Shs63.4b, and gross profit margin surged from 38.6 percent to 42.8 percent.

This means that Quality Chemical earned more from every product it sold as a result of factories running more efficiently, tighter control of input costs, and a shift toward higher-margin products.

‘The current gross margin reflects … global competition and dynamic pricing for our products and key inputs, such as active pharmaceutical ingredients, and product mix,’ Ajay Kumar Pal, Quality Chemical chief executive officer, said in a statement accompanying the results, but warned that shareholders should exercise caution in assuming that these margins will be sustained.

Cash generation

These gains lifted profit before taxes to Shs33.9b from Shs31.9b, but what stood out even more was that day-to-day expenses barely moved.

With costs held steady, each efficiency gain flowed straight through to earnings.

That same discipline showed in how money moved through the business. Cash generated from operations rose to Shs51.4b from Shs9.3b, more than five times higher than the year before, due to faster collection of payments, less money tied up in stock, and on-time payment of suppliers.

Ajay said that the only cash that went out was mainly dividend payments (Shs22b) and ongoing factory investments (Shs10b). ‘As a result, we closed the period with cash and cash equivalents of Shs54.5b, up from Shs48b a year earlier,’ he noted.

Being in net cash gives the company options. It can keep investing, withstand shocks like forex swings or raw-material spikes, and still reward shareholders, without leaning on lenders.

The dividend

That is what the board signaled with an interim dividend of Shs4.2 per share in the first half of the 2026 financial year, up from Shs3.5 per share in the same period in 2025, a 20 percent lift.

The higher payout, backed by strong cash and no debt, shows that Quality Chemical can reward shareholders and still fund growth.

But Ajay warned that shareholders should note that this interim dividend does not set a precedent for future distributions, noting that the company is in a growth phase and may reinvest in its operations and capacity to drive long-term value creation.

Expansion

During the first half of the 2026 financial year, Quality Chemical continued to execute on its growth agenda with the introduction of 16 new products in the private market.

These launches advance the company’s mission to improve treatment outcomes through accessible, affordable, and high-quality medicines.

‘The new portfolio spans key therapeutic segments, including anti-malarials, anti-diabetics, anti-hypertensives, anti-fungals, anti-allergics, and antibiotics,’ Ajay noted.

In line with this commitment, construction has commenced on a second manufacturing facility in Luzira, Kampala.

The new manufacturing plant has an estimated cost of $36m (about Shs133b), an amount that is being financed through a debt facility secured from Stanbic Bank, with the funds dedicated to the construction of a second, World Health Organisation-compliant pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

The investment is expected to significantly increase production capacity from 1.4 billion to 2.4 billion tablets, support entry into new therapeutic areas, and introduce a state-of-the-art injectable production line.

These additions will enhance Quality Chemical’s competitive position across public and private markets.

Overcrowding at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital maternity ward has forced management to improvise tents to accommodate caregivers, Daily Monitor has established. Previously, caregivers could occupy corridors within the maternity ward to help the mothers, but rising numbers can no longer allow them to sleep inside the ward. Masaka Regional Referral Hospital Administrator, Mr Robert Mpanga yesterday confirmed the development, saying they provided the tents to address the current congestion inside the maternity ward.

‘The tents in the compound of the maternity ward house caregivers, but not mothers as it is perceived by the public. As management, we decided to have care givers housed out of the ward to create more space for more mothers that seek services at the facility,’ he explained during an interview on Wednesday.

The situation has been exacerbated by the government’s delay to complete the multibillion Maternity and Child Complex whose construction has dragged on for a decade due to delays in releasing funds.

Initially, the project was expected to cost Shs10b, but changes in the designs to include an intensive care unit have since pushed the cost to Shs12.2b. The hospital management had earlier indicated that they need Shs600 million for utilities and another Shs2 billion for equipping the complex. Mr Mpanga said they are currently mobilising local funds to ensure that the complex is utilised.

‘The structure is magnificent, but we cannot occupy it when we cannot pay the utility bills, once we address that, we shall be in position to shift and solve that issue of congestion,’ he added.

The Monitor has learnt that the multibillion ICU equipment which the government donated to the facility during the Covid-19 pandemic is also still lying idle in the hospital store due to delayed completion of the same complex where it is supposed to be installed.

Currently, patients have to seek ICU services from either Kampala or Mbarara both located over 100km away. The hospital management’s decision to house caregivers in the tents has however attracted bitter reactions from health activists in the Masaka Sub-region, who say that it is risky given that the current wet season is characterised by heavy rain, which sometimes last several hours.

Mr Swaibu Makumbi Sulambaaya, a health rights activist, asked the government to swiftly intervene and ensure the new maternity and child complex is operationalised. ‘The new maternity and child complex was aimed at decongesting the old maternity ward constructed in 1950s, but the project has taken long to be completed ,’ he said, adding ‘ In 2017, some of the hospital administrators allegedly mismanaged Shs5 billion meant for the same project, but were simply transferred to other hospitals. Let them be hunted down to refund the money and save our people from sleeping in tents.’

Once completed, the facility will also have two theatres, a gynecology unit, antenatal and neonatal centres, labour and post-natal wards. It will also have a pediatric, nutrition and adolescent health units, all with modern equipment. This complex was set up to decongest the old maternity ward, which has outlived its purpose.

THE HOSPITAL

Constructed in 1927, Masaka Regional Referral Hospital serves eight districts: Masaka, Rakai, Lyantonde, Lwengo, Ssembabule, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu and Kalangala. It takes care of more than two million people. Being on the busy Mombasa- Kampala-Mbarara-Kigali highway, makes it the first point of call for patients, mainly accident victims. Consequently, the hospital’s average daily contact with patients is 1,800, with about 360 admissions daily.

The floods that ravaged downtown Kampala on October 31, were not just a tragedy; they were a betrayal.

Three lives lost and billions in property destroyed. And yet, the cries of ordinary Ugandans are being drowned out, not by the rain, but by the silence, indifference, and misplaced priorities.

This disaster did not begin with the rain; it began with a presidential endorsement.

In August, President Museveni gave his blessing to city businessman Hamis Kiggundu’s proposal to cover the Nakivubo drainage channel and redevelop the area.

The plan was hailed as ‘godly’ and ‘imaginative.’ But what followed was anything but divine. Instead of prioritising drainage and flood mitigation, the focus shifted to erecting arcades while the city’s lifeline lies buried and broken.

There was no transparent process, no public tender, no environmental audit, no consultation with the people whose livelihoods depend on the Nakivubo corridor.

The Kampala Capital City Authority(KCCA) was sidelined, and the Kampala City Traders Association(Kacita) is now pleading for intervention. And yet, as traders waded through sewage to salvage their goods, thousands of Ugandans gathered at Hamz stadium on November 1 to watch a football match (Masaza Cup Finals).

A match! While families mourned their dead and counted their losses, the city cheered from the stands. This is heartbreaking. We must ask: What kind of society are we becoming? One that celebrates concrete over compassion?

One that applauds development while ignoring the destruction it leaves behind? The cries of the ordinary people must be heard. We need accountability, not just from Ham, but from every official who enabled this disaster.

We cannot normalise this suffering. We cannot let these deaths become statistics buried in bureaucratic reports.

Kampala is bleeding, and we must respond not with silence but with solidarity. We need transparency in urban planning, emergency relief for affected traders, and a public inquiry into the Nakivubo project.

I do not write this as a distant observer; I write this as someone deeply scarred by the heartbreak unfolding around me.

This pain is not abstract. It is the raw grief of a mother who arrived to find her life’s work drowned in sewage. It is the silent devastation of a young man staring at his boda boda, now a rusted relic of dreams washed away. It is the collective cry of a city suffocating under neglect, pleading for help that never comes.

This is not just about water. It is about the lives and dignity of Ugandans. It’s about justice! Kampala is not just flooded, it is wounded, and the silence in response is louder than the storm.

Let this be a message to call for action. Let it stir hearts and move hands. If we do not act now, the next storm will not just wash away our streets, it will wash away our humanity.

Traders in downtown Kampala find themselves in a bind with the terrible inevitability of the November rains exacting a high toll in human misery.

Grim predictions are being made with wide-eyed certainty by climate resilience and flooding experts after recent construction activities in flood plains compromised flood management measures in and around Nakivubo.

The financial impact incurred by weather-related damage to properties and possessions in Kampala’s Central Business District (CBD) stands as an ugly reminder of Mother Nature’s rage, if not ruthlessness.

Our deepest sympathies are with people who have, through no fault of their own, found themselves in a spot of bother due to rising flood risks.

Our hope is that the growing evidence of the rising threat posed by extreme weather piques interest about climate resilience and climate adaptation.

Ugandans must keep up the pressure on their leaders to take the rising threat level seriously.

The current blame game that technocrats and bureaucrats at City Hall are currently involved in will only do as much. Evidence-based solutions have to be proffered to ensure lightning does not strike twice, if you will. Before talking solutions, a diagnosis of the problem at hand would be much appreciated. Such a diagnosis would doubtlessly show the spending on flood defences is atrociously bad, compounded by human activities such as those that have contrived to narrow the Nakivubo drainage channel.

Also contributing to the bleak prospects assailing traders in Kampala’s CBD is the poor uptake of insurance packages. Yet the insurance industry must assume a central place in the grand scheme of all things climate risk reduction.

Here is why: Empirical evidence suggests that insurance contributes to climate risk reduction by, as one peer reviewed article points out, using risk transfer and by promoting resilience through incentivising safer practices.

Specifically, aside from doing a range of mundane things, including but not limited to providing financial incentives for policyholders to adopt risk-reducing measures, insurers can collaborate with the government on adaptation plans.

Besides risk assessment and modelling, as well as promoting resilience, insurers can also reduce climate risk through education.

Indeed, they can educate policyholders in downtown Kampala on how best to insulate their businesses against climate risks.

Traders in Kampala’s CBD are, of course, not alone in showing a lack of appetite, trust, and poor comprehension of insurance products.

The uptake of insurance products in Uganda remains desperately low, with less than one percent penetration. That works to about a pitiful 500,000 lives insured out of a population of more than 40 million.

One of the ways in which uptake can be improved, at least in downtown Kampala, is through product innovation.

In the global north, it is a common practice to have climate risk insurance provide incentives for risk reduction. This is done by simply rewarding preventive measures with lower insurance premiums.

Evidently, insurance’s capacity to serve as a critical tool for mitigating the financial impacts of climate disasters such as the one recently witnessed in downtown Kampala is not in doubt. The challenge now is to sensitise people who are in, pun unintended, the eye of the storm.

Police in Kisoro District have arrested two teachers in separate incidents over alleged examination malpractice during the ongoing Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

The suspects are accused of leaking examination papers and answers through WhatsApp messages before the official exam time.

According to Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson ASP Elly Maate, the suspects have been identified as Mr Michael Begumisa (38), a teacher at Kashenyi Integrated School in Ntungamo District, and Mr Jonas Twesiime (30), a teacher in Kisoro Municipality.

In the first incident, Mr Begumisa, who was deployed as a UNEB scout at St. Allens Primary School in Kisoro, was caught with a suspected PLE Science paper and its answers on his smartphone.

He was intercepted by Mr Asizua Gordon Okua, a Senior Inspector of Schools from the Directorate of Education Standards and a UNEB monitor in Kisoro District.

‘During his routine inspection, Mr. Asizua found the UNEB scout behaving suspiciously. Upon checking his phone, he discovered a Science paper with answers that had been sent two hours before the official exam time,’ Mr Maate said.

Police were immediately notified, and the suspect was arrested. His phone was recovered and kept as an exhibit for further investigation.

In a separate incident, Mr Twesiime, who was serving as the Chief Invigilator at Reads Primary School in Kisoro, was also arrested after being found in possession of the 2025 PLE English paper two hours before the scheduled start of the exam.

According to police, the case was reported by Ms Mildred Tumukwasibwe, a UNEB Chief Invigilator, who became suspicious when she was denied entry at the school gate despite identifying herself as a UNEB official.

‘She insisted on accessing the centre, and upon checking the invigilator’s phone, she found the English paper already downloaded on WhatsApp. It was shocking,’ Mr. Maate said.

Police investigations later revealed that the same phone contained copies of earlier PLE papers, including Mathematics and Social Studies (SST).

Mr Maate confirmed that the suspects’ smartphones have been sent to the Forensic Services Directorate in Naguru for digital analysis to determine the source of the examination leaks.

‘We shall not tolerate any form of examination malpractice,’ he warned. ‘Those involved will face the full force of the law. Police will continue working with UNEB to protect the credibility of national examinations.’

Both suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue.

On Monday, police also arrested Mr. Bernard Katabire (41), a teacher at Real Quality Primary School, and Mr Samuel Baker Munyantari (52), the Head Teacher at Seseme Primary School, after they were found with photocopied answer sheets containing solutions to Mathematics questions 31 and 32 at Seseme Primary School in Kisoro Municipality.