Category: Daily Monitor

The day we buried Kadumukasa Kironde, the sun shone over Manyangwa in Wakiso District. There was no angry weather, just a golden glow, washing over the procession of mourners as they lined up first, to see him off at the graveside, and later as they drove off, leaving him behind in his eternal home.

Prayers had been said and speeches made over several days but this gentle falling of the curtain signalled the close of Kadumukasa’s final act. Finally, on Saturday, May 30, 2026, in the cool shade of an avocado tree in Gayaza, we laid a good man to rest. That is when it began to sink in. Apollo Kadumukasa Kironde is gone.

From our last conversation, one of many, that will forever be seared in my memory, I can hear his deep, clipped British accented voice over the phone, brimming with a smile that I could not see but was sure was there on the other end of the line. He teased me about being flaky and not calling enough, then pitched a story idea. With our laughter trailing off into the distance, he introduced me to someone and got off the line. And that was my final chat with Kadumukasa Kironde at the end of April this year.

I first met Kironde in the early 2000s at Sunday Vision. I was a budding writer then. My interview with him for the weekend column titled ‘Turning Point’ kicked off a friendship spanning a little over two decades. Born on August 20, 1946, Kadumukasa would have been 80 this year. Even though he was several decades my senior, we related as equals.

For more than two decades, Kadumukasa Kironde served as a food critic for the New Vision and later the Daily Monitor. If you followed his food adventures, he dined at all the best hotels, fancy restaurants, interesting local food joints and everything in between. He was not just a food critic. He was a great chef. When he started to cook, no matter what talents you thought you had, you had better surrender the kitchen and let him create art. Food was one of his great loves. It never let him down and he loved it back.

Officially, I was one of several editors who oversaw the publication of Kadumukasa’s food column in the Sunday Monitor for more than a decade. As a columnist, he was diligent. An editor’s dream. He submitted his column in time every week. The grammar and diction were top notch. He was creative too. Sometimes he switched things up, just so, giving his readers variety and flair. He also gave regular, spirited feedback on the rest of our publication. It was good to have him out there, giving constructive criticism on the content and responding to his contacts on our behalf when there were errors or miscommunication in our publications. As an editor, it was useful to have his ear.

Outside of his regular column, Kadumukasa was overflowing with ideas. In March this year, when I pitched him an idea, not only did he reply with typical enthusiasm, he also researched around it and sent me more than 10 recommendations on the subject.

More than once, he engaged me on extracurricular projects and even took me on a field trip to a fine café in the suburbs of Kampala. Once there, he introduced me to another of his contacts. When he was sold on a dream, he came along and devoted much time and energy. Kadumukasa never did anything in half measures. He always gave 110 per cent.

Besides being a celebrated chef, he was a most generous and meticulous host. As a professional, Kadumukasa had honed his craft but when he cooked for friends and family, that is when he truly came alive. At his invitation, I dined at his house more than once. Many of his close friends will tell you they were similarly treated.

He kept in touch with family and friends, called regularly and sent news updates. He remembered his manners all the time, cared deeply for his children and still had enough to share with the rest of the world.

On Tuesday May 26, a few hours after Kadumukasa’s demise, Sentie’s Kitchen, a popular culinary establishment in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, posted on the news of his death on their Instagram page. A brainchild of Senteza ‘Sentie’ Kironde, son of Kadumukasa Kironde, who followed his father into the kitchen at the tender age of nine, Sentie’s Kitchen is the next generation of Kadumukasa Kironde’s culinary legacy.

Kadumukasa Kironde is survived by seven children and his wife Mirembe Nekesa Kironde. Even though he had had some physical complaints towards the end, the high energy with which he functioned, makes the concept of his death almost unbelievable.

Kadumukasa breathed his last on Monday, May 25, 2026 at Rubaga Hospital in Kampala but even though he is gone, it is not the end. He taught many, inspired thousands and fed the multitudes.

A Bible reference has never been more apt as the one quoted by the Very Rev. Dr Alex Kasirye-Musoke, grandfather of Kadumukasa’s children: In his funereal sermon, Rev Kasirye drew parallels between Jesus’ example of feeding the multitudes in the gospel of John, Chapter six, verse 5 and Kadumukasa’s cooking:

‘When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do…’

Apolo Kadumukasa Kironde never struggled with the question of feeding others. He just did it. While his earthly work is done, his works will live on for a long time. For me, it is goodbye but with a twist, Kadum style. In my messages, he left me more than 10 recommendations and two contacts worth of unfinished business. Fare thee well Kadumukasa. Your afterglow is still here with us. You made sure of that.

Uganda’s gaming industry is expanding at an unprecedented pace, driven by rapid technological growth, widespread internet access and a youthful population eager for entertainment and quick financial gains. Yet beneath the rising tax revenues and employment figures lies growing concern over addiction, mental health and the increasing dominance of the betting culture among young people.

According to the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), about 1.7 million Ugandans engage in gaming activities daily, with nearly 93 percent of that online and believed to be young people. The figures paint a picture of a booming sector that has become deeply embedded in Uganda’s urban and rural life.

Speaking in response to inquiries by BD Life on May 26, the chief executive officer of the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, Mr Denis Mudene Ngabirano, described the industry as one of the country’s fastest-growing economic sectors.

‘As of today, connecting the number of operator systems, we have about 1.7 million people engaged in gaming,’ Mr Mudene said.

While the legal participation age for gaming in Uganda remains 25 years, authorities acknowledge that youth still dominate the sector. Earlier research conducted by the regulator in 2023 found that 99 percent of gamblers were male, while 78 percent were youth. This trend has intensified with the spread of online betting platforms and mobile gaming applications.

A billion-shilling industry

Beyond the concerns surrounding addiction, the gaming industry has become a significant contributor to Uganda’s economy. The regulator says the sector currently employs more than 23,000 people directly, while supporting landlords, internet service providers, advertisers and technology companies.

Mr Mudene noted that betting shops generate rental income for property owners and create business opportunities for multiple sectors linked to the gaming ecosystem.

‘Every shop in the city has an internet connection, so it’s a multiplier effect,’ he explained.

Government revenue collections from the sector have also steadily increased. According to the board, gaming taxes collected last financial year amounted to about Shs323 billion, while collections in the current financial year had reached approximately Shs271 billion within nine months.

The regulator says all revenues collected are remitted to the Consolidated Fund and not retained by the board itself.

‘Like many other agencies, we collect and remit. At the end of the day, we prepare our budgets, go to Parliament, and through appropriation we receive our budget,’ Mr Mudene explained.

In addition to taxes, the government earns non-tax revenue through licensing and application fees from operators. Officials attribute the growth in collections to the automation of licensing systems and integration with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

Responsible gaming takes centre stage

Despite the economic benefits, the NLGRB’s primary focus is not revenue generation but responsible gaming and public protection.

‘Our focus remains responsible gaming. We want to protect the public from adverse effects,’ Mr Mudene said.

The board regularly receives complaints from players, particularly involving delayed or denied payouts by betting companies. According to officials, some operators disappear after collecting money from gamblers, leaving winners unpaid.

‘That is where we come in and ensure they are paid,’ he said.

The regulator is investing heavily in surveillance systems and complaint handling automation to reduce harmful gambling behaviour.

As gaming increasingly shifts online, the regulator says the future of the industry will be shaped by technology and digital innovation.

The board plans to automate nearly all regulatory processes, including licensing, surveillance and complaint management systems.

Officials are exploring ways of monetising digital entertainment through gaming-linked musical events and online innovations.

However, Mr Mudene admitted that the sector is largely dominated by foreign investors with greater financial muscle and technological expertise.

‘We have sat back and become technology consumers. We need to become innovators,’ he said.

To encourage local participation, the regulator has introduced lower licensing fees for Ugandan nationals compared to foreign investors, hoping to support local software developers and gaming innovators.

‘The only way we can support locals is by supporting their innovation because that is the key driver of this industry,’ he added.

One of the regulator’s biggest enforcement challenges is illegal gaming machines entering Uganda disguised as ordinary electronic equipment.

According to officials, imported gaming motherboards are often hidden inside harmless-looking hardware to evade detection at border points.

‘When these items enter the country, they appear harmless,’ Mr Mudene explained. ‘Once they arrive here, carpenters build cabinets around them.’

The board says it has inspected more than 7,000 machines so far, though enforcement remains constrained by limited staffing and resources.

Authorities also continue to battle misleading betting advertisements, particularly from foreign operators broadcasting football betting promotions across Uganda and the wider African market.

The regulator insists all advertisements must carry responsible gaming warnings similar to those used on alcohol and cigarette adverts.

Can gambling ever be banned?

Even as criticism of betting intensifies, regulators argue that banning gaming is unrealistic.

‘No country in the world has been fully successful in banning gaming,’ Mr Mudene said.

He pointed to China’s decision to establish Macau as a controlled gaming hub after attempts to suppress gambling reportedly led to the growth of illegal gaming networks.

‘Macau now collects about $25 billion annually from gaming,’ he noted.

For Uganda, the challenge lies in balancing economic gains with social responsibility. As gaming platforms become more accessible through smartphones and internet connectivity, concerns are growing that the country’s youth may be paying the highest price for the industry’s rapid growth.

Gaming in Uganda is no longer a fringe activity but a powerful economic force, a technological frontier and, increasingly, a social debate that the country can no longer ignore.

The Africa gaming industry 2025 milestone is official: the continent generated $2.29 billion in revenue, with mobile accounting for nearly 60% of total market value.

According to the latest State of the African Video Game Industry 2026 report from SpielFabrique and Xsolla, Africa is growing faster than the global average – posting a 12.32 percent CAGR, compared to 7.5 percent worldwide.

The PWC perspectives from Africa Entertainment and Media (EandM) outlook 2025-29 report stated that Africa’s EandM sectors in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya continue to outperform global benchmarks, displaying resilience in the face of ongoing macroeconomic challenges in 2024.

‘In 2024, Nigeria led the region with a remarkable 11.2 percent growth rate, followed by Kenya at 7.1 percent and South Africa at 6.2 percent. Looking ahead, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) through 2029 is projected to be 7.2 percent for Nigeria, 5.2 percent for Kenya and 3.5 percent for South Africa, indicating sustained momentum across all three markets,’ PWC said.

Every time President Museveni announces a new Cabinet, Ugandans perform a familiar ritual. Political commentators parse the list for regional signals. Religious communities count their representatives. Ethnic arithmetic is performed on social media and radio talk shows.

Tribal loyalists thank Museveni for ‘remembering and rewarding them’ by appointing their ethnic kin.

Two troubling questions are generally lost in the excitement. First, are the appointees the best people for the job? Second, will they be allowed to be the real leaders of their ministries? The answer to both, after four decades of Museveni’s rule, is mostly no – and the reason is not that Uganda lacks capable people. It is that capable people, have often been a liability rather than an asset. Uganda’s Cabinet appointments have long followed a recognisable logic that has little to do with merit.

Not that Museveni’s Cabinets have been short of bright, educated and able people. Most of those who have served as Cabinet ministers since 1986 rank high on academic and professional achievement scores. His recent preference for ‘fishermen’ over intellectuals and seasoned leaders should not blur that truth. But intellectual excellence and leadership ability has not been a major driver of these appointments. The President rewards personal loyalty.

He accommodates powerful interest groups whose continued support he requires. He distributes portfolios as political currency, placating rivals and binding potential dissidents through the golden handcuffs of ministerial office. What emerges from this process is not a government of Uganda’s ablest citizens. It is a court. And like all courts, it functions primarily to serve the king.

Last week’s Cabinet announcement largely confirms that tradition. The new Cabinet contains a few individuals who are supremely underqualified to serve in leadership of any public organisation. But the majority are very capable appointments, with a few placed in portfolios where their expertise matches the job very well.

For example, Henry Musaasizi at Finance is a serious technocrat who understands the machinery of Uganda’s fiscal architecture.

Katumba Wamala at Public Service brings administrative discipline to a ministry that requires structural reform.

Chris Baryomunsi, moving to Health, is a medical doctor with leadership and political experience. He succeeds Jane Ruth Aceng, another highly capable physician and experienced corporate leader.

Charles Ayume, another experienced medical doctor appointed as Minister of State for Health, is held in high esteem by colleagues and others who know him well.

Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, at Science, Technology, and Innovation, is a certified professional in mining and petroleum engineering, with an impressive resume that would get him shortlisted by most international head-hunters.

Adonia Ayebare at Foreign Affairs is a veteran diplomat who has represented Uganda at the United Nations with distinction and is deeply embedded in the architecture of regional security and multilateral diplomacy.

These are not token appointments. These, and others I have not mentioned, are people with the knowledge and professional standing to lead their ministries – if they are allowed to. That last clause carries all the weight. The distinction between a minister and a courtier is fundamental. A minister is appointed for competence, given a mandate, resourced adequately, and held accountable for outcomes.

That was how former Kenyan President Emilio Mwai Kibaki governed – with very impressive results. A courtier is appointed for loyalty, expected to reflect the ruler’s preferences back to him, and measured not by what they achieve but by how reliably they stay in line. For the capable ministers, the appointments present a genuine and painful dilemma. They serve in a system where the President is, by all documented accounts, the ultimate micromanager.

Major decisions routinely flow from State House. Ministers who show too much independence, or attract too much public admiration, or are perceived as building their own political profile could find themselves reshuffled out at the next opportunity.

This means the capable appointees face a structurally impossible task: to be simultaneously excellent ministers and compliant courtiers. To exercise real authority without appearing to challenge or outshine the one who gave it to them. To demonstrate independence of thought without appearing to dissent from the President’s position. It is a tight rope that would test anyone, and Uganda’s political history is littered with capable figures who fell off it.

In the last four years, Uganda’s housing deficit has averaged around or over two million units, a figure that has barely budged, even as the population grows by more than a million people annually.

It is not that nobody is building. Drive through Naguru, Kololo, or Nakasero, the emerging elite areas, on any given morning, and the cranes are hard to miss.

But the homes popping up are rarely for the 80 percent of Ugandans economists call lower- and middle-income earners, which is to say, most people.

We examine the demand side: why those who need homes most cannot access the financing to get one, and what is beginning to change.

The second will tackle the supply side: why developers are not building enough for them, and what it would take to make them.

The arithmetic of exclusion

Uganda’s median urban worker earns between Shs220,000 and Shs230,000 a month. Rural incomes are lower still, at around Shs168,000.

To house someone at that level, the National Planning Authority estimates a home would need to cost between Shs14m and Shs24m. Nobody is building there.

What the market calls ‘affordable housing’ starts at around Shs90m and stretches to Shs350m and beyond, a label that, as the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Deputy Managing Director Gerald Kasaato says, is ‘always going to be a very, very difficult thing to achieve against those kinds of numbers.’

Bridging that gap, therefore, requires a functioning mortgage market, patient capital, and a government willing to act on policy levers it has long left untouched.

Mortgages require payslips, documented salaries, and formal credit histories, things that most Ugandans have none of. Of 9.3 million workers, only about one million qualify for mainstream lending because their income is known monthly.

Broll Managing Director Moses Lutalo describes a mortgage market that is ‘almost comically thin.’

‘Fewer than 40,000 mortgages exist in a country of over 50 million people. Mortgage debt accounts for less than 1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 65 percent in Britain, numbers that mirror much of sub-Saharan Africa,’ he says.

The price of borrowing

For the minority who qualify for a mortgage, the terms are punishing. Rates sit at between 16 and 18 percent per annum, roughly double the single-digit threshold at which housing finance specialists consider mortgages genuinely affordable.

Uganda Bankers Association Executive Director Wilbroad Owor blames this on the absence of patient capital.

‘Commercial banks are short-term funded institutions. The mismatch between the short-term deposits they hold and the long-term loans housing requires is inherently costly, and that cost is passed directly to borrowers,’ he says.

It is a structural problem that even Uganda’s largest institutional investor cannot easily solve alone.

NSSF manages assets worth over Shs26 trillion and holds what the industry calls patient capital, yet its real estate portfolio manager Matthew Rukaari is measured in his optimism: ‘We fully recognise that it’s difficult.’

The Mortgage Refinancing Act

The Mortgage Refinancing Act, signed in February and now awaiting a regulatory framework, is designed to fix the structural mismatch that hobbles both banks and the pension scheme approach.

The logic is that mortgage refinancing companies, regulated by Bank of Uganda, would sit between commercial banks and long-term capital markets.

Instead of a bank funding a 20-year mortgage out of short-term deposits, the refinancing company steps in with long-term capital, absorbs a portion of the default risk, and allows banks to price mortgages more competitively.

‘Banks will sell that mortgage to the refinance company. The refinance company can wait much longer. Initial capital would come from government, supplemented by concessional finance from institutions like the World Bank and the African Development Bank,’ Owor explains.

It is a model Kenya has used to develop its mortgage market. Lutalo argues that cheaper credit would send a signal to developers that real customers, with real financing behind them, are waiting at the affordable end of the market, a signal that has been absent until now.

But Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA)’s investment and risk analyst Eric Mugisha cautions that you ‘might have all these refinancing entities, but you will find that the capacity is restricted to a few. It may not be helping the low-income earners.’

His concern is that without deliberate design choices about who the institution is meant to serve, the benefits will again flow to borrowers who are already close to bankable, leaving the majority behind.

Owor is measured but less pessimistic, pointing to Bank of Uganda’s involvement as a sound foundation.

The caveat, he acknowledges, is that the Mortgage Refinancing Act is still just an Act. The regulations that would create and capitalise the actual refinancing institutions have not yet been gazetted.

A failed experiment

Before the Mortgage Refinancing Act, Uganda tried something else. Regulations under URBRA allowed pension scheme members to use up to half of their accrued benefits as collateral for a home loan.

Its logic was rational, but it barely moved the needle in practice. Mugisha explains that the 50 percent rule meant a member could pledge whichever was lower: half their accrued benefits, or the property’s market value. The problem was the underlying numbers.

‘The biggest portion of members have money that is less than Shs10m,’ Mugisha notes, adding that: ‘Against a market where the average house costs upwards of Shs250m, someone would need benefits worth at least Shs500m to make the facility work’.

‘The regulation, in effect, reached exactly the people who already had options and missed entirely those who did not,’ he says.

Banks ran into a deeper problem, too. Uganda’s pension laws protect member contributions from attachment, meaning lenders have no clean enforcement mechanism in the event of default.

‘There is nothing that gives comfort to bankers. With collateral they could not legally seize, lenders walked away. Uptake was negligible,’ Mugisha notes. The lesson here is that structural solutions that ignore the legal landscape and the actual asset levels of their intended beneficiaries will not work, however elegantly designed.

Patient capital

Another pool of capital could transform Uganda’s housing market, and it has been sitting largely on the sidelines.

Pension funds, Saccos, insurance companies, and asset managers collectively hold assets that are half the commercial banking system’s Shs61.3 trillion. NSSF alone manages over Shs26 trillion.

In Kenya, pension funds allocate up to 30 percent of their portfolios to real estate. In Uganda, the figure is under 5 percent.

The gap is about returns. A pension fund earning 12 to 15 percent on government bonds, with near-zero risk and minimal effort, has little incentive to take on the complexity of a housing development for a similar yield.

As Lutalo puts it, ‘the market has simply not brought them a product which is de-risked and makes business sense to them.’

A functioning mortgage refinancing framework changes that calculus. Lower risk makes housing more competitive as an asset class, which attracts institutional capital, which funds more mortgage lending and more development.

It is a virtuous cycle that the developed world has already taken advantage of.

Rent-to-own: A bridge or a bandage?

In the absence of a functioning mortgage market, NSSF has been developing a Rent-to-Own policy. A household moves into a unit and pays rent, a portion of which accumulates toward eventual ownership.

‘Your payments will be going towards the ownership of the home. There will be an effective interest rate, obviously, but the hope is that the effective interest rate will be less than the current mortgage rates,’ Rukaari says.

It is a genuinely innovative attempt to meet people where they are. However, Rukaari is also honest about its limits: ‘One hundred million is one hundred million. How you decide to finance one hundred million doesn’t change the fact that one hundred million is very expensive for so many people.’

Kasaato frames the challenge in regional terms, referencing a seminar at an International Social Security Association meeting in the Ivory Coast in 2024.

Sierra Leone, with a GDP per capita of just $521 (Shs1.9m), defines an affordable home at around $30,000, roughly Shs112m. Uganda is richer, yet its institutions have not yet built a product at that price point, let alone below it.

Demand that cannot yet speak

Uganda is urbanising at 5 percent annually, according to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, one of the fastest rates in Africa.

Kampala and its satellite towns absorb hundreds of thousands of new residents every year.

The desire to own is not a middle-class aspiration, but a universal one. What is missing is the financial infrastructure to convert want into effective demand: the kind that developers can see, price against, and build for.

The Mortgage Refinancing Act, if properly operationalised and deliberately designed to reach beyond the already-bankable, is the single most important near-term intervention available.

Paired with serious engagement from pension funds and complemented by innovative products like rent-to-own, Uganda has the pieces of a solution.

What has been lacking is the will to assemble them in the right order, at the right speed, and the honesty, as Mugisha’s warning about capacity makes clear, to confront what a given tool cannot do.

Beyond this, there is also need to examine why fixing demand is necessary but not sufficient (we are working on an article).

Even if every Ugandan who needs a home could suddenly access affordable financing, there would still not be enough homes to buy.

The supply side of the housing crisis is, if anything, an even more complex problem.

The latest appointments has pushed the number of MPs to 555 from 529, with the 26 ex-officio members named in the Cabinet.

The number of members in the 12th Parliament has risen to 555 following President Museveni’s appointment of 26 ex-officio members in the new Cabinet.

On Tuesday, President Museveni unveiled an 83-member Cabinet comprising ministers and ministers of state drawn from different parts of the country. While most of the appointees are elected Members of Parliament (MPs), several do not hold elective parliamentary seats and automatically qualify as ex-officio members.

Therefore, when a person who is not an elected legislator is appointed minister or vice president, they automatically become an ex-officio Member of Parliament. The latest appointments mean that the number of MPs has now increased to 555 from 529, with the addition of the 26 ex-officio members named in the Cabinet.

Although ex-officio members can participate in parliamentary business, the Constitution bars them from voting on matters that require a formal vote in the House. Their role in Parliament includes attending plenary sittings, debating issues, presenting government business, defending policies and statements, and responding to questions raised by legislators. Ex-officio members also participate in committee proceedings where they defend ministerial budgets, government programmes, and Bills tabled before Parliament. The expanded size of Parliament comes amid continued public debate over the cost of maintaining one of the largest legislatures in the region, with critics often questioning whether the increasing number of legislators and political appointees is sustainable.

In every modern economy, governments and businesses interact with two broad categories of persons: individuals and non-individuals. An individual is a natural person, a citizen, taxpayer, teacher, doctor, trader, employee, or landowner.

A non-individual, on the other hand, refers to entities such as companies, partnerships, trusts, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), cooperatives, associations, foundations, schools, hospitals, clubs and government bodies.

Behind every non-individual are real people: directors, shareholders, trustees, beneficial owners, managers, accountants, lawyers, and agents.

Every company contract, bank transaction, procurement process, or tax obligation ultimately connects back to individuals who own, manage, or benefit from that entity.

For any modern State to function efficiently, it must clearly answer two questions: Who is this individual? And what is this non-individual? Uganda has made major progress in identifying individuals through the National Identification Number (NIN) managed by the National Identification and Registration Authority.

The next critical step is creating the same certainty for non-individuals. Today, one entity may appear differently across multiple systems.

A company can have one number at registration, another for tax, another in procurement systems, another in licensing databases, and yet another in banking records. In many cases, names are abbreviated, misspelled, duplicated, or changed across institutions.

This fragmentation creates confusion, increases the cost of doing business, slows service delivery, and weakens regulation and accountability. It also creates opportunities for fraud, tax evasion, conflict of interest, and misuse of legal entities.

Under the Tax Procedures Code framework, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau has been mandated to establish and maintain the Non-Individual Register (NIR). The register will assign one trusted and unique number to every non-individual operating in Uganda. This number will serve as the common reference across government and private sector systems, including taxation, licensing, procurement, banking, and regulatory services.

Names alone are not enough. They can change, be duplicated or inconsistently recorded. However, a unique and well-governed number creates certainty, consistency, and trust across systems. For private sector, this reform will reduce duplication and simplify compliance.

Entities should not repeatedly submit the same information to different agencies. A shared and trusted identifier means faster verification, easier access to services, and lower administrative costs.

For the government, the benefits are greater. A common identifier allows agencies to link information across registration, taxation, licensing, procurement, land administration, and financial regulation systems.

Authorities can more easily identify active, dormant, dissolved, compliant, or non-compliant entities. The register will also strengthen transparency by linking non-individuals to the people behind them, such as directors, shareholders, trustees, beneficial owners, and authorised signatories. The purpose of the Non-Individual Register is build trust and certainty in Uganda’s economy.

The Non-Individual Register should not be viewed as merely a URSB project. It is part of Uganda’s broader digital public infrastructure and a foundation for modern governance, digital commerce, and efficient public service delivery.

The principle is simple: identify every non-individual once, assign one trusted number and use it everywhere.

Health experts are warning that poor eating habits, unsafe food handling, and the consumption of contaminated foods are putting students’ health at risk.

This follows reports that teenagers in many schools are facing serious nutritional challenges said to be behind increasing cases of stomach ulcers, upsets and other food-borne illnesses, such as brucellosis. Many students skip breakfast before going to school and later depend on cheap street foods, sugary snacks, and poorly prepared meals sold around school compounds.

Medical experts say that irregular eating patterns and excessive intake of spicy, oily, or unhygienic foods can irritate the stomach lining and lead to ulcers and other digestive complications. According to Dr Isma Tamale Mugerwa, a health nutritionist, parents play a major role in the nutritional problems affecting children. ‘Parents pack a lot of unsafe products for children, prompting them to ignore the healthy foods provided at school and instead depend on junk foods around school premises,’ Dr Mugerwa said.

Unsafe dairy products have also become a growing concern.

Dr Mugerwa explained that brucellosis is a bacterial disease commonly spread through unpasteurized milk and dairy products from infected animals.

He noted that contaminated dairy products cause fever, stomach discomfort, and other health complications. Health experts are also concerned about food additives and local delicacies such as ‘oddi’ (derived from peanut butter) and ‘appeta,’ (a derivative of several cooking fat, and spices), which are sometimes mixed into food. While some communities consider them harmless, health officials warn that the unhygienic conditions products in which they are prepared or sold without proper regulation may expose consumers to harmful bacteria and chemicals.

Dr Mugerwa explained that many teenagers unknowingly consume unsafe foods because of limited awareness and poor supervision. ‘Students often buy food from roadside vendors without checking how the food is prepared or stored,’ he said. ‘Some of these foods may contain contaminated milk, unsafe water, or additives that can cause stomach infections and long-term health complications.’ However, the students blame their eating conditions at home for their persistent stomach problems. ‘My mum doesn’t give me any pocket money for breakfast, and I end up waiting for lunch provided by the school, which is also little. I remain hungry the whole day, and this may trigger ulcers,’ said John Mbowa, a student.

Dr Mugerwa emphasised that although there are several factors responsible for their nutritional challenges, learners should also understand the food types suitable for their bodies. He added that nutrition experts can guide people on healthy feeding habits after carrying out health assessments. ‘We test the blood through different phases and recommend food to people according to their body needs because what is important for one person’s body may not be suitable for another,’ he explained.

Sensitisation

Education experts are now calling for stronger food safety inspections in schools, improved nutrition education, and regular health screening for students.

Parents have also been encouraged to provide balanced meals and teach children about the dangers of consuming unsafe food products.

Dr Mugerwa is now urging parents to take their children to nutrition experts before returning them to school in order to understand what foods are safe and healthy for them. He believes that with proper awareness, hygiene, and healthy eating habits, many of these preventable illnesses among teenagers can be reduced or prevented.

The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has defended its decision not to recommend the renewal of former Chief Executive Officer Alhaj Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega’s contract, arguing that his case has been overtaken by events following the expiry of his contract.

In affidavits filed before the Civil Division of the High Court in response to Mr Kaddunabbi’s application on Monday, the Authority and its former Board chairman, Dr. Isaac Nkote Nabeta, contend that there is no longer any contract for the court to preserve, maintain, or reinstate because Kaddunabbi’s five-year term expired on May 31, 2026.

Through their lawyers of Denton Advocates led by Counsel John Musiime, IRA and Dr Nkote further argue that the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has since appointed Protazio Sande as Acting Chief Executive Officer effective today, June 1, 2026, making the interim relief sought by Kaddunabbi legally untenable.

According to Francesca N. Kakooza, the Secretary to the Board of the Insurance Regulatory Authority, Mr Kaddunabbi’s employment contract was strictly for a fixed term running from June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2026, and naturally came to an end by operation of law.

Kakooza states that ahead of the contract’s expiry, the current Board Chairperson, Mr Keto Nyapendi Kayemba, directed Mr Kaddunabbi on April 29, 2026, to proceed on outstanding leave and complete a handover process to ensure continuity at the regulator.

The Authority says the handover process has already been concluded and that Protazio has assumed office as Acting Chief Executive Officer.

IRA officials argue that granting Mr Kaddunabbi’s application would create an absurd situation in which two individuals simultaneously claim authority as Chief Executive Officer of the same statutory body.

According to the affidavits, such a development would disrupt governance structures, create uncertainty over control of public resources, and undermine the operations of Uganda’s insurance regulator.

The dispute stems from a decision taken by the IRA Board on February 16, 2026, declining to recommend Kaddunabbi to the Minister of Finance for reappointment as Chief Executive Officer for a second five-year term.

The Authority further stated that the Board’s deliberations were informed by findings from internal reviews and audits, which raised concerns about governance and financial management.

Mr Kaddunabbi subsequently filed a judicial review application challenging the decision and seeking declarations that the Board acted illegally, irrationally and unfairly. He also wants the court to quash the decision and restrain the Authority from implementing it.

In his application, Mr Kaddunabbi argues that he was denied a fair hearing before the Board made its decision, despite having consistently received outstanding performance ratings and meeting all requirements for reappointment.

The outgoing Chief Executive Officer maintains that he had a legitimate expectation to be considered fairly for another term after serving the Authority for over a decade.

Records before the Court indicate that Mr Kaddunabbi formally expressed interest in the renewal of his contract on May 28, 2025, in accordance with the Authority’s Human Resource Management Manual and the Insurance Act.

He submitted reports showing his achievements registered during his tenure, including growth in insurance industry premiums, increased claims settlements, expansion of regional operations, construction of Insurance Tower, automation of regulatory functions, and implementation of sector reforms.

Mr Kaddunabbi argues that his performance had consistently been rated highly by the Board and that he was therefore eligible and suitable for reappointment. However, the Authority argues that eligibility for consideration did not translate into an automatic right to another term.

Court records show that Mr Kaddunabbi joined the regulator in 2011 as Chief Executive Officer of the then Uganda Insurance Commission before it evolved into the Insurance Regulatory Authority. Following amendments to the Insurance Act in 2017 introducing term limits for chief executives, he was appointed under the new legal framework for a five-year term beginning in June 2021.

He has so far served a combined total of 16 years as the Chief Executive Officer.

On Monday, IRA’s lawyers at Dentons wrote a letter to Mr Kaddunabbi’s lawyers at Arcadia Advocates, cautioning him not to illegally appear at the institution.

‘Our client (IRA) informs us that this morning (Monday morning), your client (Mr Kaddunabbi) Ibrahim Lubega entered the premises of IRA, convened an authorized assembly of staff members, and formally asserted that he remains the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority. This conduct was falsely presented to staff as being authorized and protected by an administrative interim order issued by Her Lordship Justice Joyce Kavuma on May 29th,’ IRA’s lawyers at Dentons wrote.

Adding, ‘According to the administrative interim order, neither renewed nor extended your client’s contract of employment beyond its expiry on 31st May, nor did the court appoint your client as Chief Executive Officer. Furthermore, the court did not confer upon him any authority to continue exercising the powers and functions of that office after expiry of his contract, or did it invalidate or suspend the exercise of a lawful statutory power by the appointing authority following the expiry of your client’s contract.’

Going forward, IRA’s lawyers don’t want to see Mr Kaddunabbi access the institution.

‘Accordingly, we hereby demand that your client immediately cease and desist from entering the premises of the Authority under the color of office, masquerading as the Chief Executive Officer, or interfering in any manner whatsoever with the administration, staff, or operations of the Authority.’ the lawyers wrote.

The respondents also argued that any loss Mr Kaddunabbi may suffer can adequately be compensated through damages should he ultimately succeed in court. They contend that he has failed to demonstrate irreparable harm warranting the grant of interim judicial remedies.

Consequently, IRA officials have asked the High Court to dismiss the applications with costs.

The matter came up for hearing on Monday before the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala.

Presiding judge Joyce Kavuma directed Mr Kaddunabbi’s lawyers to file their written submissions by June 5, 2026, while IRA lawyers were ordered to file their submissions by June 10.

Justice Kavuma further directed the parties to return to court on June 12, when she is expected to issue further directions on the management and progression of the case.

Elders from Teso sub-region have appealed to President Museveni to intervene in the ongoing investigations involving former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, urging that the matter be handled “fairly and free from political influence”.

In a May 28 statement, under the banner of the Iteso Cultural Union (ICU), the elders expressed support for accountability and the work of State agencies but cautioned against what they described as growing political pressure and public condemnation before the conclusion of investigations.

The statement, signed by Mr Alloch William Akoll, a senior advisor on ICU affairs, called on investigators to uphold the rule of law, transparency, and the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence.

‘We appeal for the rule of law and a fair hearing during the investigations. While we respect the mandate of state institutions to ensure accountability, these processes should be handled with absolute fairness and adherence to the principle of innocence until proven guilty,’ he said.

The elders, who have put a disclaimer of being non-partisan, further appealed to President Museveni to approach the matter with impartiality and statesmanship.

‘We in the utmost good faith call upon the national leadership, particularly His Excellency President Museveni, whom we have always trusted in his wise decision-making, to look into these matters with the eyes of a statesman, elder and father, ensuring political differences are resolved through dialogue, consensus and respect for regional representation,’ the statement read in part.

The intervention comes amid ongoing investigations into allegations of illicit enrichment, corruption, and abuse of office involving Ms Among, the Speaker of the 11th Parliament. The elders also questioned measures reportedly taken against Ms Among before the completion of investigations, including the freezing of assets and restrictions on movement.

‘We further urge that the freezing of assets, restriction of movement, and sudden political isolation of a high-ranking national leader while investigations are still ongoing could be avoided or controlled to prevent public bias against the investigation process and its outcome,’ the statement said.

Since May 16, joint security teams comprising detectives from the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), anti-corruption agencies, and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces have been investigating allegations against Ms Among. The teams have conducted searches at properties associated with her in Kampala City, Wakiso and Bukedea districts. Several high-end vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan reportedly valued at Shs3.4 billion, a Mercedes-Maybach, and a Range Rover, were among items seized during the operations.

Mr Akoll said the elders were ready to engage State institutions through dialogue and peaceful engagement to ensure that justice is served without deepening political tensions.

The elders also highlighted Ms Among’s contribution to development projects in Teso and beyond, arguing that her record of philanthropy and community support should not be overlooked.

They cited several initiatives undertaken during her tenure as Speaker, including the donation of medical equipment worth Shs600 million to Bukedea Health Centre IV in 2022 and a donation of tractors valued at Shs300 million to farmers in Kidongole Sub-county, Bukedea District.

”The elders will continue to monitor the situation very closely and stand in solidarity with Rt Hon Anita Among as our daughter, to provide a peaceful environment for legal investigations into the allegations, while reaffirming our unwavering commitment to a peaceful, just, and equitable Uganda where every region’s contribution and leaders are respected,” the statement reads .

Leaders in Busoga have unveiled an ambitious strategy to accelerate household income generation and position the sub-region among Uganda’s fastest-growing economies by 2030.

The strategy was launched in Jinja City over the weekend by the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD), a regional development network seeking to steer Busoga towards middle-income status through commercial agriculture, the Village Development Model, and initiatives that promote agricultural productivity, economic growth, environmental stewardship and social wellbeing.

The BCD Director General, Dr Anthony Mula, said Busoga is the only sub-region operating under a structured long-term transformation blueprint, the Busoga Development Agenda (BDA), which is built around 10 strategic pillars aimed at tackling poverty and underdevelopment. He said the agenda provides a roadmap for coordination in agriculture, education, youth empowerment, industrialisation, infrastructure, technology and international cooperation.

‘The next five years will focus on leveraging regional cohesion to drive agricultural modernisation, value addition, digital learning, youth empowerment and strengthening international trade partnerships,’ Dr Mula said.

He revealed that BCD plans to establish 12 fully operational model villages across Busoga by 2028, with projections of lifting more than 9,000 households out of poverty through organised commercial agriculture and modern production systems. Among the key programmes is a digital teaching initiative due to start this month. The programme is expected to connect at least 50 schools across Busoga to online lessons delivered in real time by specialised teachers.

Dr Mula said the consortium will also expand its school feeding and soya milk initiative to improve learners’ nutrition, attendance and academic performance. In addition, leaders have resolved to strengthen youth skilling and entrepreneurship programmes targeting more than one million young people through local and international partnerships coordinated under Busoga Kingdom and BCD structures.

The Uganda National Household Survey 2023/24 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) showed that more than 7.3 million Ugandans live below the absolute poverty line, earning less than $1 (about Shs3,769) per person per day. The report ranked Busoga as the second hardest-hit sub-region, with 840,700 people living in absolute poverty, after Karamoja’s 937,500. The Third Deputy Prime Minister and chairperson of the BCD ministerial coordination committee, Ms Rukia Nakadama, said Busoga has the potential to become one of Uganda’s leading agricultural and industrial regions if leaders prioritise implementation, accountability and mobilisation of communities towards commercial agriculture.

She urged leaders to embrace government wealth-creation programmes and integrate increased Parish Development Model (PDM) funding with the Village Agriculture Model (VAM) being implemented by BCD. Government plans to increase PDM funding from Shs100 million to Shs200 million per parish. The VAM, launched by Vice President Jessica Alupo in 2024, is currently being piloted in Namayombe Village in Namayingo District, Busana in Kamuli District and Mashaiga in Mayuge District. Ms Nakadama said some villages are already investing in soy growing and poultry projects with support from BCD and China Agricultural University.

Busoga’s cooperation with Chinese institutions has also opened opportunities in agriculture, trade, education and technology transfer. Last November, President Museveni flagged off 11 tonnes of dried chilli from Busoga, making it the first sub-region in Uganda to directly export agricultural produce to China. Meanwhile, leaders from Busoga’s 12 local governments elected Bugiri District LC5 chairperson Davidson Mulumba Kasajja as Governor of the BCD, replacing former Mayuge District LC5 chairperson Bishop Frank Tibagendeka. Iganga District LC5 chairperson Shabiru Isabirye was elected Vice Governor.

Mr Kasajja pledged to promote unity, commercial agriculture and implementation of development programmes to reduce poverty across the sub-region.