Category: Daily Monitor

The State is the constitutive virtual power of a polity (citizens) with a geographically defined bounds. A government is the administrative levers (or machinery) that functionalise or delivers or exercises the constituted power of the State. A group of people running the manifest mechanics of the government through policy origination, superintendence and oversight may be called the ruling party. The word ‘constitutive’ denotes the limitations (in the French Language sense of the word ‘limite’ meaning boundary); like geographical bounds, moral, acceptability and recognition by (and expectations from) other polities.

Because State power is about citizens; the ruling party holds State power under a trusteeship mandate. This trusteeship is limited or regulated by the administrative processes and procedures of government and legislation. All these regulatory regimes are based on the history, aspirations, culture and traditions of a polity expressed and frozen in a constitution. This constitution could be coded (written) or embedded in cultural norms and traditions. Therefore, government actions, be they for State security or other, are functionalised or taken in the name of the citizens. Anything short of that just renders the ruling group or party an occupation force.

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The police is the principal arresting agency of the State (please note that arrest is a purely administrative function with laid down procedures). The principal end user of ‘information’ collected by the police is the courts of law. And because courts don’t admit evidence based on information collected through torture, police is obliged to source dust-free information. Mr Erias Lukwago was arrested last Monday. That’s normal. However, the people who arrested him were not police and his lawyers have said the police denied responsibility for his arrest. Which is why I am inclined to join the corner of those who say Lukwago was kidnapped.

Mr Lukwago is the former Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City and Dr Kizza Besigye’s lawyer in a high-stakes treason case. Mr Lukwago is said to have told his lawyers that he was tortured. At a very personal level, this torture is very disturbing for me. I am very sensitive to torture. I don’t care who is the victim or the perpetrator; I just abhor torture. Good thing for me is that I have been a victim and perpetrator of torture. That’s why, with my experience, I should speak out against torture. The folly of the torture perpetrator is seeking to express his power in or from the powerlessness of the torture victim. Such power is so corrupted that it is not satisfying. It is even worse when such power is delegated. It manifests like a madman trying to define the illusory boundaries of his madness.

A torture perpetrator may try to express his power over an already powerless torture victim. However, the power of the victim’s powerlessness tends to overpower the power of the perpetrator in a manner only a madman would not appreciate. Beyond physical and psychological torture, what can a torture perpetrator do: kill the victim? Of course that would not be satisfying. And then what?

Here is my temoignage (French: testimony). Authorities of a neighbouring country declared me a security nuisance. I was arrested and thrown into a three-by-six-foot rectangular cell. They removed all my clothes, tied my legs, arms and left me in the cell for 96 hours. Only a bona fide Mukonzo tribesman can survive this.

When they came to pick me (to parade me before the media), they found me wallowing in my human excreta and urine. Incidentally, I was too weak to even sit upright; least said of standing up. Neither did I have the energy to clean myself. Other detainees were brought in to clean me and later a doctor to stabilise me. Yet that’s not the only things they did to me. They did more; some of which I have conditioned myself to take to the grave (if there will be one). I don’t want such a situation to happen to anyone; spy or civil rights activist or political opponent or other. We are human beings; and no amount of passion for nationalism or patriotism or our leaders should push one to do what ‘they’ did to me. No. It is wrong.

Uganda continues to bear one of the world’s highest sickle cell disease burdens, with health experts warning that thousands of children are still dying from preventable complications despite years of awareness campaigns and expanded screening efforts.

The warning was made during the commemoration of World Sickle Cell Day at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Friday, where doctors, patients, caregivers and development partners gathered to highlight the need for early screening, improved awareness and timely access to care.

According to the Ministry of Health, about 13 per cent of Ugandans carry the sickle cell trait, with prevalence rising to nearly 20 per cent in some parts of northern and eastern Uganda.

Health officials estimate that about 20,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease every year, while between 6,000 and 9,000 die before reaching their fifth birthday.

Dr Phillip Kasirye, a paediatric haematologist and head of the Sickle Cell Clinic at Mulago National Referral Hospital, said many families continue to discover the condition only after a child has been diagnosed, yet early testing can help people understand their risk before starting families.

‘Early screening for sickle cell disease is very important because it helps individuals and couples know their status before making major life decisions such as marriage and childbirth. Many families only discover the condition after a child is born, yet this can often be prevented through simple testing,’ Dr Kasirye said.

He noted that although awareness about sickle cell disease has improved over the years, many Ugandans still do not know their sickle cell status.

‘We also need to address the fear and stigma around sickle cell disease. It is a genetic condition, not a curse or a contagious illness, and patients deserve understanding, support and timely care,’ he added.

The disease is inherited when a child receives a sickle cell gene from both parents.

While individuals who carry only one copy of the gene are generally healthy, they can pass it on to their children. Medical experts say when two carriers have children together, there is a significant chance of having a child born with sickle cell disease.

Health workers are increasingly encouraging Ugandans to view sickle cell screening in the same way they view HIV testing, as an important step in making informed health and family planning decisions.

The burden of the disease remains visible every day at Mulago National Referral Hospital, which hosts what is regarded as Africa’s largest specialised sickle cell clinic.

More than 200 patients seek treatment at the facility daily, ranging from newborn babies to adults who have lived with the condition for decades.

The clinic provides specialised treatment, counselling, laboratory services and long-term follow-up care.

For many patients, it serves as a critical lifeline in managing painful crises, severe anaemia and other complications associated with the disease.

A 2016 study published in The Lancet Global Health ranked Uganda third in Africa and tenth globally in terms of sickle cell disease burden.

The study linked many child deaths to preventable complications such as severe infections and anaemia, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis and continuous care.

The Ministry of Health estimates that nearly six million Ugandans carry the sickle cell gene, a figure that health experts say demonstrates the need for sustained public education and wider access to screening services.

Beyond the medical discussions, this year’s World Sickle Cell Day commemoration also highlighted the role of partnerships in supporting patient care.

Through its ‘Hope in Motion’ campaign, dfcu Bank supported the renovation of patient facilities at the Mulago Sickle Cell Clinic, including improvements to sanitation facilities and waiting areas used by patients and caregivers.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Charles Mudiwa, dfcu Bank CEO, reaffirmed the bank’s belief that the health of a nation and the success of its businesses are fundamentally interconnected.

‘We believe the health of a nation and the success of its businesses are inseparable. Our journey in sickle cell advocacy began with our employees and has grown into a nationwide commitment to awareness, support and better care. We now want to move beyond conversations to lasting solutions, including strengthening healthcare infrastructure for people living with sickle cell disease,’ he said.

Ask Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi what he thinks about the Kasambya County legislator, Mr Daudi Kabanda, and he will tell you that ‘Kabanda is one of the most intellectually ungifted Ugandans, with low levels of education’. The legislator lays no claim to having attained much in terms of an education. He holds a Senior Six certificate and a certificate in Journalism. He, however, sat for both his Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations in unusual circumstances. Having dropped out of school in Senior Two, he returned to write his UCE exams without having stepped in class for two years. Still, he managed to get four credits.

‘After the results came out, I asked whether they would permit me to go to A-Level. I was told I could proceed. So, I celebrated. I did not envisage a situation where people would laugh at my results because even those with whom I had done exams and who had been attending class, failed,’ Mr Kabanda said. Mr Kabanda again did not step in class for what should have been his Senior Five, but still managed to get two principal passes. He may not be a highly educated person, but it is clear that he learnt at an early stage to correctly anticipate the winds of change and manoeuvre and set his sails correctly.

Camps in Sembabule

The politics of Sembabule District had until very recently been heavily factionalised, with one faction aligned to the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mawogola County and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sam Kuteesa, and another aligned to the former Lwemiyaga County MP, Mr Theodore Ssekikubo. Mr Kabanda was initially aligned to Mr Ssekikubo’s faction, but ‘crossed’ to the Kutesa faction in the run-up to the January 2009 by-election in which Ms Anifa Kawooya beat Ms Joy Kabatsi to the District Woman Representative (DWR) seat. The switch came with dividends in the form of a job at Mr Kuteesa’s Radio Mbabule, close proximity to Mr Kuteesa and support that enabled Mr Kabanda to get elected to the office of chairman of the Sembabule Youth Council and secretary for Publicity of the NRM’s Youth League in 2011.

By the third quarter of 2012, it was apparent that Mr Amama Mbabazi, then a political heavyweight, had made inroads into the youth league. Pro-Mbabazi youth were making headlines, and Mr Kabanda suspected the Premier at the time had his eye on the presidency. He told his benefactor, Mr Kutesa, about his suspicions. ‘The media is reporting about pro-Mbabazi youth. Can’t we also have the pro-Museveni youth? But we first find out whether he wants to stand or not,’ he told Mr Kuteesa. Mr Mbabazi had at the time earned himself the moniker ‘super-minister’. Mr Kuteesa did not believe that he would give Mr Kabanda an audience. Mr Kabanda placed the call to Mr Mbabazi’s known mobile phone number, but he did not pick. He then sent a text message. Two hours later, a response came.

‘Hello, Comrade Kabanda. It is now late. Let us talk when we are all awake,’ Mr Mbabazi wrote. The following day, Mr Mbabazi gave him an appointment for a meeting. The meeting took place on December 5, 2012, a day before Mr Mbabazi flew to the Vatican. ‘I found ministers waiting for him. He had lined up ministers. They ushered me in immediately, and he saw me at before the ministers. If you are a Prime Minister, you are coordinating government programmes with the ministers. How would you leave ministers and meet a youth chairman of Sembabule District? It was enough to know that this man is going to stand [for president],’ Mr Kabanda said. He posed the question, but Mr Mbabazi neither confirmed nor denied. ‘The man is going to stand,’ he told his unbelieving benefactor.

That marked the beginning of a series of clandestine meetings aimed at stopping Mr Mbabazi’s group. Still, it was not until 2014 that Mr Kabanda and his group announced that they were convening a conference for purposes of firing the Chairman of the League, Mr Dennis Namara; Mr Adam Ruzindana, who represented Central region; Mr Willy Omodo Omodo, who was from Northern Uganda; Mr William Seluyinda; and Ms Nora Akwi.

Museveni intervenes

Like the guerrilla that he is, Mr Museveni did not seem to trust Mr Kabanda and his allies-Mr Ibrahim Kitata, Mr Samuel Kiwanuka and Mr Moses Kiwanuka. He directed the then Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, to investigate. Gen Kayihura, in turn, assigned Andrew Felix Kaweesi to do the legwork. That culminated in a call from President Museveni. ‘The newspapers have been portraying a picture that all the youth in Uganda support Mr Mbabazi, but for us, we have called fellow youth leaders across the country for a Delegates Conference to suspend these people,’ Mr Kitata told Mr Museveni.

Mr Museveni urged them to postpone the meeting pending a meeting between himself and Mr Mbabazi. The delegates, who had arrived in Kampala, were facilitated to return to their bases. In a typical case of the hunter turning hunted, Mr Kabanda and his group were suspended for allegedly ‘drawing a wedge between Mr Museveni and Mr Mbabazi by plotting an illegal delegates conference’ Mr Museveni invited the rival groups for a meeting at State House. The meeting took place on May 12, 2014. No sooner had the meeting commenced than one of the youth told Mr Museveni: ‘Your Excellency, we want you to leave that seat so that someone else sits in it.’

Mr Kabanda exploded.

‘I am going to beat you up. You are not going to shout from here. How can you come here and insult the President? This is not your father’s home. Even when we address ourselves to Mr Mbabazi, we do so with respect,’ he said. Mr Museveni’s response was a masterclass. ‘Now that I also have my group, which is ready to fight for me, let me get out. I will come back,’ he said before leaving the meeting room. It is not clear whether he left for purposes of watching on camera to see whether the young people’s fight was genuine or some kind of comedy show, but the verbal exchange continued until he returned and invited Mr Kabanda to speak.

‘Your Excellency, our Constitution is very clear. It does not allow cliques, but these people have been forming cliques to fight you. That is why we had organised ourselves to fight them,’ he said. ‘Maybe from their positions, not from the party,’ Mr Museveni said. ‘Yes, they can no longer hold positions in our party when they are hobnobbing with our opponents and enemies,’ Mr Kabanda said. Mr Museveni calmed the rivals down. The following day, Mr Namara addressed a press conference at which he declared that the ‘small differences’ had been resolved.

‘We want to remove the propaganda that the NRM Youth League does not support Mr Museveni. The Youth League supports him as the supreme leader, revolutionary president, and sole party presidential candidate come 2016,’ Mr Namara declared. However, a quiet but simmering contest continued to rage. That culminated in the sacking of Mr Mbabazi on September 18, 2014. ‘There were a lot of complaints about the activities of Mbabazi mobilising and meeting different people at his Kololo home. I had to move in and stop the confusion,’ Mr Museveni told a meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the top decision-making organ of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party on October 16, 2024.

Mr Mbabazi was, however, still the NRM secretary general, and he was still very powerful. It was possible that he could convince delegates to retain him. That was a threat. Mr Kabanda proposed to his benefactor that the party’s rules be changed to allow the NRM chairman to appoint all officials of the party. Whether it was on his advice that the President acted remains unknown, but on December 14, 2014, the party’s National Conference adopted and approved constitutional amendments by which Mr Mbabazi fell.

Kadaga, Among ousters

In 2021, following his election as Kasambya County MP, Mr Kabanda soon joined other MP-elects in fighting on the side of Jacob Oulanyah, who was slugging it out with his former boss, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, for the Speaker position. The complication, though, was that Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa had initially lined up as Ms Kadaga’s running mate. ‘I was supporting Tayebwa as Deputy Speaker and not Anita Among because Tayebwa is the godfather of one of my sons. We had been interacting before I became an MP, but Justine Lumumba Kasule changed [persuaded] me. She said I could not support two men.

Kadaga had already declared her intention to run as an Independent. If Tayebwa went through as a flag bearer, he was going to team up with Ms Kadaga. If Oulanyah lost, there would be two men in that office. So, I changed,’ he said. Mr Kabanda then joined a team that included Ms Margaret Muhanga, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, Mr Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, and Mr Ofwono Opondo in openly campaigning against Ms Kadaga. On May 24, 2021, Oulanyah [now deceased] was elected Speaker of the 11th Parliament, having garnered 310 votes against Ms Kadaga’s 197 and the then Forum for Democratic Change’s Ibrahim Ssemujju, who got 15 votes.

Until May 11, 2026, it had been expected that Ms Anita Among would be the Speaker of the 12th Parliament. She and her Deputy Tayebwa, had been the beneficiaries of a January 27, 2026 endorsement by CEC, the NRM’s top decision-making organ. That endorsement was followed by another by the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), which came on March 11, 2026. PLU, associated with First Son and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, directed its members to support the return of Ms Among and Mr Tayebwa, but in a dramatic turn of events, on May 12, the organisation revoked the earlier endorsement. Mr Kabanda was on hand to read the revocation to the press.

Little wonder, Ms Among was two days later advised not to contest in the Speaker’s race. With the fall of Ms Among, the total of major political scalps that have fallen as a result of Mr Kabanda’s political battles came to three in a period of less than 15 years.

In the first week of May, a viral video shook Ugandan social media. It showed actor Jovan Victor Nsubuga, once a familiar face on Ugandan television, wandering the streets of Toronto in a distressed state. While many online mocked the former star, others began tagging one name repeatedly: Mc Carol. She answered the call.

Working with Nsubuga’s family back in Uganda, Mc Carol arranged for the actor to enter a rehabilitation facility. What began as a desperate scene on the corner of Sherborne and Dundas St E transformed into a reunion with family and a path toward recovery. But for Carol Arinaitwe, known professionally as Mc Carol, this was not an isolated incident. For years, she has been quietly intervening on behalf of Ugandans in Canada who find themselves in legal, emotional or financial crisis. Just recently, she championed a fundraiser that enabled Vianney Mubiru, a cancer palliative patient, to travel so he could spend his final days with loved ones in Uganda.

Building community from the ground up

When Arinaitwe arrived in Canada as an immigrant, she quickly recognised a troubling pattern. Diaspora life, she observed, often disconnects people from their past and their sense of belonging. While some successfully adapt, many struggle, particularly those in Quebec and other French-dominant regions, where Anglophone Ugandans can feel doubly displaced.

‘I realised that culture and entertainment unite people through happiness,’ she explains. ‘When you end up in a new society, many things change and adapting is never an easy challenge.’

Her response was characteristically proactive. Drawing on her background in journalism; she holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Uganda Media Centre and Training Academy (UMCAT), Arinaitwe launched vlogs on YouTube and other streaming platforms to inform, engage and empower her community. She created a WhatsApp group called the North America Group, which now boasts of more than 1,000 members. Alongside Ricky Henry, she co-created the YouTube channel Rickyhenrylive and its flagship show Mannya Bulaaya, a show that educates Ugandan immigrants about life in the West. Through candid interviews, they reveal that living abroad is rarely the smooth landing many imagine.

Culture, entertainment and connection

Arinaitwe’s events background is extensive. A self-styled Master of Ceremonies, event promoter and organiser, she began by coordinating cultural ceremonies aimed helping Ugandans preserve their heritage. Today, she hosts live music shows featuring Ugandan artistes who tour Canada, giving the diaspora community a taste of home.

‘I reach out to Ugandans in the community to share stories about success and their life struggles,’ she says.

Her professionalism and charisma have made her a respected figure within both the Ugandan and broader African communities in Canada. But beyond the entertainment, there is a deeper mission; strengthening community bonds and creating networking opportunities for Ugandans scattered across the vast country.

A mission rooted in childhood values

What drives Arinaitwe’s relentless commitment to others? She traces it back to her mother.

‘My mother believes kindness, compassion, and service to others are among life’s greatest responsibilities,’ she shares. ‘Growing up in this environment shaped my character and inspired my lifelong commitment to helping others.’

Throughout her childhood, Arinaitwe watched her mother open her heart and home to children and individuals who were not related by blood. That example became the foundation of her own life’s work. For Arinaitwe, community service is more than an obligation, it is a calling. She believes every person deserves dignity, support and hope, especially during challenging times. Her mission is to use her voice, influence and resources to remind people that no one should face life’s struggles alone.

Flying the Ugandan flag

Arinaitwe has also become an unofficial ambassador for Ugandan tourism. A prevalent face in Toronto, she is often seen wrapped in the Ugandan flag at events. In 2025, she organised a Uganda flag-raising ceremony in the heart of Toronto to mark Independence Day. She also led media and marketing efforts for the launch of the ‘Explore Uganda’ branded bus in Canada, a tourism initiative unveiled on June 1, in Ottawa, graced by Uganda’s Ambassador to Canada, Allan Kajik.

Her regular entertainment events, frequently attended by Canadians as well as Ugandans, have presented a positive image of Uganda to an international audience.

A multifaceted career

Arinaitwe is a Ugandan-born media personality, event MC, promoter, organiser, fitness coach and journalist, now based in Toronto, Ontario. Born and raised in Kampala, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences from Makerere University, alongside her journalism diploma. After relocating to Canada, she strengthened her business expertise with a Diploma in Business Administration from the Academy of Learning College. She is the proprietor of 256 Carol Events, an event and marketing company, and runs a non-profit organisation called Her Opportunity Renewed.

A unifying force

From homeless shelters to hospital bedsides, from YouTube studios to flag-raising ceremonies, Arinaitwe has positioned herself as a centre of hope for Ugandan immigrants across Canada. She is a journalist, a promoter, a fitness coach and a humanitarian; but above all, she is a bridge.

‘I strive to create opportunities that bring Ugandans together, celebrate diversity, and promote personal and community growth,’ she says.

In a diaspora defined by distances both geographic and cultural, Arinaitwe has become a unifying force, one interview, one event, one life saved at a time.

Sir, you, President Museveni, were quoted by your government’s media, throwing the great people of Bugisu a rather harsh backhanded compliment. You said we are hardworking but have no leaders to guide us. This has torched off angry responses in Bugisu circles. As a proud member of the community, I, too, took umbrage at this mischaracterisation of a very proud people by a leader who should know better. Your system has enabled this. You choose these leaders, and given the method you use, it surprises no one that you end up with ‘bad’ ones.

The method you use to select national leaders from among our community betrays a lack of understanding of Bugisu society. You try to fit square yellow pegs in round holes. I’ll explain: Like colonial masters before you, you seem to view our society with monolithic lenses, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Ours is a decentralised society built on the strength of individual family units that forge together through common interests and heritage, into a collective. But at the core of this is a fierce individualism which recognises honest hard work, mutual respect and the need to be your brother’s keeper.

We do not have kings, queens or overlords, but we recognise the power of community. Every man who faces the knife becomes an equal leader among men. The Bagisu remain brave, hardworking, organised contributors to the story of this republic. They have just been left on the wayside by your style of government built on the colonial system of centralisation, marginalisation, and the selection of a few among us to enjoy the spoils of nationhood. Mr President, you have reduced your search for Cabinet members to NRM winners in parliamentary elections.

This is a criteria bound to fail, ab initio. Given the prohibitive cost, violence and mass rigging of elections, it should surprise no one that right-thinking, progressive members of our society have steered clear of such dubious exercises. You, therefore, end up choosing from those who have no qualms about getting into the gutter. These are not true leaders. These are self-seekers willing to bet the farm for an opportunity of your invite to the soup kitchen of a welfare state. It should surprise no one that they then go ahead to deliver very little for the people. They’re products of a flawed process.

We are a proud people who will try and keep a respectable distance from a system rooted in unquestioning loyalty and patronage over merit, broad-based community endeavor and mutual respect. We also believe in individual responsibility for mistakes. The fact that the only two ministers who have faced legal consequences for theft of Karamoja iron sheets are Bagisu isn’t really a sign of lack of leadership. It’s a sign of belief in the State’s accountability systems and the power of consequences in shaping societies.

Where other societies have beaten a well-trodden path to your court to beg for ‘forgiveness for their children’s mistakes’, we have chosen to fall back on the civic republicanism that we uphold and instead trusted the courts to try them fairly. We are of the view that justice should not be at the behest of one individual, even if the said individual is the head of state. Justice should be rooted in the indiscriminate application of the law. You might call this lack of leadership, but we prefer to call it fairness.

The success of the Parish Development Model is another win for you and our people. Bugisu Cooperative Union, despite its well-documented missteps, continues to be the only surviving such entity for a reason. We can build if supported. And it is this support that we don’t see much of. We don’t count on you or your government to solve all our problems. We simply expect a hand and a fair chance. If this isn’t forthcoming, we shall not send beggars to you. You know, the ones you call leaders. We shall keep working. This is what you recognise as being ‘hard working but lacking in leadership’.

Our community hasn’t lost any leadership step, Sir. You have simply left us by the wayside. If you doubt this, look on the other side of the mountain; to the east. A community with which we share everything continues to churn out leaders of parliament, major cities, government institutions and political organisations in Kenya. These are things we used to do here; until you pulled the proverbial rug from under our collective feet and sacrificed our promising national leadership potential at the altar of political expediency. Respectfully, an unhappy Mugisu Man!

As the news of Herman Basudde’s death spread, Mr Julius Kaweesi, the village head of Catholic laity, who actually grew up with the deceased, rushed to meet the catechist, Vicent Kyewalabye, to request him to engage the priest at Buyoga parish to organise a requiem Mass for the deceased. Fortunately, the catechist had just taken the mandate to visit the priests at the parish, who asked him not to put in an official request for the Mass. The initial claim was that Basudde had multiple partners and he glorified polygamy in his music, which is against the Catholic faith.

The priest escalated the matter to an elder, who was also his father. Joseph Kabugo Nyombi told his son to temporarily leave the village to avoid many questions from Basudde’s fans, which the priest did at night. A person who witnessed the drama but requested anonymity to speak freely shared that the catechist fled to his sister’s home in Kamenyamigo, Lwengo District. ‘At night, mourners looked for the catechist in all corners of the village to lead the night Liturgy of the Word, and when they failed to find him, the furious mourners vandalised his house.’

Some accounts say Basudde was painted by sections of the Catholic Church as rebellious. He was allegedly criticised by some clergy for forsaking religion in favour of witchcraft. The artiste was also accused of sensationalising his music by using provocatively dressed dancers and commercialising the Kadongo Kamu genre. This religious rift resulted in certain elements of the Catholic clergy in the region refusing to conduct burial rites, including a church-sanctioned funeral Mass or formal prayers for the artiste at his send-off.

Prayers amidst drama

‘Ludigido Ludigido wange’ music analyst Yekolera Itongwa shares that a random woman showed up and mesmerised mourners as she pulled off unbecoming antics whilst hollering Basudde’s name. A self-made village music star, Basudde had left the village several years ago and turned a new page in the leafy Kampala suburb of Ggaba. It is understood that as a youth, he fled the village following allegations that he was part of an anti-Obote insurgent group, The Federal Democratic Movement of Uganda (FEDEMU), which he denied in his songs, Akaalo ke Bubondo. Milton Obote served as the second and sixth president of Uganda.

It was during his second presidency in the 1980s that FEDEMU surged to the fore as the Uganda Peoples Congress-led government faced resistance from the Greater Masaka region. Some of the victims of the war in Masaka hated Basudde so much that when he died, their families reportedly refused to offer hoes and spades meant for digging his grave. This, however, did not stop the funeral proceedings from taking centre stage. Loved by many, three coffins were bought by his family, friends, and singer Paul Kafeero.

It was decided that the deceased be buried in the one bought by Kafeero given his friendship with the singer. Other coffins were broken and laid in the grave. As he wished in his song, Wasa nju, Basudde was buried with a guitar so that he could continue with his music career. He was, however, not buried with his acoustic guitar immediately. Weeks after his burial, Basudde’s family members dug beside his grave and placed his guitar alongside him. Priests from Ggaba Catholic Parish, who had shown up for his burial ceremony, were joined by singer Fred Ssebatta to pray for the deceased. It is not clear whether a priest conducted a proper requiem Mass, Liturgy of the Word, or just prayers.

Shrouded in mystery

Until today, the Catholic Church in Uganda has never come out to issue a public statement to deny or explain why Basudde, a baptised Catholic, was denied an ecclesiastical funeral. In a song, Okufa kwa Basudde, his spouse, Aisha Nakitto, expressed her disappointment in a village catechist as she called out religious leaders to stop judging the dead. This was in spite of the fact that exclusion from a Catholic funeral is canonically allowed. In fact, more exclusions would soon follow. In recent times, artiste Paul Kato Lubwama was denied a Catholic Church funeral following his alleged involvement in witchcraft and ownership of a traditional shrine at his home.

Rev Fr Joseph Ssenkaali, the Kampala Archdiocesan Associate Judicial Vicar, came out and explained that the Catholic Church can deny someone a Catholic send-off depending on reasons that are purely liturgical. He revealed that an ecclesiastical funeral is accorded to a person who is a member of the Catholic Church. This is essentially a baptised Catholic. Those not baptised and were intended to be baptised by their parents but passed away before the sacrament could be administered. Rev Fr Ssenkaali explains that one reason the Church may choose not to hold such a requiem Mass is if the deceased individual is considered a notorious apostate. An apostate is a person who betrays or deserts the faith or religion he or she at one time professed to belong to and was baptised in it.

Current Canon Law 1184 denies a Church funeral to unrepentant ‘notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics,’ those who choose cremation ‘for reasons contrary to the Christian faith’, meaning they deny the resurrection, and ‘other manifest sinners’ whose funeral would cause ‘public scandal of the faithful.’

The ride to death

Basudde had acquired a new Land Cruiser, which he repeatedly tested in the areas of Munyonyo and Kansanga on the same day when he had organised a reunion with his brother, a one Thomas Sserunjogi, with whom they had unsettled differences. At the party organised at one of his homes in Ggaba, Basudde invited several of his close friends and his other spouse, Jane Basirika. At the party, he informed his people that later in the evening, he would go visit his sick father in Masaka – a trip that was joined by his brother Sserunjogi, friends Sylvester Busuulwa, Mbalire Kateteeyi, and Phionah Nakayiza.

Nakitto said Basudde asked her to join him. Nakitto, however, declined because she felt tired. Basudde was displeased. ‘He asked me to join him on the journey, and I declined, and he asked to give him his cigarettes, saying: ‘Have you allowed me to go alone?” Nakitto shared. Hours later, on June 11, 1997, Basudde was pronounced dead following a fatal road crash at Kabale Bugonzi on Masaka-Kampala Road. The 38-year-old artist was travelling to his parents’ home in Bubondo, Masaka, when a truck attempted to overtake him, causing him to lose control and overturn.

The Basudde you didn’t know

When Herman Basudde’s father Eria Kizza Katende returned from the Second World War in late 1945, he came with an acoustic guitar, reportedly gifted to him by his friend, a one Mr Brown, as a souvenir. Later, his son, Herman Basudde (pictured), forged a worthwhile music career on a guitar whose strings had started getting damaged at the time.

It is understood that before using the same guitar to compose his first single, Mukyala Mugerwa, in 1986, the self-taught musician used the same guitar to do live performances in Bubondo, his home village in Masaka. Basudde was born on December 5, 1958, to Eria Katende and Dimitiria Namyalo. He attended Kibanda Primary School and Kitenga Primary School and is said not to have gone beyond the primary level.

A singer and songwriter with an unmatched husky voice, he is known for several songs about mischievous love affairs, social affairs, cheating men, and bizarre witchcraft. He won the 1994 Best Solo Country African musician award.

Kinyara Sugar Limited and Hima Cement were among the top corporate entities honored last night at the third edition of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Sustainability Awards.

The glamorous event, held at the Kampala Serena Hotel under the theme “Innovation for Climate Resilience,” brought together government officials, conservationists, and private sector leaders to celebrate exceptional commitments to environmental stewardship.

The winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by independent experts, featuring field verifications, strict due diligence, and comprehensive assessments against established environmental sustainability criteria.

Kinyara Sugar Limited scooped the Climate Smart Agriculture Award, while Hima Cement took home the Circular Economy Award. Hima Cement was particularly lauded for integrating eco-friendly technologies that minimize carbon emissions and conserve biodiversity across its manufacturing operations.

Receiving the award, Kinyara Sugar’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ramalingam Ravi-who was accompanied by the company’s Environment Manager, Mr. Moses Enjama, and Masindi Sugarcane Growers Association Ltd (MSGAL) Chairman, Mr. Robert Atugonza-expressed gratitude for the recognition.

Mr Francis Mugerwa, the Kinyara Sugar Ltd Public Relations Officer, highlighted the company’s extensive green initiatives.

“We are grateful to be awarded for smart agriculture practices and innovations. These include the restoration of wetlands and natural forests, pioneering bio-fertilizer production in East Africa, green harvesting, and intercropping sugarcane with legumes like soya beans to organically replenish soil nutrients,” Mugerwa said.

He added that the integration of these eco-friendly approaches along the sugar value chain has drastically enhanced agricultural productivity and boosted compliance with environmental laws, a feat achieved by working closely with farmers, local communities, and the government.

Speaking at the event, NEMA Executive Director Dr. Akankwasa Barirega noted that the awards prove environmental sustainability and economic growth are not mutually exclusive.

“Manufacturers are investing in greener production processes, and communities continue to restore regulated ecosystems while creating sustainable livelihoods,” Dr. Barirega said. “Their work shows that environmental stewardship is not a constraint on development, but rather an enabler of long-term prosperity.”

Delivering the keynote address, Bank of Uganda Governor Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego warned that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a severe economic shock wave felt through frequent floods, prolonged droughts, and landslides.

Dr Atingi-Ego emphasized that when climate disasters disrupt agricultural harvests and damage infrastructure, the fallout hits corporate balance sheets, loan portfolios, and public finances.

“Climate change effects are economic shocks that affect productivity, livelihoods, investments, and growth,” the Governor warned. “Investing in resilience today is therefore an investment in Uganda’s future competitiveness, productivity, and prosperity.”

The Minister of Water and Environment, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, who presided over the ceremony, tasked Ugandans with protecting the environment for both current and future generations.

Expressing concern over human-led environmental degradation, Gen. Otafiire wondered why mankind continues to destroy a pristine universe created to sustain them.

Going forward, the Minister vowed that the government will enforce a strict, zero-tolerance policy against any further encroachment on wetlands, central forest reserves, and other ecologically fragile ecosystems across the country.

Nutritionists have called on government to introduce a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax on sugary drinks as part of renewed efforts to curb the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in Uganda.

The nutritionists say increasing taxes on products with high sugar content would raise prices, discourage excessive consumption, reduce obesity rates, and protect public health, including children who are the most affected.

According to the World Health Organisation, high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of excess weight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dental caries and osteoporosis, among other health complications.

Speaking during a health workshop organised by the Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights on Friday, Prof Charles Muyanja, a lecturer at Makerere University’s Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, said the proposed tax could help address the growing challenge of childhood obesity in Uganda.

Prof Muyanja proposed that taxes target products containing added sugars, including sodas, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sweetened teas and flavoured water, reasoning that the intervention would contribute to reducing diet-related diseases.

‘If you increase the tax on sugar and oil, you are doing a very good service to the consumers, the price will increase, and people won’t buy a lot of oil and will consume less. We are warning the consumers to make informed choices,’ he stated.

‘For the industries, we are not going to take their products from the market, it helps them to increase their profits, if their food meets WHO recommendations, and consumers will buy them,’ Prof Muyanja added.

He tasked the Ministry of Health to strengthen regulations that require mandatory front-of-pack labelling and restrict the marketing of unhealthy food products, especially those targeting children, to help consumers make informed choices.

In the same regard, Martin Wambona, CEFROHT programmes coordinator, said there is an urgent need to regulate food products as protection of public health remains a national priority given the growing health and economic burden of obesity and diet-related diseases.

‘We are seeing an increase in the number of overweight and obese children who cannot even cross the roads while going to school, which affects their cognitive ability. We need strong regulations to hinder consumers from purchasing these products,’ he noted.

Mr Wambona warned that some products on the market are altered to become sweeter, last longer and encourage repeated consumption through the use of added sugar, non-sugar sweeteners and other ingredients that consumers may not fully understand.

However, when asked about the comments on the proposed regulations and government interventions to protect consumers from highly sweetened products, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, Emmanuel Ainebyona, declined to comment directly on the tax proposal, saying taxation falls under broader government policy discussions.

‘I can’t comment on this issue; you need to talk to the Health Minister because it is a tax policy matter,’ he stated during a short phone interview on Saturday.

By press time, efforts to get the comment from the Health Minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, were futile as he did not pick up his phone.

In the FY2026/27 budget, government increased excise duty on cooking oil from Shs200 to Shs400 per litre to raise Shs25 billion; sugar from Shs100 to Shs200 per kilogram to generate another Shs25 billion; and cooking fat to Shs500 per kilogram, expected to raise Shs15 billion.

The measures were welcomed by nutritionists. According to data from the Uganda Heart Institute, cardiovascular diseases remain among the leading causes of death in Uganda, claiming more than 27,000 lives annually, with a mortality rate of 223 deaths per 100,000 people.

Globally, WHO’s 2025 report on the use of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes indicates that by July 2024, at least 116 countries had introduced national-level excise taxes on at least one type of sugar-sweetened beverage, with 114 countries specifically taxing sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks.

A concern has been raised that poor menstrual hygiene continues to force girls out of schools in Rukungiri district, with new research showing thousands of learning days are lost every term.

According to a recent study released by the Turinawe Ingrid Kamateneti Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on mental health and stigma in primary schools, out of the 80 days allocated to a school term, 29.7 per cent of adolescent girls miss a minimum of four days per menstrual cycle.

Ms Ingrid Turinawe, director of TIK Foundation, said poor menstrual hygiene remains one of the leading contributors to girl child school dropout and poor performance in the Kigezi sub-region. She was speaking Wednesday while donating 3,000 sanitary pads to 12 primary schools in Rukungiri Municipality.

‘Our findings show that during menstrual cycles girls are either absent from school or others drop out because of stigma. The menstrual cycle can occur anytime, it can be examination time or discussions on very important topics,’ Ms Turinawe said.

She noted the challenge is more severe in poor families and rural schools before calling on stakeholders across Rukungiri and the entire country to recognise menstrual health as a major barrier to girls’ education.

Teachers in the affected schools confirmed the impact on attendance and performance. Ms Constance Natukunda, a teacher at Rukondo Primary School, said they have long experienced poor performance among young girls because of stigma and absenteeism during menstrual cycles.

‘We pray that this programme is on forever because we have a challenge that girls are always absent during their menstrual cycle, they face stigma especially when unknowingly they get into this and are noticed by fellow learners and in such a situation most of them drop out,’ she said.

Ms Gorreti Nampamya, senior woman teacher at Kashozi Primary School, said adolescent girls often resort to using old pieces of cloth to pad themselves during menstrual periods, which sometimes causes embarrassment.

‘The embarrassment most of the adolescent girls face especially when the situation they are in is noticed by fellow learners forces some of them out of school,’ Ms Nampamya said.

Rukungiri District Chairperson, Charles Andrewson Katebire, said the challenge of menstrual hygiene needs strategic intervention to keep the girl child in school.

‘With reports from schools that menstrual hygiene is leading to school dropout, we need to come out and draw up a strategy of ensuring schools have enough sanitary pads but carry out sensitization to reduce stigma,’ Mr Katebire said.

The Rukungiri District Education Officer, Jackson Turyahumura, said his department has been distributing sanitary pads but efforts have not been sustainable due to limited resources.

‘We have been trying to give sanitary pads to schools but they are always not enough. We appeal to government and NGOs to look into this as a matter of great concern because it contributes to girl-child school dropouts,’ Mr Turyahumura said.

The issue of free sanitary pads for school girls has been debated nationally for years. In 2015 during a campaign rally at Alira Primary School in Alebtong district, President Yoweri Museveni promised every school-going girl would receive free sanitary pads in the 2017/2018 financial year, but the pledge has not been fulfilled to date.

Education stakeholders say without consistent access to sanitary pads and proper menstrual health education, many girls in Rukungiri will continue to miss school, lag behind academically, and risk dropping out entirely.

For many Kampala residents, weekends often follow a familiar pattern; brunch, a visit to a café, an evening at a restaurant, or perhaps a movie. But a growing trend is offering something a little different, the chance to get your hands dirty with clay while enjoying good food and company.

Bruno Pottery Studio in Kampala offers weekend pottery sessions that combine hands-on creativity with dining. Participants spend Saturday afternoons shaping clay into bowls, mugs, or decorative pieces while enjoying food and drinks in a relaxed outdoor setting. The experience transforms an ordinary meal out into an interactive, restorative activity, guests leave with memories and their own handmade creations, having learnt a new skill while unwinding from the week’s pressures.

On Saturdays, the sessions take place at Ashiana Restaurant in Bugolobi, attracting both adults and children. Sundays are reserved for sessions at Bight of Benin in Nakasero, where members of the public gather to try their hand at pottery in a casual setting.

Pottery has long been recognised as more than just an art form. Around the world, therapists and wellness experts increasingly point to creative activities as effective ways of reducing stress and improving mental wellbeing. Working with clay requires focus and patience, encouraging participants to be fully present in the moment.

The appeal extends beyond individuals looking to relax. Families can enjoy the sessions together, giving children a chance to explore their creativity away from phones, tablets and television screens. Couples looking for a unique date idea may also find pottery more memorable than the traditional dinner outing.

The dining element adds another layer to the experience. Participants can enjoy a meal or refreshments while waiting for guidance from instructors or admiring the creations taking shape around them. The combination of food, conversation and creativity creates an atmosphere that is both social and relaxed. You do not need any prior artistic experience to join. Most participants arrive as complete beginners, guided through the basics of shaping, moulding and decorating clay. Whether you prefer creating a pot from scratch, painting a pre-made pottery piece, or doing both, the experience caters to every level of creativity. The emphasis is less on perfection and more on enjoying the process.

In a city where traffic, deadlines and constant digital connectivity can leave people mentally exhausted, spending a few hours creating something with your own hands can be remarkably refreshing. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from transforming a simple piece of clay into an object that did not exist before.

For children, the sessions offer a chance to learn through play while developing patience and motor skills. For adults, they provide a welcome escape from the demands of work and everyday responsibilities.