Category: Daily Monitor

What began as a public health alert is now sending ripples through Uganda’s economy. The latest Ebola outbreak is already disrupting tourism bookings, slowing cross-border trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and unsettling business confidence across key sectors that drive foreign exchange earnings.

While health authorities work to contain the virus, economists and industry players warn that the real cost may be felt far beyond hospitals, extending into lost income, stalled trade, and weakened investor confidence if the situation persists.

Uganda’s exposure is significant. Tourism earnings rose to about $1.7 billion (Shs6.1 trillion) in 2025, while exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo are estimated to range between $800 million and $1 billion annually. Given these figures, the DRC remains one of Uganda’s most important and strategic trading partners, leaving the economy vulnerable to health-related and regional disruptions.

Economists warn that Uganda risks losing key foreign exchange earnings from two of its most important sectors-tourism and exports-which are highly sensitive to instability.

Tourism hit as cancellations rise

Tourism, one of Uganda’s top foreign exchange earners, is already under significant strain, with tour operators reporting cancellations from international clients and a slowdown in new bookings following news of Ebola cases in the country.

Industry players say some confirmed visitors for June and July have postponed or cancelled their trips, while inquiries from overseas travel agents have also weakened amid growing uncertainty.

Rodgers Akampurira, a tour operator and chief executive officer of Travel Specialist Limited and Turigye Tours, says the sector is facing renewed pressure as travel confidence declines.

He explains that through the fleet of safari vehicles he coordinates, bookings are typically made weeks or months in advance by tour operators, travel agents, and guides.

However, he has recently received numerous cancellations from clients, with some refunds already processed while others remain pending.

‘June is usually a critical recovery period when many operators begin to regain financial stability,’ he said. Instead, several vehicles of his have remained parked for weeks without work, raising concerns across the sector about meeting operational costs, including paying guides, drivers, support staff, and fulfilling tax obligations.

He further warns that negative travel advisories about Uganda have a long-lasting impact on the sector, sometimes affecting travel decisions for up to two years even after conditions improve.

On the tour operations side, Akampurira says they have also been forced to refund tourists who had already confirmed their reservations.

Many of these travellers have opted to reroute their trips to neighbouring destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

‘The financial impact has been significant, and to a large extent I have suffered losses amounting to millions of shillings,’ Akampurira said, adding that some imported vehicles remain stranded, further straining operations.

Beyond individual businesses, he warns that the wider tourism value chain is at risk, including drivers, guides, accommodation providers, and other service providers who depend heavily on tourism for their livelihoods.

Visitors

During its peak tourism seasons-spanning June through August and December through February, Uganda typically receives around 130,000 to 135,000 international visitors per month.

August is historically the busiest individual month, welcoming over 130,000 tourists on its own.

Overall, these two prime seasonal windows account for roughly 65 percent of the country’s total annual volume, which recently reached approximately 1.65 million visitors.

Speaking after the vetting process at Parliament, the recently appointed State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Susan Nakawuki Nsambu argued that information released during the peak tourism season was misinterpreted by the public, creating unnecessary fear despite what she described as a contained situation with only a few managed cases.

‘Hoteliers are crying, tour operators are crying, and tour guides are crying,’ she said, underscoring the immediate impact on tourism businesses.

Nakawuki added that the ripple effects are extending beyond the sector itself, affecting household livelihoods linked to tourism demand.

‘When people grow their tomatoes or their pineapples, they are eaten by tourists,’ she noted, pointing to how farmers are also feeling the downturn due to reduced visitor numbers and cancellations.

Regional trade under strain

Faustin Asiimwe, export manager at MM Integrated Steel Mills (U) Ltd, says the Ebola outbreak is beginning to take a toll on the company’s export business, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which accounts for about 80 percent of its regional sales.

According to Asiimwe, the outbreak has disrupted the movement of customers who ordinarily travel to Uganda to purchase and collect goods.

While cargo can still cross the border, many buyers have put transactions on hold because they are unable or unwilling to travel.

The disruption is especially challenging because the company’s business model relies heavily on face-to-face transactions involving large sums of money.

Asiimwe explains that some customers have attempted to send payments through agents, but the associated costs are substantial. In some cases, a customer sending as much as $130,000 can lose up to three percent of the transaction value in fees, making many buyers reluctant to proceed with purchases remotely.

MM Integrated Steel Mills, the makers of Kiboko Mabati, export roofing sheets, section tubes, plastic tanks, barrels, and other steel-related products across the region.

While the company also serves markets in South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya, the DRC remains its most important destination.

The company exports an average of 600 tonnes of products every month, with around 480 tonnes (about 80 percent) going to the Congolese market. Asiimwe emphasized that any prolonged disruption in that market directly impacts MM Integrated Steel Mills’ business.

Economist’s perspective

Senior economist Fred Muhumuza says about 80 trucks were reportedly stranded at the border, unable to cross into the DRC due to ongoing border closures.

He warned that prolonged disruptions could weaken Uganda’s position as a regional trade hub and reduce export earnings at a time when the economy is seeking stronger external revenue sources.

‘While we cannot quantify the losses, since neither the Uganda Tourism Board nor the Uganda Revenue Authority has released figures on what could be lost from the Ebola outbreak, there is definitely going to be an impact on foreign exchange earnings.

There are already tourism cancellations, and household incomes will also be affected, especially for those incurring medical costs.

‘However, it is still difficult to give a clear estimate as the situation is evolving,’ he said.

The cross-border trade also supports thousands of livelihoods, particularly small-scale traders, transporters, and wholesalers who rely on daily movement between the two countries.

However, heightened health surveillance, screening measures, and movement controls at border points could slow cargo flows and increase transport costs, potentially affecting supply chains and earnings on both sides.

Government spending pressures are rising.

The outbreak is also expected to increase pressure on public finances as government agencies scale up emergency response efforts.

Resources are being directed toward surveillance systems, contact tracing, treatment centers, laboratory testing, protective equipment, and public awareness campaigns.

The World Health Organisation has estimated that more than $115 million is required over the next three months to support Ebola response operations in Uganda and the wider region.

While such spending is critical to saving lives and containing the outbreak, it also diverts funds from other national priorities such as infrastructure, education, and health system strengthening.

Investor confidence

Beyond direct trade and tourism effects, Ebola outbreaks often influence broader investor sentiment.

Although Uganda has previously demonstrated strong capacity to contain Ebola, uncertainty created by global media

coverage can temporarily affect investment decisions, particularly in sectors such as hospitality, aviation and services.

Business activity can also slow as consumers reduce travel, limit spending, and avoid public gatherings during periods of heightened fear.

Transporters, market vendors, and informal workers who depend on daily movement and cash flow are often the first to feel the economic slowdown.

Lessons from past outbreaks

Previous Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the wider region show that economic disruption is often short-term when containment is swift.

However, delays in response or widespread transmission can significantly increase costs across multiple sectors.

Tourism recoveries, in particular, often take longer due to reputational effects, while trade flows tend to stabilise faster once border confidence is restored.

While Uganda’s health systems remain engaged in controlling the outbreak, early economic indicators suggest ripple effects are already being felt in tourism and trade.

The speed and effectiveness of containment efforts will determine whether Ebola remains a short-term shock or evolves into a broader economic setback affecting jobs, businesses, and National revenue streams.

For now, Uganda’s economic stability hinges not only on controlling the virus, but also restoring confidence among travelers, traders and investors who sustain the country’s key foreign exchange sectors.

For eight years, Wakiso Giants embodied a bold experiment. They arrived with colour, celebrity endorsements, a branded team bus, season tickets and ambitious plans to build a club deeply rooted in its community. They marketed themselves differently, embraced social media and attempted to professionalise several aspects of club management.

Yet on Saturday, founder Musa Ssebulime, popularly known as Atagenda, confirmed the Purple Sharks would cease operations, ending a journey that began in June 2018.

“I gave everything. Time, money, energy and belief. Sadly, football has a way of punishing those who genuinely invest in it. Some decisions are painful, but necessary. The biggest mistake is expecting fairness in a system that feeds on your passion and gives nothing back,” Atagenda wrote on his X account.

The announcement marks the latest chapter in a troubling pattern that has seen several ambitious clubs disappear from Uganda’s football landscape.

From Kamuli Park to the Premier League

The Wakiso Giants story started with a reported Shs100 million acquisition of Kamuli Park in 2018.

The club was rebranded ahead of the 2018/19 StarTimes FUFA Big League season and immediately attracted attention. Despite resistance and being forced to host home matches at Kyabazinga Stadium in Bugembe, the club secured promotion to the Uganda Premier League at the first attempt.

It was a team blessed with talent. Feni Ali, James Kasibante, Isaac Ntege, Ayub Kisaliita, Abdul Karim Kasule, Hassan Wasswa Dazo, Fahad Kawooya and Richard Kigozi formed the backbone of a squad that dominated the second tier.

The promotion triggered greater ambitions. Wakiso Giants moved to develop Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium, unveiled a team bus, introduced season tickets and attracted celebrity supporters including musician Jose Chameleone.

For a while, the model appeared to work.

The sponsorship blow

Behind the scenes, however, financial cracks were emerging.

Chief executive officer Sula Kamoga believes the collapse of betting company Top Bet following regulatory changes dealt the club a blow from which it never fully recovered.

“After Covid-19 lockdown, Top Bet closed. It was the biggest funder of our activities. It therefore became practically impossible to operate normally,” Kamoga said.

He also recalled early obstacles.

“Truth is that we faced a lot of resistance when we were starting, like forcing us to play from Bugembe and also when a friendly with Azam (from Tanzania) was called off at the last minute.”

Fufa deputy chief executive officer Humphrey Mandu maintained that the cancelled friendly resulted from incomplete registration requirements.

“But then we had financial muscle and all that didn’t hurt us a lot,” Kamoga admitted.

The situation worsened after relegation from the Uganda Premier League in 2025. Another drop followed this season as Wakiso Giants finished second from bottom in the Fufa Big League with 31 points, condemning them to regional football. By then, sponsorship income had evaporated.

“When we were in the Premier League, we could collect around Shs5m on match days and supplement it with sponsorship from 1XBet,” Kamoga explained.

“But when the team was relegated, we lost 1XBet and the fans. In the Big League, the fans disappeared and we could only get some money from travelling supporters.”

The numbers simply no longer added up.

Growing frustration

Atagenda’s relationship with football authorities also deteriorated over time.

One defining moment came after a 2-1 loss against URA in 2023 when he publicly criticised referee George Nkurunziza for alleged biased officiating.

Three months later, Nkurunziza received a 10-year suspension over separate match-manipulation allegations involving a Gaddafi fixture.

The incident reinforced Atagenda’s belief that systemic problems continued to undermine investment in the game.

His frustrations frequently surfaced during appearances on online Uganda Fan TV, where he openly questioned the governance and direction of Ugandan football.

Saturday’s announcement suggested those frustrations had finally reached breaking point.

“Every chapter eventually finds its final page. Since 2018, the road has been long, the storms many and the silence often louder than the cheers. Till we never meet again,” the club statement read.

Not the first, unlikely the last

Wakiso Giants join a growing graveyard of clubs that once promised so much.

Victors won Uganda Cups in 2008 and 2010 before financial struggles crippled the club. Kira Young faded from the top flight after funding dried up. Proline remain trapped in the lower divisions. Busoga United disappeared amid licensing and administrative challenges. Nyamityobora and Tooro United also vanished from the elite landscape.

Then there was Victoria University.

The club lasted barely five years but remains one of the most ambitious projects Ugandan football has witnessed.

Owned by Serbian businessman Simo Dubajic, Victoria University rose rapidly after acquiring Kase in 2011. The club introduced professional medical structures, attractive player salaries, performance bonuses and ambitious recruitment.

Players such as Denis Iguma, Murushid Juuko, Savio Kabugo and Yasser Mugerwa became part of a star-studded squad that won the Uganda Cup in 2013.

Former communications manager Leon Ssenyange described it as “the model club”.

Yet despite the investment, the club never built a sustainable fan base. Home attendances at Namboole often struggled to exceed 100 spectators.

When financial support weakened and ownership changed hands, the project quickly unravelled. Relegation followed in 2016 and the club disappeared without trace.

The parallels with Wakiso Giants are difficult to ignore.

A structural problem

Former Arua Hills owner Joel Jaffer Aita believes football remains an emotional investment rather than a viable business in Uganda.

“My brother Atagenda, you have done well. I studied football for three years. Football here is meant only for passion, not business. The infrastructure is built not to make clubs prosper financially,” Aita wrote.

Aita recalled losing faith after what he claimed was resistance to a planned player transfer and a collapsed Shs1.5 billion sponsorship agreement.

Football critic and former SC Villa president Immanuel Ben Misagga argues that the problem runs deeper.

“These clubs were built on individuals and hype, not structures. When the owner got tired, broke or was blacklisted, the whole thing collapsed. No community trust, no shares, no youth pipeline to keep it alive,” Misagga observed.

He also points to the absence of meaningful revenue sharing and decentralised football administration.

“Every club outside Kampala is on life support, begging for crumbs. Mbale, Jinja, West Nile – all treated like outposts, not stakeholders.”

For eight years, the Purple Sharks tried to do things differently. They generated excitement, challenged conventions and briefly convinced many that a modern football club could thrive in Uganda. In the end, however, passion proved insufficient.

And as another club disappears, football fans are left confronting a familiar question: how many more must die before the system changes?

Key dates in Wakiso Giants history

June 2018: Acquisition of Kamuli Park FC

2018/19: Promotion to Uganda Premier League

2019: Move to Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium project

2020-2025: Five consecutive seasons in the UPL

2025: Relegated from the Premier League

2026: Relegated to Regional League and club closure announced.

I was annoyed and frustrated by the weekend news of the death of a national rugby player, Sydney Gongodyo Gyabi, 27. The levels of impunity in the graphic details of the gruesome events, are revolting. A mob allegedly comprised of mostly boda boda riders accused him of snatching a woman’s handbag.

Outnumbering him, they pounced. Indiscriminately they rained blows and kicks with one landing a well weighted plank of wood on his head several times. In the background, evil empty-headed people are heard praising the idiocy of the mob. Just like that, the Stanbic Black Pirates player was murdered. Gongodyo, who goes to his early grave today, became part of the statistics of victims of mob action. According to the Annual Crime Report of 2025 released by the Uganda Police, ‘in 2025, at least 950 cases of mob action were reported to the police.

Victims of mob action were largely individuals suspected of committing offences such as theft, robbery, murder, witchcraft, and burglary’. Yet not all cases, especially in the provinces, are reported to the police. So, the statistics could reflect a short landing. In some other cases, adultery, supporting a political rival or even a different English Premier League football team or getting involved in an accident with a boda boda may put one at the disposal of a mob.

The methods of the mob are not limited to just kicks and blows or hurling of projectiles. Many are forced into used car tires, doused with combustible liquid and burnt alive. Mob action is not always only against suspected criminals. In some cases criminal gangs use it to rob innocent victims in broad day light. They simply surround a victim, raise an alarm, snatch their property as they beat them up.

I have witnessed several cases of mob action; one case caught my eye. While walking in Mbuya, Nakawa Division, I found a hoodlum retreating from the circle surrounding what they called a ‘thief’. He was looking for another projectile to aim at the man in the middle. Curiously I asked who the ‘thief’ was. He said he did not know or care. I suggested that we call the police. He looked at me with contempt and said like most educated people, I Iooked intelligent but, was not street smart. He actually called me a fool. He wondered how I did not know that thieves had become a big problem and the police, plus the courts of law, were simply there to encourage them by releasing them on bail? ‘This, (pointing at a sizable rock) sorts it out once and for all!’ And before you could say ‘Rolls Royce,’ the rock had flown out of his hands into the circle where the so-called thief was wailing for his life.

The truth is that we all have a skewed approach towards crime and punishment. The mob is only angry when their personal property is under threat. They are not bothered by what happens to public property. Ironically, that is why many of the people who administer mob action, stand behind politicians who steal public funds. They vote them into office amidst chants of ‘our man, our man.’ They will even threaten not to vote for the President if he ‘touches’ their person and blame the police and the courts of being against one of their own. Because of this, those in charge are emboldened to abuse the power for their enrichment. Corruption increases and in turn negatively affects institutions of State plus service delivery.

Poor hospitals, roads, lack of water, electricity, on and on to the police and the justice system. Everything goes down and loses meaning. It becomes difficult to convince people that only a competent tribunal determines who a criminal is and what their punishment should be when the court system is visibly hapless. When social services shrink, the rights of individuals are eroded and they become angry, desperate and dehumanised. Just imagine a person who sees their child dying on a hospital bed because there is no doctor or oxygen and yet MPs are receiving vehicles running into billions of shillings and the corrupt are forgiven by the President. It teaches people to fend for themselves or die. This unfortunately includes enforcing their own version of justice in the face of crime and punishment.

Then you have all these policies that target the poor like removing them from cities without providing alternatives and sending them to the provinces that are rife with land grabbing. Or even many who go to school and end up frustrated on the streets without jobs joining the armies of the urban poor. We end up with angry people waiting to vent their rage at the slightest provocation. You see this even on social media. The mob behind the keyboards waiting to make false and unsubstantiated allegations against others in the most profane of languages.

Many times they even don’t bother to understand the issues at stake but comment on them to cause ridicule and even hatred without giving victims the benefit of doubt and right to reply. Gongodyo was living in such a world where angry and irrational people have collectively become violent institutions to deliver public services in ways that satisfy their egos. May his soul rest in eternal peace and his loved ones, especially his young family, and his parents, find fortitude.

Police have arrested two more suspects in connection with the brutal mob killing of national rugby player Sydney Gongodyo, bringing the total number of individuals in custody to 10.

Gongodyo, a 27-year-old forward for the national 15s team (Rugby Cranes) and a stalwart for the Stanbic Black Pirates Rugby Club, was beaten to death on Friday, June 5, 2026, in the Kampala suburb of Bukoto.

In an evening update on Tuesday, June 9, Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Racheal Kawala confirmed the latest arrests, identifying the duo as Mugwiisa Obed and Owino Joseph, a local security guard.

According to the police, Mugwiisa was captured on video footage wearing a yellow T-shirt and carrying a large log during the fatal attack.

“During interrogation, [Mugwiisa] led investigators to a local laundry (dobbi) where he had taken the yellow T-shirt he was seen wearing on the day of the attack. The garment was subsequently recovered,” Ms Kawala said.

The duo joins eight other suspects arrested earlier. They include Ssebagala Noordin, Ayebazibwe Roden, Namukose Juliet, Elly Mondoni, Herbert Twinomujuni, Katsigazi Perigrino, Darlious Tayebwa, and Hannington Tugume.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Gongodyo, who was also a student at Makerere University, was attacked by a chaotic crowd after being falsely accused of snatching a woman’s handbag. Although police intervened and rushed him to Mulago National Referral Hospital, the sportsman succumbed to his severe injuries shortly after arrival.

The tragic loss sent shockwaves through the sports fraternity, forcing the postponement of the highly anticipated Uganda Rugby Premiership semi-final matches. Uganda Rugby Union President, Godwin Kayangwe, described Gongodyo’s death as a “monumental loss to the sport.”

“Efforts are ongoing to identify, trace, and apprehend other individuals believed to have participated in the incident. We remain committed to ensuring that all those responsible for this criminal act are held accountable,” Ms. Kawala stated, warning that participating in a lynch mob is a capital offense.

Gongodyo’s death shines a harsh spotlight on Uganda’s persistent crisis of vigilantism and mob action. Law enforcement authorities warn that criminals frequently exploit crowd chaos to target innocent individuals, steal from victims, or settle personal grudges under the guise of jungle justice.

According to the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report 2025, mob action accounted for 950 registered murder cases-a staggering 22.4 per cent of all 4,238 homicides recorded nationwide. The report highlighted the Kampala Metropolitan area as a major hotspot for vigilante justice, where most victims are beaten to death using blunt objects, stones, or wooden planks over low-level offenses like alleged petty theft.

Human rights groups have previously attributed this deadly trend to systemic public distrust in the formal justice system, corruption, and delayed prosecutions, which drive communities to take the law into their own hands.

However, police have reiterated that public frustration is no excuse for murder. Security agencies maintain that all perpetrators identified in the video footage or linked to the Bukoto attack will face immediate murder charges in court as investigations continue.

A 30-year-old man has emerged at the ancestral home of the late Kadongo Kamu music icon, Paulo Kafeero, claiming to be the singer’s biological son. This dramatic development comes amidst escalating family disputes and the recent exhumation of the musician’s remains for DNA testing.

The claimant, identifying himself as Stephen Mukiibi, arrived on a motorcycle at the estate in Masaaba Village, Nkokonjeru, accompanied by his grandfather, Tadeo Lulika. Mukiibi, who travels from Nanula Village in Kasanda District with an official introduction letter from his local chairman, was discovered by reporters at Kafeero’s gravesite.

Upon arrival, a visibly emotional Mukiibi entered the burial house, knelt by the grave to whisper quiet supplications, and wiped the tomb with a cloth. Speaking on Monday, Mukiibi revealed that his sudden appearance was triggered by a series of unsettling, recurring dreams.

“I have been dreaming about Kafeero almost every day,” Mukiibi stated. “He keeps telling me to find Masaba Village, and that I will not have peace until I do.”

Mukiibi explained that he initially dismissed the spiritual visitations. However, the dreams intensified-culminating in a vision of Kafeero dressed in a traditional kanzu and clutching a guitar-just as public controversy erupted regarding the exhumation of the singer’s remains last week.

Mukiibi attributes a lifetime of personal misfortune, including failed relationships and stalled ambitions, to his disconnected clan identity. He hopes this visit will bring closure.

His grandfather, Tadeo Lulika, confirmed the supernatural accounts and stated they are fully prepared to validate the lineage scientifically.

“He told me about the dreams… so I decided to bring him here, and he is ready to undergo DNA testing,” Lulika said. He noted, however, that Mukiibi’s mother is currently mentally unstable and unable to verify the paternity claims.

Stella Nantongo, one of Kafeero’s daughters currently managing the Masaba estate, maintained a welcoming but cautious stance. She stated that the family accommodates all peaceful visitors, noting that numerous individuals have come forward claiming ties to the legendary musician since his passing.

With Kafeero’s estate already embroiled in legal and biological disputes, Mukiibi’s arrival adds a profound layer of mystery to the legacy of one of Uganda’s greatest folk storytellers.

Today, sometimes it is difficult to know who truly governs Uganda -President Museveni and the First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kenyarugaba, are respectively in command of State responsibilities. It is good to note that Gen Muhoozi has a phobia for corruption, save that he seems to be forgetting that his political directives lack the force of law of Parliament and are, therefore, in open defiance of Articles 79 (2) and 208 (2) of the Constitution. Ugandans cannot forget the significance of President Museveni’s Luweero Triangular war waged 40 years ago to put an end to omnipotent dictatorship in the country, save that the good days are yet to come.

Unlike many a dictator in Africa, Gen Museveni belongs to a breed of Socialist intellectuals who can very easily confuse the population through the advocacy of patriotism and social economic transformation, and his book on ‘the Mustard Seed,’ says it all. Behind Museveni now is the rampant failure to ensure the existence of constitutional governance, which he vowed to protect at all times when he went to the bush. The government programme is beginning to slide back to where we were when Museveni last commanded the 27 gallant men to invade Kabamba. What is happening in government is very far from what people expected.

There is little to show that the President is ruling us in accordance with what he promised when he came to power in 1986. The 1995 Constitution is gradually collapsing. Metro FM radio, recently played back the recorded speech of [former president] Apolo Milton Obote in Mbale, Bugisu during his 2nd presidential term of office where he openly admitted that federal governance among the regions of Uganda, at Independence, was reached through consensus. He however, added that when he saw the late Sir Edward Muteesa beginning to dominate Uganda’s political scene, he was forced to throw him out of office for fear of what was about to happen.

That is an open admission that Obote had no sound reasons for obliterating the Federal Constitution under which the Uganda nation was founded. It is on record that when the late Daudi Ochieng moved an impeachment motion on the floor of the National Assembly, mentioning the involvement of then prime minister Obote and his henchmen, in the Congo gold/ivory scandal, he could not wait for that motion to be debated. He summoned the legislators for an emergency sitting and declared the 1962 Constitution abolished by telling them to find the new Constitution in their respective pigeon-holes. As if that was not enough, Obote framed the infamous court case of Uganda Vs Commissioner of Prisons ex-parte Matovu (1966) where his Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acted as a State witness to boost the prosecution side.

The people of Uganda have never recovered from that turbulent shock up to now. The report of Justice Odoki’s Constitutional Review Commission in the 1990s, revealed that a federal system of government was still popular among the people of Uganda, as opposed to what the Constituent Assembly that later side-lined the Federal factor. The Constituent Assembly, however, laid a lot of emphasis on the sovereignty of the people of Uganda under Article 1 of the Constitution and the democratic principles in the national objectives and directives of State policy. The failure of the NRM government to re-instate federal governance, arbitrarily banished by Obote in 1966, is the main source of social, political and economic stagnation prevailing in the country today.

Since the banning of the federal basic law, Ugandans have never seen the political light of day. That power belongs to the people as stated under Article 1 of the Constitution, cannot alone guarantee the permanent ‘existence of people’s right to self-determination’. The general elections through which that can be enforced, are not free and fair and its products may not be necessarily empowered. There is, therefore, an urgent need to amend Article 178 of the Constitution on regional governance to address its current deficiencies. In the event that nothing happens, our bid in search of liberation to regain federal independence through the international Court of Justice in the Hague, should not be ruled out.

Before he became the executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), before he was entrusted with overseeing national parks, wildlife reserves, and some of the country’s most treasured natural assets, James Musinguzi was a schoolboy on an excursion who stood calmly in front of a chimpanzee enclosure, watching. Around him, children marvelled at the animals’ size, their playful swings, their familiar faces. But Musinguzi was watching how the chimpanzees interacted with one another. He noticed their discipline, their social structure, the deliberate way they selected and used simple tools. The experience left him with questions.

“I was fascinated by the level of organisation and intelligence of the animals,” he recalls.

That fascination did not fade. It became the engine of a career that would eventually place him at the centre of Uganda’s conservation efforts. But the journey from that school trip to the executive director’s office was not a straight line. It was a slow accumulation of understanding, about nature, about people, and about the fragile threads that connect them.

Defining the mission

Musinguzi describes himself first as a Christian, a family man, and a believer in community service. Away from the office, he enjoys interacting with people and participating in local development initiatives. During the Covid-19 lockdown, he mobilised residents in his village to open up roads that had become impassable. He mentions this not as a boast but as an illustration of a guiding belief; partnerships, social cohesion, working together regardless of class. That philosophy shapes nearly everything he does.

Growing up, he became increasingly aware of how interconnected life is. People depend on the environment. Animals depend on ecosystems. Plants support life. Nature sustains livelihoods.

He says, “We rely on each other. People need animals. Animals need the environment. We need the environment.”

That understanding led him to study conservation biology and wildlife management. But the deeper he ventured into the field, the more he realised that conservation was not merely about protecting animals or managing protected areas. He became fascinated by the role wild plants play in medicine. He saw how ecosystems support livelihoods. He understood how wildlife contributes to tourism and economic development. And he arrived at a conviction that would define his career.

“I thought there was a need for a voice to be able to speak for these plants, to speak for these animals that may not necessarily speak but need to be heard.”

That is the job he now holds. To speak for the voiceless. To translate the needs of nature into the language of policy, budgets, and public will.

The strategic leader

Musinguzi takes over UWA at a critical moment. Tourism has been identified as one of the sectors expected to drive Uganda’s economic transformation. Nature-based tourism remains at the centre of that ambition, placing wildlife conservation in an increasingly strategic position. For him, conservation and development are complementary.

Healthy ecosystems attract visitors. Tourism creates jobs. Revenue generated through tourism supports conservation. Conservation protects the resources that attract tourists. The challenge is ensuring that the cycle continues.

Storytelling as infrastructure

He argues that storytelling is critical because it evokes memories and emotions. People protect what they value. They value what they understand. Stories help them understand. He sees journalists, photographers, filmmakers, and content creators as essential partners.

“They send a real photo. They send a real image. They are very powerful at telling stories.”

Confronting the threats

Despite his optimism, Musinguzi is under no illusions. Poaching remains a significant threat. Climate change is creating new pressures on ecosystems. Human-wildlife conflict continues to affect communities living near protected areas. As executive director, he intends to confront these challenges directly. He speaks about strengthening ranger training, enhancing intelligence gathering, increasing surveillance, and embracing technology.

Among the initiatives he is particularly enthusiastic about is the establishment of a DNA forensic laboratory capable of supporting wildlife crime investigations. The facility will strengthen prosecution efforts by helping authorities identify the origin of wildlife products and provide evidence in court. He believes conservation must be both compassionate and firm.

“We are promoting zero tolerance to poaching,” he says.

Protecting wildlife requires education and awareness, but it also requires enforcement.

The community question

Musinguzi returns, again and again, to communities. For decades, many communities have borne the costs of wildlife conservation. Crop raids, livestock losses, and other forms of human-wildlife conflict remain daily realities for families living near parks. He argues that conservation cannot succeed unless these communities feel included and supported.

“The communities must feel the benefits of the parks that are near them.”

This principle informs much of his thinking. He speaks about revenue-sharing programmes, employment opportunities, scholarships, and livelihood projects designed to ensure that conservation delivers tangible benefits. The goal is coexistence and partnership. He wants communities to see protected areas not as burdens but as opportunities. He wants them to become ambassadors for conservation. It is a matter of relationships as much as policies. The relationship between people and nature. Between communities and parks.

A personal connection

His affection for wildlife remains deeply personal. When asked his favourite animal, he responds without hesitation; the giraffe. He admires its elegance, its height, the way it seems to survey the world from above.

“The sight of giraffes with their long necks being so strategic, looking far and ahead, has always been fascinating to me.”

His favourite destination is Kidepo Valley National Park. He speaks about it with unmistakable admiration. To him, Kidepo represents one of the last truly wild landscapes in Africa; a place where nature still feels untouched, with sweeping valleys, dramatic mountains, and vast open spaces. He notes that today’s travellers are increasingly seeking meaningful and immersive experiences.

“The ecotourist is looking for an undisturbed place,” he says. Kidepo, he believes, offers exactly that.

Beyond wildlife tourism

While gorillas, lions, and elephants remain central attractions, Musinguzi believes Uganda has many other stories waiting to be told; birds, unique plant life, archaeological sites, rock art, landscapes, cultures, and communities.

”We are working on product identification, packaging and selling Uganda beyond wildlife,” he says.

The ambassador’s call

Musinguzi strongly believes that Ugandans themselves must become the first ambassadors of their country.

“First of all, we need to appreciate Uganda ourselves first as Ugandans. You can only promote what you know.”

He talks about Uganda’s extraordinary beauty; its wildlife, landscapes, and people, with the enthusiasm of someone who continues to discover the country despite spending years working within it. The climbing lions, the shoebills, the birds, the wilderness areas. Appreciating Uganda, he says, is the first step towards protecting it.

This is not about conservation targets or tourism statistics. It is about safeguarding a legacy. Ensuring that future generations inherit the same natural wonders that inspired him as a child. The same chimpanzees. The same giraffes. The same wilderness. The same stories.

President Museveni chose not to address the newly sworn-in Cabinet ministers yesterday. Instead, he promised to deliver his remarks during the 2026/27 Budget Day, scheduled for this Thursday.

His speech will highlight the main priorities for his new Cabinet and reiterate his commitment to the ‘no more sleep’ agenda.

The President, according to State House insiders and ruling party officials, is expected to unveil his seventh elective term priorities that directly affect ordinary Ugandans and align with his commitment to accelerate the country’s journey towards high middle-income status while ensuring that no citizen is left behind. Additional details are expected to emerge from a Cabinet retreat planned for later this month.

As the country awaits the President’s address, Daily Monitor yesterday engaged key stakeholders from across the political divide to gather insights on the critical challenges that the incoming Cabinet must tackle as they assume their respective statutory roles.

Rose Namayanja, NRM’s Deputy Secretary General

Wealth creation and household incomes.

Youth employment and skills

Quality education and healthcare

Industrialisation and private sector growth

Fighting corruption through stronger accountability in service delivery and reducing budget leakages.

Julius Mukunda, Head of Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group

Promote Commercial Diplomacy: With our trade deficit exceeding $2 billion annually, our embassies must pivot into active trade desks. We need aggressive commercial diplomacy to open foreign markets, boost Ugandan exports, and attract FDI.

Fix the Shs10 trillion Domestic Arrears: This debt, equivalent to nearly 6 percent of our GDP, is suffocating thousands of local contractors. Clearing it is an economic emergency that will instantly inject liquidity back into the private sector and stabilise local banks.

Address Corruption Head-On: Public procurement accounts for over 70 percent of the national budget, yet the Auditor General reports consistently flag billions of shillings in leakages. We need strict enforcement and zero tolerance to plug these procurement holes.

Fix youth unemployment and wealth creation: Over 75 percent of our population is under the age of 30. We must shift from rhetoric to action by providing accessible credit to youth-led SMEs and commercialising agriculture to target the creation of at least 500,000 new jobs annually.

Improve PIMS (Public Investment Management): With development spending consuming over 20 percent of the national budget, we must reform PIMS to eliminate the massive cost overruns and stalled ‘white elephant’ projects, ensuring maximum return on investment for every taxpayer shilling. Delivering on these five areas will stabilise our economy and restore public trust.

Prof Venansius Baryamureeba, computer scientist, academic, former presidential aspirant

Prioritisation and efficient use of the use of government resources in strategic areas.

Zero tolerance to corruption, i.e., they must fully fight corruption.

Creating an enabling policy and legal environment for doing business to attract foreign direct investments and local investments in the economy.

Focus on the improvement of social services for all.

Improve service delivery through full implementation of e-government.

David Bahati, State Minister for Industry

Industrialisation

Boosting exports

Wealth creation through the Parish Development Model

Creation of jobs

Peace and security

Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Former Shadow Finance Minister

The new Cabinet must tackle the current unemployment crisis, especially among the youth. The 2024 Census put the figure of youth aged 18 to 30 at about 10.6 million. Five million of these are not in employment or education.

The second issue is health and education (human capital development). According to a World Bank human capital development report, children in school today will not exceed 39 percent of productivity, the world average is 50, because of low investment in education and health.

Business discontinuation crisis. Again, according to the World Bank, every four businesses that start, three close before their fifth birthday.

The most important issues of human rights and democracy. Youths kidnapped and tortured by the military during elections must be freed.

All political prisoners, including Dr Kizza Besigye, must be freed. This should be followed by necessary reforms to create certainty.

Dr Akankwasa Barirega, Executive Director of the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)

Strengthening institutions to deliver critical services for economic production.

Refocusing spending in productive sectors that generate more resources for the people of Uganda.

Sustainable management of the environment as a pillar for economic growth and transformation. No economy can be sustained without rainfall, water, clean air, etc.

Reducing government red tape to facilitate faster and more efficient service delivery to the citizens through digitization and automation of government processes.

Changing the citizen mindset from observers and talkers to active participation in service delivery and the transformation process. Citizens must be told the hard truth instead of being told only what pleases them. Hard truth builds a lasting nation.

Erias Lukwago, Former Kampala Lord Mayor

Governance issues, particularly the release of political prisoners and addressing the deteriorating human rights situation, as well as the restoration of the Rule of law.

Concrete macroeconomic interventions geared towards addressing the devastating unemployment crisis.

Realignment of the levers of power from the kitchen cabinet to the conventional cabinet and embark on implementation of the NDP1V, whose thrust is the 10-fold growth strategy.

Work towards ensuring the functionality of government institutions, including fighting corruption and theft of public funds.

Establishing a constitutional order that guarantees orderly succession to power.

Prof Mouhammad Mpezamihigo, VC Equator University of Science and Technology in Uganda

Enhancement of transparency by Public officers

Mapping national development through fair distribution of resources and the national cake.

Prioritisation of health, education, and food security

Full enforcement of the law against corrupt officers.

Reduction of waste of public resources in financing non-priority activities.

Beti Kamya Turwomwe, Former Inspector General of Government

Corruption

Corruption

Corruption

Eron Kiiza, Human Rights lawyer

The Cabinet needs to resurrect the Ugandan economy and stop pretending it is doing well while it’s sinking, so that Ugandans can work here rather than fleeing into slavery.

Uganda needs to sort governance by removing the military from civilian affairs and focusing it on national defence rather than having it run the show in Cabinet, Parliament, police, immigration, and even guarding private property, farms, and investors.

Cabinet needs to nurture Ugandan talent through education, music, sports, and technology.

Theodore Ssekikubo, Lwemiyaga Resident and former MP

Corruption: According to the IGG Report, the known annual amount embezzled is Shs12 trillion.

Wasteful expenditures across the board.

Emphasis on areas of comparative advantage – all-round agriculture, and harnessing the emerging areas of science and technology.

Health and education for healthy and productive Ugandans.

Infrastructure. Fixing the roads, railways, and tapping the economic potential from all parts of the country.

Prof Ogenga Latigo, Former Leader of Opposition and farmer

Investing in countryside agricultural development and rural transformation.

Focus on education that benefits all and caters for the huge number of 1-5 year old children, most of child mothers.

Upgrading to all-weather rural access roads and tarmacking the main streets of all major towns.

Investing in effective health service provision, particularly adequate staffing and remuneration; visible, prompt, and effective medical service- examination, treatment/surgery, medication, and home care.ing corruption, inequity in employment, and excessive wastage of national resources.

Marshall Alenyo, Jonam County MP

Wealth creation.

Fighting corruption.

Efficiency of the government institutions.

Championing of natural resources like oil to kick-start the economy.

Promote East African integration for a bigger regional market.

Wilfred Niwagaba, City Lawyer and former MP, Ndorwa County-East.

Release political prisoners and stop the continued disappearances of some of our citizens

Address the disparity in payment of arts and science civil servants, coupled with the current standoff on payment of medical interns, must also be addressed.

The state of the infrastructure, especially road networks, district and community access roads, and rural electrification.

All these cannot be addressed unless the budget priorities are reconfigured, coupled with minimising leakages of the taxpayers’ money

Crispin Kugiza Kaheru, Member, Uganda Human Rights Commission

Household incomes and jobs. The biggest political question is whether Ugandans can earn, save, feed, provide quality education for their children, and have money in their pockets. I hope this Cabinet can turn stability into jobs, especially for young people.

Production and value addition. They should promote a drive against exporting raw potential or material. Our agriculture, minerals, oil and tourism must be organised around value addition, industrialisation, standards, storage, markets and Ugandan ownership/BUBU.

Cabinet must make leakages politically expensive, and delivery administratively compulsory.

The Cabinet must move from talking to structural action.

They must ramp up independent prosecution of public officers, digitization of procurement, and seriously implement the moratorium on new administrative units.

This Cabinet must treat education, healthcare, skilling, and nutrition as economic investments rather than social expenditures.

Bureaucratic reform. Eliminate duplication, merge overlapping functions, reduce unnecessary administrative layers, digitize government services, accelerate decision-making, and ensure that every public institution delivers measurable value for us promptly, but also with value for money.

A critically ill mother arrived at Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital in north-western Uganda already slipping out of reach.

She was suffering from severe pre-eclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication that could become fatal within hours. By the time she reached the hospital, she was struggling to breathe. Doctors immediately moved to intubate her to keep her alive.In many urban hospitals, the next step would be straightforward: transfer her to an intensive care unit only minutes away.

In Yumbe, that option does not exist.

Dr Sarah Oworinawe, one of the few emergency medicine physicians serving the entire region, takes one look at the patient and makes a rapid decision: the hospital cannot provide the level of critical care she needs.

‘We had to move quickly because every minute mattered,’ she recalls.

An ambulance is arranged to transfer her to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, more than 225 kilometres away. It is the only realistic option for advanced care.

But the emergency does not stop at the hospital exit. The journey becomes an extension of the resuscitation room.

On the way, the team is forced to stop several times. They manage her airway, administer medication, and try to stabilise her fragile condition as the ambulance navigates rough roads and long delays. At the River Nile crossing in Obongi, further hold-ups add to the risk.

Dr Oworinawe remains with the patient throughout the entire transfer.

‘She survived,’ she says quietly. ‘When a patient comes in at their worst and survives, that is the reward.’

One specialist for 1.6 million people

The case is not an exception in Yumbe; it is a reflection of how fragile emergency care can be in Uganda’s underserved regions.

Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital serves more than 1.6 million people across the West Nile sub-region, including large refugee populations from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Patients often arrive late, after long journeys with little or no stabilisation.

Yet within this vast catchment area, Dr Oworinawe is currently the only emergency medicine physician based at the hospital, one of just 27 in the entire country.

She chose Yumbe deliberately after completing her Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, supported by Seed Global Health and the Ministry of Health.

‘I knew these skills would make a difference where the need is greatest,’ she says.

Building order

When she arrived less than a year ago, emergency care at the hospital was largely unstructured. There was no formal triage system, no designated resuscitation area, and critically ill patients were not consistently prioritised based on severity.

‘One of the biggest challenges was that patients were not being prioritised based on how sick they were,’ she explains.

Her first major change was introducing a structured triage system that sorts patients into red, yellow, and green categories depending on urgency, ensuring those in the most critical condition are seen first.

Even in a resource-limited setting, she says, organisation can mean the difference between life and death.

A dedicated resuscitation area has since been set up for critically ill patients. She has also worked with neighbouring facilities, including Adjumani General Hospital, to strengthen emergency response and referrals.

But her work extends beyond the hospital walls. She is training frontline health workers to recognise danger signs earlier and respond faster before patients deteriorate.

‘Emergency care is not just about the doctor,’ she says. ‘It is about the entire system working together.’

In a region where malaria in children, obstetric emergencies, road traffic injuries, and severe infections frequently become life-threatening due to delays in care, early recognition is critical.

For many families, Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital is the only point of emergency care they can access.

‘If we identify critical illness early and intervene quickly, we can save many more lives,’ she says.

A system still under strain

But the work is constant and often overwhelming.

Like many rural referral hospitals in Uganda, Yumbe faces persistent challenges: limited staffing, shortages of equipment, and long referral distances for advanced care such as intensive care services. Critically ill patients are frequently transported hundreds of kilometres to reach higher-level facilities.

‘There are times when the workload feels overwhelming,’ Dr Oworinawe admits. ‘But you keep going because every improvement matters.’

Her experience reflects a wider national reality. Uganda has trained more specialists in recent years, but emergency medicine services remain thinly spread, especially in regions where the burden is highest.

As Uganda marks Emergency Medicine Day, Yumbe’s experience raises a difficult but necessary question: what happens when a critically ill patient arrives at a facility that is not yet equipped to save them?

In Yumbe, the answer is slowly changing, through a triage desk that brings order to chaos, a resuscitation area that creates space for survival, and one doctor working to build a system that can stand even when she is no longer there.

As Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital continues to adapt under pressure, the changes led on the emergency ward are beginning to show what is possible even in a constrained system.

The introduction of structured triage, stronger referral coordination, and targeted staff training is gradually shifting emergency care from reactive response to organised intervention.

While major gaps in staffing, equipment and intensive care access remain, the progress underway offers a glimpse of a more resilient system, one where critically ill patients are more likely to be identified early, stabilised faster, and given a better chance of survival, regardless of how far they live from the nearest advanced hospital.

Last week, I watched and read news stories of people being evicted from Kaliddubi Wetland, Busabala Parish, Makindye Ssabagabo in Wakiso District. The stories of the people whose homes were crushed to stone and rubble were heart-wrenching.

There was a young man, a boda boda rider, who told of how he had spent sleepless nights riding his bike just to make the extra buck to build his Shs23m house. He says he saved, skipped meals countless times, skipped sleep just to work the nights, rode through the rain and saved every shilling he would get with his savings club.

He also made use of some PDM money until, through all that sweat and pain, he was able to put up a structure for his six children. As he told this story, he was standing next to what used to be the proof of his ability to provide for his offspring and wife.

Another young woman said she has six children. Had hustled hard too and built a house for them, but alas, it had been destroyed. And before last year’s evictions, another had been a street vendor somewhere in the city centre. Then there was that video clip I wish I could ‘unsee’. The one of a woman who wanted to throw herself in front of speeding vehicles because of anguish from the demolishment but was held back by her little son.

As a veteran hustler, I know the pain that one goes through to survive these streets. Earth is hard! The involuntary fasts, wearing the same shoe for five years, wearing clothes that cost Shs3,000 not because you are frugal but because that is what you can afford. Losing friends because they do not understand that the reason you did not contribute to their wedding is that you actually did not have a dime.

Kwekazaring with the same synthetic hair braids for six months, never mind that the new growth is as long as the extensions or opting to stay home because going out means spending money you do not have, all because you are saving up to build something of importance such as paying up the mortgage for one of those nice town houses in Luboowa or in this case, that house in Busaabala.

Then when it is all done, when the suffering has as if paid off, the long arm of the law shows up and squashes your brick and clay accomplishments like a piece of paper. What would you do if it were you?

Me as me, I would not attempt to throw myself in front of a speeding car because the plan is to die in my sleep in a nice comfy bed, preferably at 98 years of age with Jesus by my bedside saying, ‘there there’, but yes, I too would be devastated.

I cannot help but wonder, though, who sanctions these constructions? Are they invisible to authorities when they are going up? Are they built overnight before anyone can stop them? Why allow them to build there in the first place, only to come years later and crash them? Why not avoid this whole messy situation by not allowing any constructions to go up in the first place?

Methinks the authorities or whoever enables those habitats to go up should be held accountable too. They too should share in the pain of the evicted encroachers. If the price for encroaching on wetlands and other gazetted areas is not shared along the lines of responsibility, it is going to keep happening. Whoever sells those people the illusion that they can build there should also pay for it.

We should not normalise anguish, especially from people who have lost everything or almost all. What do you think happens to one bitter young man with six mouths to feed? One who has tried to earn the right way but has been beaten down by the same law that should protect him?

One whose desire to provide for his family has been manipulated by a crooked system that allows him to build in a gazetted area?

Where do you think some of the merciless thugs that break into homes, workplaces or even open spaces to rob, maim and kill come from? If the goal is to conserve the environment, do it the right way.

Do not allow people to build and then come and demolish. Let there be no building at all. No action, however legal, lives in a vacuum. With such moves, the dominoes are bound to come crashing down, and again, like we always do, we will die in our own movie.