Category: Daily Monitor

The Ismaili Muslim community in Uganda, through its global volunteer service programme Ismaili CIVIC, in partnership with the Aga Khan Health Board, held a free medical camp in Old Kampala last weekend to provide healthcare services to underserved communities.

The initiative, part of the 2025 Global Ismaili CIVIC Day commemorations themed ‘Serving Humanity, Protecting the Earth, Building Resilience,’ surpassed its target of 500 beneficiaries by offering free medical check-ups, cancer screenings, eye care, and medication to hundreds of people who have limited access to healthcare.

Mr Azim Tharani, an Ismaili CIVIC volunteer, said the community has marked Global Ismaili CIVIC Day since 2020 through activities that strengthen health, education, and environmental sustainability.

Globally, Ismaili CIVIC has planted trees in 40 countries and mobilised more than 250,000 volunteers in more than 5,500 community service activities.

‘Today we are offering blood pressure, sugar, and cancer tests, doctor consultations, and free reading glasses. Our pharmacy is fully stocked with prescribed drugs. We expected to serve 400 to 500 patients, and from the turnout, that goal has been met,’ Mr Tharani said.

The health camp drew on sponsorship proceeds from the eid event that was jointly supported by various communities.

The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) supported the event by sending a team of nine specialists who conducted screenings and health education on cancer. Ms Dinah Kebirungi, a public health specialist from UCI, commended the strong community mobilisation that attracted hundreds of participants.

‘We used a mammogram to test for breast cancer and an ultrasound to examine prostate health. We diagnosed two cases of cervical complications and eight cases of unhealthy prostates. Patients received medication, counselling, and health education,’ she said, adding that common conditions treated included urinary tract infections, hypertension, diabetes, and malaria.

The organisers also promoted eco-friendly practices at the camp.

As President Museveni begins his re-election campaign in the Teso Sub-region today, he faces an uphill task of convincing disgruntled locals who are dissatisfied with how his government has handled several issues.

Key among their grievances is the compensation of those who lost livestock during past insurgencies in the sub-region. Some of the frustrated war claimants have now thrown in their lot with the National Unity Platform party.

Mr Julius Ochen, the chairperson of the Teso War Claimants’ Association, said the NRM government has failed to fulfil promises it made to the people of Teso.

He cited shortcomings in the delivery of social services as one of the reasons why the NRM should be voted out of power.

NUP and other parties has fielded several candidates to contest parliamentary seats in the sub-region. However, despite the criticism, the NRM has over the years managed to beat the Opposition in Teso.

Mr Martin Okello, a citrus farmer in Soroti District, said the government has failed to develop the agricultural sector in the sub-region, adding that the fruit factory has done little to improve the livelihoods of locals.

He accused the government of leaving farmers at the mercy of middlemen who exploit them. In northern Teso, the government is yet to deliver on its promise to upgrade the Soroti-Amuria-Kapelebyong-Abim-Kotido road, which remains in a deplorable state.

Mr Stephen Ebaju Epenu, the LC5 councillor for Obalanga in Kapelebyong District, said: ”We continue seeing pregnant mothers suffer, especially during the wet season when the road are impassable.’

He also criticised the government for not fulfilling its pledge to increase electricity coverage in the sub-region. Locals have also demanded that the government revive the Soroti Meat-packing Factory and upgrade Soroti Airfield into an international airport. They further want the government to restore the railway system, which once provided affordable transport for farmers.

Katine-Kalaki road pledge

In Kaberamaido District, the upgrading of the Katine-Kalaki-Kaberamaido-Ochero road is another unfulfilled government promise.

Mr Victor Rex Ekesu, the chairperson of Kaberamaido, said the road is in a bad state, making travel difficult. Mr Ekesu also decried delays in completing the Akampala docking site for a ferry on Lake Kyoga. He, however, acknowledged that the NRM government had registered several achievements.

‘Amid all that, we cannot rule out the achievements of the government in both the education and health sectors. We continue to see mushrooming seed schools, health facilities being upgraded, and the welfare of the people being improved through many government projects aimed at boosting household incomes,’ Mr Ekesu said.

Mr Alfred Opolot Aleu, an NRM youth leader in Kumi District, said it was under the NRM regime that many of the roads in the sub-region were tarmacked.

He cited the Soroti-Lira, Soroti-Moroto and Kumi-Pallisa roads. ‘My own Kumi Town has been beautified; the roads are glittering with street lights everywhere. Let us learn to appreciate this,’ Mr Opolot said.

Mr David Calvin Echodu, the NRM national vice chairperson for the eastern region, said the government has contributed significantly to the development of the sub-region, adding that this will secure for Mr Museveni majority votes.

During the East African Mental Health Summit 2025 held in Kampala and organised by StrongMinds, a non-profit organisation, last week, mental health experts warned that corporate bullying, emotional neglect, and a lack of intentionality in employee welfare are fuelling a mental health crisis.

Because news of students in different institutions of learning grappling with mental health challenges is common in the media, it is easy to think that mental health only applies in certain spaces and to a particular age group.

However, it is pertinent that campaigns promoting mental health are targeted to the entire population with its various diversities. Just like the issue of gender sensitivity has been accorded due attention and sensitisation in all spaces, mental health should too.

Organisations must be seen to front the mental well-being of their workers, not as a favour but as a right.

This goes beyond having once in a year day of observance or a visiting mental health practitioner. It involves having organisational structures that support and promote the well-being of employees. This shouldn’t be left to a select few organisations but to all, regardless of ownership or size.

One of the speakers at the summit, Ms Goldy Obama, a mental health consultant from the Federation of Uganda Employers, pointed out the sad fact that corporate bullying is one of the most persistent but under-reported sources of psychological distress in Uganda’s professional spaces.

She also revealed that sexual harassment and toxic management styles remain rampant across many offices and often go unaddressed due to fear of retaliation.

She said: ‘Employee wellness is not charity. Investing in your people creates a healthier, more productive culture. Empathy should be part of your business.’

Many corporates spend the bulk of their time and productive years at their workplaces. They spend more time at the workplace than with their families. It therefore makes sense to accord them a non-toxic environment. This is not achieved by wishful thinking, however.

First, there must be awareness, sensitisation and then deliberate steps taken to create a healthy environment. Poor workplace structures only exacerbate the problem.

However, creating a healthy working environment is not only the responsibility of employers.

Employees play a major role, too, because, like many things in life, this too starts with the man in the mirror. At the summit, Elizabeth Okello, president of the Uganda Counselling Association, said.

‘Self-care is not selfishness. It is how you show up, how you speak, how you manage your emotions, and how you treat others. Emotional intelligence begins with being aware of your own triggers before judging others.’

It is seemingly small but consistent moves such as these that will see us deal with the mental health burden that is estimated at roughly 14 million Ugandans living with some form of mental disorder.

Kampala traders under the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) have written to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) seeking urgent intervention to address flooding that has caused massive destruction of goods and property damage in the city.

The floods, which occur during rainy seasons, have resulted in heavy financial losses amounting to billions of shillings, with traders fearing for their lives.

KACITA Chief Executive Officer Abel Mwesigye said the association wants KCCA to halt all ongoing construction and renovation works by Ham Constructions on the Nakivubo Drainage Channel pending proper assessment.

“We had to summon and petition KCCA and copy in many other relevant authorities in order to at least have this water drained or pumped out of these arcades and to have a joint assessment to establish what the problem could be,” Mwesigye said.

The traders are also seeking compensation for the losses they have incurred due to the flooding.

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has called for a crisis meeting on Monday to resolve the issue, inviting key stakeholders, including the Minister for Kampala and KCCA officials.

Lukwago has previously accused Parliament and NEMA of negligence and conspiracy in allowing businessman Hamis Kiggundu to carry out illegal construction on the Nakivubo channel.

The issue has also attracted the attention of parliamentary aspirant Suzan Kushaba, who petitioned the World Bank over alleged illegal approval of commercial developments along the Nakivubo channel, warning of environmental damage and disruption to livelihoods in the city’s central business district.

In Busuuyi Village, Mayuge district, a community-driven initiative has seen most children attending school after a resolution was passed to prioritise education.

The village, which previously had children engaging in fishing activities during school hours, has seen a significant change since the community resolution was implemented.

Busuuyi Elementary School of Headteacher Mr Christopher Kibade Awo noted that the school was started by parents to help children access education without traveling long distances.

The school, which was established in 2012 with 28 students, currently has 320 students.

“We would like the government to take over this school because right now we can’t afford it due to the bigger numbers which are still increasing day by day,” Rev. Mark Kibade Awo, the founder of the school, said.

The school’s infrastructure is in a poor state, with wooden classrooms posing a challenge during class time.

“We are in a sorry state. During the class time here at our school, we can’t do anything, be it rain or sunshine because we are in the wooden classroom,” Mr. Kibade Awo said.

The school’s fees structure is Shs 55,000 per term, which is a challenge for many parents.

“Our school fees structure starts from Shs 55,000 but still parents find it hard to pay. We have students who have failed to pay that money since the first term but we let them in because parents cry to us,” Mr. Kibade Awo added.

Some parents have appealed for government takeover of the school to provide free education.

“As parents in this community, we seek government takeover of this school because if it comes in, that means our children will get free education,” Ms. Mary Naiga, a parent, said.

The community has received support from Mr. Tsafrir Melamed, CEO of Mig Fish Farm, who has built one block and plans to renovate the wooden classrooms.

The National Planning Authority’s research on the state of education in Busoga sub-region revealed that 40 out of 118 sub-counties do not have public secondary schools, and 34 parishes out of 578 have no public primary school.

The district has 143 primary government-aided schools, 400 private primary schools, 12 government secondary schools, and 64 private secondary schools.

The district inspector of schools, Mr Nathan Wabwire, said the government is in the process of constructing government secondary schools in sub-counties that lack them.

Makerere University professors have been advised to research on projects that have a national impact, instead of writing so many papers and looking for funds for projects that are not applicable in the real world. Speaking during the opening of the Third Biennial International Conference of the African Research Universities Alliance, on October 30, the Minister of Science Technology and Innovations, Dr Monica Musenero Masanza, urged the academicians to translate their knowledge into products, that can create employment and provide economic relief that most African countries need today.

‘Scientists of every nation should understand how they can translate their knowledge into products. We have a stable political leadership in Africa, politicians are waiting to hear a voice from the scientists,” Dr Musenero said.

‘What the continent needs now is economic relief not giving us things,’ she added. Dr Musenero further explained that instead of university professors always relying on their pensions as they head into retirement, they should be looking at the projects created as the fall-back package.

‘Unfortunately, many of them will remain poor, because whenever African professors create new knowledge, they get excited and go exposing it in international conferences and workshops where they give away their ideas free of charge,’ she said.

Asked where the problem lies, she said Ugandan scientists who should be the main drivers of economic growth and national development do not understand how the economy and politics work.

She added that the situation has been worsened by people who studied arts, who are the politicians, policy makers and the economists who don’t understand the language spoken by scientists and they don’t listen to their advice even when it is good for the economy. Citing the current government’s development strategy, she said that she expects professors to flood her office with project proposals on how universities can help government develop strategies to implement its development agenda in agro-industrialisation, tourism, manufacturing and science and technology.

Use of AI

The three-day Fifth Biennial International Conference of the African Research Universities Alliance opened at Makerere University on Wednesday, attracting vice chancellors and academicians from African universities to discuss how African countries can use Artificial Intelligence to conduct research and innovations transformation.

The Makerere University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Prof Sarah Ssali, said the gathering is an alliance of 17 African universities, which have pooled resources together to develop research. She added that the occasion contrasts with the past where rich countries funded research to control African countries.

‘Look at ChatGpt, how many people are paying to use it? When you buy a Samsung phone that is money going to Korea to support a job there. We are saying what are we producing for other people to consume so that that becomes income for us,’ she said.

Objective

Makerere University indicates that the alliance is looking at helping African countries develop products and services, which can be consumed by other countries, hence raising revenues across the continent.

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has cautioned examination centres against malpractice as the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) commenced today with briefing.

UNEB Executive Director Dan Odong warned that security teams have been deployed to crack down on culprits, adding that two head teachers have already been arrested for allegedly registering secondary school students to sit PLE.

“We have realized that some primary schools have taken on the practice of registering secondary school students to sit PLE. We have so far found this in Salaama Education Centre Primary School in Kagadi District where five such students were found and Kasasa Primary School in Hoima where 15 such students were found,” Odong said.

The head teachers were arrested, and the students are expected to record statements.

“The reason for this impersonation is to boost the number of first grades. All these are criminal intentions,” Odong added.

UNEB has also warned invigilators and scouts against allowing malpractice, noting that they risk a fine of Shs20 million or imprisonment for five years or both.

This year’s PLE candidature stands at 817,885, representing a 2.5 per cent increment from last year.

The exams will run for two days, starting with Mathematics and Social Studies on November 3, and concluding with Integrated Science and English on November 4.

UNEB has commended Arts teachers for calling off their recent strike, saying the decision will ensure smooth running of PLE.

Construction of the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City has reached 25 percent completion, officials said Thursday, marking a major milestone in Uganda’s bid to host high-profile international sports events.

The Shs470 billion ($125 million) project, launched by President Museveni in January 2026, will provide a 20,000-seat multipurpose stadium equipped with training facilities, a mini-indoor stadium for indoor sports, and halls for conferences, conventions, and workshops at international standards.

Speaking during the launch, Museveni emphasized that the stadium is part of Uganda’s preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Kenya and Tanzania, noting that the project would boost national sports infrastructure.

On Thursday, the site was inspected by Dr Patrick Bernard Ogwel, Secretary General of the National Council of Sports, who has overseen the project’s planning and early construction.

‘There have been challenges at the beginning, including missing land titles, but by the grace of God we were able to overcome them. The President assured everyone that this is his project and he will build it,’ Dr Ogwel said.

The stadium’s construction is being carried out by SAMCO National Construction Company, an Egyptian firm, under a 20-month contract signed in December 2024.

Dr Ogwel confirmed that government funds for this financial year have been fully disbursed, ensuring no delays in progress.

‘The government has provided all the money required for construction, and therefore I want to give assurance that there will be no delays by the contractor,’ he said.

During a site visit on Thursday, the Paramount Chief of Lango, Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune, commended the project.

‘I am very happy with this project because implementation is moving well. I want to thank the government for financing the construction,’ he said.

The project aims to honor Uganda’s first Olympic gold medalist, John Akii-Bua, while creating jobs, promoting sports development, and attracting regional events to the Lango sub-region.

Officials say the stadium will also serve as a hub for youth sports training and provide opportunities for economic growth through tourism and related services.

Minister of State for Sports, Peter Ogwang, said complementary infrastructure, including a training facility at Lira University, will enhance the stadium’s impact.

‘This facility will be the best in the country, supporting athletes and providing modern amenities for all indoor and outdoor sports,’ Ogwang observed on January 29, 2025. .

Construction officials have since highlighted that overcoming logistical hurdles – from land title complications to procurement delays – has been key to maintaining the project schedule.

‘We are closely monitoring progress and working with the district authorities to ensure timelines are met,’ Dr Ogwel added.

With the stadium expected to open in 2027, stakeholders hope it will become a regional landmark for sports, conferences, and cultural events, while strengthening Uganda’s capacity to host international competitions.

Background

During the January 2026 launch, President Museveni framed the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium as a project aimed at enhancing Uganda’s international sports profile and strengthening regional infrastructure for athletics and multipurpose events.

In the business world, I have sat on many boards and headed quite a few. Of those I headed, none was more taxing and exhausting as heading the Nation Media Group of East Africa, which includes Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV.

‘Your paper is anti-government and we will show you who has power in this country,’ that is how I was greeted by a government minister. ‘We are going to close your newspaper.’ End of conversation.

With those words ringing in our ears, my CEO at The Monitor then and I left the minister’s office to go and salvage what the police would not take away. This was after the government had shut down The Monitor newspaper in 2002 over a story it didn’t like. Shutting down the paper is one thing, going through the drawers of the journalists one by one is another. One officer stumbled on a gem. This was a photograph of a lady dancing in a nightclub, enjoying herself with one leg up and no underwear. In time, she was appointed a minister.

When, after some time government relented and allowed us to print the newspaper, most of what the police had carried away was returned. But the photograph of the dancing minister never came back. During my tenure of being chairman of Monitor Publications Ltd and NTV, we were shut down three times for ‘being anti-government’. The reason for closing NTV was the most unconvincing. It was alleged that our equipment was too heavy for the mast on top of Kololo hill.

Since we reopened, other equipment had been added to the mast, and it had not yet keeled over. We knew then that a competitor station had a hand in the closure of our station. Every journalist working for The Monitor has on his desk a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ and these include: Be factual; do not speculate; be objective; and check your facts, etc. I never attended any session at which Monitor journalists were told to write only anti-government news.

Basis

His Highness the Aga Khan, who owns the newspaper, would never allow the paper to be anti-government. The so-called anti-government accusation is often when the paper writes about a particular minister in government negatively, the minister then finds solace by hiding behind the government for something he did for his own benefit and not that of the government or the country at large.

If The Monitor were to publish some of the stories that a particular newspaper publishes on a daily basis, it would have been shut down permanently a long time ago.

One day, I got a telephone call from the government demanding to know why NTV was showing a gruesome picture of a person shot by the police in a riot. I was told to fire the journalists who had taken that photograph and the person airing the pictures. I strode into the studio every bit the Big Chairman. Soon all the employees in the studio at the time were seated in front of me.

I told them why I was there and what I was going to do. One courageous member of staff stood up and addressed me directly. He said: ‘Sir, before you sack us, we would like to show you what we have not shown to the public.’ When they rolled the reel and I saw the woman holding her intestines, I almost threw up. I stopped the reel and waved off the staff. Then I remained with the director of programmes, who by the look on his face, felt sorry for me.

One day, I was sitting with the CEO in his office when his personal assistant brought an envelope. Inside the envelope was a complete bank statement of a government minister – fat bank account. This came unsolicited. It was sent by a bank employee who wanted the paper to know how illegally rich some of the ministers are. As soon as we saw the statement, the CEO shredded it because, he said, you never know whether this is a trick to catch you with somebody else’s bank statement.

The public has no idea what journalists get to know. What we see in the papers is only 10 per cent of what has been kept out of the papers. A very senior person in government called me to tell me that the President was very upset with one of the journalists and the President wants me to fire him immediately. Coming from that person, I knew it was serious. So I went to The Monitor offices and called the top three people in the company and told them what I was going to do.

One of the three asked if we could meet outside of the office, so we went to a parking yard. Then the person who suggested that we meet outside of the office spoke. He said: ‘Before you sack him, we want you to know that he is very close to the First Family, therefore, go slow.’ I did better than that; I asked the PPS for an appointment to see the President.

President’s surprise

When I told the President what he was supposed to have said, he looked surprised. In any case, he told me to deal with the other cases and he would deal with that journalist. The President told me that if he wants me to do something for him, he will tell me directly, not through a third party. Likewise, when a minister told me the President was very angry with the same journalist and I must fire him, I was ready with an answer. Ugandans who fall out with the NRM government run to The Monitor to tell their story. I was, therefore, more than amused when our tormentor fell foul of the government and asked The Monitor to promote his candidature.

On those two occasions, the paper was shut down, the order ‘never came from above’.

It was always someone who thought the President would get upset upon reading the article. When the paper quotes a politician on something negative, the said politician says he was quoted out of context. If the paper does not print what the politician said, it is because ‘You Monitor hate the government.’

So heads you lose, tails you lose. I retired from the Group victorious – a rare occurrence in the world of newspapers in Africa.

Barely a month into the presidential campaigns, civil society organisations under the National NGO Forum have called upon the government and security forces to provide a level playing field for the ongoing campaigns.

During a dialogue under the theme ‘Towards a Peaceful Election’, the CSOs said that while there is relative calm at the moment, if not handled carefully, the situation can easily degenerate into open confrontations.

Ms Mariam Wangadya, the chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission, said an election is not merely a calendar event, but is a mirror, which reflects the soul of a nation.

‘It reflects the nation’s maturity, nation’s anxieties, hopes, and ultimately the depth of the nation’s respect for human dignity,’ Ms Wangadya said.

She added: ‘And without trust, even a technically perfect election can feel illegitimate. As you all might know, elections are not upheld by ballot boxes. They are upheld by the belief that every citizen matters equally and that people can go to an election without fear.’

Ms Wangadya further said the commission will not stand during this period as simply as an observer, but as a constitutional guardian.

‘Our mandate is anchored in the conviction that every Ugandan, regardless of region, age, gender, ability, orientation, identity, belief, or status, must never feel invisible in their own country and democratic processes. Free and fair elections are not just about procedure. They are about rights, duties, responsibilities, and peaceful inclusion before, during, and after they vote,’ she said.

She said the commission has been and will continue to engage monthly with security heads, not to react to a crisis, but to prevent them.

She said the commission has conducted hotspot mapping nationwide to identify districts and communities most vulnerable to potential violence, misinformation, and rights violations in the context of the 2026 elections.

‘In August, we led a stakeholder review of Uganda’s Universal Periodic Review human rights commitments, ensuring that electoral actions remain aligned with international obligations. Our regional deployments are ongoing, working alongside security, local leaders, civil society organisations, and cultural institutions to reinforce preventive dialogue, not post-conflict response,’ she said.

She also said they have started adding real-time monitoring of the election environment, and ‘I can say confidently a peaceful 2026 is possible if all of us choose responsibility over recklessness.’

Speaking at the same dialogue, Mr Moses Isooba, the executive director of the National NGO Forum, said different actors must respect their line of duty and ensure that human rights are respected during the campaigns and after.

He said elections and human rights are not separate journeys, but on the same roads, and that you cannot reach one without walking the other.

‘A vote cast in fear is not a vote at all. A campaign silenced by violence is not a campaign. It is perhaps a surrender. When we speak of free and fair elections, we are speaking of dignity. When we speak of human rights, we are speaking of the very air that Democrats must breathe to survive,’ he said.

He said there are already a lot of positives to pick inspirations from, especially the ongoing presidential campaigns in many parts of the country have unfolded with a measure of calmness that must not be taken for granted.

The Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, promised a clean election and cautioned that only voters verified through the scientific biometric system will be allowed to vote in the forthcoming general elections.

He said the commission has, in the past, grappled with the cases of multiple voting and that this time, this will not happen because the biometric machines will not give room for such to happen.

‘We are going to make some adjustments in the way elections are conducted at polling stations. We have acquired a new biometric voter verification system. The concept is almost similar to what we used in 2011-2016,’ Justice Byabakama said.

‘The difference now is that for you to be given a ballot paper, you must be biometrically identified and verified. If your thumbprint cannot be read, then your facial features will be used. We must make sure that every ballot issued to a voter is confirmed to have been issued to a verified voter, and that’s the ballot that will go into the box,’ Justice Byabakama added.