Category: Daily Monitor

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.

I have been seeing my boyfriend for two years, and everything seemed ideal until his best friend came between us. She has been part of his life much longer than I have, and although I have tried to accept their friendship, her attitude towards me has been openly hostile. She constantly messages him behind my back, pointing out my flaws and criticising how I treat him. He insists they are just friends and trusts me completely, but I can feel the tension whenever she is around. Last week, I found messages where she was trying to plant seeds of doubt, telling him I am ‘changing him’ and that he is ‘not himself anymore.’ I do not want to sound insecure or controlling, but this situation is eating me up inside. I love him deeply, yet I am beginning to resent the presence of someone who clearly does not want to see us happy. How do I approach this without pushing him away or making it seem like I am jealous of their friendship? Nakato

Dear Nakato,

This situation sounds both frustrating and disappointing, and, understandably, you are feeling this way. A third party with no boundaries, especially one who fails to respect your current relationship, can easily cause emotional pain and make you feel excluded or unwanted. It is even more difficult when your boyfriend seems unaware of the hostility directed toward you because his long history of friendship with her blinds him from noticing how her actions are affecting you.

Start on a lighter note by having a private conversation with your boyfriend when neither of you is angry, defensive, or rushed. Choose a calm moment when you can both talk openly. Begin by reaffirming your love and commitment to the relationship. Let him know that you recognise and respect his long-term friendship with her. You can say something like, ‘I know how important she is to you, and that is why it is not easy for me to bring this up.’ Express that this conversation comes from a place of love and not jealousy. Then, gently explain how their current interaction makes you feel uncomfortable and how it has been affecting your emotional well-being.

Shift the focus of the conversation from her to ‘us.’ This helps your boyfriend see the issue as one that affects your relationship as a couple rather than a personal conflict between you and his friend.

By doing this, you create an opportunity for teamwork and understanding instead of defensiveness. You can then request that he establishes healthy boundaries that allow both of you the space to grow together without unnecessary interference from a third party.

It is important to frame this request respectfully; avoid setting harsh ultimatums such as ‘If you do not stop talking to her, I will leave.’ Instead, calmly explain the behaviours that hurt you and suggest practical solutions. For instance, you could ask that if she brings up negative discussions about you, he should calmly change the subject or discourage such conversations.

This approach teaches his friend to respect you while also showing that he values your relationship. Remember, her disrespect towards you continues only if he allows it; when he listens or even adds to her derogatory remarks, it reinforces her behaviour.

Be very clear about what you want him to know. Use specific examples of the compromising situations or interactions that make you uncomfortable. This helps him understand exactly where boundaries are needed.

After your conversation, observe how things change. If he agrees to set boundaries and you notice improvements, such as reduced tension or increased respect, consider it a positive step for your relationship. You will have created a healthier space for both of you to connect and grow. However, if his friend’s behaviour remains unchanged and he continues to dismiss or trivialise your feelings, it may be a sign that your relationship is not a priority for him. In that case, it might be time to carefully evaluate the relationship and make a decision about your next step.

Ultimately, a healthy relationship thrives on mutual respect and emotional safety. If your boyfriend values your feelings and takes steps to protect your space as a couple, it will strengthen your bond and build deeper trust. However, if he continues to ignore your concerns, it may be a sign to reconsider whether the relationship is truly meeting your emotional needs and offering the respect you deserve.

Reader Advice

Give him space

Rosie Prince. Excuse yourself and give him space to sort things out. If he becomes ready to commit and offers you clear, undivided attention, you can reengage. Do not compete for his affection or lower your standards; trying to win him despite unclear intentions will likely cost you dignity and the relationship.

Do not compete

Praise Alex. Step back and give them breathing room; observe their behaviour without pressuring or monitoring. Space reveals priorities and intentions. If he values the relationship, he will act to clarify and commit. If he remains distant or indecisive, accept that his actions reflect his choice, and protect your heart accordingly. Always.

Set your boundaries

Joshua Kirungi. Address the rival calmly and directly; state your intentions and boundaries without insults. If she is pursuing marriage, make your expectations clear so there is no confusion. Put the decision back to the man: ask him to choose and commit or step away. Early clarity prevents prolonged heartache and wasted time.

Communicate clearly

Benon Mugisha. Communicate clearly and respectfully. Tell him exactly what you want and deserve. If he hesitates or avoids commitment, do not plead; step aside and observe. A serious man will clarify his intentions quickly. Uncertainty only breeds heartache. Confidence in yourself will attract the kind of love you deserve.

Protect your heart

Davis Okello. When someone hesitates between you and another, they have already made a silent decision. Do not fight to stay where you are tolerated. Step away gracefully, regain your focus, and keep your dignity. The right person will not confuse you; they will choose you without second thoughts.

Talk to friends, mentors

Grace Nansubuga. Talk to trusted friends or mentors who will give you honest advice, not just comfort. Sometimes we ignore red flags because of feelings. Listen to your instincts. If he is still undecided, let him go. Real love does not hide behind mixed signals or uncertainty; it shows through commitment and consistency.

Be wise with your time

Irene Mbabazi. If he cannot commit now, he probably will not later. Do not pause your dreams waiting for his decision. Move forward gracefully. The right partner will meet you halfway, not make you stand still in confusion. Freedom from emotional games is real happiness.

Focus on your happiness

Cecilia Namutebi. Focus on yourself; your peace, goals, and confidence. If he truly wants you, he will come back willingly. But if he chooses another, let him go. This is better than wasting your love on someone who doubts it.

In the quiet, green hills of Kikakata Village, nestled within Lwanda Sub-county, Rakai District, lives a family whose story speaks not in words, but in gestures, glances, and enduring love. Their language is not verbal, but its impact resonates deeply.

Mohammad Wasswa, 36, and his wife Patricia Namulema, 24, are both deaf and non-speaking. Yet, in a world that often sees disability as a barrier, the Wasswa family has woven a life rich in purpose, love, and unwavering resilience.

Wasswa’s life changed forever at the age of eight. Born on February 14, 1989, his early childhood was full of typical laughter and noise. But one day, a sudden illness swept through him with alarming speed.

‘We thought it was an ordinary fever,’ recalls Hanifa Kobusingye, his mother. Sitting outside her modest family home on a papyrus mat, her voice is tinged with memory and emotion.

‘He was playing on Monday, but by Thursday, he could not hear or speak. We rushed him to Mulago Hospital in Kampala. When we returned to our home, our son was silent,’ she adds.

The family tried everything – traditional herbs, prayers, and countless consultations – but the damage was irreversible. In time, they stopped hoping for a cure and focused instead on adapting to the new normal.

‘We raised him with love and care. Never pity. We knew that the fact that he could not speak does not mean that he cannot have a fulfilled life,’ Kobusingye explains.

A love story beyond words

Years later, Wasswa met Namulema at a community workshop organised by a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) that supports people living with disabilities. Namuleme, also deaf and non-speaking, was immediately drawn to his quiet confidence.

‘They connected instantly,’ says Mohammad Kasozi, Wasswa’s father. ‘They did not need words. They understand each other with a look, a gesture, a shared moment. Their’s is a love that many couples envy.’

Wasswa had a daughter from an earlier relationship, who is now 13 and in Primary Four. Together with Namuleme, he now has three more children, namely Rahman Mugabi (6), Shafik Byamukama (4), and Gaddafi Ahimbisibwe (2).

Despite their parents’ disabilities, the children thrive. From infancy, they picked up sign language and gestures as naturally as other children learn to talk.

‘The children are incredibly smart. In public, they act as interpreters for their parents, but at home, they are just a family. You would be amazed at how seamless their communication is,’ Kobusingye explains.

Wasswa now runs a small but successful salon in Lwanda Town, a few kilometers away from his home. With clippers in hand and precision in his fingers, he trims and styles hair with a skill and patience that have earned him a loyal clientele.

‘He does not speak, but his hands do. He is disciplined, focused, and incredibly respectful. We trust him,’ says Ssekanjakko Luutu, one of his regular customers.

Wasswa’s earnings cover the basics – food, clothes, and some school supplies. However, school fees remain a constant struggle, and that is where his extended family comes in.

‘I help where I can. Sometimes we sell a goat or weed someone’s garden to raise school fees. I believe my grandchildren deserve to go to school,’ Kasozi explains.

The family has not faced open ridicule in the community, but an invisible barrier still exists. Stigma, though less aggressive today, still lingers in whispered assumptions

‘Some people still consider deaf people to be cursed,’ says Kobusingye with a sigh. ‘But our family has proved that disability is not inability.’

Legal recognition and protection

While the Wasswa family’s journey is one of resilience, it also highlights the importance of legal protection and awareness for people with disabilities, especially in rural Uganda. Allan Musasire, the managing director of Katembeko and Company Advocates in Mbarara City, offers legal insights.

‘Under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2020, deaf people are entitled to a wide range of rights and protections. They have a right to education, employment, access to health services, and participation in public life. Employers are prohibited from discriminating against people with disabilities,’ he says.

Musasire adds that courts are obligated to provide sign language interpreters where needed. However, even with all these provisions, enforcement remains a challenge.

‘The law is clear, but in practice, rural communities often lack resources and awareness. It is important for government agencies, legal practitioners, and communities to work together to ensure these rights are not just written in the law books, but are lived by real people, like the Wasswa family,’ he advises.

At the local level, leaders in Lwanda Sub-county are aware of these challenges.

‘We need to do more because these families do not need sympathy. They need equal opportunities like vocational training, accessible schools, and health services that consider their unique communication needs,’ says Martin Buwembo, the district’s community development officer (CDO).

Some positive changes are beginning to take root. Churches, NGOs, and even boda-boda riders in the area now know basic signs to use when interacting with Wasswa and his wife. The couple is increasingly being seen not as victims, but as valued members of the community.

Charles Muliira, the chairperson of Lwanda Sub-county, believes their story has become a mirror for the village.

‘They are deeply loved by our people. We even use them as examples when mediating marital disputes. I tell couples, ‘If Wasswa and Patricia, without speech or hearing, can understand each other, what excuse do the rest of you have?” he asks with a laugh.

Parenting beyond limitations

Indeed, the couple has helped redefine what it means to communicate and to love. Despite their communication barriers, Wasswa and Patricia are deeply involved in their children’s education and emotional growth.

‘They are very active parents. During school meetings, they come with an interpreter or one of the children. They listen, ask questions through sign language, and follow up on their children’s homework,’ says Jane Kyomugisha, a teacher.

The extended family, particularly the grandparents, remains crucial, helping to take the children to school, preparing meals, and ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.

Back in Kikakata Village, as evening settles and golden light straddles banana plantations, Wasswa walks home from work. His children ran to meet him. Namuleme stands by the door, her hands already in motion, signing him a welcome.

No words. Just gestures, smiles, laughter, and a language of love. In their silence, there is strength. In their struggle, there is triumph. And in their daily life, there is a profound lesson for all of us: love needs no sound to be heard.

The Wasswa family’s journey is more than a tale of overcoming disability. It is a testament to human dignity, the importance of inclusive laws, and the irreplaceable value of community support.

Their story reminds us that disability is not a defect, but a different way of being. It also teaches us that love, respect, and resilience can thrive even when spoken in silence.

Communicating with deaf people

Communicating with deaf people does not have to feel intimidating. Most of the time, it just takes a little thoughtfulness and intention. The best way to start? Ask what works best for them individually and follow their lead. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

Always speak directly to the deaf person, not the interpreter or support staff. Even if someone else is helping facilitate communication, like an interpreter or speech-to-text provider, it is important to make eye contact and talk to the person you are actually engaging with.

Let the deaf person decide how they want to communicate. Some people use sign language. Some prefer to type, write things down, or use apps. Some prefer to speak using their voice. If someone tells you their preference, go with what works best for them. You do not have to understand every reason to honor their choice.

Speak at a natural pace. Slowing down too much or exaggerating your words can make it harder to understand you. Do not shout, just speak clearly and calmly.

Limit movement while you talk. Moving around too much, like pacing or turning your head often, makes it hard to see your face, mouth, or expressions. Try to stay still and face the person when you are speaking.

Natural gestures can help! If you naturally use your hands when talking, that can make things easier to understand. Just do not force gestures if it does not feel natural to you.

Keep your hands away from your face. Covering your mouth, talking while eating, chewing gum, or smoking, can make it difficult for someone to see your expressions.

Give extra time. When using interpreters or captions, there is often a short delay. Be patient and wait for the full message to come through before moving on. Make space for the deaf person to respond without rushing or interrupting.

What matters most is showing that you are aware and willing to make communication work. Deaf people are skilled at adapting – and they will value your effort to do the same.

For three days now, photos and videos of flooded basements in Kampala’s commercial buildings have been circulating online. People are asking a fair question: are these buildings about to collapse? As a structural engineer, my answer is simple but not short: Most properly designed buildings will not suddenly collapse just because their basements have been submerged for a few days. However, that does not mean there is no danger. The real risk is deeper and longer-term.

This is not just rainwater

In design textbooks, flood water is often treated as clean rain. Kampala’s reality is very different. Our city’s drains carry a mixture of storm water, sewage from on-site sanitation, oil and fuel from garages, detergents, industrial effluent, plastics, and decomposing organic waste. When this cocktail settles in the basement of a building, it brings with it: salts such as chlorides and sulphates; acids from decaying waste; oils and hydrocarbons; and fine clays and silts that keep structures damp Concrete itself can live under water for a very long time. We build offshore platforms, harbour structures and submerged tunnels with reinforced concrete. The problem is not simply ‘water.’

It is what that water carries into the pores and cracks of the concrete and down to the steel reinforcement. Immediate versus long term risk. In the short term, three main structural concerns arise when a basement is flooded. First is lateral water pressure on basement walls. Water is heavy. One metre of water outside a wall is roughly one tonne per square metre pushing sideways. If water remains outside but is pumped out quickly inside, that unbalanced pressure can overstress a wall that was never designed for it. Second is uplift, or flotation. A basement is like a boat. Flood water and rising groundwater try to push the floor slab up. If the designer did not check ‘anti-floatation’ properly, the slab can crack or lift, especially in areas built on former wetlands.

Third is the softening and erosion of soil. Moving flood water can wash away soil supporting foundations, just as scouring around a bridge pier can cause failure. Repeated flooding and poor drainage gradually undermine the ground that carries the building. If the building was well designed for these conditions, three days of standing water is unlikely to cause an instant collapse. If the basement was an afterthought on marginal land, with thin walls and poor detailing, the safety margin is much smaller. The bigger danger, however, is long-term deterioration.

Corrosion and wet-dry cycles

Concrete protects steel reinforcement bars by keeping them in an alkaline environment. Chlorides and other aggressive ions in dirty flood water break down this protective layer and start corrosion (rusting) of the steel bars. As steel corrodes, the rust occupies more volume than the original metal. This expansion creates internal pressure, leading to cracking and spalling of the concrete cover. Over time, the steel bars that are supposed to carry the load become thinner and weaker.

After the flood is pumped out, basements rarely dry uniformly.

Parts remain damp, others dry quickly. The structure enters a cycle of wetting and drying. Ironically, corrosion is often most aggressive in these intermediate moisture conditions, not when concrete is fully soaked or fully dry. In a city where some basements flood several times a year, the pattern becomes predictable: flood, pump, crack, rust, repeat. The building may stand for years, but its remaining life quietly shrinks.

What should we do now?

For the current situation, three immediate actions are important. One, treat flooded basements as structural incidents, not just cleaning jobs. Pump water out in stages, not violently, to avoid creating large, unbalanced pressures on walls. Two, require professional structural inspections. Owners should engage competent structural engineers to inspect walls, slabs, columns and foundation areas for new cracks, tilting, soil loss, exposed steel or spalling concrete. Findings should be documented and, where necessary, repairs done promptly. Three, issue clear city-wide guidance. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Building Review Board (NBRB) should publish a simple post-flood inspection and repair protocol: what to check, when to restrict use, how to pump, and minimum repair standards for affected basements.

In the medium term, planning authorities must ask a harder question: why do we keep approving deep basements in known flood plains and former wetlands, without insisting on strict durability and anti-floatation design? Four, the real story is not that ‘all these buildings will collapse tomorrow.’ Most will not. The real story is that floods have exposed our urban culture: our neglect of wetlands, our casual approach to drainage, our tolerance of construction in risky zones, and our weak enforcement of standards. Kampala’s flooded basements are a warning light on the dashboard. If we respond with science, enforcement and honest planning, we can still correct course. If we simply drain, mop and move on, the next generation will inherit a city with buildings whose decay started quietly, in three days of dirty water we chose to ignore. The writer is civil engineer.

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.’

She Corporate’s Belyse Ininahazwe and Kampala Queens (KQ) striker Kamiyati Naigaga were deservedly awarded October’s Finance Trust Bank Fufa Women Super League (FTBFWSL) coach and player of the month respectively.

Nation Media Group’s Sharifah Nambi and Sports Nations’ Geoffrey Mugabi also shared in the glory as the journalists that covered the league better than their counterparts.

Ininahazwe, a Burundian, has turned around She Corporate since joining at the start of the season. Last season, She Corporate finished 10th in the 12 team league with 24 points – scoring and conceding 18 goals apiece.

Now they are top of the table; unbeaten in five games. They have already made 13 points and scored 10 goals – more than half of what was achieved last season.

But those working with Ininahazwe, who earned Shs500,000 for her accolades, say she is a stickler for good defending. Her side has conceded just twice thus far.

“The only secret is hard work,” Ininahazwe said on Tuesday during a press conference to award them at the Finance Trust Bank head offices on Lumumba Avenue.

“We work as a team and God helps us to achieve success. You have to push players to love what they do, have a good attitude, discipline, and education,” Ininahazwe, who beat KQ’s Firew Asefa Hailegebreal and Kawempe Muslim’s Ayub Khalifa to the award, said.

The former defender is enjoying her new challenge and believes “Ugandan football is more competitive, full of passion and energy, unlike Burundi where the players are a bit younger.”

“The team (She Corporate) was well recruited. We have good players and that makes it easy to work,” the coach said in speech that was translated from French to English by FTB’s human resource manager Juliet Kakoma.

Ininahazwe acknowledged the sponsors for the “good motivation that will encourage us deliver better.” The message was re-echoed by Naigaga, who has so far scored six goals in five games to match her ever best season tally.

Trust and a good team

“I am happy about the award. It motivates and challenges me to score more and not only be the top scorer but also be the best player in the league,” Naigaga, who earned Shs250,000 alongside the award, said.

The diminutive striker attributes her success to the “trust of the coach (Hailegebreal, an Ethiopian national) and “being in a better team.”

Naigaga made her league bow under Asubo but after saving them from relegation in the 2022/23 season with five goals, they were relegated in the 2023/24 season despite scoring six goals.

“I achieved some targets with Asubo. The team was not the strongest and when a team struggles, there are always some question marks on the coaches or players, but I want to believe I did my job.

“We fought the next season but God decided for us to be relegated. I am very thankful to our (KQ) patron (Fufa president Moses Magogo) because, despite all that, he picked me to join his team. The team gives great motivation and encouragement to work with others and achieve the best,” Naigaga said as she beat She Corporate duo Jesca Namanda and goalkeeper Molly Naava Nabitaka to the award.

Naava kept three clean sheets and conceded just once in four matches while Namanda scored four goals.

Meanwhile, Kakoma, who said their “aim is to promote the girl child not just in football but financial inclusion too” was flanked by their head of strategy Francis Wasswa.

FTBFWSL Awards – October

Coach: Belyse Ininahazwe

Player: Kamiyati Naigaga

Journalists: Sharifah Nambi (NMG), Geoffrey Mugabi (Sports Nation)

The proliferation of gleaming, newly-constructed buildings that stand conspicuously empty is a puzzle that challenges both casual observers and real estate professionals alike. These architectural marvels, equipped with modern glass facades and impressive amenities, paradoxically serve as monuments to commercial inactivity rather than hubs of economic vitality.

The most striking example can be found in downtown Kampala near Communications House, directly behind Christ the King Church. This substantial seven-storey structure boasts a spacious forecourt and sophisticated glass exterior, yet it remains what industry insiders describe as “a gap in the dental formula of the city.”

Since its completion nearly a decade ago, the building has maintained an eerie vacancy, broken only by a brief, few-month occupancy. Allegedly, the building’s continued emptiness stems from the owner’s unusual insistence that a single tenant must occupy all seven floors simultaneously.

The public secret

One government official recently expressed concerns about this trend. He wondered: ‘The hills of Kampala are expanding with buildings, but schools, health centres are shrinking. So, where do these people get this money from?”

He went on to answer part of his question identifying the owners as “commissioners, directors, ministers and permanent secretaries.”

The economic irrationality of these vacant buildings becomes clear when examining standard investment behaviour.

As Kenneth Kaijuka, the chief executive officer of National Housing and Construction Company Limited (NHCC) explains: “If the banks were on your case, and you have made a business case that when I build 10 floors, I will be collecting Shs1m per month, and, therefore, in 12 months, I will have Shs12m, and I will pay you back in 12 years, the moment you do not have that cash flow, it threatens the building. You would have foreclosures running every day.”

The absence of such foreclosures indicates what Kaijuka terms “patient capital”, money not subject to conventional banking pressures.

“People could have easy and quick money that is supporting that kind of idle capital,” he asserts, adding that “the fact that some developers are able to sustain empty buildings speaks a lot about the source of funding.”

The half-empty tower syndrome

The vacancy issue extends beyond completely empty buildings to include what industry professionals call “half-empty towers.” Throughout Kampala, numerous commercial and office buildings show vibrant activity on their ground and first few floors, but demonstrate progressively lower occupancy rates on higher levels. From an economic perspective, this indicates that these buildings are not generating projected returns, raising questions about why developers constructed floors they knew would remain unprofitable. Michael Mwizerwa, the head of research and development at Broll Uganda, suggests that one explanation for the anomaly is that we have a lot of money that is put into real estate.

‘The investor’s goal is to just build. What comes after is not a concern. Business is not their first goal, but rather, investing in something.”

Systemic planning failures

Kaijuka identifies poor planning as a key factor driving tenants away from city centres.

“Poor planning is pushing prospective tenants out of town into former residential areas such as Ministers’ Village in Ntinda because of parking problems in the city centre. Someone cannot rotate around the building looking for parking every day. They will go out of town where they can find parking without a hustle.”

This exodus explains why many former residential areas are transforming into office spaces, leaving central business district buildings increasingly vacant. Property expert Cissy Namaganda emphasises the stark contrast between market needs and developer priorities.

“The fact that we still build 10-floor buildings that end up half empty in a town that has a massive parking problem says a lot. Any expert would tell you that having a parking space in the upper most floors would be a better deal with little to no maintenance,” she notes.

The “me-search” phenomenon

Mwizerwa identifies a critical methodological flaw in Uganda’s property investment culture, which he labels “me-search” versus legitimate market research.

“They do a thing that I like to call me-search. They have seen how much money is made from commercial buildings in town and that is enough information for them. And so they resolve ‘since I have the money to build seven storeys in the heart of the city, that is what I will do.'”

This approach completely bypasses essential research into “what kind of spot is the best for what, what are the current needs of the prospective tenants, how high shoppers are willing to climb to get to a shop, among others. It is all about what the individual wants, not what the industry wants. That is me-search,” Mwizerwa explains.

Cultural barriers and market opportunities

The resistance to incorporating apartments in commercial buildings represents another significant market oversight, rooted in cultural perceptions. Mwizerwa points to Capital Shoppers’ successful integration of apartments above their supermarkets in Nakawa and Ntinda as evidence of this missed potential.

“There are very few properties downtown that have apartments upstairs, yet they have a tenancy problem. I was shocked when I found out that Capital Shoppers has apartments at the top. Both the one of Nakawa and the one of Ntinda. You would not even know it looking from outside. And they are full. And they are affordable. They will never lack tenants.”

This innovation challenges what Mwizerwa identifies as deeply ingrained cultural attitudes: “There is this Ugandan thing where living in the city centre has been frowned upon for decades. Living in the city centre has been relegated to foreigners. It is elitist. They want to drive you to town rather than live in it.”

He suggests practical benefits could overcome these cultural barriers: “Fuel is not cheap in this town and living in town would eliminate the high transport fares, at least for unmarried young Ugandans.”

Systemic ignorance

The industry suffers from a fundamental disregard for professional expertise. Mwizerwa contrasts Ugandan investors with their international counterparts.

“Investors, typically, non-Ugandan investors, will seek out experts to do research for them before they invest. Because they are coming from a point of total ignorance, they do not know the country well and they rightly seek out experts to guide them. The challenge is marketing to Ugandan investors because we all think we know what we are doing. We think we know Kampala. Ugandans do not want to do research because they do not think they need it. Yet they are ignorant.”

This professional neglect manifests in multiple ways, including disregard for basic space planning according to asset class requirements.

“The other sign that many investors do not do research is the disregard of space requirements in the different asset classes. An arcade has different space requirements from an office block. How big the rooms are and how they are laid out all comes down to data. What is the size of the corridor in which people walk around between different shops? Where are you positioning your bathrooms? What is the expected number of users of the building? If you get any of this wrong, chances are you will not get tenants at the price you set. The result, possible foreclosure.”

Legal complications

The foreclosure process itself reveals another layer of industry misunderstanding. Mwizerwa clarifies a critical legal nuance.

“The bank or the creditor has no right to sell your property. It may be in their hands temporarily, but you remain the owner by law.”

He attributes unnecessary property losses to investor ignorance and poor advisory.

“But people are ignorant. Combine ignorance and refusal to consult, and you have all these problems. Because if a bank comes to you and says, ‘I am going to take your property,’ you have the right to say ‘no’. You have the right to negotiate new payment terms. And if those fail, then you have to go to court and the court decides the final move. But this business where you just wake up one morning, credit officer calls you and says ‘we are taking the building’, that is not proper.”

This knowledge gap, Mwizerwa suggests, benefits legal professionals disproportionately.

“Again, this is because people don’t want to consult with professionals. They talk to the wrong people. I have no beef with lawyers as a profession, but many don’t know property law. But the client trusts the lawyer to sort out a problem that would not be there with the right professional. This loophole is the reason property is such a lucrative business for a certain group.”

The cumulative impact

The ghost towers of Kampala thus represent more than mere commercial failures; they symbolize a market fundamentally distorted by illicit financial flows. As Mwizerwa, says, the repercussions of normal market circumstances would lead to “very low to no return on investment, or worse, failure to pay a bank loan. Foreclosures would come crashing in like a tsunami which happens a lot too.”

Yet the continued construction of increasingly tall buildings in an industry known to struggle with filling existing space remains the ultimate anomaly.

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.

The Anti-Corruption Court has directed parties in the case against former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Ms Agnes Nandutu, to file their final submissions ahead of the assessors opinion next month.

An assessor is a member of the public with no legal training and is provided for under criminal trials and they give their unbinding opinion to court before it proceeds to deliver its final verdict. Presiding judge Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on Tuesday ordered Chief State Attorney David Bisamunyu to submit the prosecution’s final written arguments by November 14, 2025, while the defence team led by lawyer Charles Wamukota must file their response by November 28, 2025.

A rejoinder from the prosecution, if any, is expected by December 5, 2025. Justice Kajuga further set December 12, 2025, as the date when the court will reconvene for the summing up of the assessors’ opinion. On that day, the judge will summarise the evidence and proceedings from the start of the trial to the two court assessors, who will then advise the court on whether Ms Nandutu should be found guilty or acquitted.

‘The court will on December 12 summarise the entire hearing to the assessors, after which they will give their opinion on the matter,’ Justice Kajuga directed. In her defence testimony concluded in October, Nandutu denied any wrongdoing in connection with the 2,000 iron sheets found in her possession, which the prosecution says were meant for vulnerable households in Karamoja.

She told the court that she had no role in requisitioning, preparing, or distributing the relief items from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). ‘I was never involved in the requisition, preparation, or distribution of these iron sheets,’ Nandutu said during her unsworn testimony.

She added that the responsibility for explaining how the iron sheets were allocated to ministers and Members of Parliament lies with former senior minister Mary Goretti Kituttu, her personal assistant Joshua Abaho, and former undersecretary Geoffrey Seremba. The Bududa District Woman MP maintained that she accepted the 2,000 iron sheets to assist landslide victims in her constituency. ‘I took them mainly to help my people in Bududa who were affected by landslides. That was my only intention,’ she told court.

Throughout the trial, Nandutu has insisted she had no access to OPM stores and did not instruct anyone to deliver the items to her. She said her involvement began only after she was informed that iron sheets had been allocated to her office. ‘These matters were handled at a higher level in the ministry,’ she said. Ms Nandutu is charged with dealing with suspect government property, contrary to the Anti-Corruption Act. The prosecution alleges that she was found in possession of 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets that were part of supplies procured under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme in 2022. The items, intended to support vulnerable communities in the sub-region, were allegedly found at a private location in Mukono District.

The case is part of a wider investigation into the diversion of relief materials from OPM stores to high-ranking government officials. Other senior politicians implicated in related cases include Mary Goretti Kituttu, the former minister for Karamoja Affairs, and Amos Lugoloobi, the minister of State for Finance. Justice Kajuga’s schedule now sets the stage for the final phase of the trial, with a decision expected after the assessors deliver their opinion in December.

Nec head coach Hussein Mbalangu has been sacked by the club after two years in charge and two weeks after he was suspended by the club for what they described as professional and ethical misconduct.

The writing has been on the wall for Mbalangu after the team suffered a Caf Confederation Cup first round elimination at the hands of Nairobi United.

This was in addition to a slow start in the league that saw the team collect two points from the opening three league games.

The last straw in a strained relationship is believed to have come from what insiders think was divided attention owing to his close relationship working with Ssingo in the Masaza Cup.

Mbalangalu guided the club to a fourth place finish and to the final of the Uganda Cup in their maiden season in the topflight league in 2024.

He also presided over a second place finish in the league season finishing just two points behind champions Vipers.

Despite such results his position remained under constant threat like when the team suffered a round of 32 elimination in the Uganda Cup at the hands of Big League side Blacks Power.

Mbalangu recently stated in a recent television interview that he faced constant interference from an official over team selection.

James odoch, Mbalangu’s hitherto assistant has been in charge of the team since the latter’s suspension and presided over the 1-0 win over Mbarara at the weekend although the club have stated a permanent announcement shall be announced soon.