Category: Daily Monitor

Three years before the end of his second term in 2006, President Museveni moved to remove Article 105(2) of the 1995 Constitution, which limited presidents to two terms. Despite promising in 2001 that his 2001-2006 term would be his last, he sought a third term, or ‘kisanja.’

James Wapakhabulo, former Speaker and chair of the Constituent Assembly, warned Mr Museveni in a November 2003 letter about the plans to scrap term limits. Wapakhabulo, removed as Speaker in 1998 for his principled stance, died in March 2004. Museveni replied over a month after his burial, revealing his intentions to remove the term limits. Frederic Musisi brings you the President’s letter published in this newspaper on May 12, 2004.

I am writing in respect of a letter written to me by the late Hon. Wapakhabulo dated 19 November 2003 that was leaked to the Press by some individual we shall find out more about.

By the time this letter was published in the press, I had not seen it yet. Apart from what I read in the paper, I saw the original letter on 26th April 2004. One of my legal officers, Mr Kashilingi, summarised it on 24th March 2004, although the letter was written on 19th November 2003.

Hon. Wapakhabulo is now dead, and I cannot answer him. However, I am writing to all of you so that you know my views in connection with certain aspects of the irrational and desperate efforts by those who, it seems, have been scheming a long time to usurp the authority of the people and reverse the gains ushered in by the 26th of January 1986.

When I read the late Wapakhabulo’s letter, I find a lot of politically and, possibly, legally incorrect positions. On page three (8) of the letter, the author refers to his conversation with the Solicitor General who pointed out to him that ‘since the Article had ‘become contentious, it was only right at other provisions of the Constitution such as Clause one which provides that all power belongs to the people and Clause four (4) which provides for the right of the people to express their will and consent as to who shall govern them are called in to resolve the issue.

Surprisingly, the deceased dismisses this by saying that what is contentious is not the forum but the proposal itself. In fact both are contentious.

This is because, to some people, this matter is so important at it should be resolved by the ultimate authority in the land – People In my opinion, as a resistance fighter, there is nothing wrong (of course) with Parliament being empowered to amend a particular Article of the Constitution.

What is very wrong, however, is for somebody to argue, as I have seen people exhausting themselves in the press, that there are certain areas of the Constitution that are no-go areas for the people and only a monopoly of Parliament. This is amazing and outrageous.

This letter goes on say as follows: ‘The results of such a referendum held under that proposed law to determine the question of whether Article 105 (2) should be repealed, even if favourable, has propaganda value only but nothing else’ Really !!

This is amazing. To whom does the country belong – to the people or Parliament? MPs are servants of the people. How can someone equate them with the latter or even say that the former are higher than the latter.

My whole life, as you know, has been in the struggle for liberation of the masses from oppression and marginalisation. These arguments are part logic that seeks to usurp the hard-won authority the Movement gave to the People. Article 83 (1) (g), for instance, provides that, in case Uganda is under a multi-party system, a Member of Parliament elected on a ticket of a certain party cannot ‘cross the floor’ as they used to do in the 1960s and join another side in Parliament. He would lose his seat and go for fresh elections. This was an attempt to avoid the mistakes of 1960s leaders betraying the people who elected them. It is amazing, therefore, that certain circles in the Movement are trying to do the same in new ways.

There is no way the population can demand the right to pronounce themselves on any important issue and the Parliament of Uganda denies them that right. Worse still, there is no way a referendum can be held and the people pronounce themselves on an issue but that popular decision is only ‘of propaganda value’.

This would be a counter-revolution against the authority of the people and I cannot associate myself with such an act. What, then, would be the legitimacy of such a constitution. There was Apartheid Constitution in South Africa until 10 years ago, constructed and defended by Apartheid lawyers, such a constitution, however, had no legitimacy.

When a constitutional or legal arrangement pays more attention to philosophically irrational procedures rather than the basic, genuine aspirations of the people, it loses legitimacy in the eyes of the people; it loses legitimacy and then it is ignored.

When it is ignored by the masses, the legal gymnasticians are powerless to enforce their illegitimate arrangements. Have we not seen this with mob justice in our villages? Instead of having an easily understood procedure, if you construct an obscure procedure that excludes the aspirations of the people, you risk rendering that legal arrangement illegitimate.

The Resistance Movement that I have led for the last 34 years has a clear philosophy on this. It is: ‘All power belongs to the People’. The framers of the 1995 Constitution (where some of us were not) should have at every turn and corner, ensured this principle. If they did not, as the late Wapakhabulo seemed to be saying in his letter, that was their failure, to put it mildly.

Was this an attempt by the framers of the 1995 Constitution to usurp the power of the People or was it negligence? This is the more reason, therefore why we should now rectify those mistakes of the CA, if any. After all, this is a Constitutional review. These irrationalities shall be reviewed. The people’s authority must be unambiguously in the saddle of Uganda’s Stale affairs.

I was surprised that the author tried to mix up political matters with judicial matters. On page two (2) of his letter, he talks of Article 126 (2) which talks about Judicial power deriving from the people. He asks as follows: ‘Can the people hold a referendum under Article 255 to ‘sideline the jurisdiction of any Court of law in the judicial system?’

Article 105 (2) talks about political issues, which arc a more direct responsibility of the people than the judiciary. The people are the one? Who elect the President, Members of Parliament (MPs), Local Councils (LCs), etc. They do not elect judges. The judges belong to the professional cadreship like doctors, accountants, etc. Nevertheless, even those are a concern and therefore responsibility of the people. If they so mismanaged their professional role and, some of them do quite often, the people, either indirectly or directly, could be called upon to resolve the impasse.

Article 126 (1) says that the judges will exercise their powers in accordance with norms and aspirations of the people. Nevertheless, it was no problem for one of the judges to decide that publishing of ‘false news’ is legal’! Among all the tribes of Uganda to tell a lie about somebody or something is an offence. You must kuhoonga-paying a fine to gain forgiveness. However, since elements of the judiciary are, in effect violating the Constitution with impunity, the situation may so negatively accumulate that a crisis between the people and those foreign-minded Courts develops. It will, obviously, be resolved in favour of the people. Nobody can stop this as long as the pro-people NRM leaders are in charge of the State. If they were not, a real crisis would develop. You all remember when people were being murdered in Kampala with impunity by criminals. Most of the killers were criminals who had been released from jails by the Courts! Using my authority as Commander-in-Chief of UPDF, I used a section of the Armed Forces Law [NRA Statute 1998 (UPDF ACT CAP 305)] to defend the people.

This law says that even if some-body is a civilian but is found with a piece of equipment ordinarily reserved for the army, he will be treated as if he was a soldier and could, therefore, be tried by Court Martial. That is how the people of Kampala were saved from criminal terrorism. I actually ‘sidelined’ part of the civilian Court system in order to save the people.

The purpose is to serve the people not to serve the Courts, the President or Parliament. Before i referred the criminals to the court martial, I had referred the concern to some lawyers who told me that such an arrangement would not be appropriate because ‘Somebody could not be a judge in his own cause’. ‘A judge in his own cause’!! The thieves were killing civilians mainly. How then would soldiers in a Court Martial be ‘judges in their own cause’? I held off for two years and the situation continued to deteriorate for the Kampala dweller.

When I thought more about the issue, I ignored the advice of lawyers: I authorised Wembley and the trying of the criminals equipped with firearms by a Court Martial. There were some whimpers among the legal gymnasticians. Since those whimpers had no legitimacy among the people anymore, they were ignored.

The law here is about democratic legitimacy in fulfillment of the wishes and aspiration of the masses. Nevertheless, I do not believe that the present Constitution is fundamentally anti-people. Otherwise, we should have mounted, long ago, a political resistance against those anti-people provisions.

It seems that the main problems lie with the biased interpretations by the prejudiced lawyers and judges. The most beautiful Article of this Constitution is Article 1 (1): ‘All power belongs to the people’. This was the whole purpose of our carrying the gun for 13 years (1971-1979. 1981-1986).

In fact, this is why some of us have been enthusiastic supporters of this Constitution. There is no other Article of this Constitution, which says anything similar to this.

There is no Article, which says: ‘All powder belongs to Parliament; or All power belongs to the President; or All power belongs to the Judiciary.’ Article 99 (1) says that ‘all Executive power belongs to the President.’ It does not say. ‘All power belongs to the President’. It only confines itself to the ‘Executive power’.

Therefore, the problem is caused by the biased judges and lawyers who do not have a scale of legitimacy in their heads. Who has got the most legitimate authority in the land? Obviously, the people! All other authorities in the country (President; Parliament and Judiciary) derive their authority from the people (Article 1 (3).

I, however, heard that one of the Judges (or was it a cluster of them) ruled that all Articles of the Constitution are equal. This is incorrect. Article 1, (1) is above all the other Articles. If this has not been clear to the various Authorities, then this Constitutional Review process must clarify that. If there were no cloudy spectacles worn by those who interpret the present Constitution in a manner designed to dilute or eliminate the people’s authority, even this Constitution would be adequate. Given the propensity towards diluting ‘or even usurping people’s authority, the season for clarification, once and for all time, has arrived.

Yoweri K. Museveni

PRESIDENT

cc: Honourable Cabinet Ministers.

cc: Honourable Ministers of State

A disturbing video clip has resurfaced online and gone viral. In it, Congolese independence hero and first Prime Minister Patrice Émery Lumumba is shown in his final moments in January 1961, stumbling through an open field, his tormentors chasing, slapping, and beating him with rifle butts as though he were a common street thief.

Lumumba’s last days remain among the darkest chapters of Africa’s independence era. Ousted in a September 1960 coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko), Lumumba was arrested near Port Francqui (today Ilebo) in Kasai Province on December 1, 1960, and flown under guard to Leopoldville (now Kinshasa).

After weeks of humiliation, he was transferred to Katanga on January 17, 1961, where treacherous Moïse Tshombe’s secessionist regime and Belgian officers awaited him. That evening, Lumumba and two allies-Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito-were driven to a clearing outside Élisabethville (now Lubumbashi). They were beaten, mocked, and tied “kandoya” style (their arms twisted behind their backs). Strapped to trees, they were shot dead by a Katangan firing squad supervised by Belgian officers.

Their bodies were hacked to pieces and dissolved in sulphuric acid. A Belgian officer kept teeth and bone fragments as macabre souvenirs-returned to Congo only in 2022. It was an attempted erasure, a determination to deny him even a grave. Instead, it immortalised him. The image of Lumumba bound, defiant, and executed in that Katangan night has remained etched into Africa’s collective memory. The clip-now circulating widely on X (Twitter)-has reignited debate about Lumumba’s legacy. The iconography of this legacy is immense. In Uganda, there is Lumumba Hall at Makerere University, as well as Lumumba Avenue in Kololo. Children are still being named after him.

Across Africa, from Cairo and Algiers, through Central Africa and everywhere in the southern African swathe, his name runs through streets and institutions. Then there are countless books, T-shirts, murals, and stickers. In just a few months of leadership, Lumumba captured the hopes of a continent breaking its colonial chains. His fiery Independence Day speech on June 30, 1960, denouncing Belgian exploitation and affirming dignity for all Congolese, set him apart from more cautious contemporaries.

He stood for Pan-African unity, refusing to let foreign capitals or reactionary local elites dictate the future of Congo. Unlike many leaders of his generation, he resisted tribal temptations. He refused to be a regional boss or an ethnic warlord, insisting instead on a unified Congolese nation. But if all we do is weep over Lumumba’s torment and exalt his martyrdom, we risk missing the real lessons. His brief and turbulent reign as Congo’s first prime minister, from June 24 to September 5, 1960, was marked by brilliance, yes, but also grave miscalculations.

His most damaging error was his refusal to build broad coalitions. From the moment Congo became independent, he treated rivals, including President Joseph Kasavubu, Katanga’s Tshombe, and South Kasai’s Albert Kalonji, as enemies to be crushed rather than bargained with. Within weeks, Katanga seceded on July 11, 1960, followed by South Kasai on August 9, and the country began to splinter. His insistence on a rigidly centralised unitary state was equally self-defeating. A country bigger than Argentina and South Africa combined, with over 200 ethnic groups, was never going to be ruled by decree from Leopoldville. His push for central control fanned rebellion instead of suppressing it.

The army was another disaster. On July 5, 1960, he authorised the “Africanisation” of the Force Publique, sacking European officers overnight; fine, but without preparing Congolese replacements. The army mutinied within days, looting towns and terrorising civilians. Belgium sent in paratroopers on July 9 to “protect its citizens”, tightening its grip on Congo. Economically, Lumumba denounced monopolies and foreign strangleholds but offered no serious plan for mines, banks, or transport. Investors fled-technical staff packed up. Shortages worsened.

His June 30 independence speech, while a much-loved African thunderbolt of truth, humiliated Kasavubu and alienated moderates. Lumumba mistook mass adulation for political consensus. To sanctify Lumumba without reckoning with his errors is to risk repeating them. These are warnings to every African leader who thinks charisma can replace institutions or that slogans can substitute for actionable policy. His biggest tactical blunder was alienating both local and external centres of power at once.

He quickly lost support from Western powers, the United Nations, and powerful Congolese factions, leaving him exposed. Leaders today who burn bridges simultaneously-without building durable local coalitions or independent economic bases-risk the same isolation. And for the Ugandan Opposition, a lesson too. Now, with the race for next January’s elections on, and the arrests, abductions, and torture of Opposition members mounting, they too need a tactical reflection. Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform have captured mass enthusiasm. Still, they must learn from both the brilliance and the mistakes of Africa’s heroes, or risk being trapped forever in cycles of martyrdom without victory.

Foreign banks are pulling out of Africa after decades of operations, saddled by declining profits and rising operational costs. This reflects the continent’s changing investment landscape and the diminishing appeal of the financial services sector.

Ongoing exits are largely linked to increasing competition from telecoms and financial technology (fintech) firms. Mobile and digital financial services offerings have weakened the dominance of global banks, worsened by weakening currencies, political instability in several countries, and rising cases of terrorism.

A new study by global rating agency, Moody’s, spotlights recent exits, noting that a tough operating environment has seen top global lenders, which have operated on the continent for years, scale down operations or exit completely. Some have sold their African businesses to local banking operators.

‘Africa was long regarded as one of the next frontiers for global banking expansion. But the perception of many Western (foreign) banks has shifted over the last decade owing to disappointing profitability and rising operational challenges,’ Moody’s says.

The report notes that Western banking groups, some of which have been in Africa for more than a century, are increasingly leaving the continent, and as they reassess their strategies in Africa, a growing number are choosing to scale back or exit entirely from certain markets.

Since 2019, at least seven major foreign lenders have announced plans to either scale back or leave Africa completely. They include some large British and French banking groups, such as Barclays, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Groupe BPCE, HSBC, and Société Générale.

The report notes that Africa’s retail banking in particular has fallen short of expectations for some foreign banks, with increasing competition from mobile and digital competitors challenging traditional banks’ market shares and profitability.

For African countries lacking comprehensive banking networks, Moody’s notes, mobile banking has become an easy alternative for money transfers and an important vehicle for increasing banking penetration.

But fintech startups and mobile money operators such as ‘Safaricom’s M-Pesa, Orange Money, and MTN Mobile Money have also expanded rapidly, offering a wide range of financial services to underserved individuals and new markets like the microcredit segment.’

Competition between traditional banks, fintech startups, and mobile money operators is intense, and traditional banks are working hard to defend market shares while preserving profitability, the report notes.

But rising interest rates at the tail end of the Covid- 19 have also dulled the attractiveness of African markets for some foreign banks, causing them to single out African operations as being higher risk but less profitable than other regions.

In addition, weakening in the value of some local currencies against the dollar or European units has cut the contribution of African operations to foreign banks’ revenues and profitability.

Recent economic shocks, such as Covid-10 in 2020 and the commodity crunch that followed, hit emerging African middle classes, adding further pressure.

‘Several countries are still bearing the scars of the pandemic in the form of higher debt and increased poverty,’ Moody’s says.

Moreover, political instability in several African countries has fuelled uncertainty and, in some cases, led to economic sanctions, constraining banks’ ability to conduct their business and repatriate profits.

There have been a series of coups in sub-Saharan countries in recent years, including Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon.

The emergence of terrorist organisations in a few countries has also put African operations in the spotlight.

Tightened regulations on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing have added greater complexity to banking operations, increasing the regulatory burden and magnifying reputational risk.

As of June 2025, 12 out of the 24 countries on the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list of jurisdictions under scrutiny for money laundering and terrorist financing were in Africa.

According to Moody’s US sanctions currently imposed on nine African countries add another layer of risk, and as a result, foreign banks, some of which have been in Africa for more than a century, are increasingly leaving the continent.

Britain’s Standard Chartered, which has operated in Africa for around 150 years, is progressively reducing its footprint.

The lender in 2022 announced plans to leave five African countries, Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe, and exit the Consumer, Private, and Business Banking segments in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire, given the complexity and high cost-to-income ratio of operating in these markets.

Its shareholding in these subsidiaries were finally sold to Access Bank in July 2023.

The bank has also announced plans to divest from its wealth and retail banking businesses in Uganda, Botswana, and Zambia.

Standard Chartered made a $217 million loss on the sale of its business in Zimbabwe, Angola, and Sierra Leone, largely due to forex translation.

Barclays, whose operations on the continent span more than 100 years, marked its complete exit from the region in December 2017 by reducing its shareholding in South Africa’s Barclays Africa Group from 62.3 percent to a non-controlling stake of 14.9 percent.

The lender sold off business units it did not consider core operations and shifted attention to consumer, corporate, and investment banking in Europe and US.

UK’s financial conglomerate Atlas Mara, which had acquired banks in seven African countries, has already exited the continent, terming its African investments ‘risky’ and the sub-Saharan African macroeconomic environment as ‘challenging’, exacerbated by Covid-19.

Consequently, from September 2020 to date, Atlas Mara has completely divested from Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia.

In June 2023, French bank Société Générale announced the sale of its stakes in several African subsidiaries.

It sold its holdings in Mozambique (65 percent) and Burkina Faso (52.6 percent) to Vista Group, and its stake in Chad (67.8 percent) to Coris Bank.

Last month (August 2025), it also sold its 95.5 percent stake in Mauritania to Enko Capital.

In Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, the bank’s participations were ultimately acquired by the respective local governments, which exercised their right of first refusal.

Société Générale also announced that it had signed an agreement to sell its 57.2 percent stake in its Equatorial Guinea subsidiary to Vista Group.

However, since the announcement, there has been no official confirmation that the transaction has been completed.

As of June 2025, disposal processes are also underway in Guinea Conakry and Benin.

The bank cited a lack of critical mass and limited synergies with the rest of the group as key reasons for its exit, aiming for a more efficient allocation of capital.

Uganda and Kenya have agreed to develop a joint tourism marketing plan that showcases their complementary attractions to regional and international travelers.

The decision was made during a meeting between the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) held on the sidelines of the ongoing Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi.

The three-day expo has attracted over 6,500 delegates from more than 40 countries, including 400 exhibitors and about 5,000 travel professionals. UTB Chairperson, Ms Pearl Hoareau Kakooza, emphasised the importance of collaboration rather than competition, given that Ugandans are the second-largest source of visitors to Kenya, while Kenyans top Uganda’s arrivals list.

“The only way to grow these numbers is through active collaboration, joint marketing, and private-public partnerships,” she said. “Uganda’s gorillas and River Nile, alongside Kenya’s Masai Mara and coastal beaches, can be marketed as complementary products.”

As part of the cooperation, the boards are considering joint roadshows, regional events, and familiarisation trips for tour operators. Kenya has already hosted Ugandan operators at its expos, while KTB has sent travel agents to sample Ugandan tourism products.

KTB Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Allan Njoroge, said Kenya is determined to double the number of Ugandans visiting annually from the current 225,000, making Uganda its top source market ahead of the United States. “Tourists want multi-country experiences, not just one destination. So we must sell each other,” he said.

Uganda has standardised park entry rates for East Africans to match those paid by Ugandan citizens, a move designed to encourage regional travel. The partnership is also expected to feed into preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Both boards believe AFCON presents a major opportunity to boost sports tourism by bundling football with wildlife and cultural experiences. Mr Njoroge emphasised that the two countries are not competing but complementing each other’s strengths.

Fishermen on Lake Victoria have called for the reinstatement of Beach Management Units (BMUs) at landing sites, claiming that their absence has facilitated illegal fishing practices and weakened community control over the lake.

BMUs, introduced in the early 2000s, were community-based groups tasked with co-managing the fisheries sub-sector in fishing villages by registering boats, enforcing fishing regulations, and monitoring illegal gear at landing sites in collaboration with the fisheries departments in districts. But in 2017, President Museveni disbanded them and handed the responsibility of fisheries enforcement to the military-led Fish Protection Unit (FPU), citing corruption in BMUs.

Now, local fishermen say the vacuum has caused more harm than good.

‘BMU members could know every fisherman operating on the lake and those possessing illegal fishing gear at every fishing village. The soldiers we have today do not operate at the village level, so by the time they arrive at any landing site for an operation, illegal fishers will have hidden their nets or already done the damage,’ Mr Sunday Gerald Kayita, a fisherman in Mazinga said during an interview yesterday. Mr Godfrey Ssenyonga Kambugu, another fisherman and head of the Association of Lake Fishermen and Lake Users of Uganda (AFALU), said the enforcement of regulations on the lake without involving local structures is ‘next to impossible.’

‘Since BMUs were scrapped, there have been no landing site management committees. FPU tried to fill the gap by appointing committees, but those have only created more problems and divisions among us,’ he said. He added that some of the interim committees have been accused of corruption and favouritism, leading to widespread mistrust. ‘The fisheries ministry should redesign BMUs, involve genuine fishermen, and fill the leadership vacuum,’ he added. However, the FPU spokesperson, Lt Lauben Ndifula, defended the army’s role on Uganda’s water bodies.

‘In the past, local leaders at various landing sites worked tirelessly to protect the lake. But today, many fishermen don’t care. They fish right on the shoreline, use pesticides, or build beaches that destroy breeding grounds,’ he said. Lt Ndifula said Lake Victoria is under immense pressure. On Uganda’s side alone, the lake spans more than 13,000 square kilometres, with 6,000 landing sites, each hosting 300 to 500 people. He said more than 1.7 million people now depend on Lake Victoria, compared to a much smaller population decades ago.

He added that increasing population growth, coupled with illegal gear, has strained fish stocks in the lake.

‘Some landing sites that were planned for only 60 boats now have more than 100. Others were planned for 70 boats, but currently have 300 boats. Regulations allow only 50 fishing nets per boat, but some carry over 150 nets,’ he said. Lt Ndifula admitted that BMUs did valuable work during their time, but insisted they were not free from corruption. ‘Some members of BMUs used to work with illegal operators. Those calling for them now are genuine fishermen who love the lake, but we also know others want them back to resume illegal practices,’ he said.

He revealed that FPU is currently having discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries to review co-management regulations and explore how BMUs could be reinstated in a stronger, more transparent form.

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has resumed strict enforcement patrols to curb littering and maintain cleanliness across the city as it gears up for the highly anticipated City Festival.

The move is part of a broader campaign to ensure the city remains clean, welcoming, and safe for both residents and visitors.

KCCA Executive Director Hajati Sharifah Buzeki emphasized the importance of proactive measures ahead of the festival.

“We are committed to keeping Kampala clean. Our teams will patrol major streets, markets, and public spaces to ensure compliance with sanitation regulations. Littering will not be tolerated,” she said.

The enforcement efforts will be complemented by public awareness campaigns aimed at educating residents on the proper disposal of waste and the importance of maintaining a clean environment.

“Cooperation from the community is key to achieving a litter-free city,” Buzeki added.

Minister for Kampala Hajati Minsa Kabanda welcomed the initiative, noting that a clean city is not just a matter of pride but also of public health.

“Kampala hosts thousands of people every year during the City Festival. It is crucial that we present our city in the best possible way. A clean city promotes tourism, business, and the overall well-being of our citizens,” Kabanda said.

The City Festival, which attracts visitors from across Uganda and beyond, will feature cultural displays, music performances, health services, and food exhibitions. Ms. Buzeki urged all residents and business owners along festival routes to comply with sanitation regulations and avoid activities that generate litter in public spaces.

“KCCA’s enforcement teams are equipped to issue fines and take corrective measures against individuals or businesses that disregard the rules,” she said. “This is not about punishment alone; it is about creating a culture of responsibility and pride in our city.”

With a zero-tolerance approach to littering, KCCA aims to make Kampala a model city during high-profile events. Authorities are optimistic that with cooperation from residents, Kampala will host a safe, enjoyable, and clean City Festival for all.

Concerns about poor health services, dilapidated housing, traffic jams, and weak drainage systems dominated as Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential candidate Maj Gen (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu began his Kampala campaign trail yesterday. After resting on the opening day of campaigns, Gen Muntu, contesting for the presidency for the second time, started in Kawempe Division and later concluded in Kampala Central. In Kawempe, he conducted door-to-door meetings where residents raised key issues.

‘We have a national referral hospital in Kawempe [Kirudu], but care is lacking. Most services are paid for, contrary to what the government says. There is no timely attention to mothers delivering at night. We need a president who will make basic health services free and affordable,’ said Ms Hajarah Nabukenya, a resident of Kawempe Ku Ttano. Mr Joab Atwine, a trader in Kisenyi, cited poor drainage systems that worsen during the rainy season. ‘The city was poorly planned and the president must revisit the drainage system.

When it rains, we are at risk of losing lives. I treated one of my children for typhoid three times last season,’ he said. Mr Imran Kasule, who is living with a disability, asked for inclusivity in government programmes. ‘We are rarely incorporated, despised, and discriminated against. We want free housing and non-interest loans to grow economically,’ he said. Ms Jane Nasanga, a trader, called for tax reforms.

‘Taxes in kilos for textiles and garments are threatening business. Our goods take a long time before clearance at URA. The tax regime must be revised,’ she said.

Mr Joel Wasswa of Kawempe pointed to corruption as the city’s biggest challenge.

‘Much as we cry about poor health, roads, and drainage, the root cause is corruption. Without eliminating corruption, nothing will improve,’ he said. In his address, Gen Muntu pledged to establish a robust transport system to address congestion. ‘The population keeps growing. In 20 years, Kampala could have 16 million people. Without a proper transport system, one will spend five hours in jam,’ he said.

He proposed widening roads, creating bus and ambulance lanes, and introducing rails for small commuter trains linking Kampala to major towns.

He also promised affordable housing through government construction projects. ‘As we build houses, we shall ensure citizens can afford them. If a person has a business, we must create favourable conditions so that they can purchase houses, with payments spread over a grace period,’ he said.

Kampala’s outskirts remain dominated by informal settlements with poor access to sanitation, waste management, and security. The 2024 Population and Housing Census showed that 55 percent of households rent single-room units commonly known as mizigo. According to the National Population and Housing Census (NPHC), Kampala has a daytime population of 2.5 million, with 1.79 million residents, nearly 300,000 of whom lack a household.

Youth unemployment is high, with 808,983 aged 15-24 not in employment, education, or training (NEET). Of Uganda’s 25.1 million working-age population (14-64 years), only 9.4 million are employed, 1.7 million of whom are in Kampala. The city faces severe air pollution, largely from heavy-duty vehicles.

Residents’ concerns

Hillary Akayizuka, boda boda cyclist: ‘Police officers flog us like dogs, and yet this is the only employment option we have. Many of us studied and failed to find jobs. The next president should be able to scrap all unnecessary fines and enforcements.’

Johnson Twijukye, army veteran: ‘I have served before in the army, but the circumstances under which one goes to get a retirement pension are crooked. There is a lot of theft that must be addressed because quite a number of mentally ill people on the streets are there due to disappointed hopes in such sectors.’

Imran Kasule, PWD: ‘We are rarely incorporated in government programmes, are despised and discriminated against. We therefore want inclusivity from whoever comes next.’

The trial of suspects in the murder case of Kampala businessman Henry Katanga resumed yesterday, with the lead investigator suggesting a third party may have been present at the scene. The crime scene was Katanga’s master bedroom, where he was found dead on November 2, 2023. ‘My lord, the smears of blood on the wall, the ladder which was in the room. Like, I could not believe that someone could kill themselves and then again touch the wall with their hands. I could also not believe that a retired colonel could fire and have another live ammunition come out during suicide,’ Detective Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bibiana Akongo told Justice Rosette Comfort Kania.

‘You could see a sign of someone trying to mop after that observation, and the room seemed to have had a third party,’ she added.

Her remarks came after Assistant DPP Samali Wakooli asked what made her suspect more than one person was present. She, however, did not identify the alleged third party.

DSP Akongo, the 23rd prosecution witness, testified that while on duty in Kinawataka, she received a call from the Bugolobi OC about a suspected suicide by shooting.

‘We reached the scene of the crime and found the door closed. Otai (Charles, one of the suspects) was standing at the door. The legs were tied together using a gauze. On that same bed, at the edge, there was a pistol, a projectile, and one cartridge,’ she said. When asked what had happened, Otai allegedly told her Katanga had shot himself. He further said the deceased was a retired UPDF colonel and that Katanga’s wife, Molly Katanga, had collapsed on hearing the news and was taken to hospital.

The investigator said Otai later gave police three different versions of events. She added that a depression in the ceiling and a deformed projectile were discovered. ‘The one that hit the ceiling got deformed, but the one that shot the person (Katanga) was never recovered. When you shoot someone, he or she is not a hard rock to make a projectile deform,’ she explained. Her conclusion was that Katanga’s death was homicide, not suicide.

The African Development Bank Group new president, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, who took office on September 1, has unveiled a reform blueprint he calls the ‘Four Cardinal Points,’ which seeks to shape the Bank’s work across the continent-including in Uganda.

At its core, the plan focuses on mobilising Africa’s financial resources by scaling blended finance and deploying innovative instruments such as green and social bonds, with the aim of stretching scarce capital and drawing in private investors.

For Uganda, where firms grapple with high borrowing costs and low long-term financing, deeper AfDB mobilisation could unlock funding for productive investment.

Dr Ould Tah will also reform and consolidate financial systems by prioritizing stronger financial governance, deeper capital markets, and better risk management, and harness demographic transformation by focusing on skilling, digital empowerment, and support for women and youth entrepreneurs.

Uganda’s vibrant tech scene, from mobile-money innovators to a growing startup ecosystem, could benefit from AfDB-backed digital infrastructure, skilling programmes, and venture finance that connect young creators to markets.

He will also build climate-resilient infrastructure and drive value addition by emphasizing focus on renewables, efficient transport corridors, and climate financing.

AfDB support has already helped expand energy access, upgrade trade corridors, and strengthen agriculture value chains, laying foundations for business expansion and export competitiveness.

Ould Tah is credited with transforming BADEA into a high-performing lender, and he is determined to create a more agile, ambitious, and accountable AfDB, where every dollar raised should work harder for Africa’s future.

For Uganda, success will be measured in cheaper capital, stronger institutions, youth opportunities, and infrastructure that can withstand the next shock.

Police in western Uganda have launched a manhunt for a 25-year-old man accused of killing his father and grandmother inside their home on Monday night.

The incident occurred in Bulenge Zone, Kakuba Ward, Katooke Town Council, Kyenjojo District, according to Rwenzori West Police spokesperson SP Vincent Twesige.

Police identified the suspect as Allan Bainomugisha, who fled after the alleged killings. The victims were his grandmother, Molly Teo Tumusiime, 71, and his father, Dragon Bruce, 50.

A police report released Tuesday said Bainomugisha entered his grandmother’s house, where she lived with Bruce, and hid in the ceiling earlier in the evening while the two were at a nearby trading centre.

A granddaughter, only identified as Praise, told police she saw him but did not report it. She later heard Bruce praying at about 10:30 p.m., the last time she heard his voice.

‘After some hours, Praise heard Bruce crying out for help. Shortly after, Teo asked what had happened to him, but she received no reply. She then called her grandson, Muhumuza, to bring her a torch. As she moved to open the sitting room door, the suspect grabbed her,’ the report said.

It added: ‘The suspect then attacked her with a machete, cutting her several times. Muhumuza, who is 12, ran outside to alert his uncle, Ruhamire Joel, who lives nearby.’

Ruhamire told police that when he responded, he found the suspect still in the house. The man threatened to kill him too before fleeing. Ruhamire then reported the incident to Katooke Police Station.

Police officers who visited the scene recovered witness statements, collected blood samples, and conducted postmortems.

‘Tumusiime’s body was found in the doorway between her bedroom and the sitting room, lying in a pool of blood with deep cuts on her neck, right arm, ribs, and back. Dragon Bruce’s body was found lying on his back in his bedroom next to the sitting room. He had multiple injuries, including cuts on his chest, left ear, ribs, and a severe wound on his right thumb,’ police indicated.

Speaking to Monitor, Ruhamire said the killings may have been linked to a land dispute.

‘Shortly after Tumusiime gave land to her son, Bainomugisha came to his father saying he wanted to build a house there. When his father refused, Bainomugisha went ahead and brought construction materials despite the rejection. We suspect this disagreement could have been the cause of the murders,’ Ruhamire said.

He added that the children had earlier seen the suspect hide in the ceiling but did not question him since he often ate and stayed with them.

Police said investigations were ongoing and the hunt for Bainomugisha was underway.

Murders and road crashes claim about 25 lives in Uganda everyday, according to a 2024 annual police crime repoort.