Category: Daily Monitor

Uganda’s entertainment industry is mourning veteran musician David Sifayo, popularly known as Master Parrot, who died Monday evening after a hit-and-run accident along the Northern Bypass in Masanafu.

Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said the accident happened around 7:30pm when Master Parrot was allegedly knocked by a yet-to-be-identified vehicle while walking along the road. Police rushed him to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

‘The driver fled to an unknown destination after the accident. We have not yet obtained details of the vehicle involved, but investigations are ongoing and we are reviewing CCTV footage to identify both the car and driver,’ Owoyesigyire said.

News of the singer’s death sent shockwaves through the music fraternity. Fellow artists and long-time friends paid tribute to one of the pioneers of Uganda’s urban music movement.

‘Just got the terrible news that we’ve lost our brother Master Parrot. Old funny conversations and careless hearty laughter are the painful memories you leave with us, my friend. Until we meet again,’ former Firebase Crew colleague and opposition leader Bobi Wine posted on social media.

Uganda National Musicians Federation president Eddy Kenzo also mourned him, writing, ‘Sad news. Rest in peace, my brother Master Parrot.’

Family members said they were unaware of the tragedy until they received a phone call. ‘It was around 8pm when I received a call that my brother had passed on, but I couldn’t believe it,’ his elder sister Lydia said. ‘My husband called his phone, and it was the police who answered. They informed us that his body was being transported to Mulago Hospital.’

From Mulago, his body was taken to his residence in Wabiduku-Balintuma Zone, Kiwatule, where he lived with his mother. It was later moved to the National Theatre for public viewing before burial on Wednesday in Kamengo, Butembe Sirinya B, along the Mpigi-Masaka Road.

Master Parrot was one of the founding members of the original Firebase Crew, alongside Bobi Wine, Sizzaman, Jajja Nana, Butcherman and Toolman Kibalama. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he established himself as one of Uganda’s most recognisable dancehall and reggae artists.

His catalogue spans more than 30 songs, including hits like Muliro, Mama Wabana, Oliwa, Kikili Kitya, Ekikompola, Nankya, Mwana Muwala and Kawal, a collaboration with Jose Chameleone.

In recent years the singer largely disappeared from the spotlight as he reportedly battled personal challenges. Earlier this year, videos showing him in a distressed state circulated online, sparking concern among fans and fellow musicians. Reports suggested he had been struggling with alcohol addiction and related mental health issues.

His mother, Josephine Nakayiza, publicly appealed for support to help him access rehabilitation. Fellow musician Qute Kaye, who has spoken openly about overcoming addiction, was among those who called for intervention and treatment.

When Xi Jinping rose to power as Chinese Communist Party general secretary in 2012 and state president in 2013, he inherited a Tibet already under tight control. Yet what distinguishes his tenure is the transformation of Tibet from a contested periphery into a laboratory of authoritarian consolidation. Xi’s Tibet policy is not reactive. It is deliberate, systematic, and emblematic of his broader project to secure China’s borders while erasing cultural pluralism.

Tibet as a Security Frontier.

Xi has consistently framed Tibet as a national security issue. The region’s proximity to India, its symbolic connection to the Dalai Lama, and its history of resistance make it, in Beijing’s eyes, a potential fault line. Under Xi, Tibet has been subjected to deepening securitization. Refugee flows have been reduced to a tricklethrough militarized border controls and pressure on traditional escape routes through Nepal. Surveillance technologies, including DNA collection, facial recognition, AI-enabled monitoring, and border surveillance, have turned Tibet and Tibetan communities in the region into some of the most closely monitored populations in the world. Dissent, including in private digital spaces, has been criminalized under an expanding legal and security framework.

Assimilation as Strategy

Xi’s Sinicization campaign extends beyond Tibet, but its application there is particularly severe. Education policies have separated many Tibetan children from families, placing them in boarding schools and preschools where Mandarin increasingly replaces Tibetan language instruction. Religious practice has been curtailed: monasteries have faced raids and surveillance, images of the Dalai Lama are banned, and monks have been subjected to detention and political indoctrination. These measures are not incidental. They reflect Xi’s conviction that cultural distinctiveness is a threat to national unity.

Legal Warfare and Extraterritorial Reach

Xi has also weaponized law to extend repression beyond Tibet’s borders. China’s new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, adopted in March 2026 and due to enter into force in July 2026, has drawn warnings from UN experts, who say it risks entrenching forced assimilation and encouraging transnational repression. This legal architecture signals Beijing’s intent not only to reshape identity inside China, but also to intimidate diaspora communities and redefine sovereignty, legitimacy, and cultural rights on China’s terms.

Xi’s Personal Responsibility. Unlike his predecessors, Xi has centralized authority to an extent unseen since Mao. Tibet policy is not simply the product of bureaucratic inertia. It reflects Xi’s personal vision. His father, Xi Zhongxun, had ties to the Dalai Lama and was associated with softer approaches toward Tibet. Xi has rejected that legacy, opting instead for a far more coercive model of control. The crackdown in Tibet is therefore inseparable from Xi’s consolidation of power and his ideological project of ‘national rejuvenation.’

Strategic Consequences.

Cultural erasure: Tibet’s identity faces an existential risk under Xi’s assimilationist policies.

Regional instability: Tibet’s securitization exacerbates tensions with India, complicating an already fraught Sino-Indian rivalry.

Global implications: Xi’s extraterritorial repression challenges liberal democracies to respond, because silence risks normalizing authoritarian expansion beyond China’s borders.

Since 2012-2013, Xi Jinping has transformed Tibet into a crucible of authoritarian control. His policies of surveillance, assimilation, securitization, and legal warfare are not merely domestic tactics. They are strategic moves to secure China’s frontier and project its authoritarian model globally. Tibet is therefore not only a human rights tragedy, but also a geopolitical warning: Xi’s Tibet is the future he envisions for contested spaces worldwide.

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake on Sunday night struck central Uganda’s Nakasongola District, sending tremors felt hundreds of kilometres away across the west, east, and northern regions.

Scientists from Makerere University’s College of Natural Sciences told this publication that while aftershocks are possible and could cause damage, the earthquake felt was not a strong one. According to scientists, this magnitude of 4.5 is classified as a light earthquake (4.0-4.9). At this level, the quake is strong enough to be felt across many regions but may not cause damage. But strong quakes (6.0-6.9) can damage buildings, and major or great quakes (7+) often cause widespread destruction, according to information from the University of Alaska Earthquake Centre.

Local authorities in Nakasongola and nearby areas have not yet reported any (significant) damage caused by the 4.5-magnitude earthquake.

‘Earthquakes are elastic waves that propagate within the Earth and are caused when stress that is stored within the Earth is released,’ Dr Arthur Godfrey Batte (PhD), a seismologist at the Makerere University College of Natural Sciences (Conas), said.

‘These earthquakes originate at some point within the Earth known as the Earth’s hypocenter. In this case, the hypocenter was in Nakasongola. Just like any wave, these elastic waves travel at a distance proportional to their energy,’ Mr Batte added.

The hypocentre is the exact point inside the Earth where an earthquake rupture begins, and seismic waves first start to generate. The seismologist further explained that the strength of the earthquake weakens as the distance increases.

‘It was felt in Kampala because this wave travelled like any other wave away from the hypocentre. In other words, it spreads outwards from the hypocenter, and that’s why it was felt in other areas,’ he added. Dr Hillary Mwongyera (PhD), another seismologist at Conas, said this particular earthquake is important because it ‘happened in Nakasongola, an area which sits on a suture zone -boundary between two geographical terrains.’ A suture zone, according to scientists, is the deep, scarred boundary where two landmasses have collided and welded together over millions of years. The suture zones fuse different types of crust together, and the contact is highly fractured and structurally weak, making it prone to significant stress buildup and release in the form of quakes, according to the scientists.

On the possibility of aftershocks, Dr Batte said he can’t rule it out. But he said it will be weaker. ‘On the issue of the aftershock, I understand the magnitude of this earthquake was about 4.5,’ he said. ‘This implies that yes, an earthquake of that magnitude can have aftershocks, but of a smaller magnitude, for example, 3.5 or 3.0, that may not last long but can cause significant damage,’ he said. EarthScope Consortium, a global geophysical research and education body under the US National Science Foundation, states that large earthquakes are usually followed by hundreds and even thousands of smaller earthquakes. ‘These aftershocks, according to scientists, can cause damage or collapse structures that were already weakened by the first earthquake.

A Catholic priest in Ntungamo Town has asked Christian pilgrims not to abandon the Martyrs Day sacrifice just because the government suspended the walk to Namugongo over Ebola.

Instead, he urged them to ‘walk in faith’ and redirect the money for transport, food and time toward church projects or helping neighbours.

Speaking during the Pre-Martyrs Day Mass at Sacred Heart Ntungamo Town Catholic Parish, Rev Fr John Baptist Tumusiime said hundreds of pilgrims think government stopped them, without seeing God’s test in it.

‘Walking to Namugongo is an event, the sacrifice is the faith one gets in the walk, we can still have the sacrifice, walk in the heart and come to church, cerebrated the mass and give all you wanted to use for the walk, transport, food, time and the same thing you wanted in the walk will be done to you,’ Fr Tumusiime said.

The Dean of Ntungamo Catholic Deanery said the parish will still celebrate Masses for the Holy Martyrs Day and encouraged Christians to use the moment to donate and turn to God. ‘We are walking to Namugongo, even those who never had a chance to walk there, our Namugongo shall be in our churches, we shall cerebrate two masses on the day, walk from home to church, we shall also use the opportunity to have the walk to mass and that will be your day, the martyr’s day. Let’s remember how holy the walk is by walking in our hearts,’ he said.

At St Mathew Cathedral Kyamate, South Ankole Diocese Bishop Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe cautioned Christians against failing to give what they had prepared. ‘If you swear that you will give to God, let what you have sworn be given. The story of Ananias and his wife in the bible (Acts 5:1) reminds us that it’s better not to prepare to give than prepare and not fulfil what you have already prepared,’ Bishop Ahimbisibwe said.

The nine Catholic parishes in Ntungamo have organized different Masses for Martyrs Day, while Anglican churches have lined up overnight prayers and fasting.

At All Saints Church in Ntungamo Town, Parish Priest Rev Ezra Mwesigwa said the church organized a 24-hour dry fast for able Christians ‘in remembrance of endurance of the Christian martyrs.’ The prayers will also be offered ‘for the end of the Ebola pestilence,’ he said.

Rev Augustus Ainebyoona, the Diocesan Missions and Outreach Coordinator, said prayers will be held in all parishes with a focus on resilience and full salvation under the provincial theme, ‘anchored in Christ for peace, unity and development.’

Every year, over 1,000 Catholics and at least 500 Anglican faithful walk from Ntungamo to Namugongo for Martyrs Day. This year, none of them will make the journey due to government restrictions aimed at controlling Ebola.

Artisanal sand miners have scaled up their illegal operations in Lwera Wetland in both Kalungu and Mpigi districts, leaving open pits that appear like mini-lakes along the Kampala-Masaka highway.

In April, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), in conjunction with other authorities, carried out operations against illegal sand miners in Lwera that saw the arrest of six people and the impounding of several machines.

However, illegal activities resumed in just days in total violation of environmental protection guidelines. At all illegal sand mining sites in Lwera run by artisanal miners, pits have expanded into mini-lakes measuring approximately two to four football pitches.

At such openly visible mining sites, just about 30 metres from the highway, miners who previously used rudimentary methods and tools such as spades and canoes have advanced to bigger boats to boost extraction as experts warn that the damage being caused will have far-reaching impacts.

Due to the water levels in Lwera, which is located a few kilometres away from the shores of Lake Victoria, there are fears that the ongoing heavy rains may cause floods that could submerge the Kampala -Masaka highway if degradation is not checked.

Mr Emmanuel Mukasa, a resident of Kamuwunga Village in Lukaya Town Council, Kalungu District, urged the government to swiftly review and strengthen its environmental protection policies.

‘The heavier damage is being done inside the ecosystem where you can’t see while on the highway. Heavy machines are being used and what remains there are big open pits, which turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes,’ he said.

Mr James Frank Kasibante, a programmes manager at Biodiversity Conservation Foundation (BCF), a local conservation initiative, warned that unregulated sand and clay mining in Lwera is causing severe environmental degradation, which is threatening the ecological system.

‘This is a very vital ecology that supports the local economy in various ways, on top of regulating weather patterns, and we’re wondering how authorities can be reluctant in enforcing existing laws,’ she said.

She added that many people get fish they sell for a living, as well as raw materials for the craft industry from the wetland, so its degradation poses both macro and micro multi-sectoral impacts, and urged Nema and local authorities to adopt sustainable measures.

‘Look at how close the extraction site is to the road. It means we shall always be repairing it. What about the local economy supported by the wetland? We demand viable mechanisms to ensure adherence to the law and enforcement guidelines,’ she said.

Mr Ahmed Nyombi Mukiibi, the chairperson of Kalungu District, castigated Nema and other authorities over the discriminatory application of the law during enforcement by focusing on small-scale encroachers while leaving big companies operating freely.

‘I’m not satisfied with the operations in Lwera because there are areas where sand mining companies are guarded by the armed men, sometimes in military uniform and are no-go areas even for enforcement officers, so seizing canoes and spades will not save the wetland,’ he said.

However, he advised Nema officials to engage local leaders so that they can sustain the fruits of the enforcement.

Ms Naomi Karekaho, the head of corporate communications at Nema, last week asked for more time to first consult her superiors. However, she had not offered a response by press time.

As Uganda settles into a new political term and a new Cabinet takes office, attention will naturally turn to what comes next. Citizens want jobs, higher incomes and better opportunities.

Ministers will be judged by their ability to deliver results. But perhaps an uncomfortable question deserves more attention: What if Uganda has already spent the last two decades doing the hard part? For years, the country’s development agenda focused on building foundations.

Roads were expanded, industrial parks established, digital connectivity improved and electricity generation increased significantly.

According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority’s Uganda Electricity Sector Overview 2025, Uganda’s installed generation capacity has grown substantially over the past two decades, transforming the country’s energy landscape.

This achievement should not be underestimated. Building infrastructure is expensive, complex and time-consuming. It requires political commitment, financing, technical expertise and years of implementation. Yet, history shows that building infrastructure is only one phase of development.

The bigger challenge is ensuring that infrastructure creates value. Electricity generation is an achievement. Economic transformation is the test.

A power plant can generate electricity, but it cannot create prosperity on its own. Its true value is realised when it powers factories, supports agro-processing, enables innovation and helps businesses become more productive. The same principle applies across the economy. Roads create connections, but businesses create wealth. Industrial parks provide space, but investors create jobs.

Infrastructure creates possibilities; people create prosperity. This distinction matters because many Ugandans are no longer asking whether infrastructure exists. They are asking whether they can feel its impact. Can farmers earn more through value addition?

Can manufacturers become more competitive? Can young people find meaningful employment? Can Uganda export more finished products instead of raw materials? These are the questions that will increasingly define the country’s next phase of development. The World Bank has long argued that reliable energy is essential for economic growth and poverty reduction.

However, energy is most valuable when it supports productive economic activity. As the new Cabinet begins its work, its success may not be measured by the number of projects it launches. It may be measured by how effectively it helps Ugandans extract value from the investments already made.

If the last two decades were about building the foundation, the next chapter must be about building prosperity upon it. That may prove to be the harder task.

The budget of Parliament has within six years doubled to Shs1.2 trillion, despite the number of elected members of the House remaining constant at 529 within the same period. Our analysis shows the budgets for the Speaker, who is the administrative head of the Legislature, and the Deputy, have increased by about 7 and 8-fold, respectively. There was, however, a modest rise by roughly Shs1 billion in allocations to the Offices of the Leader of Government Business and that of the Leaders of Opposition in Parliament (LoP). The 10th Parliament had a total 443 elected MPs and 16 ex-officio members appointed to the Cabinet by the President, making a total of 459 members. However, ahead of the 2021 elections, 86 new constituencies were created, taking the total number of elected legislators to 529, increasing the burden on the Treasury to cater for the additional numbers.

Officials, including Mr Chris Obore, the spokesperson of Parliament, which is undergoing a leadership transition following the May 24 inauguration of the 12th Parliament, were unavailable to explain the reasons for the substantial increase in spending by the people’s representatives. The Parliamentary Building is currently undergoing expansion at Shs220 billion to add space to seat the current total of 555 MPs, including ex-officios, with LoP Joel Ssenyoni last week questioning why the engineering works have stalled despite yearly allocations to fast-track it. These budgetary revelations come to light following months of scrutiny of the financial behaviour of the Legislature, and only weeks after the Speaker of the 11th Parliament Anita Annet Among, under whom the multi-billion increase in allocations happened, was placed under formal inquiry for alleged illicit enrichment, corruption and abuse of office.

A social media exhibition by Agora Discourse, a digital public forum, raised queries over expenditure of taxpayers’ money by the 11th Parliament, with several billions of shillings passed from the House coffers through private bank accounts of its employees close to the former Speaker, Ms Anita Among. The money was reportedly spent mainly on donations. The Agora activists last week published a list of more than 150 staff that it said Parliament recruited during Ms Among’s tenure, allegedly without formal advertising, thereby bulging the budget of personnel amid near-tripled departments headed by directors. According to the estimated revenue and expenditure blueprint of Parliament, which will be included in the National Budget to be presented next week, Shs744b will be spent on the 529 MPs, nearly double the Shs400b allocated to them in the 2020/2021 Financial Year, indicating rising cost of democracy.

The allocations for the other two arms of the government – the Executive and Judiciary – have similarly increased substantially, with the former taking a lion’s share funded through direct allocations and supplementary, which raise questions about public sector financial discipline. The Speaker and Deputy of the 12th Parliament will have a combined Shs50.2 billion to run their respective offices, for the second year running. The Speaker will take Shs28.5 billion while his Deputy will spend Shs21.7 billion, up from Shs19 billion for the Speaker and Shs14.5 billion for the Deputy in the 2024/2025 Financial Year. The Office of the Leader of Government Business will get Shs5.2 billion, while that of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament will get Shs4.2 billion. When broken down, the Speaker spends daily Shs78.2 million, while the Deputy spends daily Shs59.4 million to run their respective offices.

Details of the breakdown of how the funds for the 2026/2027 Financial Year will be spent have been kept away from the approved budget documents. However, the 2025/2026 Financial Year approved budget indicates the Speaker spent Shs950 million on inland travels while Shs2.4 billion was spent on travel abroad. The Speaker also spent Shs966 million on fuel, lubricants and oils, while Shs648 million was spent on maintenance of transport equipment. Another Shs4.8 billion was spent on incapacity, death benefits and funeral expenses and a further Shs5.42 was allocated for Speaker’s donations. It is the hefty donations and other expenditures that have drawn the attention of a number of legislators, who are demanding that the budget for the Speaker, the Deputy and other elected leaders within the Parliament be downsized.

Burden of Speakers on taxpayers In the 2020/2021 Financial Year, the last year when Speaker of the 10th Parliament, Ms Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, presided over the House, the Office of the Speaker operated a budget of Shs4.4 billion, while the Deputy had a budget of Shs2.7 billion. The budget for the Leader of Opposition in Parliament in the 2020/2021 Financial Year was even bigger than that of the Deputy Speaker at the time, standing at Shs4.2 billion against Shs2.7 for the Deputy Speaker, while that of the Leader of Government Business in Parliament stood at Shs1.4 billion. In the 2021/202022 Financial Year, when Oulanyah was elected Speaker and Anita Among became Deputy, the budget for the Speaker came down to Shs3.9 billion, while that of the Deputy Speaker was increased to Shs2.9 billion.

While the total budget for MPs stood at Shs400 billion at the time Speaker Kadaga left, Speaker Oulanyah’s brief stay at the helm saw the figures only increase by an additional Shs35,2 billion to cater for the additional 86 MPs. But in the four years Speaker Among was in charge, the figures have since shot up to Shs744 billion for the same number of MPs, with no explanation given for the steep rise. At the time, in the 2021/2022 Financial Year, the Leader of Opposition had a budget of Shs3 billion, while the Leader of Government Business had Shs1.4 billion. It was during the 2022/2023 Financial Year when Speaker Among took full control of the House, deputised by Mr Thomas Tayebwa that the budget for the Speaker and that of the Deputy started rising sharply.

For example, the budget for the Speaker rose from Shs3.9 billion during the late Oulanyah’s short stay to Shs8.2 billion, while that of the Deputy rose from Shs2.9 billion to Shs7.1 billion. With a total budget of Shs915 billion, the MPs got Shs510 billion, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament got Shs4.5 billion, while the Leader of Government Business had no variation in the Shs1.4b budget as was allocated in the previous year. In the 2023/2024 Financial Year, the budget for the Speaker shot up from Shs8.2 billion to Shs13.7 billion, while that of the Deputy increased from Shs7.1 billion to Shs10.7 billion.

The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament had a cut by Shs300 million while the Leader of Government Business in Parliament got Shs3.7 billion, and Shs544 billion went to the MPs. The FY 2024/2025 saw another sharp increase in the budget for the Speaker and Deputy, with the Speaker getting Shs19 billion, while the Deputy took away Shs14.5 billion. Out of the total Shs977.8 billion, Shs576.9 billion was apportioned to MPs salaries and emoluments, while the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament got Shs4.2 billion and that of the Leader of Government Business had Shs3.7 billion.

Total Parliament budget

The 2026/2027 financial year budget of Parliament stands at Shs1.2 trillion, with Shs744.4 billion going to the MPs, and more than Shs60 billion distributed between the Speaker, the Deputy, Leader of Government Business and the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. The 2026/2027 budget is double the budget Speaker Kadaga had in her final year that stood at Shs672.8 billion during the 2020/2021 financial year. Is the parliamentary commission complicit in inflating the budget?

Parliamentary Commission

Article 87A of the Constitution and Section 2(2) of the Administration of Parliament Act provide for the creation of the Parliamentary Commission, which is the principal governing body of the Parliament of Uganda. It is responsible for administration of the Legislature and the welfare of its members and employees and, among others, hires and fires staff and determines their terms of service. The Commission comprises nine members who include the Speaker (Chairperson), the Deputy, the Leader of Government Business (or the Prime Minister), the Leader of the Opposition, and the Minister of Finance. There are also four backbench members, with three from the ruling NRM party, and one from the official opposition party in Parliament.

The Commission, chaired by the Speaker, has recently come under scrutiny over what many called wasteful expenditure. For example, the back-bench commissioners in 2024 awarded themselves a Shs1.7 billion service award, which drew sharp criticism from the public. Ms Among recently dropped out of the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament after she publicly indicated she would not be presenting herself for the position. Her decision followed a State House meeting in which the President reportedly advised her against contesting. She has since been replaced by Jacob Marksons Oboth, who was elected on May 25, and deputised by Thomas Tayebwa, who bounced back as Deputy Speaker.

What others say

Ms Among’s homes in Kampala and Kigo, off the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway in Wakiso District, and in Bukedea District, have been raided by security forces over allegations of a lavish lifestyle, illicit enrichment, and corruption. Ms Florence Asiimwe Akiiki, the Masindi District Woman MP told this publication that the Speakers cannot spend taxpayers’ money as if they are fetching water from the lake. ‘That money should be cut completely. We are not going to have that lavish lifestyle. The budget for the Speaker should be cut. We need to decide how many cars the Speaker should have. Can you imagine 13 cars? A Speaker having 13 cars,’ she wondered.

Ms Asiimwe also took issue with the budget for donations and wondered why the Speaker should become a donor using taxpayers’ money. She said while drawing the budget, the relevant committees should look at the practice in other poor nations across the continent before allocating the Speaker hefty sums of money. Mr Jackson Kafuuzi, the Kyaaka County MP, said the 11th Parliament lost credibility because of the way the leaders conducted themselves. ‘I have been in Parliament for 10 years.

Before the 2021 elections, I saw how Parliament was chaired… But lately, from 2021 onwards, a number of things have gone sideways, especially in regard to chairing the committee of the whole House of Parliament. I want to work with my colleagues to improve the performance of Parliament,’ he said. ‘In as far as the legislation is concerned, the outlook, the presentation, the demeanour, and the image we have given to the public is lacking. We need to work towards rebuilding that image,’ he added.

Restore public confidence

Mr Patrick Ogwang Obura, the Oyam County South MP, said now is the time to get a leader who will restore public confidence and trust in the Parliament that is supposed to represent them. ‘We come to show solidarity with Ugandans that we, the young people, cannot sit back and watch a Parliament of Uganda that has questionable reputation, where the public has lost confidence,’ he said.

Religious leaders have urged Christians to celebrate Uganda Martyrs Day through prayers at local churches, family devotions and virtual services after this year’s national pilgrimage to Namugongo was called off due to the Ebola outbreak.

Today’s commemoration will be the second time since the Covid-19 pandemic that thousands of pilgrims are unable to gather physically at the Namugongo Catholic Martyrs Shrine and the Namugongo Anglican Martyrs Site, where annual celebrations traditionally attract worshippers from across Uganda and beyond.

On May 17, President Museveni announced the postponement of the national Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, citing public health concerns arising from the outbreak of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease.

Following the postponement, both the Catholic and Anglican churches advised Christians to participate in prayers from their local places of worship and homes while following services through television, radio and online platforms.

Rev Fr Vincent Lubega, the parish priest of Namugongo Catholic Parish, urged Christians who will remain at home to follow prayers through television and radio broadcasts, including Radio Maria, which will air Mass live.

“During the time of Covid-19, we used to follow virtual celebrations. You can switch on your television when Mass begins and follow the ceremony wherever you are,” Fr Lubega said.

He also encouraged Catholics to pray through the intercession of the Uganda Martyrs, noting that there are special prayers dedicated to them.

“There are prayers for the Uganda Martyrs, including the Litany of the Uganda Martyrs. Even if you do not have access to a television or radio, you can use a prayer booklet and pray through the litany,” he said.

The Anglican Church has similarly encouraged believers to participate in the celebrations virtually by following services on television and online platforms.

Rev Canon Henry Segawa, the Namirembe Diocesan Secretary, said the service from the Namugongo Anglican Martyrs Site will be broadcast live on television and digital platforms starting at 9am.

He urged Christians to dedicate time to personal prayer and reflection despite the absence of the traditional pilgrimage.

Rev John Kitayimbwa, the chairperson of the organising committee, said prayers at the Anglican site will be led by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu.

He encouraged Christians to actively participate in the celebrations from their homes.

“If you are celebrating at home, participate in the singing and dancing, celebrate with your family, listen to the Word of God and spend time in personal prayer,” Rev Kitayimbwa said.

Religious leaders noted that although believers will miss the experience of gathering physically at Namugongo, the essence of Uganda Martyrs Day remains rooted in faith, prayer and reflection on the courage and sacrifice of the martyrs who died for their beliefs.

They said the commemoration offers Christians an opportunity to renew their faith and reflect on the witness of the martyrs, regardless of where they celebrate from.

Every year on June 3, thousands of pilgrims from across Uganda, Africa and other parts of the world travel to the Namugongo Catholic Martyrs Shrine and the Namugongo Anglican Martyrs Site in Wakiso District to commemorate Uganda Martyrs Day.

UTILITY

The celebrations honour the 45 Uganda Martyrs who were killed between 1885 and 1887 because of their Christian faith. The martyrs were executed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda after refusing to renounce their beliefs, and they remain a powerful symbol of faith, courage and religious conviction for millions of Christians across the world.

‘Today I officially join X to take part in the conversation of the Uganda we want,’ was Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda’s first sentence on any social media platform.

Posted 11:28 am June 1, it captioned a video in which the maverick politician introduced himself to the X republicans, many of whom were fearing missing his usually bold, insightful and well-researched submissions on the floor of Parliament, some of which he extends them into mainstream media platforms.

He carved his name, first as a fearless investigative journalist, and then an opposition legislator since 2011, where his sharp commentary did not spare even the most feared figures of the land.

But in this social media era, Ssemujju’s absence on Facebook, or X, formerly Twitter, was too conspicuous, even though some of his videos have been trending on the platform.

‘This is the official handle for Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, the Secretary General of the People’s Front for Freedom-PFF and Former MP Kira Municipality,’ said his profile, beneath a mugshot in his trademark posture, his eyes not directly into the camera.

His handle is @SsemujjuIN. If any post by Ibrahim Ssemujju rubbed you the wrong way, blame someone else behind that parody account. Of course, Ssemujju is aware of that impersonation, hence this disclaimer. ‘There are many people operating platforms in my name until today and I was not operating any social media accounts,’ he said in the video.

So, ‘Please take note that this is my official Twitter X account and I will be updating you, where necessary share with you information.’

Well, in this era of truths, lies and contradictions, you have not believe him. But until you find concrete alternative truth, your suspicion will remain just that-suspicion.

But Ssemujju’s star is already shinning in the X skies. At 4:17, the account had hit the 10,000 mark, just over fours, of his debut.

‘Ssemujju Nganda (@SsemujjuIN has 10k followers in less than a day. Yalogeddewa?’ one Festo Kato wondered, insinuating this is witchcraft.

Comments

The comments that welcomed Ssemujju were typical of X Republic. Some flattering. Some shattering.

‘You spent 15 years discussing Uganda in a wrong place. Welcome comrade, one said.

‘Well done on your first tweet. Now pay Elon and verify the account,’ wrote another.

‘Long overdue. Welcome aboard,’ one Patrick Oyulu commented.

‘Well, when life comes at you,’ wrote Jacobs Odongo Seaman, a seasoned and gifted journalist.

‘After losing elections, now you are coming back to people, now you want us to interact with you when you’re no longer in parliament why didn’t you open it up when you were in parliament?’ one PLU Ambassador wrote.

‘I don’t think you will ever be elected as a member of parliament again…,’ said Offroad Saints, triggering venomous replies from Ssemujju fanatics. ‘Stupid,’ one said. ‘You can now replace him in parliament,’ said another. ‘Mental illness is dangerous,’ said another, among others.

When I pitched the story to our online editor at 8:20pm, the account had over 18000 followers. Barely 30 minutes later, it had hit the 20,000 follower mark. Two hours later it was approaching 25000 followers. Phenomenal.

You may wonder why the arguably boldest and most vocal legislator of the past three parliaments had left the social media bandwagon to pass. But one his former journalism students at the Islamic University In Uganda, described him as old school. ‘Not the kind easily excited by any trend.’

It makes sense. You will mostly see him in blue suits, blue tie and a sky blue or white shirt. During the Tojikwatako chaos in 2017, he added a red tarboush, a Muslim cap, that also served as a symbol defiance against the removal of the presidential age limit from the Constitution.

Following, especially famous, accounts is one of the ways of attracting followers on X. But the eccentric Ssemujju had not followed anyone by 11pm on his first day.

‘Follow me back nkuwe ku masannyalaze,’ said one Gabriel Buule, who has garnered 177,000 followers since 2011, claiming that following him back would give Ssemujju’s account more visibility and traffic. But as it stands, Ssemujju may not need anyone’s masannyalaze. His voltage is above the rest, so far.

For decades, crop farming has been the backbone of livelihoods in Kibuku District. Yet unpredictable weather patterns, declining soil fertility, pests and fluctuating market prices have continued to frustrate farmers, leaving many households struggling to escape poverty.

Now agricultural experts and local leaders are promoting fish farming as a viable alternative, arguing that aquaculture could transform rural incomes while improving food security in the eastern Uganda district.

The growing demand for fish across Uganda has created a ready market for farmers willing to invest in fish ponds, with officials saying the district’s wetlands, favourable climate and water resources provide ideal conditions for aquaculture.

Unlike conventional crop farming, fish farming requires relatively small land space and can generate substantial returns within a relatively short period.

Kibuku District Production Officer Michael Mbayo said fish farming offers households an opportunity to diversify their income sources while improving nutrition.

“Fish farming not only diversifies household income but also improves food security. Fish provide an affordable source of protein and help families improve nutrition,” Mr Mbayo said.

He said income from fish sales has enabled some farmers to pay school fees, improve housing conditions, access healthcare and invest in other businesses.

“The fish farming enterprise is a very lucrative activity that can help farmers earn extra household income and complement efforts aimed at fighting poverty,” he added.

Among those championing aquaculture is Dr Stephen Birungi, a veterinary doctor and model farmer in Nakisenyi Village, Saala Parish, Kirika Sub-county.

Dr Birungi believes fish farming offers one of the most effective pathways out of poverty.

“Fish farming is such a lucrative enterprise. People should learn and embrace this activity if communities are to fight household poverty,” he said, adding: “We need to recognise fish as an important food source for millions of people. The market is available.”

Dr Birungi established his fish farming project in October 2022 and has since developed four ponds, each measuring 30 feet by 60 feet.

The ponds were initially stocked with about 5,000 fingerlings but now hold an estimated 20,000 fish following natural multiplication.

“I don’t regret starting fish farming because it has turned into a training centre for the region. Many local residents frequently come here to acquire skills. This is the way to push people out of poverty,” he said.

According to Dr Birungi, each pond cost approximately Shs1.6 million to construct.

His farm now combines fish farming with cattle rearing and a hatchery, generating income throughout the year.

The veterinarian said he was inspired to venture into commercial farming after visiting successful farms in western Uganda while providing veterinary services.

“I was motivated when I visited people’s farms. When I came back, I decided to start seriously and it has started paying off,” he said.

Beyond income generation, the project has also improved access to fish within the community, where residents previously relied on supplies from distant markets.

Dr Birungi hopes more farmers will adopt aquaculture as a commercial enterprise.

“My vision is to see more people embrace fish farming because it is a viable business,” he said.

However, some challenges remain. Project supervisor Geoffrey Kalele said prolonged drought has reduced water levels and increased operational costs.

“The biggest challenge is the long dry spell. Water levels have dropped significantly and it has become expensive to pump water into the ponds,” he said.

He warned that prolonged water shortages could threaten fish survival.

Feeding costs have also risen, with fish feed now costing about Shs3,500 per kilogramme.

Kirika Sub-county extension worker Reagan Wekubisya said fish farming aligns with government efforts to commercialise agriculture and increase household incomes.

“We need to realise that fisheries is now a commercial activity and farmers should take advantage of it,” he said.

District Fisheries Officer Joseph Wandira said his department is ready to support farmers interested in establishing fish ponds.

“We are encouraging people to embrace fish farming and we shall provide technical support to farmers,” he said.

The district also plans to distribute fingerlings to prospective fish farmers, particularly those living near wetlands.

About Uganda’s fishing sector

According to the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Uganda produces about 15,000 tonnes of fish annually through aquaculture, including production from small-scale and commercial farmers.

NAADS estimates there are about 20,000 fish ponds across the country, with an average surface area of 500 square metres each.

However, experts say the sector remains underdeveloped despite increasing demand for fish.

Rising population growth and pressure on natural fish stocks have heightened the need for alternative sources of fish production.

Globally, the 2022 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report showed fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 214 million tonnes in 2020 despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For residents such as Julius Mwigo, fish farming presents an opportunity, but one that remains out of reach for many due to limited access to start-up capital.

“The project is a good initiative, but many local people lack the money needed to begin,” Mr Mwigo said.

“We call upon the government to support young people who want to venture into fish farming. Without financing, it will remain difficult for many to participate.”

As Kibuku searches for solutions to persistent rural poverty, local leaders believe fish farming could provide the next wave of agricultural transformation, turning underutilised water resources into a source of jobs, nutrition and economic growth.