Category: Daily Monitor

Uganda’s home and industrial kitchens tell two conflicting stories when clean and safer cooking energy comes to the fore. While some are eagerly adopting modern alternatives, many others experiment briefly before abandoning them for varying reasons.

At the Wakiso-based Sesaco Confectionery Ltd, managing director Charles Nsubuga is one of the few Ugandans who have made the pragmatic switch from firewood to briquettes. Although the new way is cleaner and more convenient, he indicates the transition was not without challenges. ‘We stopped using firewood because it needs a lot of space to store and wastes a lot of time to prepare it -splitting; then there is also the problem of smoke that comes with using firewood that we wanted to address,’ he says. Mr Nsubuga, however, says though convenient, the cost of buying briquettes is still too high and that some of the briquettes are substandard .

Briquettes are compressed blocks of combustible biomass used as a sustainable, cost-effective fuel for cooking and heating. According to scientists, briquettes provide an affordable, smokeless energy source that curbs deforestation and improves indoor air quality. Mr Nsubuga’s experience of shifting from firewood to briquettes mirrors a national picture of slow adoption of technologies amid glaring hindrances and challenges, as captured by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), in a new value for money audit. The audit focuses on clean cooking energy interventions implemented by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD). Among the clean cooking energy and sustainable technologies being promoted by the ministry are Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), electricity, ethanol, biogas, briquettes and pellets.

The audit found that of the 26 companies that were making briquettes, only four (4) were certified. The authors quickly note this substandard technologies are common ‘charcoal cook stoves, briquettes, and charcoal fuels in the market, which outcompete the good quality products due to their low prices.’ Mr Edward Akol, the Auditor General, notes that these substandard technologies often break down faster, are inefficient (consume more fuel, produce low heat) and have high emissions to the environment. ‘It was also further noted through interviews that the non-compliance with standards (87 percent) allows low-quality products to dominate the market, especially since they are cheaper, which in turn promotes reliance on inefficient technologies, thus affecting the transition to cleaner cooking technologies,’ he says.

But Mr John Tumuhimbise, the assistant commissioner-in-charge of renewable energy at the MEMD, says they are increasing efforts to address the gaps in quality. ‘Some people are putting clay in the briquettes, which produces a lot of ash after burning. As a ministry, we still have the challenge of monitoring and enforcing quality to ensure uniformity,’ Mr Tumuhimbishe notes. He says the Renewable Energy Policy, which is under review, is focused on promoting a cleaner and safer alternative to firewood, such as the promotion of briquettes. He also says the government is open to supporting any innovations that promote renewable energy.

LPG abandonment, irregularities Mr Akol further observes that in the new interventions, such as the LPG Promotion, Supply, and Infrastructure Intervention project, which was implemented by the ministry, some recipients abandoned the gas cylinders when the time for refill came. The Shs969 billion project implementation timeline was 2020-2025, but not all the money was released for the implementation of the project, thus affecting the outcome. The cylinders were given to beneficiaries at subsidised costs. Some beneficiaries paid only 30 percent of the market price of the full set of new gas cylinders. This was around Shs100,000 for a ready-to-use gas cylinder of 12.5kg, instead of the market price of around Shs300,000. The report shows that 11 percent of beneficiaries had already abandoned the LPG cylinders and resorted to wood fuel or charcoal.

‘Through field visits and interviews, it was noted that, out of a total of 9757 people listed as beneficiaries to the LPG project by the ministry, 92 (95 percent) had received the LPG cylinder starter packs,’ the report reads. ‘Out of the 92 beneficiaries, 11(11 percent) beneficiaries had abandoned the LPG cylinders they received, citing reasons including their inability to afford the refill costs (Shs100,000), long distances to refill stations, among others,’ the report reads further. The report also shows irregularities in distribution. ‘From a sample of 9,702 beneficiaries, the team noted 172 beneficiaries that received LPG cylinder kits more than once,’ the audit shows. ‘Of these, 10 beneficiaries received the cylinders under the same project but through different service providers (Total and Stabex), while 162 beneficiaries received multiple LPG cylinder kits from the same provider (64 from Total, and 98 from Stabex),’ the OAG found. But beyond this, there were also incomplete records, which, according to the OAG, indicate possible exaggerations, according to the report.

‘Through analysis of the beneficiary data, the audit established that 880 beneficiaries (9 percent) of LPG project beneficiaries had incomplete or inaccurate records,’ the report reads. In the circumstances, the OAG says they could not confirm if a total of Shs406 million was spent on actual beneficiaries. ‘This lack of beneficiary verification and data integration not only exaggerates the reported number of households transitioning to clean cooking but also provides avenues for duplication and loss of the investments made by the government,’ Mr Akol states. According to the audit, in 2020, when the country was in panic over Covid-19, the government, through a Shs969 billion LPG project, aimed to boost the adoption of clean cooking by distributing one million gas cylinders over five years.

These resources, according to the ministry, were primarily utilised for the procurement of 39,769 LPG starter kits (Shs18.35b), acquisition of the central storage facility (Shs4.4 billion), and other essential activities such as procurement of a project vehicle, community sensitisation, consultancy services, and promotional campaigns. Ms Nanteza says the audit findings reflect deeper systemic challenges in Uganda’s clean cooking transition. The environmentalists believes the true transition to clean energy should be private-sector-led interventions. She emphasised the need for innovations that mirror charcoal’s flexible purchasing model, such as pay-as-you-cook gas meters, to overcome the lump-sum cost barrier for cylinders and refills. ‘LPG should also be given characteristics of charcoal, such as customers must be able to purchase only what they need or can afford immediately.

This calls upon innovation from the private sector to come up with pay-as-you-cook gas meters,’ she said. ‘The lump sum cost of getting a gas cylinder is also a major barrier. Research has shown that those who are given a gas cooker and cylinder use it but do not refill it thereafter. The huge lump sum for refilling is also a hindrance,’ she added. At the international level, Ms Nanteza called on funders such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union, and the German International Cooperation agency -GIZ, to lift restrictions on financing LPG as a transitional fuel for Africa, given the limitations of electricity access. Amid this, the ministry noted that private players are stepping in to address affordability. At Flexi-Gas, for example, Internet of Things (IoT)- enabled smart gas meters allow users to pay only for what they consume via mobile money, with real-time tracking, low-balance alerts, and doorstep delivery.

The ministry established the cooking tariff for households aimed at promoting cooking with electricity, where households that consume 81-150 units incur a lower cost. However, the report indicates that a review of the National Population and Housing Census revealed that only 25.3 percent of the targeted households were connected to the grid in 2024, and therefore able to benefit from this tariff. ‘The number of connected households using over 80 units of electricity is also extremely limited, as reports indicate that only 10% of Ugandans can afford 100 kWh per month,’ Mr Akol noted. ‘Instead, the tariff is benefiting unintended beneficiaries who rarely use firewood. This has also negatively affected the effectiveness of this strategy in ensuring that as many people as possible transition to clean cooking options,’ he added. But the Ministry, in its official response, said they have a mix of interventions targeting different categories and locations.

‘The Ministry will prioritise a range of clean cooking technologies, which under the National Integrated Clean Cooking Strategy (being finalised) have been organised into six categories: sustainable wood fuel + Improved Cooking Stoves -ICS, processed biomass (pellets and briquettes, biogas, bioethanol, LPG and electric cooking),’ the Ministry stated. ‘The strategy further emphasises the need to deliver appropriate technologies for the different contexts, that is, urban, peri-urban, rural and humanitarian (refugee and host districts), and therefore each of the prioritised technologies will have a contribution,’ the Ministry added. But Mr Akol was blunt in his conclusion: ‘The existing subsidy programs and cooking tariffs have not effectively mitigated these financial barriers, which is compounded by low electricity connectivity among the population.’

More than five years after their last appearance on the international stage, the Uganda Volleyball Cranes finally returned to action, offering a glimpse of a promising future while also exposing the challenges that lie ahead.Competing at the CAVB Zone V Nations Championship Qualifiers in Kampala, Uganda won three of their four matches but narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the African Nations Championship.While the disappointment of falling short on home soil was evident, the tournament represented an important first step in rebuilding a national team program that had been inactive for years.Under the guidance of coach Shilla Omuriwe Buyungo, the Cranes displayed encouraging signs throughout the competition.Players such as Duke Kyomukama, Owen Omoding, Willington Talemwa, Mohammed Iga and John Bosco Opila demonstrated the depth of talent available to Uganda, reinforcing the belief that the country possesses the quality required to compete at the highest level in Africa.Uganda opened the tournament with convincing victories over Burundi and South Sudan before suffering a straight-sets defeat to regional powerhouse Kenya.The loss proved costly and despite ending their campaign with a comfortable win over Tanzania, the Cranes were unable to secure the qualification spot they had targeted.The qualifiers marked Uganda’s first international matches since the 2021 African Nations Volleyball Championship in Kigali, Rwanda, where the team produced one of its finest continental performances by finishing fifth.That achievement remains Uganda’s best result in recent years and serves as a reminder of what is possible when the national team is adequately prepared and consistently active.Building on a long-awaited returnYears without international competition inevitably denied Uganda valuable exposure and opportunities for growth.As a result, the Kampala qualifiers served not only as a qualification campaign but also as an assessment of where the national team currently stands against its regional rivals.The victories over Burundi and South Sudan highlighted several positives. Uganda showed attacking power, composure in key moments and the ability to dictate play.However, the tournament also exposed areas that require improvement. During the victory over South Sudan, the Cranes struggled to close out sets despite holding commanding leads, an issue that pointed to lapses in concentration and game management.Those shortcomings became even more apparent against Kenya.Although Uganda competed well and pushed the East African giants in the second and third sets, Kenya’s superior organisation, consistency and experience ultimately made the difference.The defeat served as a useful benchmark for a team still finding its feet after years away from international competition.Continuity remains priorityFor coach Omuriwe, the most important objective moving forward is ensuring continuity.Rather than assembling a squad only when major tournaments arise, the tactician wants the national team program to remain active throughout the year, allowing players to develop familiarity with the tactical systems and build stronger chemistry.’For me as a coach, what I look at is, how do we get that continuity. We cannot do one championship and then we are done,’ Omuriwe told Daily Monitor.’We have to make sure we continue engaging the boys. There are certain systems I would want them to run as a national team, offensively and defensively.’The return to international volleyball also provided an opportunity to blend experience with youth.Senior players including team captain George Aporu, Daudi Okello, Smith Okumu, Bernard Malinga, Emmanuel Elanyu and Gideon Angiro played an important role in guiding the newer members of the squad through their first taste of international competition.Having formed part of the core group that achieved the fifth-place finish in Kigali in 2021, Aporu, Okello and Okumu were now called upon to provide leadership and stability off the bench whenever required.

Chasing the Kigali standardUganda’s fifth-place finish at the 2021 African Nations Championship remains the benchmark against which future performances will be measured.It proved that the Volleyball Cranes are capable of competing beyond the regional stage and challenging some of the continent’s strongest teams when properly prepared.The task now must be to transform that achievement from an isolated success into a consistent standard.Missing the 2023 African Championship in Egypt ultimately forced Uganda into the qualification route this year.The top nine teams from the previous edition received automatic qualification, while unranked nations were required to compete through their respective zonal qualifiers.That reality made the Kampala tournament particularly important, but it also highlighted the consequences of prolonged inactivity on the international scene.Despite the disappointment of failing to secure qualification, there is a broader perspective to consider.After more than five years on the sidelines, the Volleyball Cranes are finally back in international competition. The challenge now is not simply to return, but to remain active, continue developing and build a pathway back to the heights reached in Kigali.The qualifiers may not have delivered the desired ending, but they provided something equally important: a foundation.If Uganda can maintain continuity, nurture its emerging talent and secure regular international exposure, the Volleyball Cranes will be well placed to turn their long-awaited return into the beginning of a sustained resurgence.CAVB Zone V Nations Championship QualifiersUgandaRecord: 3-1Position: Second

Here is a useful test for any tax policy. It is not about what the policy says, but what it assumes about the people it taxes. By that measure, Uganda’s current waiver on penalties and interest for domestic tax arrears says something worth paying attention to.

The mechanics are simple. Taxpayers with outstanding domestic tax liabilities from before June 30, 2024 can clear their principal arrears by June 30, 2026 and have the associated interest and penalties waived, in full or in part depending on what is settled. No application forms. No queue.

Behind those arrears is a diverse group of taxpayers. Some tried but encountered financial constraints, others never fully understood what the system expected of them, and some found their obligations growing faster than they could manage.

There are also those who knew exactly what was required and chose to ignore it.

A cashflow problem and a deliberate refusal to pay are not the same thing, and a waiver that covers both is making a practical calculation, not a moral one.

Public finance scholarship has long observed that many African tax administrations evolved around deterrence and enforcement, often assuming that non-compliance is the default taxpayer response. There is truth to that but it misses something important.

When a system built on catching people meets an economy where businesses are struggling, it can no longer tell the difference between someone who will not pay and someone who simply cannot. Arrears pile up and businesses that cannot find a way back slip into the informal economy or shut down. The tax authority ends up chasing a smaller pool of taxpayers.

A waiver changes that dynamic. By dropping the penalties, which can grow to dwarf the original amount owed, it acknowledges something most tax systems are reluctant to admit, that not everyone in arrears is there because they chose to be. This is not the government being kind so much as being practical. It also reflects a shift within tax administration, including at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), towards balancing engagement with enforcement.

Uganda is not the first in the region to go this route. Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ghana have run similar programmes in recent years, bringing taxpayers who had drifted out of the system back in. The pattern reflects a growing recognition across Africa that you cannot force your way to a healthy tax base in economies where going informal is always an option. A system people feel they can work with will always outperform one they are trying to avoid.

For URA, the real challenge lies beyond the waiver itself. Revenue authorities know that the real value of any amnesty lies not in what is collected during the window but in whether behaviour changes afterward.

URA is investing in targeted taxpayer education and digital systems aimed at improving compliance and easing engagement, while enforcement remains focused on deliberate non-compliers.

The aim is to ensure this waiver marks a turning point rather than a recurring gesture, and that taxpayers understand what the system expects and feel confident enough to engage honestly.

The real measure will not be in figures collected by June 2026. It will be visible later, in whether taxpayers who came forward engage differently, and whether every interaction after this window closes deepens the relationship between URA and the taxpayers it serves.

Sustainable revenue is built on trust as much as enforcement. That is the essence of the contract between a State and its taxpayers. URA is turning that principle into action.

Police in Mityana District have recovered a rifle that went missing nearly a month ago. The firearm was discovered hidden in a heap of bean husks in Kassanda District.

The rifle, bearing serial number UG PSO-564211567/15036, was reported missing on May 20, 2026, while in the possession of Baluku Anderson, a security guard employed by Neptune Guards Ltd.

According to SSP Samson Kigozi, the Wamala Regional Police spokesperson, Baluku had been deployed at Shrida Investment Ltd in Kiwesa Cell, South Ward, Ttamu Division in Mityana District on the day the firearm disappeared.

Following the incident, Baluku was arrested and subsequently remanded as investigations into the disappearance of the rifle commenced.

‘The breakthrough came on June 11, 2026, at around 1:00 p.m., when Matovu Salim, a resident of Kikandwa Village in Kalwana Sub-county, Kassanda District, went to his garden to collect bean husks for use as fire fuel while roasting maize,’ said Mr Kigozi.

According to him, Matovu discovered a firearm wrapped in a black pair of trousers and concealed within the bean husks. The husks had been left in the garden after the family threshed beans on June 6, 2026.

Matovu immediately alerted his son, Sebakumba Erias, who visited the scene and confirmed the discovery.

‘The matter was subsequently reported to Kikandwa Police Station, prompting officers to visit and document the scene. Police recorded statements from witnesses before recovering the firearm and taking it into custody as an exhibit,’ he said.

According to SSP Kigozi, verification of the serial number confirmed that the recovered weapon was the same rifle that had been reported missing in Mityana.

‘The serial number of the recovered gun matched that of the lost rifle, thereby concluding the search,’ Kigozi said.

However, police say investigations are still ongoing to establish how the firearm, which disappeared while deployed in Mityana District, ended up hidden in bean husks in Kikandwa Village, Kassanda District.

Authorities have reassured residents of Mityana, many of whom had expressed concern following the disappearance of the firearm, that the weapon has now been recovered and is safely in police custody.

Police have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious items or activities to security agencies.

Defending champions Buweekula opened their 2026 Airtel Masaza Cup campaign with a frustrating goalless draw against Kyaddondo at the National Teachers College Grounds in Mubende on Saturday, extending the tournament’s long-standing resistance to successful title defences.

In front of a colourful crowd that gathered for the season opener, Buweekula struggled to break down a disciplined Kyaddondo side led by midfielder Trevor Kalule, who walked away with the Man of the Match award after an industrious display.

The stalemate immediately puts the spotlight on Buweekula’s title defence. No team has successfully retained the Masaza Cup since 2004, underlining the challenge facing Ibrahim Kyobe’s side as they seek to defy two decades of history.

Kalule shines

Although chances were limited throughout the contest, Kalule emerged as the game’s most influential player.

The midfielder repeatedly disrupted Buweekula’s attacking moves while helping Kyaddondo retain possession and launch counter-attacks whenever opportunities arose. His calmness on the ball and tactical discipline helped the visitors withstand long spells of pressure from the reigning champions.

“We came here knowing Buweekula are champions and would come at us strongly,” Kalule said.

“We followed the coach’s instructions, stayed organised and fought for every ball. Getting a point away from the champions is a good result but we believe we can do even better in the next matches.”

Champions fail to fire

Buweekula enjoyed much of the territorial advantage but rarely threatened the Kyaddondo goal.

Captain Patrick Kagulire came closest to finding a breakthrough late in the match, but his free-kick drifted wide as anxiety began to creep into the hosts’ play.

Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested in a contest dominated by tactical discipline and midfield battles rather than attacking flair.

Despite dropping points at home, Buweekula coach Kyobe remained upbeat about his team’s prospects.

“It is still a long competition and we have only played one game. We know defending this title will not be easy because every team wants to beat the champions, but we shall keep working and improving,” Kyobe said.

Several previous champions have stumbled immediately after lifting the trophy, with many failing even to emerge from the group stages the following season.

For Kyaddondo, the result felt almost as valuable as a victory.

Taking a point away from Mubende offers an early statement of intent and provides momentum ahead of the upcoming fixtures.

Fight against HIV/Aids

The match also officially launched the 2026 Airtel Masaza Cup, which is being played under the theme: “Men Must Take the Lead in the Fight against HIV/AIDS to Save the Girl Child.”

The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga, praised the competition for promoting unity and community development across the kingdom.

‘As you are aware, His Majesty the Kabaka is a Goodwill Ambassador in the fight against HIV/Aids. Through football and other sporting activities, we are able to mobilise communities and spread important health messages that improve lives,’ he said.

Airtel Uganda Sales Director Ali Balunywa hailed the tournament’s continued impact both on and off the field.

‘Through initiatives aligned with this tournament, Airtel remains committed to creating pathways, whether through connectivity, digital tools, or direct support, that give young Ugandans a genuine shot at a better future.’ Balunywa said.

Action continues this weekend with a full round of nine fixtures.

Airtel Masaza Cup

Opening Day Result

Uganda’s unfinished buildings are monuments to a familiar financial mistake.

Drive through almost any town, and you will notice concrete frames frozen mid-construction, scaffolding gathering rust, and construction sites abandoned behind locked gates.

Short-term bank loans were deployed against investments that needed decades to generate returns. Eventually, the repayment schedule arrived before the cash flows did.

Pension capital is the financing that should have been doing this work all along. It is patient, long-dated, and structurally suited to assets that take decades to mature.

The question Uganda has not yet answered is why it has taken this long to make that connection.

Borrowed comfort

Uganda’s retirement savings industry managed approximately Shs35 trillion ($9.2b) in assets under management as of the 2025/26 financial year, a figure industry players expect to double within five years as formal sector employment expands and contribution rates hold.

The country’s pension and retirement benefits industry covers approximately 4.06 million workers, according to data from the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA), accounting for roughly 16 percent to 18 percent of the country’s total working-age population, which is north of 20 million.

The remaining 84 percent largely consist of agricultural and informal sector workers who operate outside the formal social security system.

This shortfall is attributed to the fact that the traditional pension system was exclusively designed for formal, salaried employment.

Traditional schemes such as National Social Security Fund (NSSF) require fixed monthly contributions, a structure that excludes workers with irregular or seasonal incomes.

To address this gap, government, through URBRA, is rolling out the Uganda Long-Term National Savings Scheme, which combines micro-pensions, micro-insurance, and digital savings tools for informal workers.

It will materially accelerate the growth of assets under management beyond what the formal sector alone can deliver, with assets under management projected to double within five years.

At $9.2b, pension assets now represent roughly 15 percent of Uganda’s gross Domestic product (GDP), a ratio that, while still below Kenya’s pension depth, places Uganda ahead of Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia in absolute terms.

Pension funds in Uganda allocate as much as 70 to 80 percent of their assets to government securities.

The attraction is not difficult to understand. Sovereign bonds are liquid, familiar, and at present yield of around 17 percent, generously remunerative. It is also, increasingly, a path leading toward a cliff.

‘Government assets are best understood, but that doesn’t mean it remains the only product for allocation,’ notes Ivan Wangolo, an Investment Manager with Pearl Capital Partners, who was speaking at a forum organised by CFA Society East Africa last month, one of a series of preparatory sessions ahead of the Alternative Investments Conference 2026, scheduled for next month.

The conference brings together financial and property leaders to interrogate trends reshaping institutional investment across the region, and the question of where Uganda’s pension capital goes next sits at the centre of that conversation.

The problem, as Wangolo and others see it, is that the industry has mistaken familiarity for strategy.

The irony

Uganda wants to grow its economy tenfold, from roughly $60b today to $500b within 15 years. Oil commercialisation, long delayed but still anticipated, is expected to accelerate the course.

Infrastructure investment, demographic expansion, and rising tax revenues are all cited as catalysts. It is an ambitious programme. It is also, for pension fund managers who have not thought carefully about second-order effects, a threat.

A government that grows richer has less need to borrow. A government that generates oil revenues, expands its tax base, and develops alternative financing instruments does not need to offer 17 percent to attract domestic savings.

Allan Lwetabe, the Deposit Protection Fund director of investments, says the course of the bond market is likely to change with a ’25-year bond today that is at 17 percent likely to be at 12 percent 10 years from today.’

Oil production is expected to begin generating material fiscal revenues within the next three to five years. As those revenues flow, government’s dependence on domestic borrowing will ease, and the premium it must offer to attract pension capital will fall with it.

A Fund calibrated to deliver 15 percent returns to beneficiaries on the back of 17 percent sovereign yields will find that arithmetic brutally altered when those yields compress.

In essence, pension funds are helping to finance the development that will make their favourite investment obsolete.

‘It is unlikely that government will continue to borrow and pay the levels of interest they are currently paying. That is not sustainable for the development of the country,’ Wangolo notes.

As oil revenues materialise and fiscal capacity strengthens, he argues, the pressure on pension funds to find alternative allocations will shift.

Looking across the border

The solution, or at least a version of it, exists elsewhere on the continent, and Uganda’s investment professionals are paying attention.

Edward Wachira, chief executive officer of Genghis Capital in Nairobi, explains that in Kenya, purpose-built student accommodation, constructed to hotel standards and marketed to the swelling ranks of university enrollees, has been generating returns approaching 25 percent, attracting institutional capital from US investors who see the demographic tailwind clearly.

In South Africa, specialist retirement living real estate has become a high-performing asset class.

Pension-backed commercial development in Botswana and Zambia has demonstrated that long-term capital, matched to long-term assets, can outperform government bond market on a risk-adjusted basis, provided the structuring is done properly.

‘Investors who understand the sector are more often than not better placed to invest in that sector,’ Wachira says. ‘The failure mode in real estate is not typically the asset, but the mismatch between capital and expertise.’

Pension funds, having spent decades learning the language of sovereign debt, are now being asked to become fluent in warehousing yields, student housing demand curves, and the economics of healthcare infrastructure.

That is not impossible. It is, however, a genuine undertaking, not a portfolio reallocation form to be filed and forgotten.

The opportunity, Wachira argues, lies in segments that fall outside that habitual line of sight, like student accommodation, agro-storage, warehousing, education facilities, where supernormal returns persist precisely because most institutional investors haven’t looked yet.

The mismatch in the mortar

The deeper argument is one of capital duration. Property developers have, for years, attempted to build 25-year assets using three-year commercial bank loans.

‘We are seeing many projects stalling in the middle, after the second floor, because the bank says, ‘pay me this year’. And you don’t have the money. The building is not complete,’ Lwetabe notes.

Pension funds, by design, carry no such urgency. A contributor enrolled today at 25 will draw savings in 2065. The investment horizon is, thus, matched to the assets that Uganda most needs to build.

‘By the time the person is leaving the pension fund,’ Lwetabe argues, ‘that project is done, and the returns are there’.

‘The natural capital for real estate is institutional and long-term. What Uganda has instead been doing is the financial equivalent of planting a forest with money borrowed by the week.’

Susan Khainza, a chartered financial analyst, cuts to the heart of the tension, arguing that pension funds operate under strict asset allocation rules, and real estate breaks nearly every one of the constraints that matter. It is illiquid, slow to return capital, and fixed in place. You cannot move it when circumstances turn against you.

The liquidity problem alone is disqualifying at scale. A fund like NSSF now faces shorter withdrawal horizons than ever, partly because early withdrawal is permitted. Pour too much of the fund into real estate, and you court a crisis the moment members arrive in numbers wanting their money back.

Pooling funds with multilateral partners partly solves this. It reduces the pension fund’s direct exposure and keeps the portfolio within legal allocation limits. But it does not solve the deeper problem, which is the nature of real estate itself.

Some have tried. Real Estate Investment Trusts were designed to liquidize the illiquid, to let investors trade in and out of property-backed assets like shares.

But Khainza is unconvinced: ‘You’re trying to change the nature of the investment. It’s long-term, and it’s not liquid. Even if you convert it into a REIT, the success of your investment is still based on the illiquid real estate underneath.’

The argument here is that you are committed, permanently, to one place and all the uncertainty that place carries forward. It is this tension, between the structural promise of real estate and the structural constraints of pension capital, that has drawn URBRA into the conversation.

‘The only unfortunate thing is that it’s coming now, and it was needed yesterday,’ says Martin Nsubuga, the URBRA chief executive officer.

URBRA’s own regulations already permit pension schemes to allocate up to 50 percent of their portfolios into real estate.

That ceiling has existed for years, yet actual allocations across the industry sit at approximately $411m (Shs1.6 trillion), accounting for roughly 7 percent to 7.2 percent of the sector’s total investments.

The allocation is less than a quarter of what URBRA has allowed.

Kampala’s dining scene has evolved considerably over the past decade, with themed restaurants and specialty dining experiences becoming increasingly common. Among the establishments that have carved out a niche for themselves is Shisa Nyama Village in Bugolobi, Kampala, a venue inspired by South Africa’s famous braai culture.

For those unfamiliar with the term, ‘Shisa Nyama’ is a South African phrase that roughly translates to ‘burn meat’ and refers to the communal tradition of gathering around open flames to grill meat while enjoying drinks, conversation and music. It is less about fine dining and more about creating a social experience centred around food.

Ambience

Shisa Nyama Village embraces this philosophy from the moment one walks in. The restaurant’s layout is refreshingly uncomplicated. An open-plan design creates an informal atmosphere, while floor-to-ceiling shades provide protection from the afternoon sun without sacrificing the airy feel of the space.

One side of the venue is dominated by large high tables paired with cocktail bar stools capable of accommodating larger groups. These communal-style seating arrangements encourage interaction and make the venue particularly suitable for after-work gatherings, weekend meet-ups and celebrations. The opposite side features more traditional dining tables, offering a slightly more conventional restaurant experience for smaller groups and families.

A notable feature is a secluded section known as ‘The Cellar.’ While its original intention may have been as a whisky lounge, it now serves as a quieter retreat from the bustle of the main dining area and offers potential for private functions or intimate gatherings. The bar is a major focal point. A cocktail station occupies one side of the restaurant, while a traditional bar anchors the far end. Together they reinforce the establishment’s identity as both a dining destination and a social venue.

The menu

The menu follows the expected Shisa Nyama formula. Grilled meats take centre stage, accompanied by the familiar assortment of sides and comfort dishes one would expect from a braai-inspired restaurant. While the offering may not be particularly adventurous, it succeeds in delivering what patrons visit for; generous portions of well-prepared grilled meat in a lively atmosphere. The venue’s meat platters remain among the most popular choices for groups, complemented by a broad selection of cocktails and beverages.

The service

Service is generally attentive and professional. Staff members are friendly and willing to engage with guests, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, like many popular establishments in Kampala, service can become stretched during peak periods. On especially busy evenings, longer waiting times are to be expected.

The restrooms deserve mention. Located at the rear of the property, they are spacious, clean and well-maintained; a detail often overlooked in restaurant reviews but one that significantly contributes to customer comfort. Pricing sits toward the higher end of Kampala’s casual dining market.

Diners looking for budget-friendly meals may find the cost difficult to justify, particularly when compared to traditional nyama choma joints. However, those paying for the complete experience; ambience, location, cocktails and social atmosphere, are likely to view the premium more favourably.

Ultimately, Shisa Nyama Village is not attempting to be a fine-dining destination. Instead, it succeeds as a contemporary social venue that blends South African braai culture with Kampala’s vibrant nightlife. It is a place where food, drinks and conversation share equal importance.

Ratings

Food: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 8/10

Value for Money: 6.5/10

Overall: 7.5/10

The First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga and minister for East African Community Affairs has expressed frustration over delays by government agencies, particularly the Uganda Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance, in facilitating the procurement of sunscreen lotions for persons with albinism.

Kadaga said she feels ‘betrayed’ by the bureaucratic delays despite the inclusion of sunscreen lotions on the World Health Organisation’s 2025 Model List of Essential Medicines, meant to prevent skin damage and skin cancer among persons with albinism.

She made the remarks on Saturday while officiating at national celebrations to mark International Albinism Awareness Day in Kamuli, held under the theme ‘Proudly My Skin: Celebrating All Skin Tones.’

Kadaga called for stronger policy and financing frameworks to ensure consistent procurement and distribution of sunscreen lotions in public health facilities, insisting they should be treated as essential medicines rather than cosmetic products.

‘I need to make it clear my disappointment, frustration and betrayal that URA and the Ministry of Finance have adamantly refused to provide skin creams for persons with albinism as essential medicines, not cosmetics,’ Kadaga said.

She argued that future commemorations should include officials from URA and the Ministry of Finance to directly engage with beneficiaries and understand their needs.

Kadaga also reaffirmed government commitment to international and national frameworks promoting dignity, equality and inclusion of persons with albinism, including recognition under the Persons with Disabilities Act Cap 115, which guarantees access to essential services and protection from discrimination.

She further encouraged the Source of the Nile Union for Persons with Albinism SNUPA to follow up on the shelter project for persons with albinism, which she initiated and helped mobilise funding for.

Kamuli District Chairperson Mr Kaloli Dhizaala called for equal access to services and job opportunities for persons with albinism and persons with disabilities, urging district service commissions to prioritise inclusivity in recruitment.

‘As affirmative action, we are going to ensure that when we advertise for jobs, priority will be given to persons with albinism and disabilities. This will raise their self-esteem and promote equity and inclusion,’ he said.

SNUPA Executive Director Mr Peter Ogik raised concern over continued discrimination, myths and security risks facing persons with albinism.

He urged the government to fully implement the supply of sunscreen lotions as essential medicines rather than vaseline-based products.

He also called for the review of the expired five-year National Action Plan for Persons with Albinism, saying it should address health care, security and social justice concerns.

‘We urge the government to honour its global commitments and respond to the specific needs of persons with albinism with a focused approach,’ Ogik said.

Ten percent of Ugandans who urgently need blood do not get it due to shortages in supplies, officials from the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) have revealed.

UBTS executive director Dr Dorothy Kyeyune Byabazaire told reporters on June 12 that they cannot meet the blood needs due to a lack of adequate donors and limited financing.

‘According to the World Health Organisation standards, a country is supposed to collect units of blood equivalent to one percent of its population, and here, since we are around 50 million Ugandans, we must collect 500,000 units of blood. Last year, we collected 439,000 units, which is below the standard. We also managed to meet 90 percent of the blood demand,’ she said.

Blood needs

Uganda’s national blood requirement is estimated at between 400,000 and 460,000 units annually, with hospitals needing approximately 1,000 to 1,200 units daily.

Statistics from the UBTS indicate that blood collection has risen in the last three years, from 313,659 units in 2023 to 350,000 units in 2024, and to 439,000 last year.

Dr Byabazaire noted that the current blood collection would be enough if the country were implementing effective primary health care and preventing the key conditions that drive blood demand, many of which are preventable in the first place.

For example, she said children suffering from severe anemia consume 60 percent of the blood, followed by postnatal risks (postpartum), accident victims, and then other terminal illnesses like cancer.

‘Diseases like malaria, which result in severe anemia among children, can be prevented; good antenatal care can prevent postnatal complications; if we have proper road safety mechanisms, road crashes will also reduce, and the blood will only be needed by a few people like cancer patients, among others,’ she said.

Severe anemia is often caused by malaria, sickle cell disease, or malnutrition. These disorders, health experts say, can be prevented. The 2024 World Health Organisation Malaria Report indicated Uganda is still a high-burden malaria country, with its entire population at risk of infection.

It revealed that 12.6 million Ugandans had been diagnosed with malaria, with at least 16,000 deaths reported, 75 percent of them children.

Related to sickle cell disease, statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that Uganda registers an estimated 20,000 new cases annually, with 70 to 80 percent of affected children dying early, especially before the age of five. Malaria accounts for about 25 percent of deaths among children with sickle cell disease.

The 2025 report by UNICEF revealed that an estimated 268,000 children across Uganda suffered from severe malnutrition (wasting) in 2024.

Uganda recorded 26,044 road crashes in 2025, up from 25,107 in 2024, according to the Annual Crime Report launched in March this year.

With the report highlighting that fatalities stood at 5,144, the majority of road crash victims rushed to hospitals needed blood, according to officials.

Another key driver of blood demand is the risks faced by postnatal mothers, including hemorrhage, infection (sepsis), and major depression.

The maternal mortality ratio is roughly 189 deaths per 100,000 live births, with approximately 60 percent to 70 percent of maternal fatalities occurring in the postpartum period.

Ms Charlotte Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) Champion, emphasised the need for timely access to safe blood by mothers suffering postpartum hemorrhage, saying it can mean the difference between life and death during childbirth.

Handling of blood

Dr Byabazaire noted that UBTS needs a minimum of $100 (Shs380,000) to handle a single unit of blood from one vein to another.

‘Collecting blood requires items such as vacuum tubes, soda to give donors, employees, vehicles, among others. After that, blood needs to undergo testing where we need reagents, then it comes to storage and distribution. So when we sum it up, we need at least $100 to do all of it,’ she said.

New Alinity machine

Dr Byabazaire noted that the government has continued to partner with private firms to strengthen blood collection, testing and storage.

Under the Public-Private Partnership arrangement, Star Pharmaceuticals Ltd, in partnership with Abbott Diagnostics, supplied UBTS with the latest Alinity high-tech machine.

The machine, according to Mr Ani Prajith, the Chief Executive Officer of Star Pharmaceuticals Ltd, automatically screens large volumes of blood for infectious diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B and syphilis to improve blood safety.

He said: ‘Alinity machines have full automation, which means that you can load the samples and get more output with minimal human intervention. With the new machine, we can process more samples in a limited time, which means that whenever there is a high load, the output can be faster.’

Dr Steven Ssenyonga, a medical officer and research officer at UBTS, said that with the new machine, they are able to test between 800 and 1,000 samples in a single day.

‘We have realised that blood from educational institutions is safer, with limited cases of diseases compared to communities. Between 8am and 5pm, we can test between 800 and 1,000 samples because this machine can load reagents automatically, the sensitivity is much higher, so there is a real-time turnaround solution,’ he said.

Uganda is a country that never fails to produce a national story that occupies the citizenry and media for days on end.

Last week, the national newsmaker was Prof Lawrence Muganga, Vice Chancellor of Victoria University in Kampala.

The story, now known to most people, is that he was nominated by President Museveni to be the next Minister of State for Internal Affairs.

All seemed straightforward until he appeared before the parliamentary vetting committee, during which the deliberations took a twist when the question was asked if he had a Rwandan passport, had ever owned one, or was a Rwandan citizen.

This threw his nomination into a crisis, and this crisis spilt over onto social media, where it played out as any number of issues, ranging from a witch-hunt of Banyarwanda, malicious sabotage of Muganga’s chances by the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, the double standards of letting other nominees off the hook, such as UN Permanent Representative Adonia Ayebare, Shartsi Musherure, and Calvin Echodu with dual US citizenship, to discussions of Muganga having too many contradictions in his story to be trusted, and so on.

In one version, Muganga said he was born in Butalejja in eastern Uganda, while in another version he said he was born in Mukono.

In one version, he had never owned a Rwandan passport, while in yet another version, he admitted on a Kampala radio station last Saturday, June 6, that he once had a Rwandan passport.

During the week, he visited his parents’ graves in Mukono to pay homage and assert his Ugandan citizenship as authentic, with the graveside drama captured and dutifully posted onto social media.

Ugandan Banyarwanda and some Rwandans in Rwanda seized on the upheaval to lecture the public on Africa’s porous pre-colonial borders, why we need an East African federation, and to remind the State of how difficult it has recently been for Banyarwanda to get passports and National IDs.

Some of this posturing was undoubtedly a way to raise the stakes and guilt-trip President Museveni to bow to pressure, as is his tendency, and push through Muganga’s nomination and appointment.

When Monday, June 8, came for the swearing-in of the new Cabinet, Muganga and the three other nominees were not mentioned or sworn in.

For the many Banyarwanda who had spun this as ethnic profiling, this took the wind out of their sails and forced minds back to the question of dual citizenship and the law.

In all this, we must be reminded that Muganga was arrested in September 2021 by operatives of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence on suspicion of espionage against Uganda.

Nearly five years later, he is listed as a nominee for the job of Minister of State for Internal Affairs. This is not just any other ministry.

Was that 2021 arrest made in error? By the time the vice chancellor of a university is arrested, that can’t be something that is done without thought to the public fallout and negative image for the government.

Ordinarily, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or the Interior ministry in many other countries, is the parent ministry of the police, immigration department, prisons, and some branches of the intelligence services.

Anybody who was suspected of espionage enough to be very publicly arrested and driven off, handcuffed, by security operatives, has passed the threshold of a security threat.

At the very least, this is not a person to be nominated for a government ministry, least of all the Interior ministry.

So, what’s going on?

In my view, there can be only two explanations.

The first is that Muganga was, all along, an agent of the Uganda government, deployed to a foreign country or to engage with citizens or security agencies of a foreign country under the cover of working for them.

In this role, he would report his findings back to Kampala.

But then, if he was a double agent working undercover for Uganda, why was he arrested?

Well, one could argue that the counterintelligence of the foreign country started to get suspicious of him, his covert communications meetings, and started investigating him.

Not to blow his cover, Ugandan intelligence came up with a plan to make it appear as though it suspected him of being a spy for a foreign country, arrest him in a most public way, and by that, cause the foreign country’s counterintelligence to conclude that he was not a Ugandan spy.

The second view is that Muganga was indeed involved in instances of espionage, and the CMI monitored him and rightfully arrested him.

But if so, once again, the question: How did he get nominated as a Minister of State?

The only explanation is that a foreign country or some foreign countries have so infiltrated the Ugandan State at the highest level that they are able to covertly influence who gets listed for nomination to a Cabinet or ministerial position.

However, if this is not so, we return to the previous angle, which is that Muganga might have blown the whistle on a foreign country’s spying on Uganda and for this, he is now trusted both by Ugandan security and President Museveni, and his reward was to be a Minister of State for Internal Affairs.