Category: Daily Monitor

Few Ugandan leaders embody the spirit of enterprise like Dr Maggie Kigozi, a medical doctor turned industrialist, investor, and mentor.

As former Executive Director of Uganda Investment Authority and a director at Crown Beverages (Pepsi), she has spent decades shaping Uganda’s private sector while championing women’s empowerment and youth entrepreneurship.

Today, she reflects on her journey, the evolution of Uganda’s business landscape, and what it takes to build sustainable success in today’s economy.

You’ve had a long and successful career in both business and development. How have you sustained it? What advice would you give to young Ugandans starting?

It’s been God’s grace, but also hard work. To young people, my first question is: Is what you want to do your passion? Don’t start a business just because others are doing it.

Second, save money. Too many Ugandans don’t save. Even a small cushion helps when starting. Third, get the right skills.

When I joined Pepsi, I studied commerce under Prof Wasswa Balunywa at Makerere Business School. Those short courses in entrepreneurship, PR, and economics helped me bridge the gap from medicine to business.

Learn, plan, and prepare before launching. And if you have assets like land, start from there; agriculture remains a solid foundation for business in Uganda.

Crown Beverages has thrived under your leadership. What’s behind that success?

Crown Beverages was one of the first companies to be privatised in Uganda, owned by my husband and two partners. After he passed, I joined them, and our diverse skills became our strength.

Being part of the global Pepsi brand means maintaining world-class standards, from production to customer experience. We invested in equipment, training, and the ‘cold chain’ so every drink is served chilled.

That commitment to quality built trust with consumers. We have expanded to Kenya, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, diversified into bottled water, and embraced new technology.

What lessons can other businesses learn from your journey?

Partnerships matter. They bring different perspectives and strengths. Additionally, understand the law and stay compliant, particularly with tax regulations.

Know your market and keep innovating. As Uganda’s middle class grows, so does demand. We have expanded from producing five million crates a year to over 100 million, including water.

We have also gone greener, shifting from glass to recyclable plastic and partnering with recyclers to protect the environment. Success requires innovation, discipline, and integrity.

You helped shape UIA’s vision over a decade ago. Has it endured?

Some initiatives, like the Women Entrepreneurs Network we founded, seem to have faded, which is unfortunate.

It was a powerful platform where women shared experiences, gained confidence, and built skills.

However, I am pleased that industrial park development, one of our flagship programmes, has progressed well. We planned for 25 parks, and many are now operational, attracting significant investment.

Looking ahead, what are Uganda’s biggest economic opportunities and challenges?

The future is bright, especially in oil, gas, and minerals. But to realise that potential, we must fix infrastructure and ensure reliable electricity.

The construction industry is booming, and small-scale entrepreneurs, market women, shop owners, and artisans are driving growth. Supporting them with affordable credit and training will transform our economy.

If we manage our resources responsibly and invest in our people, Uganda can achieve real, sustainable transformation.

You have long championed women’s empowerment. What works best in promoting women’s participation in business?

When I led UIA, we started the Women Entrepreneurs Network to connect and empower women.

Initially, few joined, but over time, more came, and many of them are now leading major enterprises. We brought in bankers, tax officials, and regulators to engage with them directly, which gave women confidence and practical knowledge.

Today’s generation is even more inspiring, educated, ambitious, and bold. Women are excelling in agribusiness, manufacturing, and creatives.

It’s wonderful to see them standing tall, speaking up, and leading with impact. I am very proud of how far Ugandan women have come.

As an investment expert, where do you see the biggest opportunities for foreign investors?

Uganda offers immense potential, from natural resources like oil, gas, and minerals to its fast-growing consumer market. Our central location in East Africa makes us a natural trade hub.

Agriculture offers huge value-addition opportunities in coffee, cocoa, and shea butter processing, while tourism, ICT, and the creative economy are expanding rapidly. Uganda’s beauty, wildlife, and talent are unmatched.

With proper preparation and patience, investors can thrive here. Uganda rewards those who come to build, not just to earn.

Ms Nagudi (not her real name), a mother of six, looks frail and exhausted. Poverty and sadness are etched on her face.

The 29-year-old resident of Kiwata Village, Bugobero Sub-county, Manafwa District, can barely provide for her six children. She says her husband abandoned them and now spend his days drinking alcohol and philandering. ‘My elder children no longer go to school because they must work to earn a living,’ Ms Nagudi says, breaking down in tears.

‘It’s a sad situation. ‘ Ms Nagudi lives in a rural part of the Bugisu Sub-region where a man’s wealth is often measured by the number of children he has. In such communities, it is taboo for women to engage in family planning.

She says her husband blocked her attempts to access contraceptives, arguing that he was an only child. However, Ms Nagudi confided in her mother and mother-in-law that she planned to seek family planning services secretly. But her mother-in-law betrayed her trust, revealing the plan to her husband. He gave her an ultimatum: Choose family planning and leave the marriage, or keep having children and stay. Out of fear and dependence, she chose to stay. Ms Nagudi’s story is far from unique.

Across the rural areas of Uganda, many women are denied access to family planning. Some are left to raise children alone while their husbands spend their earnings on alcohol while demanding more children. Despite widespread poverty, many continue bearing children in silence, held back by ignorance, harmful cultural beliefs, or lack of access to reproductive health services.

Access to family planning methods

Ms Agnes Magagwayi, the senior district educator in Mbale, says there is no justification today for anyone being denied access to contraceptives.

‘It is the duty of medical workers to ensure that every woman is empowered to plan her family and her life,’ she says.

‘There should be no debate about whether to use family planning, it’s essential for the wellbeing of women and girls,’ she adds.

Ms Magagwayi says men, especially in rural areas, must understand that family planning is a woman’s reproductive health right that must be respected.

Dr Dennis Kutoosi of Bulamu Health Care agrees, noting that access to reproductive health services, including family planning, reduces maternal and child deaths, the burden of post-abortion care, and new HIV and STI infections. ‘It is a fundamental right for individuals to decide freely when, whether, and how many children to have,’ he says. Dr Kutoosi adds that educating people about manageable family sizes can prevent poverty and promote sustainable development.

Globally, research has shown strong links between contraception and improved maternal and child survival, household welfare, and women’s empowerment. Dr Julie Asiimwe, who works at a private hospital in Mbale City, urges the government to remove barriers to women’s empowerment and education in rural communities like Ms Nagudi’s. ‘Family planning not only prevents unwanted pregnancies but also protects the lives of mothers and children,’ she says.

Government’s plan

According to the Ministry of Health, the government plans to scale up access to family planning services to at least 50 percent, as part of efforts to improve the quality of Uganda’s population and reduce unplanned pregnancies. Family planning allows individuals or couples to control the number and spacing of their children through contraception or voluntary sterilisation. Common methods include condoms, contraceptive pills, implants, IUDs, sterilisation, and emergency contraception.

Health experts say contraception empowers couples to make informed decisions about childbearing, while also benefiting men by improving household wellbeing and fostering more stable relationships. A 2018 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, ‘The Power of Choice: Reproductive Rights and the Demographic Transition,’ found that family size is closely tied to reproductive rights, which in turn are linked to other human rights such as access to education, health, and employment.

The report revealed that 28 percent of Ugandan women have an unmet need for family planning, leading many to have more children than they want. The 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey similarly found that more than four in 10 births are unplanned, with Ugandan women having nearly two more children than they desire (5.4 versus 4.2). For women like Ms Nagudi, these statistics are more than numbers, they represent lives lived in quiet struggle, caught between poverty, patriarchy, and limited choices.

Police have warned members of the public against falling prey to conmen using social media and forged documents to defraud job seekers during the ongoing recruitment of polling constables.

The caution follows the arrest of one suspect, identified as Amwine Mike, who allegedly posed as the District Police Commander (DPC) of Kyotera and extorted money from unsuspecting applicants by promising them jobs in the Police.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kituuma Rusoke, while addressing journalists at the Police headquarters in Naguru on Monday, October 27, said the suspect was charging applicants Shs50,000 each, claiming he would secure them positions as election Special Police Constables (SPCs).

‘To qualify as a polling constable, applicants must possess a valid National Identity card and a recommendation from their local council chairperson confirming their residency in the area where they will be deployed,’ ACP Kituuma said.

‘Additionally, candidates must have a clean criminal record, be physically and mentally fit, possess good communication skills, and have at least a Primary Seven education.’

He urged applicants to follow the official recruitment process and warned that anyone found impersonating police officers or extorting money from job seekers will be prosecuted.

The ongoing exercise aims to recruit 100,000 polling constables who will be deployed across the country’s polling stations ahead of the 2026 general elections. Each station will have a minimum of two constables, while stations with large voter populations-especially in Kampala, where some have between 900 and 1,300 registered voters-may have three.

The recruitment will increase the total number of police personnel to over 165,000 during the election period. This is a major scale-up compared to the 2021 elections, when 50,000 polling constables were recruited under the leadership of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martin Ochola.

During the 2021 polls, each constable earned Shs370,000 per month over a 90-day deployment. However, the deployment was marred by protests after delays in payment, with some constables initially receiving only one month’s salary. Others reportedly refused to return police uniforms, batons, and boots after the elections.

‘Those challenges were resolved by June 2021 when all constables had been paid,’ ACP Kituuma said.

For the 2026 elections, constables will earn a revised monthly wage of Shs460,000, in line with the new public service salary scale. This raises the total wage bill to Shs46 billion per month and Shs138 billion for the full 90-day deployment.

In a related exercise earlier this year, police arrested 53 individuals who attempted to cheat the recruitment of probation police constables. The nationwide exercise attracted 78,000 applicants against a target of 11,500 recruits.

ACP Kituuma advised members of the public to report any suspicious recruitment activity to the nearest police station.

The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential candidate, Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, has said his campaign strategy for the 2026 General Election is focused on delivering a clear message to voters rather than pulling massive crowds at rallies.

In an interview with this publication at the weekend, Mr Muntu emphasised that Ugandans are more interested in solutions to their everyday challenges than in large campaign gatherings at rallies.

‘Our strategy is not about the size of the crowds we attract. It is about ensuring that our message reaches the people. We want voters to understand our solutions to their personal problems so that they make informed choices at the ballot box,’ he said.

Mr Muntu explained that the party’s focus is to engage directly with voters through smaller, more interactive meetings across the country, targeting to reach about 14 million voters physically by the end of the campaign, rather than large rallies that often attract confrontations with security forces.

‘We have realised that the current regime fears big crowds around presidential candidates. Such situations sometimes lead to clashes between security and candidates, preventing voters from hearing our message,’ the ANT presidential candidate added.

He said his approach involves conducting between eight and nine meetings per day within a district.

‘Our style doesn’t depend on huge rallies. We are focused on reaching 14 million voters, both physically and through mainstream and social media. Once we achieve that, we shall be satisfied by the end of the campaign,’ Gen Muntu said.

Gen Muntu, who launched his campaign tour in the Tooro and Rwenzori sub-regions on October 23, is expected to conclude the tour in Bundibugyo District tomorrow.

In the 2021 polls, Muntu finished third with 67,574 votes, representing 0.65 percent of the total votes cast. He acknowledged that large crowds can have symbolic importance in campaigns, but reiterated that his priority is effective communication of ideas.

‘Crowds have their place, but what matters most is that voters receive the message. Even if we don’t hold massive rallies, once Ugandans understand our message through the media and social platforms, they will make the right choice,’ Mr Muntu added.

He contrasted ANT’s approach with that of other candidates who rely heavily on large rallies, arguing that those candidates can only hold two major gatherings per day, reaching 20,000 people by the end of the campaign period. He said they may have reached about 2.9 million people, mostly without direct interaction. The former army commander also accused the security agencies of disrupting campaign activities of Opposition candidates, saying it undermines democratic engagement.

Appeals for financial support Mr Muntu acknowledged that his party continues to face financial challenges in the ongoing campaign, saying Ugandans must take responsibility for investing in their country’s future.

‘We don’t have any Member of Parliament yet to get money from the government, and we rely solely on contributions. These contributions have not grown much, but we must keep pushing. If people believe we are the right solution to their problems, they should also support us financially so that we can continue this struggle,’ he said.

He added that the challenges facing Ugandans are largely similar across all districts he has visited, including unemployment, poor infrastructure, and inadequate health services.

‘Everywhere we go, we find the same problems – young people without jobs, no drugs in health facilities, poor pay for teachers, and widespread corruption. In many districts, job seekers are asked to pay bribes to get employment,’ Mr Muntu said.

The Grade One Magistrate’s Court in Mukono has remanded Mukono South parliamentary candidate and outgoing Nakisunga Sub-county Chairperson, Mr Mubarak Ssekikubo, to Kauga Prison on charges of obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to defraud.

Court records indicate that between January and June 2025, Mr Ssekikubo, together with Mr Ronald Mugerwa Saaku, the probation and welfare officer at Lugazi Municipality, Dr Wataba Saadi, the Lugazi Municipal Medical Officer, and others still at large, allegedly conspired to defraud Dr George William Mukisa of Shs38 million.

The group reportedly promised to use their influence to secure Dr Mukisa a job as a medical officer in Mukono District.

Mr Ssekikubo, who was arrested by officials from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit immediately after his nomination outside the Mukono District Electoral Commission offices last Wednesday, appeared before His Worship Gerald Emwogu on Monday, October 27.

Through his lawyer, Mr Lawerence Tumuhairwe, Ssekikubo applied for bail, citing his ill health and his standing in the community. However, State Attorney Ms Josephine Nanyonga objected to the request, arguing that investigations were still ongoing and that the accused should be remanded.

Mr Ssekikubo pleaded not guilty to the charges. The magistrate, however, declined to grant bail, noting that the court was constrained by time. The bail application will instead be heard on November 4, 2025.

He was subsequently remanded to Kauga Prison until November 4, where he will join his co-accused, Mr Mugerwa Saaku, who is already on remand facing similar charges.

The arrests are part of a wider State House Anti-Corruption Unit investigation into a recruitment scandal that has rocked Mukono District.

In July, the unit arrested Mukono District Speaker Betty Nakasi Hope and District Service Commission Chairperson Dr Eng. Godfrey Kisuule Kibuuka in connection with the same job-for-sale racket.

According to Kampala Capital City Authority data, 90,530 cases of mental health disorders among students were registered between July 2024 and June 2025, marking a 12.2 percent increase compared to the previous years. Mental health trainers say there is a rise in suicide and suicide attempts caused by academic pressure, family conflicts, financial hardships, and unmet emotional needs. Exacerbated by drug abuse, sports betting, and addiction to online platforms.

I do not know about you, but when I see these numbers, I am incensed. We have got to do something beyond conferences and expert panel discussions, and newspaper articles to help ourselves and our young people. I say, us first because, like it has been said 100,000 times, you cannot give what you do not have.

Anyway, back to the children. First of all, their problems seem to be more advanced than ours were when we were their age. (Excuse me for assuming that we are fossil-mates. But allow me for just a few more paragraphs).

These days, school fees and other physical needs might be the easiest thing to afford a child. The intangible is way more complex and difficult to understand. And yet it affects everything and digs deep. What is the point of educating children through to university only to end up with a mentally broken down elite and a well-written suicide note? That is if they hang in there for that long? God help us!

I know of schools where learners are in class from 5am to 10pm with half-hour breaks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All in the name of chasing grades. On top of having sometimes disgruntled, underpaid teachers breathing down their necks, their parents (us), who have hustled tooth and nail to get the money to facilitate their stay at school, are demanding results and do not want to hear any excuses.

And then there is the not-so-small issue of the school bully who picks on the not-so-well-off children because they do not have the latest iPhone or do not receive 800k every week for pocket money.

There is also the child whose parents provide everything that money can buy, but their parents ‘love or time, and so they are bingeing on drugs that are smuggled in by one of their classmates, who somehow always has a supply of all kinds of drugs in their backpack next to their biology black counter book. Slimming tabs, drugs to heighten concentration in class, a pill to help one sleep, name it, he has got it, and it is cheap.

The schools think they have it all under control because they are applying scare tactics that worked in 1994, but have absolutely nothing on 2025 innovations.

The children have mastered the art of smiling, saying thank you, and please because that is what you want to hear, but behind that sweet child mask is a depression and a world so dark and complicated that your middle-aged self would need a lifetime of therapy to wade through it. I know you know it and have heard it many times, but let me say it one more time; your sweet child knows more than they let on.

And it is okay. You do not have to know it all or understand it all, because you cannot. Just do some smart parenting. Finding help does not mean you have failed as a parent. It means you are woke. Because honestly, what are the odds that of the 90,530 cases, yours is not one of them?

So, here is a thought, as you do your role being the good parent, guardian, teacher, community elder, DR PHD., MPHDL, LED, or whatever other titles you force us to add to your name, how about you book a few therapy sessions for the young people under your care every once in a while not necessarily with the deaconess or reverend at your church. That is great, too, but a trained mental health practitioner would really be great. And there are a number of free service providers. Google is your friend.

For nearly a year, Milly Nambaziira prayed for healing. It finally came, in a hospital room.

When 39-year-old Milly Nambaziira, a resident of Kabulengwa, Nansana, discovered a small lump in her right breast in 2022, she thought little of it. She had just stopped breastfeeding her 14-month-old baby and assumed it was simply a milk clot. The lump caused mild pain occasionally, but since it faded quickly, she ignored it.

‘I thought it was something normal after breastfeeding,’ she recalls. ‘But one day, as I lifted our TV against my chest, I felt a piercing pain that made me stop immediately.’

That moment pushed her to seek help. At a nearby clinic, the nurse examined her and advised her to go to Mulago National Referral Hospital for further evaluation.

A life-changing diagnosis

At Mulago, a breast scan and biopsy revealed devastating news; the lump was cancerous. When she met Dr Timothy Makumbi, he explained the seriousness of her condition and recommended surgery to remove the affected breast before starting treatment.

‘When I got home and told my husband and aunt, they were shocked but supportive,’ she says. ‘No one in our family had ever suffered from cancer, but they stood by me.’

Yet, despite their support, Nambaziira could not accept the diagnosis. ‘I was in denial. I believed there was another way to heal, maybe through prayer,’ she admits.

The cost of denial

Instead of returning to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) as advised, she turned to spiritual healing and stopped answering Dr Makumbi’s calls.

‘I went to a prophet who told me that I would be healed through prayer and fasting. I stopped eating certain foods such as rice, milk, porridge, and anything fried,’ she says.

But her health continued to deteriorate. The lump grew larger, the pain worsened, and she lost a lot of weight.

‘I was starving myself,’ she says softly. ‘Someone told me about a herbalist in Kasubi, Kampala, who charged Shs25m, money I did not have. That is when I started believing I would die soon.’

Her biggest worry was her three children, especially her eldest, who was in Primary Seven. ‘I used to pray that God would at least let me live until she finished her exams,’ she recalls.

Choosing life over fear

For almost a year, she relied on prayers and herbal remedies that offered no relief. When she lost so much weight and weighed only 45 kilogrammes, her family intervened.

‘My husband and aunt insisted that I go back to the Cancer Institute,’ she says. ‘They told me that even if it meant removing the breast, at least I would live to raise my children.’

In early 2023, she returned to Mulago with her cousin. Although still doubtful, she agreed to another biopsy.

The results confirmed breast cancer, but luckily it had not spread. Doctors found only minor scarring in her lungs from a past Covid-19 infection, so she was strong enough to begin treatment.

‘That news became my awakening,’ she says. ‘I realised I had wasted almost a year chasing miracles when help was always there.’

Courage amid stigma

Even after accepting treatment, emotional challenges remained. Some neighbours discouraged her from having a mastectomy.

‘They told me I would stop being a woman without a breast,’ she recalls. ‘But my husband told me that my life was more important than how I looked.’

With that support, she underwent surgery in March 2023. Three weeks later, she began chemotherapy under her aunt’s care.

The road to recovery

Chemotherapy was tough. The side effects drained her physically and emotionally. ‘Sometimes I felt like giving up,’ Milly admits. ‘But my aunt and husband encouraged me to hold on.’

She completed six chemotherapy cycles by October 2023, followed by 15 days of radiotherapy. Gradually, her strength returned and she regained her weight.

‘I started feeling alive again,’ she says with a smile. ‘I could play with my children, cook for them, and even return to work.’

Today, Nambaziira is on hormone therapy and goes for medical reviews every six months. Her doctor says her recovery is progressing well.

The power of support

Nambaziira’s recovery was not just medical; it was emotional and social too. She credits her husband, aunt, and work colleagues for playing a key role.

‘My boss was very understanding,’ she says. ‘She told me to focus on getting better and promised to keep my job until I finished treatment. After I recovered, she even bought me a prosthetic bra to help me regain confidence.’

Though her boss later passed away, she remains grateful for her kindness.

A second chance at life

Now, Nambaziira has turned her painful experience into a message of hope. She encourages women to go for regular screenings and seek medical help early.

‘I wasted precious time because I believed in false promises,’ she says. ‘If it was not for my aunt and husband, I would have died in the hands of people who only wanted money.’

Her message is clear: ‘When you get diagnosed with cancer, the first step to healing is acceptance. Only doctors know what to do; not pastors or herbalists.’

Lessons in food and faith

She has since adopted a healthier diet and lifestyle. ‘Diet is very important after cancer treatment,’ she explains. ‘I take a lot of fluids, fruits, and vegetables, but I avoid too much sugar, salt, and cooking oil.’

She also practices gratitude daily. ‘Cancer taught me that life is precious and fragile. Every new day is a gift,’ she reflects.

A message for everyone

Nambaziira’s story highlights a wider problem in Uganda; late diagnosis and the reliance on alternative healing. Many women delay treatment due to fear, stigma, or misinformation, yet treatment is freely available.

Doctors at UCI urge women to conduct monthly breast self-examinations, attend annual medical check-ups, and seek treatment immediately when abnormalities are detected.

For Nambaziira, those lessons came through pain, but also through renewal. ‘I am living proof that early treatment saves lives,’ she says. ‘The real miracle is being alive after getting treatment.’

As she continues her follow-up visits and hormone therapy, Milly remains thankful for the medical team at Mulago and UCI, her supportive family, and her renewed faith.’I no longer see my scar as a loss,’ she says softly. ‘It is a mark of survival; a reminder that I faced death and chose to live.’

How to do a breast self-exam

Pick the right time: Check your breasts once a month, about a week after your period ends. If you no longer menstruate, choose the same day each month.

Look in the mirror: With arms at your sides and then raised, look for changes in size, shape, skin texture (dimpling, redness, swelling) or nipple appearance and discharge.

Feel while lying down: Use the pads of your fingers to press your breast in small circles; light, medium, and firm pressure, covering the entire area from the collarbone to the ribs and from the chest to the armpit.

Feel while standing or in the shower: Raise one arm and use the opposite hand to check the same side, using small circular motions. see a doctor if you notice a lump or thickening, changes in size, shape, or skin texture, nipple inversion or discharge, or persistent pain.

Remember: Self-exams help you know what is normal for your body, but should not replace regular medical check-ups or screening.

On October 18, something special unfolded within the gates of Uganda Christian University (UCU). Hundreds of students, staff, alumni, and friends laced up their shoes not for medals or corporate prizes, but for a single purpose: to help a student stay in class.

The Annual Tuition Run, themed ‘Hope in every stride,’ sought to raise funds for learners struggling with tuition. It was not just another charity race; it was a collective expression of compassion and community. While Uganda hosts many runs for health, awareness, and solidarity, this one carried a quieter, yet profound message.

It was a reminder that education remains one of the most powerful equalizers and one of the most fragile dreams when finances fail. Behind each running kit was a story: a student facing deferred dreams, a parent praying for provision, a sponsor moved by empathy.

The tuition run symbolised what can happen when people refuse to stand by and watch potential fade. It was a small example of how collective action can restore hope in times when so many young people are being pushed out of school by economic hardship.

This attracted my attention to how our communities can make a difference in the lives of many struggling with financial challenges. As I stood at the starting line, watching waves of runners stretch and smile before setting off, I was struck by something deeper.

Every step, every bead of sweat, was more than a physical act; it was a sermon of hope. Some participants ran for their friends; others for their children; others simply to say, ‘I care.’

Each stride was an investment in another’s future, a declaration that no dream should die because of tuition. In that moment, running became a language of love, a way of saying that community still matters, that faith and action still walk hand in hand.

Education is often discussed as an individual pursuit: study hard, get good grades, secure your future. Yet events like this remind us that learning thrives where compassion lives. When communities rally to support those who struggle, they teach powerful lessons that no textbook can capture: empathy, stewardship, and shared responsibility.

We may admire elite runners who conquer marathons, but the real champions are those who give of themselves so that others can keep running their own race in life. Small acts, one registration, one kilometre, one contribution can make a lifelong difference.

A single act of generosity can open a classroom door that might otherwise stay shut. Therefore, I write to implore other institutions having students with tuition or fees challenges to embrace such runs and raise funds to support their students. It takes a simple initiative from members with a heart and compassion for vulnerable learners.

As the dust settled and medals were handed out, one could feel something greater than excitement, a quiet gratitude that together, we had helped rewrite someone’s story. That is what makes such runs stand out among Uganda’s many marathons. They are not simply about endurance; they are about enduring love. But this message extends far beyond one university or event.

It speaks to the larger truth that education must become a shared social mission. The future of our children and our nation depends on whether we are willing to move together, to run not just for ourselves but for others so they too can live happily and achieve their dreams.

You don’t have to be an athlete to run for a cause. Running, in this sense, is about commitment and compassion taking initiative where others hesitate, stepping forward when it would be easier to stay still. It is about being part of something bigger than ourselves. When communities choose to move together toward a common good, the finish line keeps expanding. Hope keeps running. Futures keep unfolding.

So, as Uganda continues to host charity runs and social marathons, let’s pause for reflection. Beyond the branded T-shirts, selfies, and medals – what are we really running for? Perhaps we are running for the student who nearly dropped out, for the young dreamer chasing a scholarship, for the mother selling vegetables to keep her child in school. Perhaps, without even realising it, we are running for a generation whose dreams depend on our steps.

When we run for others, every stride counts. And when we move with compassion, we discover that the real finish line is not at the stadium gate, it is in the heart of someone whose hope we helped keep alive.

President Museveni’s new slogan, ‘Protecting the gains,’ comes at a time when Uganda is being promised the long-awaited transition from poverty to prosperity.

The gains in question are clear enough: a more secure country, expanding infrastructure, industrial parks, the promise of oil revenue, and the pledge to lift households into the ‘money economy.’ It is a familiar language of growth, framed as a step toward building a modern middle class.

A lesson from Britain Yet the question that demands asking is this: What do we stand to lose if ‘gains’ are defined only in terms of GDP, factories, and electricity grids?

A recent British documentary provides a cautionary parallel. It traces the country’s social journey from churches, which once anchored communities, to pubs, which became the ‘secular churches’ of working people, and finally to ‘nothing.’

Today, Britain’s wealth sits alongside record levels of loneliness, declining neighbourliness, and a shrinking sense of belonging. Affluence, unguarded, created a hollowing of society.

Uganda’s living heirlooms

Uganda is in a different season. Churches and mosques still brim with worshippers, though their prayers are mostly for relief from poverty: school fees, hospital bills, jobs, visas. But religious attendance alone is not the strongest glue that binds Ugandans together.

That role belongs to deeper, older social structures that are not yet broken, our true heirlooms.

? The extended family system still quietly pays tuition, arranges elderly care, and steps in during medical emergencies. It remains the invisible welfare state of Uganda.

? The clan system continues to provide identity, mentorship, conflict resolution, and moral instruction across generations.

? The village is the ultimate equaliser. At burials, weddings, and harvests, both haves and have-nots sit side by side, their differences blurred by solidarity.

Protecting social anchors

These heirlooms are not relics. They are living treasures that hold Uganda together in ways industrial policy can not replicate. They ensure that even when the formal state fails, society does not collapse. To ‘protect the gains’ in any meaningful sense must, therefore, include protecting these heirlooms.

Affluence without community creates fragmentation. If families weaken under individualism, if clans lose relevance, if villages hollow out under migration, Uganda will be left rich in concrete but poor in cohesion. The UK shows us that progress without social anchors ends in isolation.

I experience painful muscle cramps that occur intermittently during pregnancy or after taking my insulin injection. Recently, I have also started feeling these pains when I stand up. What could be the problem? Kazibwe

Hello Kazibwe,

What you are describing sounds like sudden, involuntary, and painful muscle contractions, commonly known as muscle cramps. These cramps can occur for several reasons, including dehydration, an imbalance or deficiency of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, poor blood circulation, nerve issues, or general muscle fatigue.

In your case, the cramps you experience after insulin injections may be related to a temporary drop in blood sugar or potassium levels caused by the insulin.

During pregnancy, muscle spasms are also common due to increased pressure on the nerves and blood vessels from the growing uterus, as well as possible mineral or vitamin deficiencies.

To help prevent these cramps, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat a balanced diet rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

You may also consider supplements, but only as advised by your doctor. Regular light exercise, especially stretching the leg muscles, can further reduce the frequency of these spasms.