Category: Daily Monitor

Feedback.Students defend school trips as educational and memorable experiences, though critics warn inflated costs risk excluding learners from valuable opportunities beyond classrooms.

I do not think school trips are overpriced. The money that students are charged to go on the trips is necessary for paying the access fee for the places that we visit. Schools do not profit much from these trips because the money is used to make preparations for the trips. These trips give us a chance to see the things we have been taught in class, so we connect the theoretical knowledge that we have learnt in class to a practical experience. Samantha Andrea Ksetita, S.1 Makerere College School

School trips are important because we get to practically experience what we have been taught. However, sometimes schools exaggerate the prices that students are required to pay for the trips and some students are left out of the experience as a result.

Allison Nakandi, S.2 Makerere College School

School trips may be expensive. However, they give students an opportunity to break the monotony of the school schedule and have fun as well as make life long memories. At the end of the day, the experience that we get is worth the money that we are asked to pay.

Jemimah Blessed, S.4 Makerere College School

I think school trips are generally fairly priced. It is important that schools integrate some school trips into the term because they are educative and they entertain students.

Aksam Kasule Jjingo, S.1 Makerere College School

Trips allow us to learn more outside of the school environment which is refreshing. They make learning more interesting. It is also easier to memorise something that you learned during a school trip because you will associate the concept you learned at the trip with the fun experience that you had.

Rebecca Kwagala, S.1 Makerere College School

School trips expose us to nice places and we get to learn from people who are actually involved in the day to day activities of the concepts that we learn about in class.

Fahad Jjuuko, S.2 Makerere College School

School trips help to improve students’ social skills and their life experience. Students get to learn while having an enjoyable experience. Sometimes the trips come at a high cost, however factors such as the duration of the trip and transportation costs are considered by the school, so the cost is often justified.

Aman Agaazi, S.1 Makerere College School

School trips help us to practically witness what we have learned in class and give us a break from the class room environment so they are important. The money we pay to go on school trips is fair and necessary because it enables schools to coordinate the trips.

Yorkabel Kaleab, S.1 Makerere College School

School trips enable us to learn more about our country. Looking at the places that schools usually visit, I think that the price of school trips is usually fair. If you google some of the places that schools usually take students, you will notice that if a person was to visit those places individually they would probably be charged at a higher cost than the price set by the schools.

Emmanuel Ssekwe, S.1 Mengo Senior School

As a student, I believe schools are often unrealistic with the costs of trips. While such excursions are meant to broaden our horizons, the financial burden they impose can be exclusionary. Many families struggle to meet basic educational expenses, so detached from the socio-economic realities students face. Schools should balance educational enrichment with affordability, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all rather than reserved for the privileged few.

John Bush Bisaso, S6 Pope John Paul II High School, Nakaseke

School trips are important in learning process because they support practical learning.. that is to say that learners are able to see things outside and relate to what they learn in class..

Phoebe Amongin, S4 Priscilla Comp girls SS -Katakwi

Study trips are important because it aids memory and research. When students go for study trips, they can easily remember what they have learnt…

Irene Amoding, S4 Priscilla Comp girls SS -Katakwi

Study trips help to instill confidence and independence in students. When students go for study trips, they gain confidence and will be able to ask questions.

Janet Norah Ongaria, S4 Priscilla Comp girls SS -Katakwi

Study trips help students to gain research skills. When students go for trips, they gain research skills through asking questions.

Irene Akol S4 Priscilla comp girls SS -Katakwi

Study trips promotes creativity and innovation in the learners. Learners get skills from the places they have visited and apply in their daily life..

Norah Adite S4 Priscilla comp girls SS -Katakwi

I don’t support the idea of students going for study trips because they are a waste of resources. Students can learn everything they need using technology.

Elizabeth Ikwap S4 Priscilla comp girls SS -Katakwi

Study trips are a waste of time and are so expensive. Parents shoulder the burden of paying for the study trips.

Josephine Akiteng S4 Priscilla comp girls SS -Katakwii

Study trips enable learners to know the geographical area of a place. When students go out for trips, they are able to know new places.

Joseph Oupot S4 Priscilla comp girls SS -Katakwi

School trips help to improve students’ social skills and their life experience. Students get to learn while having an enjoyable experience. Sometimes the trips come at a high cost, however factors such as the duration of the trip and transportation costs are considered by the school, so the cost is often justified.

Aman Agaazi S1 Makerere College School

School trips help us to practically witness what we have learned in class and give us a break from the class room environment so they are important. The money we pay to go on school trips is fair and necessary because it enables schools to coordinate the trips. Yorkabel Kaleab S1 Makerere College School

Hundreds of residents in Maziba Sub-county, Kabale District, have expressed frustration over the government’s failure to extend electricity to communities surrounding the Muvumbe Hydropower Station, nearly a decade after the facility began generating power for Uganda’s national grid.

The 6.5-megawatt hydropower plant, constructed by Muvumbe Hydro (Uganda) Limited, began operations in March 2017 after construction started in 2015. Despite hosting the facility, many residents in the area remain without access to electricity.

Maziba Sub-county chairperson Onesmus Mutungye told Monitor that it was unacceptable that communities hosting the power station had remained in darkness for nine years.

“We appeal to the government to intervene in this matter because it is embarrassing to have such a big hydroelectric generating power station that does not provide electricity to all the villages, trading centres, community institutions such as churches, schools and health centres,” Mutungye said.

He added: “At the beginning of the project, we thought it would provide electricity to boost the development of cottage industries for value addition, but nine years later Maziba Sub-county has remained the way it was before the hydroelectric generating power station was established.”

Maziba comprises 65 villages and lies along Uganda’s border with Rwanda.

Mutungye said two government-supported agro-processing projects, a Shs400 million coffee processing factory and a Shs400 million pineapple processing plant, remain idle because they have never been connected to electricity.

He added that the area is a major producer of coffee, bananas and pineapples, but farmers continue to sell raw produce to middlemen due to the absence of value-addition facilities.

“Farmers are left with no option other than being exploited by middlemen and the youth have remained unemployed,” he remarked.

The senior Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) area manager for Kabale, Lovinsa Nshemerirwe, said the hydropower project was developed by an Independent Power Producer (IPP) whose role was limited to generating electricity for supply into the national grid.

“Muvumbe hydroelectric generation dam was constructed by an Independent Power Producer and it was not their mandate to provide power to the community members but rather to generate power and have it connected to the main electricity grid to boost electricity supply,” Nshemerirwe explained.

She advised residents to petition political leaders to lobby for rural electrification infrastructure.

“The complaining individuals should petition their area Member of Parliament and the district leadership to lobby the Rural Electrification Agency to construct electricity lines, and as UEDCL we shall connect them after they have applied for electricity connection in the area,” she said.

Ndorwa East MP Protazy Begumisa acknowledged the problem and pledged to engage the government to address the lack of electricity in the area.

“Lack of electricity in some parts of Ndorwa East constituency where Muvumbe hydroelectric power station is located is a real problem,” Begumisa said, adding: “Some areas do not have access to telecommunication networks because of lack of electricity and road network to hilltops where telecom masts can be constructed. I will try my level best to lobby the Office of the Prime Minister for support.”

The legislator said he would also use personal resources to support electricity extension in some villages.

“My approach for this term of office is to talk less and work for the people,” he added.

Located in Kigarama Village, Nyanja Parish, the Muvumbe Hydropower Station was licensed by the Electricity Regulatory Authority in 2014 to generate and sell power to the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited for integration into the national grid.

Residents say that ‘while the project has contributed to national electricity supply, its failure to benefit host communities has undermined local economic development and delayed efforts to establish agro-processing industries in one of Kabale’s key agricultural areas.’

The culture of male traditional circumcision among the Bagisu is one of the admired cultures worldwide, which the tribesmen believe is a way of promoting boys to men. The culture is full of rituals, performed from the stage of preparing the candidates to the last point of facing the surgeon, locally referred to as umushebi.

The activity involves removing the foreskin of the reproductive organs of the boys, who are usually between 14 to 18 years of age, every even year for more than 200 years ago according to historians and cultural enthusiasts.

The culture accompanied by the traditional dance, kadodi, is directly connected to nature and the current weather patterns, the reason negative effects of climate change are now affecting the way the rituals are performed. This year’s Imbalu (circumcision) launch is scheduled to take place on August 1. The Imbalu culture is practised among the Bagisu, a tribe settled at the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, occupying the districts of Mbale, Manafa, Bududa, Namisindwa, Sironko and Bulambuli. Mr Yazid Masaba, an elder from Wanale clan in Mbale City, says climate change now poses a threat to the culture.

‘This may lead to abandoning of some of the precious rituals that define and beautify the Imbalu (circumcision), such as mudding, which is done in sacred swamps and wells,’ he says.

With the disappearance of some sacred swamps and drying up of wells, Mr Masaba says some components of the ritual are being abandoned. ‘In some circumstances, where drought has persisted in the months of August and December, some wells in most areas start drying and water is waited for as it comes from the ground. This is affecting our Imbalu rituals,’ he says. Each clan among the Bamasaba has a sacred swamp where the boys are taken to be smeared with mud on the last day before going to face the knife. In the rural areas, where the swamps are known, people are only allowed to cultivate or do any work from there during the year which is not for circumcision (odd year).

Mr Seth Muboolo, a resident of Bukonde Sub-county and a member of Butanga clan, says one risks his crops or any constructive work if he or she carries out work in the known sacred swamps during the circumcision year. ‘All these rituals require to be performed in places where natural water is stored, but climate change sometimes has brought changing weather patterns, which renders some rituals to go unperformed,’ he says. In this culture, boys are prepared and as a sign that one is ready to face the knife that fateful even year, the family prepares part of the millet that they use for brewing malwa, a traditional alcohol made from fermenting millet, maize or cassava.

The kadodi drummers, say without swamps, the making of the drums is also hard and in the long-run as swamps disappear within Bugisu Sub-region, it might affect the sound that has attracted a following from all over the world. Mr Wilson Wasukira, an elder from Sironko Town Council in Sironko District, also expressed concern over Mt Elgon losing green vegetation that harbours the Colobus monkeys, whose skins are used by Imbalu candidates. ‘Wildlife conservation is part of the key aspects for the Bamasaba culture to thrive in modernity as the candidates to be circumcised are decorated by skins of black and white Colobus monkeys and also their tails but soon we will lack those things,’ he says. Elders say traditional herbs, which were used for healing circumcision wounds are also disappearing and the locals are now using modern medicine.

Mr Joseph Weyusa, an elder from Mbale City, says circumcision is losing the economic benefit for candidates. ‘Today, Imbalu culture has changed due to religion and also modernity, with some parents believing that when a boy is circumcised culturally – through practices such as Kadodi dances and making malwa – he is no longer religious and is going astray,’ he says. Mr Moses Kutoyi, an elder and minister for culture and heritage in the cultural institution, says although climate change is affecting Imbalu, they will work hard to preserve it. Mr Kutoyi explains that during the circumcision year, cultural norms require families to observe peace – no divorce, no domestic violence and minimal quarrels.

‘Unity is essential because family members must work together in preparations such as cultivation, sowing millet and ensuring adequate food and birds for the circumcision ceremonies,’ he says. He emphasises that there are only two recognised Imbalu seasons in the region: August and December. ‘The August season is determined through a ritual involving a bird performed in July, which confirms the timing of circumcision. The December season mainly caters for school-going boys,’ he says.

Documentation of the Imbalu ceremony in Bugisu dates back to 1804, although it is believed that the practice began many centuries earlier. Registration of candidates for circumcision in the current season has already started. By April, the Bugisu Cultural Institution is expected to release the full list of candidates. In 2024, a total of 6,024 boys were circumcised across the Bugisu Sub-region. The Bugisu Cultural Institution believes that this number is likely to surpass the 2024 figure in the upcoming season.

What was expected to be one of the biggest religious gatherings in Uganda this year has become a test of faith, resilience, and obedience for the Catholic faithful in Kasese Diocese. For months, the Diocese of Kasese had been preparing to animate the national Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations scheduled for June 3 at Namugongo Catholic Shrine.

Committees had been formed, pilgrims mobilised, and plans finalised for thousands of worshippers expected to gather at the historic shrine. But the outbreak of Ebola in Uganda compelled government and church leaders to cancel the national celebrations, bringing preparations to an abrupt halt.

Despite the disappointment, church leaders in Kasese say the faithful will still commemorate the Uganda Martyrs in a meaningful way through parish-level celebrations across the diocese. Speaking during a press briefing at the Perpetual Adoration compound in Kasese Town on Saturday, Bishop Francis Acquirinus Kibira Kambale of the Diocese of Kasese, said the cancellation was unfortunate but necessary to protect public health.

‘Last year in June, we were authorised by the chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference to prepare for the national celebrations of the Uganda Martyrs at Namugongo for this year, 3rd June 2026. We had reached the peak of our preparations. Unfortunately, due to the Ebola outbreak, the government postponed our celebrations,’ Bishop Kibira said.

The diocese, which comprises 14 parishes and two pastoral centres, had invested significant effort and resources into preparations. Many Christians were eagerly waiting for an opportunity to lead the national celebrations, an honour that rotates among dioceses across the country. According to Bishop Kibira, the decision to cancel the gathering followed guidance from the Uganda Episcopal Conference.

‘We had the guidance from the chairperson. He advised us to hold parish-level celebrations on 3rd June, following the usual format of Sunday Masses in parishes and outstations,’ Bishop Kibira explained. As a result, Catholics will gather in their local churches instead of travelling to Namugongo. Masses will be celebrated in areas where priests are present, while catechists will lead prayer services in locations without resident priests.

The decision reflects Church’s effort to balance spiritual obligations with public health concerns. The Ebola outbreak has continued to raise concern among health authorities. On May 14, 2026, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwiine, announced that an Ebola patient had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the centre of the outbreak and was admitted to Kibuli Hospital before he died.

By Saturday, Uganda had registered one imported Ebola-related death and seven confirmed cases, prompting the government to strengthen surveillance measures, including the closure of the Mpondwe-Lhubiriha border crossing in Kasese District. The outbreak has had a direct impact on pilgrimage activities.

Before the cancellation, more than 70 pilgrims from the Democratic Republic of Congo had already arrived in Kasese on May 15. The pilgrims had been received at Kabuyiri Catholic Shrine and were preparing to begin their traditional foot pilgrimage to Namugongo.

For many believers, the cancellation was heartbreaking. Uganda Martyrs Day is one of the most significant events on the Catholic calendar, that attracts millions of pilgrims from Uganda and neighbouring countries. But Bishop Kibira urges Christians not to lose sight of the deeper meaning of the day. He said the commemoration should remain a moment for believers to reflect on the courage, sacrifice and faith demonstrated by the Uganda Martyrs.

The bishop encouraged Christians to use the day to strengthen their relationship with God and renew their commitment to Christian values. He said the day should help every believer to grow in faith, love for Christ, love for neighbours and commitment to their various vocations in life. He also appealed to Christians to remain vigilant and follow health guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

‘In all our institutions, let us do our best by observing the recommended standard operating procedures as provided by the government through the Ministry of Health. I call upon you to listen and to follow the guidance of the parish priests and the government authorities in our different places regarding pastoral and health measures, respectively,’ Bishop Kibira said. He also called on Ugandans to continue praying for the country and particularly for health workers who are at the forefront of the Ebola response.

The cancellation has been particularly difficult for the organising committee, whose members had spent months preparing for the national event.

Rev Fr John Baptist Kule, the organising chairperson, described the announcement as a major shock. ‘We received the news with shock. I want to ask everyone to take courage because the Episcopal Conference has requested that we animate next year in June,’ Rev Fr Kule said. Despite the setback, he remains optimistic that the preparations already undertaken will not go to waste.

He encouraged contributors and supporters who had invested resources in the preparations to remain hopeful, saying the next celebration is only a year away. ‘In the meantime, the organising committee is going to evaluate our preparations, identify the gaps and improve where necessary,’ he said.

The announcement that Kasese Diocese would host the Uganda Martyrs celebrations had generated excitement throughout the region early this year. Local institutions had already started preparing for the occasion. According to Joseph Nzukwa, the head teacher of Kasese Secondary School, some of his students travelled to Namugongo to participate in the liturgy during the May 30 celebrations, despite the cancellation of the larger gathering. Meanwhile, government authorities continue to tighten border surveillance to prevent the further spread of Ebola.

Standard Chartered Bank Uganda and Absa Bank Uganda Limited have received regulatory approval from the Bank of Uganda for Standard Chartered to sell its Wealth and Retail Banking (WRB) business to Absa, a transaction the banks say marks ‘an important milestone for Uganda’s banking sector.’

In a joint statement issued June 1, the lenders said the approval ‘reflects continued confidence in the strength, stability, and regulatory oversight of the country’s financial system.’

It also, they said, ‘reinforces Absa’s position as a well-capitalised financial institution with a strong governance framework and a long-term commitment to the Ugandan market.’

‘There is no immediate change for customers, and day-to-day banking operations will continue as usual,’ the statement read, adding: ‘Clients will continue to access banking services through the same channels, and any future changes will be communicated clearly and in advance, in line with regulatory requirements.’

A deliberate withdrawal

The Uganda transaction is the latest chapter in a continent-wide retreat by Standard Chartered, which has been systematically shedding consumer-facing operations across Africa as part of a strategic overhaul led by Chief Executive Bill Winters.

In November 2024, the London-headquartered bank signalled intent to explore a sale of its retail and wealth operations in Botswana, Uganda and Zambia.

By June 2025, it had already completed the transfer of its Tanzanian wealth and retail business to Access Bank. Earlier divestments covered Angola, Cameroon, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.

Standard Chartered is doubling down on affluent, cross-border clients and large corporates, segments where it commands a pricing premium and can deploy capital more efficiently.

Its Corporate and Investment Banking arm in Uganda is unaffected by the sale.

Sanjay Rughani, CEO and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Uganda, has previously noted: ‘This decision reflects our continued commitment to align our operations with Standard Chartered’s global strategy, focusing on our core strengths in Corporate and Investment Banking.’

He confirmed the bank would continue supporting clients through trade finance, capital markets, and advisory services.

Absa’s ambitions

For Absa, the acquisition is a calculated step in a longer game. Since rebranding from Barclays in 2020, the Johannesburg-based lender has been building out its retail and SME banking operations across the continent, seeking to fill the void left by retreating international players.

Adding Standard Chartered’s Ugandan retail book gives Absa a deeper customer base and a broader product portfolio in one of East Africa’s fastest-growing economies, putting it in more direct competition with dominant local players like Stanbic Bank, Centenary Bank, Equity Bank, and dfcu Bank.

‘This transaction supports Absa’s strategic Pan-African growth ambitions and further strengthens Absa’s position in Uganda’s financial services landscape. It will enable Absa Uganda to broaden its retail and wealth management offerings and deliver increased convenience and value to our customers,’ said Charles Russon, Group Executive for Africa Regions, Absa.

David Wandera, Managing Director of Absa Bank Uganda, said the bank would leverage existing infrastructure and digital platforms to absorb the new business, calling it ‘an opportunity to welcome new customers and colleagues into the Absa family, while reaffirming our long-term commitment to Uganda’s economic development.’

What next?

The deal is approved but not yet final. As the official statement made clear, the transaction becomes effective only once ‘the remaining conditions set out in the transaction agreement have been fulfilled.”

The Bank of Uganda’s approval is widely read as a vote of institutional confidence, in Absa’s financial standing, in the robustness of the transaction structure, and in the capacity of Uganda’s banking sector to absorb one of its most significant ownership transfers in recent memory.

Boys and men must become active participants in the menstrual hygiene movement. Their involvement is not about taking over spaces meant for girls and women, but about becoming supportive allies who challenge stigma, promote respect, and help create enabling environments.

Boys should grow into informed and empathetic men. Fathers should feel confident discussing periods and purchasing sanitary products for their daughters. Male leaders should champion policies and budgets that prioritize menstrual health.

Engaging men and boys is critical for transforming harmful gender norms and building communities where girls feel safe, respected, and supported. When boys are included in conversations about menstrual health, stigma reduces, empathy increases, and supportive behaviors become more common. Menstrual health education should therefore not be limited to girls alone-it must involve everyone.

However, awareness alone is not enough. We need robust accountability and sustained commitment. First, political goodwill is essential. Governments at national and local levels must prioritize menstrual health in policies, budgets, and public service delivery.

Menstrual hygiene should not depend solely on NGOs or temporary projects. It must be integrated into education, health, water and sanitation, and gender programming. Second, we need evidence-based data to inform action. Too many girls in rural communities remain invisible in policy discussions because their realities are underreported.

Third, financing matters. Without adequate investment, schools cannot build girl-friendly sanitation facilities, provide emergency menstrual supplies, or deliver comprehensive menstrual health education. Menstrual products remain unaffordable for many families struggling with poverty.

Governments and development partners must increase financing for menstrual health and hygiene interventions, especially in underserved rural areas. Finally, we must listen to the lived realities of girls and women themselves.

Policies and programs cannot succeed if they are designed without the voices of those most affected. Girls understand the barriers they face every day-fear of embarrassment, lack of privacy, pain management challenges, stigma, and economic hardship. Their voices should guide solutions.

Menstrual Hygiene Day should therefore be more than a symbolic celebration. It should be a call to action.

A period-friendly world is possible-a world where no girl misses school because of menstruation, where periods are discussed openly without shame, where schools provide safe and dignified sanitation facilities, and where boys and men stand as allies for gender equality and dignity.

Menstruation is not a women’s and girls’ issue alone. It is a community issue, a public health issue, a human rights issue, and a gender justice issue.

The government is set to introduce new regulations aimed at strengthening environmental governance and natural resource management at district and urban levels across the country. The proposed regulations, being developed by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), seek to operationalise Sections 27, 28 and 29 of the National Environment Act, 2019, which provide for the establishment, functions and financing of District Environment and Natural Resources Committees.

Officials say the regulations will offer a clear framework for implementing environmental laws and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.

Speaking during a strategic meeting in Kampala last week to discuss the roadmap for completing the regulations, Mr James Muhindo, a senior legal officer at Nema, said the new legal framework would guide the establishment and operation of environment and natural resource committees at district and urban council levels.

‘The regulations provide for the establishment of urban and district environment and natural resource committees and also define their functions as well as procedures for their operation,’ he said. According to the draft regulations, the committees will comprise between 12 and 14 members, including Members of Parliament, district chairpersons, environmental officers, resident district commissioners and other key stakeholders, supported by a secretariat.

‘The committees will ensure that environmental concerns are mainstreamed into all district and urban council plans and projects while promoting sustainable management of natural resources,’ Mr Muhindo said.

He revealed that the final draft regulations are expected to be completed by July before being submitted to the Attorney General and the Ministry of Finance for clearance. The regulations are expected to be approved by the Minister of Water by December. The draft regulations have been developed jointly by Nema, the environmental advocacy organisation Environmental Management for Livelihood Improvement Bwaise Facility, and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Stakeholders at the meeting emphasised the need to involve local communities in environmental conservation efforts if the country is to achieve sustainable management of natural resources.

Mr Robert Bakiika, a technical adviser at the Ministry of Water and Environment, said civic education should be prioritised to help communities understand environmental laws and their responsibilities. ‘I really believe that if we continue to make our communities understand environmental and climate change terminologies, we will achieve self-compliance, which offers more sustainable solutions,’ Mr Bakiika said.

Uganda’s electricity sector has made significant strides, with the national grid now spanning 5,295 kilometres and electricity access reaching approximately 57 percent of the population, with 38 percent on-grid and 19 percent off grid.

Despite these achievements, electricity infrastructure vandalism remains a major threat to power supply reliability and access. The ongoing destruction of power infrastructure significantly undermines Uganda’s goal of achieving 80 percent national grid connection under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).

Uganda has implemented key projects to expand electricity access, including the Rural Electrification Programme, the Electricity Access Scale-Up Project funded by the World Bank, and the GET Access Program supported by the government of Uganda, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the European Union.

However, despite these initiatives, the country continues to face persistent power blackouts and limited electricity access. One of the major contributors to this problem being the vandalism of electricity infrastructure which has continued to disrupt power supply and threaten economic stability.

In April 9,2026, Uganda police arrested the suspects who allegedly posed as officials from the UEDCL. It was reported that the suspects dressed in UEDCL’s uniforms and gained access to a primary school under the pretext of taking meter readings. They allegedly climbed the pole and removed electric cables supplying power to the school.

The impact of vandalism on Uganda’s economy and society is severe. Power blackouts not only disrupt homes and businesses but also increase operational costs for industries, hospitals, and educational institutions. Unreliable electricity slows down industrial production, resulting in higher costs for manufacturers, job losses, and reduced government revenue.

Additionally, Investors who rely on stable power supply may shift their businesses to countries with more reliable infrastructure, further affecting economic growth.

Ultimately, it is Ugandans who bear the financial burden of vandalism. The cost of replacing stolen or damaged infrastructure contributes to maintaining or even increasing electricity tariffs, making power less affordable for consumers.

The vandalism of Uganda’s electricity infrastructure is a crisis that threatens national development. If left unchecked, it will continue to undermine industrialization, job creation, and the overall economy.

Therefore, I call up on the government of Uganda, to enforce the use of the Electricity Amendment Act 2022, and also, put measures on community surveillance and tighter regulation of the scrap industry. By working together, government, communities, businesses, and security agencies Uganda can safeguard its power infrastructure, ensure reliable electricity, and create a more prosperous future for all.

Lacambel`s, real name John Bosco Oryema, voice dominated the airwaves across Northern Uganda, his radio program ”Dwog Cen Paco”, translated as ”Come Back Home”, which aired on Mega Fm every Tuesday and Thursday evenings, was the bridge between the rebels in the bush and the communities of Acholi.

When the conflicts ravaged the northern region, from 2001, Lacambel, who was coopted from Radio Freedom, used his live program to call rebels home; it carried messages of hope and wooed many fighters to return home.

Lacambel used his soothing but commanding soft-spoken voice to plead directly to Joseph Kony and his top commanders, including Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Sam Kolo and convicted Dominic Ongwen.

At that time, cell phones were few, but evidence has it that some top LRA commanders, once in a while, made live calls into the show and made their demands and intentions known. The program also received and read out letters from the rebels and community members.

In many instances, returnees were prerecorded, and their voices played over the radio, to prove that the government was not killing those who returned home from the bush. The same returnees were used to urge those in the bush to come back home and denounce war.

The show was blended by soul-touching Acholi traditional songs depicting the sufferings of people in northern Uganda due to the war, which led to the encampment of thousands, causing grief, moral decadence, famine and diseases.

To the affected communities, Lacambel`s message focused on peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Due to this, in 2006, he became part of the delegation led by Dr Ruhakana Rugunda to brave the jungles of Garamba in South Sudan to meet LRA leader Joseph Kony and his associates to broker peace between the rebels and the government.

His roles were simple but difficult: to deal directly with the rebel leaders, the plight of the people, inform them that the people were willing to forgive and also, in turn, record and broadcast their message to the people back home.

”Dwog Cen Paco, Dano Tye Ka Kuru Wu”, return home, people are waiting for you, was a common phrase throughout his program. He turned the microphone into a weapon, reaching places the gun and soldiers could not reach.

Throughout this time, his voice stood out as the bridge for peace. He was widely known among former LRA combatants and the government intelligence community.

Owing to ill health due to cancer, Lacambel, who was 74, eventually quit media work in 2023. He has been in and out of the hospital, treating several conditions, until on Sunday, when he breathed his last from St Mary`s Hospital, Lacor in Gulu City.

Mr Emar Okanokodi, who worked alongside Lacambel, traversing IDP camps to record peace messages and contemporary artists, described him as one who was more than a broadcaster, whose death cast a dark shadow in northern Uganda.

”Today, northern Uganda has fallen quiet. Lacambel W’Ogena, the voice that once called rebels home, that carried hope through static into IP camps, that refused to let despair have the last word, has taken his final bow.” Mr Okanokodi said.

”In the darkest years of the LRA war, when fear ruled Northern Uganda and silence meant survival, Lacambel turned a microphone into a bridge. Through ”Dwog Cen Paco”, he spoke directly to those in the bush, not with condemnation, but with a father`s place: Return home. Your people are waiting. He added.

Lacambel, thank you for using your voice when it mattered most. Rest in peace. May the airwaves carry your name with the same dignity you gave. Mr Okano said in his eulogy.

Veteran journalist, Mr Denis Ojwee, braved the battlefield during the insurgency, describing Lacambel`s demise as a great loss of a warrior who mobilised and welcomed the rebels back home.

”It`s a very big loss, we have lost a warrior for peace, he was so much engaged in the Dwog cen Paco program. He was talking to the LRA commanders; his biggest fight was to see the rebels come back home.” Mr Ojwee said.

He advocated for LRA commanders to denounce the war and come back home. It`s very unfortunate that just like me, he has not been rewarded for bringing peace in northern Uganda.” He added.

”I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend, Lacambel Wod Ogena, a crusade for peace and a promoter for reconciliation, who was a great Ugandan patriot, Mr Ruhakana Rukunda, who was part of the peace delegation to Garamba alongside Lacambel, who now serves as Gulu University Chancellor, said institution`s Communications Officer, Mr James Onono Ojok, on Sunday evening.

Lacambel`s advocacy for peace was blended with his traditional dances night program, which offered more reasons to the LRA fighters to lay down their weapons and return home, because they were missing the rhythms and sounds of Acholi culture.

Mr Ali Acaye, who was a major in the ranks of the LRA rebel, told this publication in an earlier interview that his determination to escape from the bush alongside 140 others in 2013 was inspired by the Dwog Cen Paco radio program.

”I was arrested when I was still young and was deceived into thinking that when I returned home, the government would kill me. But I was doubtful, because I would hear some returnees talk over the radio.” Mr Acaye said.

Lacambel`s former workplace confirmed his demise on Sunday evening, describing him as a legend who brought joy to every home.

”With a heavy heart, Mega FM announces the passing of our beloved legend, Lacambel Wod Ogena. The voice that touched thousands, the man who brought joy to every home in Acholiland – Lacambel Wod Ogena has left us today.”

Adding; ”During the dark days of the LRA insurgency in Northern Uganda, Lacambel wod Ogena used his voice through Dwog cen Paco as a bridge to peace – calling rebel sons and daughters to lay down their guns and come back home through the airwaves of Mega FM. His voice was more than the radio. It was family. It was comfort. It was home.”

Rest well, our legend. Your voice will echo in our hearts forever.

Rest in perfect peace. Amen.

At one point, Lacambel was arrested after setting up a makeshift radio at his workshop along Nehru Road.

He said the radio was meant to promote peace in Northern Uganda.

Lacambel dropped out of St Joseph’s College Layibi, to become a radio repairer. He later turned into a peace envoy.

‘I chose peace because my brother died as a result of violence. I never wanted anyone to feel the pain I went through,’ he said.

He was also pivotal in the 2006 failed Juba Peace Talks. He used his skills to set up a small studio using rudimentary radio equipment.

His work attracted government attention. However, the Ugandan intelligence community were sceptical that he was going to use the radio to inflame the insurgency.

His guests included senior government military officers, rebels who have defected, political leaders, relatives and parents of LRA combatants.

The radio played a pivotal role in defection, disarmament and reintegration. It is estimated that nearly 8,000 LRA fighters defected after hearing a message on the radio.

In several instances, senior LRA commanders, including Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti, called live on air during shows he hosted to warn communities of incoming offensives.

The State has strongly opposed a bail application filed by the former Butambala County Member of Parliament, Mr. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, and 24 co-accused individuals who are currently facing grave charges of terrorism.

The prosecution team arguments-delivered via a sworn affidavit-asserted that criminal investigations into the matter are still active, warning that the applicants are highly likely to interfere with state witnesses and jeopardise the judicial process if they are released back into the public.

The high-stakes bail hearing proceeded on Monday before Justice Susan Okalany at the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court in Kampala.

The session was marked by an unusual turn of events when state attorneys failed to appear on time. The court learned that the prosecutors were tied up attending separate, high-profile proceedings in a treason case involving veteran opposition politician, Dr. Kizza Besigye, at the main division of the High Court.

Although the prosecution had communicated that they would arrive by 11:00 am, the courtroom clock struck midday without any sign of the state representatives. Refusing to let the judicial machinery grind to a halt, Justice Okalany chose to forge ahead.

‘We can proceed. They will find us along the way,’ Justice Okalany ruled, allowing the defense team to formally present their submissions.

Despite the physical absence of the state attorneys, the court provided the defence team with a copy of the State’s affidavit opposing the bail. The document was sworn by Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police (DASP) Johnmary Luwebuga, an investigating officer attached to Butambala Police Station.

Leading the defence team, prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament Medard Sseggona launched a scathing attack on the State’s written response, characterising it as lazy, generic, and completely detached from reality.

‘Mr. Luwebuga’s response is a mere ‘cut-and-paste’ job that is the exact same for all the applicants,’ Mr. Sseggona told the court, arguing that the omnibus rejection failed to address the unique circumstances of each individual suspect.

Mr. Sseggona further pointed out glaring contradictions in the prosecution’s paperwork regarding the residence of the accused persons.

‘The State claims that the applicants lack fixed places of abode, yet those very residential places are explicitly indicated on the state’s own charge sheet. That position is fundamentally contradictory and self-defeating,’ Sseggona submitted.

The defence stalwart also challenged the assertion that the accused persons would intimidate or compromise witnesses. He argued that the investigating officer had failed to lay even a shred of empirical evidence before the court to prove that any of the applicants had a history or intent of witness tampering.

In his affidavit, DASP Luwebuga implored the court to throw out the application, insisting it entirely lacked merit. He maintained that the volatile nature of the Butambala criminal case required the suspects to remain under lock and key.

‘The applicants will interfere with ongoing investigations and witnesses if this application is granted,’ Luwebuga’s affidavit read in part.

The investigating officer further contended that the applicants had failed to prove they owned established businesses or fixed residences, despite what they swore in their own affidavits. He also took issue with the sureties presented by the defense, labeling them “unsuitable” and warning that the accused persons are heavy flight risks who would likely abscond from justice.

In a highly personal twist, the State explicitly disputed Mr Kivumbi’s self-description as a law-abiding citizen and statesman.

‘It is not true that the applicant is a statesman,’ Luwebuga’s affidavit stated, adding that the former legislator is no longer the sitting MP for Butambala County, nor does he still chair Parliament’s influential Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).

The State concluded that the heavy criminal charges strictly arose from the applicants’ alleged direct participation in lawless activities, urging the court to deny them freedom in the interest of public safety.

The applicants, who have been languishing on remand at Kitalya Mini Max Prison, Naguru Remand Home, and Luzira Women’s Prison, are seeking temporary freedom pending their trial.

Through their lawyers, they argue that they possess deep community ties, have substantial sureties, and have already spent months on remand without the prosecution formally committing their file to the High Court for trial.

The group was arrested following a wave of post-election violence that rocked Butambala District in January 2026. According to the prosecution, Kivumbi and his co-accused allegedly orchestrated coordinated, bloody attacks on Kibibi Police Station and the Butambala Electoral Commission tally centre between January 11 and January 17, 2026.

The state alleges the attacks were designed to intimidate the government for political or economic motives, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven people.

Hearing of the bail application continues.