Category: Daily Monitor

Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has said Uganda possesses a highly innovative but underutilised human resource whose ideas often fail to translate into practical solutions because of inadequate funding, contributing to persistent challenges such as unemployment and poverty.

Speaking during a meeting with development partners, government officials, researchers and academics at the Excel Agribusiness Incubation Centre in Biharwe, Mbarara City, on Sunday, Mr Musasizi said many promising innovations die before reaching communities because innovators lack financial support.

‘We have a highly innovative human resource, including professors, but their ideas and innovations die because they lack money to transform them into real solutions to address community challenges. I recently visited Kachwekano Agricultural Research Centre in Kabale with the Minister of Agriculture and found a lot of idle minds and science there because they lack financial support,’ Mr Musasizi said.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda Industrial Research Institute, Excel Hort Consult Agribusiness Incubation Centre, CARE International, the African Agribusiness Incubation Network and local government leaders.

Mr Musasizi said the government would prioritise financing science, innovation and technology as part of broader efforts to transform Uganda’s economy.

‘The President has asked me to identify the economic bases to transform this country, and one of them is funding science and innovation. We cannot keep skilling people who cannot find solutions to address community challenges such as unemployment. Supporting innovators and scientists is now a priority,’ he said.

He urged universities, innovation hubs and vocational institutions to maintain databases of graduates and innovators to make it easier for government to identify, support and integrate them into development programmes.

‘Most of these young people are sitting on good ideas and innovations but lack funding. If institutions maintain records of those they train, government can align them to programmes and provide support,’ he added.

Mr Musasizi also praised Alex Ariho for bringing together development partners to explore collaborative solutions to social and economic challenges.

‘One challenge we face is that development partners often work in isolation. I am happy Professor Ariho has identified this gap, and as a ministry we shall support initiatives that generate practical solutions to the country’s problems,’ he said.

He singled out proposals such as providing alternative livelihoods for communities occupying wetlands before eviction and expanding affordable financing for innovators as areas requiring government support.

Prof Ariho said development partners needed to pool resources, co-create projects and jointly finance interventions if they were to achieve meaningful impact.

‘If we do not work together, resources will be scattered, programmes duplicated and communities will not benefit. That is why we are encouraging development partners to collaborate,’ he said.

Mbarara City Member of Parliament Christopher Bakashaba said innovation and skills development remained critical tools in the fight against poverty and unemployment.

‘The innovations and skilling programmes we have seen here demonstrate that unemployment can become history if innovators are supported with capital and market linkages. Without facilitating them to transform their knowledge into solutions, we shall achieve little,’ Mr Bakashaba said.

He pledged to support efforts in Parliament aimed at increasing funding for innovators and linking them to government programmes.

According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census report, about 1.4 million Ugandans in the working-age population were unemployed, with unemployment higher among women at 14.5 percent than among men.

In a move that has stirred debate in Uganda’s diplomatic and infrastructure corridors, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has announced the unilateral cancellation of the pound 2.7 billion (approx. Shs10.8 trillion) Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) contract with Turkish construction firm, Yapi Merkezi.

Gen Muhoozi, who also serves as the Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, went further to command Kasambya County MP David Kabanda to organise his political supporters to stage mass protests at the Turkish Embassy in Kampala this coming Friday, June 19, 2026.

“We have cancelled the contract with the Turkish company to build the SGR. We will get another one that is more worthy of our country! PLU should demonstrate on Friday comrade! All Security Services are instructed to leave our supporters/ordinary Ugandans to demonstrate at the Turkish Embassy on Friday 19th June 2026!” Gen Muhoozi posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

The General’s public pronouncement has thrown the multi-billion-dollar project into immediate uncertainty. As of late Tuesday evening, neither the Ministry of Works and Transport, led by Fred Byamukama, nor the main SGR Project Secretariat had issued an official statement confirming a formal, legal termination of the contract.

Because the deal was legally finalized in late 2024 and preliminary works-including the construction of worker camps and sleeper factories-have been actively progressing into 2026, Gen Muhoozi’s public dismissal has left observers, diplomats, and local sub-contractors stunned, waiting to see if the central government will officially ratify the directive.

Ironically, the explosive development comes just weeks after the African Development Bank (AfDB) reaffirmed its commitment to partially finance the project. On May 29, 2026, Uganda’s Ministry of Finance announced that the AfDB had tentatively allocated $650 million (approx. UA 480 million) under the African Development Fund 17 framework to finance the 326-kilometre section from Malaba to Kampala.

During the bank’s annual meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, AfDB Acting Vice President Dr. Abdul Kamara met with a Ugandan delegation led by Assistant Commissioner Mustapha Achidri. Dr. Kamara pledged that the final project financing arrangements would be concluded during an upcoming appraisal mission scheduled for July 2026, praising the SGR for aligning with the bank’s priority of building resilient African infrastructure.

The 272-kilometre main electric rail line segment, meant to run from Kampala to the Kenyan border town of Malaba, has faced a turbulent history. In 2013, the leaders of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Rwanda broke ground on the regional SGR initiative to boost trade for a market of over 300 million people. However, while Kenya and Tanzania made significant strides, Uganda stalled.

Uganda initially signed an agreement in 2015 with China Harbour and Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) to implement the project, on the condition that the firm secure financing from the Beijing government. After eight years of fruitless financial negotiations, Uganda terminated the Chinese contract in 2023 and subsequently signed a fresh agreement with Yapi Merkezi in October 2024.

At the 2024 signing ceremony, Ministry of Works Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa noted that the project would take 48 months to complete, utilizing a blend of Uganda’s own funds, credit from Citibank, and export credit organizations. The project was heavily lauded by Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi as an economic game-changer, given that the Kampala-to-Mombasa highway route is considered one of the most expensive cargo roads in the world. The SGR was projected to slash regional transport and shipping costs by half.

The sudden hostility toward Yapi Merkezi marks a staggering U-turn for Gen Muhoozi. Only a few months prior, on December 17, 2025, the CDF hosted a high-level delegation from the Turkish firm at the Special Forces Command (SFC) headquarters in Entebbe.

Led by Board Member Sami Özge Arioglu and General Manager Mustafa Sahin Kopuz, the Turkish team had briefed Gen Muhoozi on technical designs, including a critical 2-kilometre tunnel slated to pass through military land in Mbuya. At the time, Gen Muhoozi urged the contractors to deliver high-quality work on schedule, and full construction works were greenlit to proceed in 2026.

With Gen Muhoozi now ordering state security apparatuses to step aside and allow political demonstrations at the Turkish Embassy, diplomatic relations between Kampala and Ankara hang in the balance. Turkish Ambassador to Uganda, Mehmet Fatih Ak, had previously hailed the partnership as a historic bedrock that would launch landlocked Uganda’s exports onto the competitive global stage.

Government spokespersons were unavailable for comment by press time to clarify whether Gen Muhoozi’s social media directive constitutes an official executive decree or a shift in the country’s geopolitical alignment.

As Uganda prepares for the Financial Year 2026/27, one feature of the national budget stands out for its consistency: the theme. For the fourth consecutive year, the government has retained its focus on: ‘Full Monetisation of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialisation, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access.’

The repetition of this theme has triggered debate among economists, policymakers, and citizens. Some question whether it reflects slow progress in implementation, while others see it as a deliberate long-term strategy aimed at steadily transforming Uganda into a modern, productive, and prosperous economy.

History of development planning

Uganda’s development journey has been characterised by several economic planning approaches since independence.

Between 1962 and 1971, the country pursued a mixed economy model that combined public and private sector participation. The 1970s saw the disruption of this approach through economic policies implemented during a period of political instability.

In the 1980s, Uganda adopted Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) and later the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) of 1987, both supported by international financial institutions, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These reforms focused on liberalising the economy, privatising state enterprises and encouraging private-sector-led growth.

From 1997 to 2008, the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) became Uganda’s overarching development framework. The PEAP was built on four key pillars: creating a framework for economic growth and transformation; ensuring good governance and security; increasing the ability of the poor to raise their incomes; and improving the quality of life of poor households.

The PEAP sought to reduce poverty while laying the foundation for Uganda’s transition into a middle-income country.

From poverty reduction to economic transformation

The government later replaced the PEAP with National Development Plans (NDPs), marking a shift from poverty reduction towards economic transformation.

National Development Plan I

The National Development Plan I (NDP I) from 2010/11-2014/15 aimed to accelerate socio-economic transformation and support Uganda’s Vision 2040.

Its objectives included increasing household incomes, expanding employment opportunities, improving infrastructure, strengthening education and health services, promoting science and technology, and enhancing governance and security.

National Development Plan II (2015/16-2019/20)

NDP II was guided by Uganda Vision 2040 and adopted the theme: ‘Strengthening Uganda’s Competitiveness for Sustainable Wealth Creation, Employment and Inclusive Growth.’

The focus shifted towards improving competitiveness and creating jobs through investment and productivity growth.

National Development Plan III (2020/21-2024/25)

The third plan emphasized: ‘Sustainable Industrialisation for Inclusive Growth, Employment and Wealth Creation.’ Industrialisation became the central strategy for driving economic growth and improving livelihoods.

The National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), covering the period 2025/26-2029/30, is the fourth in a series of six development plans designed to accelerate Uganda’s socio-economic transformation. It also marks the first of three five-year plans expected to drive the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, which aims to double the size of the economy every five years.

The overarching goal of NDP IV is to achieve higher household incomes, full monetisation of the economy, and expanded employment opportunities as a foundation for sustainable socio-economic transformation. This will be pursued under the theme: ‘Sustainable Industrialisation for Inclusive Growth, Employment, and Wealth Creation.’

In this context, the government’s current monetisation agenda can be seen as a continuation of long-term policy efforts aimed at shifting Uganda from a predominantly subsistence-based economy to a modern, market-driven economy.

Understanding full monetisation

According to the Finance Ministry, full monetisation refers to the process of transitioning households from subsistence production and informal economic activities into the formal, cash-based economy.

The ministry’s principal communications officer, Mr Apollo Munghinda, says the government has maintained the same budget theme because the work remains unfinished.

‘Full monetisation of the economy is about graduating households from informal and subsistence levels into a formalised, cash-generating and commercial economy,’ he explains.

Government estimates indicate that approximately 67 percent of Ugandans participate in the money economy while 33 percent remain largely dependent on subsistence activities.

To accelerate the transition, the government has invested heavily in programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, commercial agriculture initiatives and the capitalisation of the Uganda Development Bank.

Munghinda says these interventions form part of the broader tenfold growth strategy aimed at expanding Uganda’s economy to $500 billion by 2040.

Data from the 2024 National Population and Housing Census conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) provides important insights into Uganda’s economic transformation journey.

Uganda’s population stood at 45.9 million people in May 2024, growing at an average annual rate of 2.9 percent.

The census found that half of Uganda’s population is below 18 years; 74 percent of persons aged 10 years and above are literate; 81.1 percent of households have access to improved water sources; 53.4 percent have access to electricity. The unemployment rate stands at 12.3 percent; 42.6 percent of youth aged 15-24 are not in employment, education or training.

Most significantly, the census revealed that 33.1 percent of households remain in the subsistence economy, while 66.9 percent participate in the money economy.

Are government programmes reaching enough people?

The census also raises questions about the reach of government wealth creation programmes. Among adults surveyed, only 0.4 percent reported benefiting from Emyooga; National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) reached 0.9 percent; Operation Wealth Creation benefited 0.4 percent; Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme reached 0.5 percent of women.

Although 23.5 percent of households in the subsistence economy reported benefiting from the Parish Development Model, the overall figures suggest that many Uganda to benefit from government interventions aimed at commercialising livelihoons have yet to directly benefit from government interventions aimed at commercialising livelihoods.

Why the same budget theme?

Dr Brian Sserunjogi, a research fellow in the Macroeconomics Department at the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), argues that the consistency reflects strategic focus rather than policy stagnation.

According to him, the National Development Plan framework shifted government thinking from poverty reduction to rapid economic growth through infrastructure development and productive investment.

‘Government wants to bring more Ugandans into productive economic activity where they can earn income, save, invest and contribute to economic growth,’ he says.

Research suggests that several Ugandans can spend extended periods without participating in cash transactions, highlighting the challenge the government seeks to address.

The Parish Development Model has become the flagship vehicle for achieving this objective, with Shs3.2 trillion already invested.

Dr Sserunjogi believes the government is concentrating on four strategic sectors: Agro-industrialisation; Minerals; Tourism; Oil and gas and Science, Technology and Innovation. These sectors are expected to create jobs, boost exports and stimulate economic growth.

Economists argue that successful monetisation could have far-reaching effects on Uganda’s development.

Greater participation in the cash economy could increase household incomes; expand savings and investment; improve access to education and healthcare; reduce poverty, and expand government tax revenues.

A broader tax base would enable the government to finance more development projects while reducing dependence on borrowing.

Challenges

Despite the potential benefits, experts caution that monetisation alone will not automatically transform the economy.

Dr Sserunjogi argues that implementation remains the greatest challenge. ‘Business as usual will not be sufficient,’ he warns.

He says Uganda must address structural bottlenecks, including: high transport costs; expensive electricity; weak agricultural extension services; corruption and inefficiencies in public institutions.

He also warns that distributing money without improving productivity could undermine the objectives of programmes such as PDM.

‘If money is simply distributed without addressing productivity and accountability challenges, beneficiaries may consume the funds and return to their previous circumstances,’ he says.

Monetisation is a process, not an event

Dr John Mutenyo, a senior lecturer at Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), agrees that monetisation is achievable but emphasizes that it cannot happen overnight.

‘Full monetisation cannot happen immediately. It is a gradual process, not an instant one,’ he explains.

According to Dr Mutenyo, no country in the world is entirely monetised. Even advanced economies maintain small subsistence sectors.

He argues that Uganda must pursue a combination of fiscal, monetary and structural policies rather than relying solely on one programme.

‘Reducing the subsistence sector is important because it expands economic participation in the formal market system and broadens the tax base,’ he says.

He points to efforts to formalise street vending and informal businesses as examples of practical steps towards monetisation.

Many of these operators were conducting business but were not visible to fiscal authorities and could not easily be taxed. By moving them into formal markets, the government can identify, regulate, and tax them,’ he said.

He noted that many informal operators earn incomes while benefiting from public services such as roads, security, and infrastructure without contributing directly to tax revenue.

‘Bringing them into the money economy allows the government to benefit through taxation. That is partly what reducing the subsistence sector means,’ he explained.

Road to a $500 billion economy

President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly emphasized that household participation in wealth creation programmes remains central to Uganda’s economic future.

As Uganda enters its fourth consecutive year under the same budget theme, the message from policymakers is unmistakable: economic transformation is a long-term project requiring patience, consistency and sustained investment.

Whether full monetisation becomes the catalyst for Uganda’s economic breakthrough will depend not on the vision itself, but on the effectiveness of its implementation.

Since the Government adopted the vision of achieving full monetisation of the economy, national budgets have expanded, with increasing emphasis on programmes aimed at transforming household incomes. Among these interventions, the Parish Development Model (PDM) has emerged as the flagship strategy for fighting poverty, creating wealth, and integrating millions of Ugandans into the money economy.

Over the last three financial years, the government has allocated and released money to support PDM implementation across the country. While many beneficiaries have reported improvements in household incomes and livelihoods, concerns remain about the low recovery rate of funds, misuse of resources, and diversion of money from its intended purpose.

Speaking during the State of the Nation Address at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on June 4, President Yoweri Museveni reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the programme, declaring that all households with land should access low-interest capital through PDM within the next five years.

‘There is already Shs557 million in the parish. It has reached 3.7 million households,’ the President noted, emphasizing that the government would continue providing Shs100 million annually per rural parish and Shs300 million per urban ward, in addition to facilitation funds for local leaders.

The President also raised concerns regarding the utilisation of funds previously allocated under Emyooga, another wealth-creation initiative that has received approximately Shs760 billion. Questions remain over how many associations have benefited and what measurable impact the funds have created at the grassroots level.

Stanbic Uganda Cup’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Gadafi Wahab has scripted one of the most emotional and compelling football stories in Ugandan folklore – one defined by early promise, fading visibility, and a striking late resurgence that has now delivered him back to the summit of domestic football.

Wahab’s journey began more than a decade ago when he emerged as a lean, lanky, and technically gifted playmaker, carrying the aura of a future star.

Many first noticed him in the 2016 Uganda Cup final at Nakivubo Stadium, where he scored a marvellous freekick for Onduparaka in their 3-1 defeat to Vipers.

Even in loss, he looked destined for greater heights – composed on the ball, unusually elegant in tight spaces, and capable of dictating tempo with minimal effort.

Downward spiral

From that moment, expectations soared. Alongside his Onduparaka teammate Muhammad Shaban, Wahab was tipped to become a cornerstone of the Uganda Cranes’ next generation.

But football rarely follows scripts. While Shaban would go on to experience national team call-ups and glimpses of professional football – albeit inconsistently – Wahab drifted through a more complicated path.

He switched allegiance to South Sudan and began a slow, often unremarked journey through clubs including Arua Hill, Nec, and Wakiso Giants, where flashes of brilliance were overshadowed by inconsistency and a perception of underachievement.

At Wakiso Giants and Nec in particular, he often cut a forlorn figure – gifted but subdued, a player many felt was simply passing time rather than shaping a career. By the time he joined Kitara, he was widely viewed as a talent that had slipped through the cracks.

Second chance

Yet under coach Wasswa Bbosa, everything changed. Wahab was not only revived but repositioned as the creative heartbeat of a rising Kitara side that would go on to claim their second Uganda Cup crown in three seasons after 2024.

Alongside Yunus Sibira, Emmanuel Wasswa, Frank ‘Zaga’ Tumwesigye and Hussein Ssenoga, Wahab completed one of the most robust, dynamic midfield set ups domestically.

His influence was decisive throughout the campaign – controlling games, unlocking defences, and stepping up in defining moments.

The most symbolic contribution came in the semi-final against defending champions Vipers, where Wahab scored in the 1-1 return leg at Kitende, a goal that secured Kitara’s passage to the final on away goals.

From there, he orchestrated the midfield in the final against SC Villa, guiding Kitara to a 2-1 victory and sealing his individual brilliance with both the MVP and Best Midfielder awards.

‘He has been written off too early,’ Bbosa said. ‘The problem in Uganda is we are too quick to discard players. Experience and maturity are what set the Ugandan and Tanzanian leagues apart.”

According to Bbosa, Yanga and Cranes playmaker Allan Okello is finally setting tongues wagging after ten years of learning the hard way.

“Players like Patrick Kaddu, Murushid Juuko, Shaban, Isa Lumu, George Ssenkaaba, Wahab and Meddie Kibirige have all been labelled outdated, yet they form the backbone of our success.’

Ugandan football has seen many such cases – Steven Bengo, Augustine Nsumba, Dan Sserunkuma, Tony Odur, Sadam Juma, Jackson Nunda – talents whose potential never fully aligned with their output.

For Wahab, however, the narrative has turned again. From promise to obscurity and back to prominence, he now stands as a reminder that football careers are not linear – and that revival, when it comes, can be more powerful than early hype.

Individual Accolades

MVP: Gadafi Wahab (Kitara)

Best Midfielder: Gadafi Wahab (Kitara)

Best Goalkeeper: Meddie Kibirige (Kitara)

Top scorer: George Senkaaba (Kitara)

Best Defender: David Owori (SC Villa)

Wahab at a glance

Full name: Gadafi Wahab Thiago Ajuman

Born: December 11, 1995

Citizenship: South Sudan/Uganda

Position:Midfield – Attacking Midfield

Current club: Kitara

Previous clubs: Onduparaka, Arua Hill, Wakiso Giants, Nec

Dr Fred Muhumuza is not the kind of economist who retreats into abstraction.

When he talks about government spending, he talks about buses, fuel allowances per vehicle, the Minister of Health’s car parked next to the Minister of Energy’s car on a public holiday in Arua, both drivers on allowance, both burning public money into the red dust.

He was speaking at the NTV Uganda – Absa post-budget dialogue on Friday, a day after the Finance Minister read the National Budget, surrounded by business leaders who wanted to know, simply, what it meant for them.

His answer, characteristically, was that the question itself needs reframing. ‘You can benefit from this budget by either waiting for the delivery to come,’ he said, ‘or by being part of the delivery process.’

Uganda’s ten-fold growth strategy is the Agro-Industrialisation, Tourism Development, Mineral-Based Industrialisation (including oil and gas), and Science, Technology and Innovation (ATMS), which is a long-term blueprint aiming to expand the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from about $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040.

This ‘tenfold growth’ model focuses on four priority sectors: Agro-industrialisation, Tourism development, Mineral-based industrialisation, and Science, Technology and Innovation.

For a country still trying to build out its productive base, these are not surprising choices.

But Dr Muhumuza, who is also the director of the Economic Forum at the Makerere University Business School, was more interested in what the budget signals than what it says. This coming financial year, it signals reform.

These words appear repeatedly in the Finance Minister’s speech: procurement reform, salary reform, and the cancellation of certain public ceremonies.

And the number that Dr Muhumuza kept returning to is 10. As in, 10 percent GDP growth, double digits, which Uganda has not seen since the early 1990s, the last great era of structural reform.

‘Reforms stimulate growth,’ he said. ‘The last time we were in double digits was the period of reforms. Somewhere we left the reforms or brought in different ones. One of the major ones that got left behind was procurement.’

The proposed changes to government procurement are, he acknowledged, going to be ‘loved and hated equally.’

‘There are people who eat from the current system, who depend on its drag, its opacity, its capacity to delay and inflate,’ he said.

But there are also people, he argued, waiting on the other side: businesses owed government arrears, pensioners whose payments are caught in a bureaucratic tangle, civil servants whose real salaries have been quietly substituted with a labyrinth of allowances.

‘You’ve been waiting. It’s your pension. You delivered the business. Who knows? Savings from this reform of procurement may eventually resolve the pending arrears,’ he noted.

Fuel prices rising

The conversation turned to fuel. The government has added a levy of Shs200 per litre on petrol and diesel for the 2026/2027 financial year starting July 1, raising total duties to Shs1,750 and Shs1,430, respectively. This measure is expected to generate Shs450 billion. With the pump price already rising to Shs6,700, it looks set to settle somewhere around Shs7,000 per litre.

For businesses, this is a recalculation of every delivery, every commute, every operational line.

Dr Muhumuza was indifferent and impatient with the way the debate tends to close in on itself, pointing out that Parliament, which budgeted for its own inland travel allowances at the old fuel price, will almost certainly come back asking for a supplementary budget to cover the difference.

‘You’ll not be surprised to see Parliament asking for a supplement. In the spirit of reforms, Mr Parliament, you already have Shs1.2 trillion. Can you go and reform some of the ways you are doing things and absorb this necessary cost?’

Consistency

It is, he said, a question of consistency. If the legislature is demanding efficiency from the executive, the executive should demand the same in return. The buses-and-cars example is not incidental.

It is his central argument about what reform actually looks like when it isn’t just a word in a speech.

‘One bus. Put them on a bus because if each one drives their own car, you trigger a fuel allowance per vehicle. A driver’s allowance per vehicle,’ he said.

He imagined the aggregated schedule: officials going to Karamoja, to Arua, to Gulu, their trips consolidated, their costs pooled. ‘I would have had one driver for all of them.’

The savings from such reforms, Dr Muhumuza argued, have a destination. He has thought carefully about where they should go, and his answer is salaries.

The current system, in which civil servants supplement modest base pay with a proliferating array of travel allowances, per diems, and ceremonial payments, is both opaque and unstable.

‘An allowance you are waiting on, whether you’ll get it or not,’ he said. ‘But if it is your salary, you can plan better.’

His benchmark was specific. Uganda has set a national objective of living above a dollar a day per person. If a civil servant is the breadwinner for five dependents, he argued, their household needs at least six dollars (Shs22,495) a day, roughly $180 (Shs674,873) to $200 (Shs749,859) a month.

The minimum salary, on those grounds, should be around Shs2 million.

‘Where am I going to find the money? From the reforms, because now I’m taxing Shs2 million, not Shs700,000. So part of the money comes back,’ he said.

He was describing a virtuous cycle of higher wages, higher tax intake, higher household expenditure, and economic growth that has so far remained theoretical.

‘Economies grow out of household expenditure. The more I empower households to spend, the better I’m speaking to double digits,’ he said.

There is one point at which Dr Muhumuza’s measured tone gave way to something closer to frustration, and it is on the subject of environmental taxes and the people they fall on. The budget includes several taxes that are partly justified on environmental grounds, including a levy on second-hand clothing. This affects the mivumba market, which millions of Ugandans rely on for affordable clothing.

But something is troubling about the logic.

‘You are punishing the poor to cater for the environment. Which poor person literally survives on the environment?’

He was thinking about the charcoal burner, the swamp-dweller, the person who irrigates their onions from the wetland at the edge of their land. ‘They have no option.’

His concern was not that environmental protection is wrong, but that the burden keeps landing in the same place, on people with the least capacity to absorb it, and the money raised rarely finds its way back to environmental restoration.

‘It’s going to end up paying salaries,’ he said. ‘You’re going to have a procurement committee.’

What he wants instead is what he calls a ‘climate-smart way of life’, not a penalty, but an alternative. Something that gives the charcoal-dependent household a different option, rather than simply making their existing one more expensive.

‘Can we begin to make decisions with the common person at the back of our mind?’ he asked. It is, in some way, the question that underlies everything he has said: not just what the budget allocates, but who it imagines when it does so.

‘The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) used to say: can we build Uganda together?’ he illustrated. ‘These discussions are themselves an opportunity. We hear from the government but we also have an opportunity to talk back,’ Dr Muhumuza said.

The abduction of the former Kampala Lord Mayor, Mr Erias Lukwago, the lead counsel for four-time presidential candidate and Opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, by armed men clad in military uniform has sent shockwaves through the legal fraternity and the nation, raising fears that the ghosts of past regimes have come back to haunt the country.

The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, yesterday posted photographs of Mr Lukwago; one showing him blindfolded with a keffiyeh, and another capturing him face-palming in an undisclosed location. Last week, Mr Lukwago secured a court order on behalf of his client (Dr Besigye), requiring Gen Muhoozi to appear in court to defend himself against allegations that he threatened to kill Dr Besigye. The court allowed Dr Besigye’s lawyers to serve the CDF, the Attorney General, and two other Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers within a week.

By press time, neither the police nor the military had issued any statement clarifying Mr Lukwago’s whereabouts or why he was abducted and by whom. Mr Lukwago now joins dozens of Ugandans and foreigners allegedly abducted by armed men in vans popularly known as ‘drones’. On May 23, 2026, Amuria District Woman Member of Parliament Margaret Etilu was whisked away by security operatives after visiting former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, who is under investigation for alleged illicit enrichment. She was released last week after Members of Parliament turned up the heat on the Executive to produce her. The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, urged the government to respect the rule of law in all arrests. ‘I am concerned about people missing to date.

Some belong to the NRM [ruling National Resistance Movement party], some belong to the Opposition side. One of our colleagues, the Honourable Margaret Etilu…is missing. I am concerned,’ Mr Ssenyonyi said in Parliament last week. He further revealed that his party member, Mr Christopher Gody, was picked up by the military in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, in April this year, and his whereabouts remain a mystery. ‘Why doesn’t the government want to follow the law? Even myself, even you, can be suspected of having committed an offence. What does the law say? Why don’t you produce people in court? When you abduct, we are calling it an abduction because you aren’t following the prescribed procedure of arrest,’ he said.

On April 9, an Opposition activist linked to the National Unity Platform (NUP), Ms Agatha Nazziwa, alias Blue Tick, was abducted while on her way to attend the burial of Edith Katende, wife of NUP deputy spokesman Mufumbiro Waiswa, and detained in an unknown location. Despite a habeas corpus order directing any security agency holding her to produce her dead or alive, the military denied having her in custody. Mr Lewis Rubongoya, the secretary general of NUP, said she was released more than a month later from a military facility where she was tortured and warned to cut ties with NUP activities. ‘In the evening, they released her from the DIS (Defence Intelligence and Security) Headquarters – Mbuya. As always, they ordered her not to ever again associate with NUP, else she would face dire consequences.

She was held at various detention places and subjected to incredible torture,’ Mr Rubongoya alleged. The NUP accused the government of abducting many of its supporters, including Mr John Bosco Kibalama and John Ddamulira, in 2019 and 2020. At first, government officials admitted holding them, but later they washed their hands of the matter, denying any detention. Before and during this year’s general elections, abductions were reported on several occasions. Mr Bob Njagi and Mr Nicholas Oyoo, both Kenyan nationals who were illegally detained for 38 days in Uganda, said they were held alongside 150 others, including Mr Amos Rwangomani, an NRM cadre, Mr Moses Kasiba, a former Flying Squad Unit operative, six Nigerians, and a South African, at Special Forces Command (SFC) facilities in Kasenyi, Wakiso District. President Museveni later confirmed holding them in a ‘fridge’.

He ordered their release after Kenya’s presidency stepped in to turn the tide. Mr Rwangomani was arrested at Mulago in Kampala City last year. His relatives reached out to the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, hoping he could help them find their loved one. During the Sam Kalega Njuba Memorial Lecture in Kampala City, Gen Otafiire said Mr Rwangomani’s relatives went to court to compel the government to produce him, but the Attorney General claimed ignorance of his whereabouts. Gen Otafiire remarked that the spate of disappearances in Uganda today was a chilling déjà vu, reminding him of Idi Amin’s regime.

Incidences in past regimes

In the book A State of Blood, authored by Henry Kyemba (now deceased), a former minister in Idi Amin’s government, he painted a grim picture of how people were disappeared, detained in ungazetted places, or killed, with their bodies dumped like refuse in forests. Among the prominent figures who vanished was Chief Justice Ben Kiwanuka. ‘He had angered Amin by releasing, for lack of evidence, a Briton arrested by Amin’s men. Amin subsequently criticised in public ‘a prominent Ugandan from Masaka’- Kiwanuka’s home,’ Kyemba wrote. He added: ‘At about 3pm on September 21, State Research personnel drove up to the High Court in a Peugeot 504 (registration UUU 171), seized Kiwanuka, removed his shoes to humiliate him, forced him downstairs in full view of other judges, pushed him into the car and drove off. He was never seen again, and his body has never been found.’

Abductions were so rampant that even foreigners found themselves caught in the crossfire. In 1971, two Americans; Nicholas Stroh, a journalist, and Robert Siedle, a sociology lecturer at Makerere University, who were investigating a massacre in Uganda, got into an argument and were both killed and reportedly buried in a shallow grave. Their bodies were later exhumed and taken to Mbarara Barracks, where they were burnt in a bid to destroy evidence. In the 1980s, then president Milton Obote, who was battling four guerrilla movements, extended the war of control for Uganda into neighbouring Kenya. In July 1982, unidentified persons stormed the Nairobi Jamhuri Estate home of Balaki Kirya, a former Obote I Cabinet minister, who was said to be the political head of the rebel Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM), and whisked him off.

Kirya was taken to Wilson Airport, from where he was flown to Kisumu and later driven to Uganda via the Busia border. He was subsequently arraigned before the High Court in Kampala and charged with treason. The Washington Post reported in the story ‘Kenyan police accused of complicity in kidnapping of Ugandans’, which was published on October 2, 1984. It pointed to possible collusion by the government of Kenya in several attempted abductions of many members of the Ugandan refugee community. ”Despite official denials, some refugees also fear that the Kenyan government has been involved in some abductions.

They cite the case of Balaki Kirya, head of the Uganda Freedom Movement, an anti-Obote organisation, who was taken from his suburban Nairobi home in July 1982. One refugee has said he saw Kirya being escorted in handcuffs by police officers at the headquarters of Kenya’s Special Branch here,” the publication reported. The findings of the Commission of Inquiry into Violations of Human Rights, covering the period from 1962 to 1986, unearthed thousands of cases of enforced disappearance during that time. During Idi Amin’s reign, political figures such as Joshua Wakholi, a former minister of Public Service and Cabinet Affairs in the Obote I government, were arrested and detained in a cell ominously dubbed ‘Singapore,’ which housed those condemned to death in Makindye prison. Today, Makindye Barracks remains a place where several military officers have been held for months on end without trial.

The Pursuit Swimming League keeps searching for reasons to keep fans glued to their competitions held at British School of Kampala (BSK), Muyenga.

“Why does football have so many fans?” league organizer coach Erick Kisero wondered.

“It is maybe because it remains largely competitive. No matter how good a team is, their opponents will always have a chance to win because of the various ways they can set up,” Kisero said.

“Swimming on the other end becomes predictable at some point. And if you give people the same things over time, they get bored.

“Our best chance at being competitive is through relays. In relays, you never know what to expect,” he added.

It is from that background that the eighth circuit of the league was tailored to relays.

The first leg of the circuit was held last Friday at BSK with 5x25m relays in all four strokes capped by a medley relay.

Astros drew first blood by topping the 5x25m butterfly ahead of Jets. Colts and Flames were disqualified after early take offs from Sonia Mwere and Paulette Wakabi while Talons also got disqualified after Gideon Aine Kabanda started his leg with freestyle.

“They (the disqualifications) were a wake up call because the swimmers thought we would be lenient,” Kisero added.

Astros and Jets proved they were no flukes by finishing first and second in the 5x25m backstroke respectively. Talons were third while Colts and Flames were fourth and fifth respectively.

Astros went on to win the 5x25m breaststroke too but Flames stepped up to second and relegated Jets to fifth. Colts were third while Talons were fourth.

Flames then won the 5×25 freestyle while Astros finished second. Colts remained third ahead of Talons and Jets.

In the medley relay, Astros fought back to reclaim first place with Colts showing great balance to follow them. Jets relied on their butterfly and backstroke advantage to edge Flames in the battle for third.

In the end, the first leg of the eighth circuit was topped by Astros who took home five match points. Jets were second with four points while Colts and Flames are tied on three and Talons on two.

The circuit has two more legs on June 19 and 26 as Altona Swim Club (host of the league) also prepares to find relay teams for next month’s Uganda Aquatics National Swimming Championships.

Two men suspected of kidnapping and murdering a 52-year-old woman have been arraigned before the Wakiso Chief Magistrate’s Court and charged with three capital offenses.

Abubakar Ntege, 32, a resident of Kiteredde, and Shafic Kagga, 26, a boda boda rider from Nakuwadde-Bbira, appeared before Chief Magistrate Naume Sikhoya. The duo faces counts of kidnap with intent to procure a ransom, aggravated robbery, and murder under the Penal Code Act.

According to the prosecution led by Ms. Peninnahjoy Nakaweesa, the accused committed the offenses between June 3 and June 4 in Kiteredde village, Kakiri Town Council, Wakiso District.

The charge sheet states that the suspects kidnapped Lydia Babirye from her home in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb. They allegedly used her mobile phone to demand a Shs19 million ransom from her family “for liberation from the danger of murder.”

In addition to the kidnap, the prosecution alleges that Ntege and Kagga robbed Babirye of two mobile phones (a Samsung and a button phone), her National Identity Card, and ATM cards for ABSA and Centenary banks before killing her.

Following a missing person’s report, police tracked the suspects using the deceased’s phone, which was being used to extort money from the family. The tracking led detectives to Kakiri, where they discovered Babirye’s decomposing body alongside a freshly dug grave that the suspects reportedly intended to use to conceal the corpse.

Speaking to journalists before the court session, Ntege denied murdering Babirye but admitted to knowing her intimately. He claimed she was a long-time friend and former lover, though they had parted ways after discovering they belonged to the same clan.

“It is true the lady died from my home… She died when we were having sex,” Ntege claimed. “The incident prompted me to do a lot of things, including calling the family to ask for money.”

Local residents expressed relief over the arrests. Matia Bogere, a resident of Mabombwe, described the suspects as idle individuals previously linked to similar criminal activities. “They even use weed. Let them keep them in custody; we shall get some relief,” Bogere said, noting that the suspects preferred crime over legal employment.

State prosecutor Nakaweesa informed the court that investigations are ongoing and requested an adjournment to gather more evidence. “I request one more month to do further investigations about this case,” she stated.

Chief Magistrate Sikhoya noted that her court lacks the jurisdiction to try capital offenses.

“The offense is capital in nature, and this court cannot handle such cases,” Magistrate Sikhoya ruled. “Let the suspects be remanded as the state gathers more evidence.”

The suspects have been remanded in custody, and the case was adjourned to July 8 for further mention.

Climate change and environmental degradation in Uganda’s Bugisu sub-region have pushed communities living along the slopes of Mount Elgon National Park to shift from forest encroachment to active conservation, local residents and officials say.

For years, communities in sub-counties bordering the park engaged in illegal activities including tree cutting, charcoal burning, hunting and cultivation inside protected areas, often in conflict with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

But recurring climate shocks, including landslides, flooding and erratic rainfall, have increasingly forced a rethink, according to residents and conservation groups.

Sub-counties such as Bumugibole and Masira in Bulambuli District are among the most affected, with residents reporting declining crop yields and more frequent disasters during heavy rains.

Mr James Paul Gimuyi from Masira Sub-county said he previously depended on the forest for charcoal burning and firewood but has since changed his livelihood practices after receiving conservation training.

‘I have now transformed myself from an encroacher into an agent of conservation,’ he said.

He said he has planted more than 300 trees on his land and diversified into poultry and livestock farming under zero-grazing systems introduced through training programmes supported by UWA and Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise (METGE).

‘I now earn income from poultry and livestock farming instead of going to the park to cut trees,’ he said.

Other residents say deforestation in previous years contributed to worsening climate conditions, including reduced rainfall and prolonged dry spells.

Mr Moses Gimadu from Bumugibole Sub-county said the loss of tree cover had disrupted rainfall patterns and agricultural production.

‘In the past, prolonged droughts affected our crops because of extensive deforestation around the park,’ he said.

He added that community-led tree planting has helped restore ecological balance, with some wildlife species gradually returning to the park.

Residents also say conservation projects have introduced alternative livelihoods such as beekeeping, savings groups and agroforestry, reducing dependence on forest exploitation.

Ms Rose Namataka from Masira Sub-county said she abandoned firewood collection from the park and adopted energy-saving cooking methods.

‘I now use energy-saving stoves made from local materials, which require less firewood,’ she said.

Uganda Wildlife Authority officials say wildlife populations in Mount Elgon remain under pressure despite ongoing restoration efforts.

UWA Commissioner for Community Conservation Mr David Musingo has previously warned about declining wildlife species in the park, attributing the trend to human activity and habitat loss.

Local conservation groups say sensitisation programmes have played a key role in changing attitudes.

Mr Thomas Namusoso from the Gazo Youth Beekeepers and Dairy Group said community savings groups and environmental education have helped reduce illegal activity.

Masira Sub-county LCIII Chairperson Mr Ambrose Nabende said communities are increasingly embracing tree planting and alternative income-generating activities.

‘The community has embraced tree planting on private land and is earning income through group activities,’ he said on Monday. .

Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise Programme Manager Mr Sunday Michael Atwooki said more than 26 million trees have been planted under agroforestry and reforestation programmes in partnership with communities.

He said tree survival rates have improved due to the introduction of indigenous species and better community involvement in restoration efforts.

Despite progress, leaders have called for expansion of conservation programmes to neighbouring sub-counties bordering the park, warning that pressure on remaining forest cover remains high.

Five members of the Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands have dragged Rotary International and several club officials to court, challenging their suspension and subsequent expulsion from the club, which they say was carried out in violation of their right to a fair hearing.

The applicants, Ronald Samuel Wanda, Nelson Turyatemba, Gladys Edwards Namala, John Martin Sekwe and Robert Byamukama, have filed a case before the High Court seeking declarations that the disciplinary proceedings against them were unlawful, irregular and contrary to both the club’s bylaws and the Constitution.

Court documents show that the dispute stems from disciplinary proceedings initiated in February this year, which resulted in the suspension of the five Rotarians from all club activities pending investigations.

The respondents are Rotary International and officials of the Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands.

The officials are Ms Deborah Itwau Ongwech, the president; Mr Bernard Ochan, acting secretary; the board of directors; Dr Canon Charles Kahigiriza, chairperson of the board of directors; and Mr Medard Muganzi, chairperson of the disciplinary committee.

Other members of the disciplinary committee are Ms Julianne Mweheire, Mr Nelson Kabwama, Ms Laura Orobia, Mr Leonard Babwetera Kashagama and Mr Ivan Kasambeko.

In an affidavit supporting the case, Mr Wanda, an advocate and one of the applicants, accuses the disciplinary committee of denying them a fair hearing and acting outside its mandate.

“The committee, in total abuse of my right to a fair hearing, refused to invite the members mentioned in paragraph 19 of this affidavit in support for cross-examination,” Wanda states in court documents seen by Monitor on Monday.

He further claims that his lawyers, Eron Kiiza and Kakuru Tumusiime, were barred from actively participating during the disciplinary hearing.

“During the hearing, I appeared with my legal representatives, Mr Eron Kiiza and Mr Kakuru Tumusiime, who were denied an opportunity to present my case and ask any questions,” he says.

The applicants also challenge the composition of the disciplinary committee, arguing that it was improperly constituted and lacked the quorum required under the club’s bylaws.

According to the court filings, Wanda raised preliminary objections before the committee, contending that it had only four members instead of the required five and that mandatory conflict-resolution procedures had not been exhausted before disciplinary proceedings commenced.

However, the committee reportedly dismissed the objections.

“The 7th Respondent (Mr Kabwama) overruled the preliminary objections by saying that they had quorum since they were the majority,” Wanda states.

The Rotarians further allege that the disciplinary committee failed to communicate its decision within the seven-day period prescribed under the club’s bylaws and instead submitted recommendations to what they describe as a defunct board of directors.

Wanda contends that the board officials who later communicated his termination were not lawfully holding office.

“I am also aware that the 3rd (Mr Ochan) and 4th (Dr Kahigiriza) Respondents illegally occupy the offices of the Chairperson and Secretary of the Board of Directors, as there has never been any Notification of Directors and Secretaries filed with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau,” he claims.

The applicants argue that their constitutional rights were violated throughout the process.

In an appeal addressed to the club’s leadership before his eventual expulsion, Wanda maintained that the disciplinary committee had no authority to suspend him without first according him a hearing.

“The Disciplinary Committee acted without authority and jurisdiction by suspending me without according me a hearing nor bringing to my attention the complaint against me,” he wrote.

He further argued that the process offended constitutional guarantees of a fair hearing.

“It is on the grounds mentioned above, to wit; violation of the right to a fair hearing, passing a decision without jurisdiction and violation of the rights to freedom of conscience, expression, movement, religion, assembly and association, that I present this appeal,” he stated.

The respondents, including Rotary International and officials of the Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands, are yet to file their formal defence to the allegations.