Category: Daily Monitor

Only a fool laughs at the downfall of another human being. The wise ones take lessons from it. Uganda’s fast moving conveyor belt of news makes many forget news makers as fast as they keep changing.

When Anita Among appeared in the news quietly attending Parliament online via the Zoom application, many people wondered where she had been all this time. In the speak of Uganda’s young population, there is what is called “peeping through the ventilator” (mu kamoli).

This is when one makes a passive appearance or sits on the sideline of groups in which they are members, including WhatsApp groups, and quietly observes proceedings. They are either shy, disinterested, fear the ad hominem that is ubiquitous with social media or lack confidence.

In Among, we are talking about the immediate past, powerful Speaker of the 11th Parliament. The Number Three in Uganda’s order of precedence. The one who, about five years ago, declared that she would be Deputy Speaker of the House for 10 years, then Speaker for another 10 years. The one who determined who would speak on the floor of Parliament only a few months ago. Who “just for just” as Uganda’s younger people say, blocked journalists from the largest independent media house, the Nation Media Group, from accessing the House. The one who would make a commentator look foolish if they did not add her on the list of the most powerful people.

According to the rules, she now needs permission from the Speaker to take part in proceedings of the 12th Parliament by zoom. She is an ordinary Member of Parliament (MP) sitting on the Parliamentary Government Assurances and Implementation Committee. It is chaired by Francis Butebi Zaake. Zaake is the MP for Mityana Municipality from the leading Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party. This is the Zaake who often crossed swords with Among, leading to his suspension from the House and being a Parliamentary Commissioner.

Among once famously declared that through her effort, the Opposition in the 11th Parliament was now non-existent.

Anyone with a sense of discernment and was blessed to witness the rise and fall of presidents Idi Amin and Milton Obote, plus the Okello Lutwa junta, took lessons in the transient and temporary nature of power. Most importantly how it plays out for those who are appointed or whose placement is enabled by the blessing of holders of executive power like the President.

For such people like ministers or speakers, power can be deceptive and exciting to the extent that is gives the beholder a false sense of invincibility. It gets worse if they are from obscure beginnings or rose up too quickly to their great surprise. Many forget that their new fortunes are caused by association with the source of power or the appointing authority.

This makes it very sensitive and precarious. Proximity to power does not mean protection, security or immunity to the vagaries of change. In some cases, the source of power simply uses the provision of high office as a rope to hang the recipient.

If the recipient of power is not prudent enough, they may mistake praises of the appointing authority as acknowledgement and favour.

They may abuse their new found power and expose themselves. This makes it very easy for the appointing authority or source of power to act against them, for the general public has seen their dark side.

If the Executive or source or the “lender” of power feels dissatisfied, or their priorities change, they may withdraw their favour and throw the holder of borrowed power under the bus.

The mistake many holders of borrowed power make is that when they are in the dizzying heights of office, they don’t make painstaking efforts to build genuine and viable connections to increase their value by being credible. The sort of people they will live comfortably with when they climb down the high horse.

They end up surrounding themselves with sycophants and praise singers. These mislead them from reality.

When those with power make mistakes, those around them are either too weak and lack the integrity to stand up and say the Empress is naked. Or they are too afraid to lose their relationship and whatever privileges come from being close to power.

In the end, the one given power pushes the envelope to the territory of outrage, which also happens to be a bottomless pit.

By this time, they have become a liability to those who placed them in the position to exercise power. In this situation, it is only prudent for those who lend power to protect themselves from their apparent servant by jettisoning.

By this time the crowd of praise singers and sycophants have moved on, leaving them to their own devices.

We saw these things when governments fell and officials became ordinary people complaining about the very things that did not bother them or they even supported.

That is when those hitherto with a powerful voice, with long convoys that pushed people off the roads like gods, go silent and become observers through the ventilators. Unfortunately borrowing from Uganda’s history, this story of the rise and fall of a political star is not the last one we are witnessing.

Power has the habit of deceiving even the most well meaning of souls and throwing them to uncomfortable places in history.

Every entrepreneur remembers the excitement of making the first sale.

It is the moment an idea begins to feel real. From then on, the focus shifts to attracting more customers, increasing revenue, hiring employees and growing the business.

Very few entrepreneurs, however, celebrate another important milestone-becoming a taxpayer.

In my experience advising businesses across different sectors, I have observed that many entrepreneurs invest significant time in growing their businesses but very little in understanding their tax obligations. Tax is often viewed as something to deal with later, once the business becomes bigger or more profitable.

Unfortunately, that approach can be costly.

Many businesses only begin to appreciate the importance of corporate tax after receiving a notice from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). By then, what could have been a simple compliance issue has often escalated into penalties, interest, disrupted cash flow, and unnecessary management distractions.

The good news is that corporate tax is neither as complicated nor intimidating as many entrepreneurs imagine. When understood from the outset, it becomes more than a legal obligation-it becomes an important part of good business management.

This article highlights the corporate tax principles every entrepreneur should understand to build a compliant, financially disciplined, and sustainable business.

Many entrepreneurs think about tax only when they are required to file a return or make a payment to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). In reality, corporate tax is much more than a statutory obligation-it is a reflection of how well a business manages its finances.

Corporate income tax is charged on the profits a company earns during a financial year, not on its total sales or revenue. This distinction is important because it is one of the most misunderstood aspects of taxation, particularly among new business owners.

Consider two businesses that each generate Shs500 million in sales. If one business incurs legitimate operating expenses of Shs350 million while the other spends Shs450 million, their taxable profits will be very different, despite having the same turnover. Tax is therefore calculated on the profit that remains after deducting allowable business expenses, not on every shilling collected from customers.

Understanding this principle helps business owners make better financial decisions. It also highlights why accurate accounting records are essential. Without proper bookkeeping, it becomes difficult to determine the correct taxable profit, increasing the risk of errors, disputes and unnecessary tax costs.

One of the common misconceptions I encounter is that every business expense automatically reduces tax. That is not the case. Tax law allows deductions only for expenses that are wholly and exclusively incurred in generating business income and are supported by appropriate documentation.

Ultimately, corporate tax is not simply about calculating what is payable to URA. It is about understanding the financial health of your business and ensuring that your records accurately reflect its performance.

Getting it right from day one

One of the biggest misconceptions among new entrepreneurs is that tax obligations only begin once a business becomes profitable.

In reality, compliance starts much earlier.

The moment you incorporate a company and commence business, you assume important responsibilities under Uganda’s tax laws. These responsibilities extend beyond paying tax. They include registering with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), maintaining proper accounting records, filing statutory returns on time, and accurately reporting your business income and expenses.

This applies to private limited companies, public companies, foreign companies operating through branches, and other incorporated entities carrying on business in Uganda.

One mistake I frequently encounter is entrepreneurs delaying tax registration because they believe their businesses are still “too small.” Others assume they only need to think about taxation after making substantial profits.

Unfortunately, tax obligations are not determined solely by the size of the business. Filing obligations and other compliance requirements often arise long before significant profits are earned.

Getting these fundamentals right from the beginning saves businesses from unnecessary penalties, administrative disruptions, and costly corrective actions later.

More importantly, it establishes a culture of compliance that supports sustainable growth. Businesses that build strong governance from the outset are generally better positioned to attract investors, secure financing, and confidently pursue expansion opportunities.

The lesson is simple: don’t wait until your business grows to take tax seriously. Build compliance into your business from the very beginning.

Why good accounting is your best tax strategy

Many business owners pay close attention to sales but pay far less attention to record-keeping. Yet, one of the biggest causes of tax disputes is not the tax rate itself but poor accounting.

In Uganda, the standard corporate income tax rate is 30 percent of taxable profits. While that may sound straightforward, determining the correct taxable profit requires accurate accounting records and a proper understanding of what the law allows.

A business is not taxed on every shilling it receives. It is taxed on the profit that remains after deducting allowable business expenses. However, only expenses that are wholly and exclusively incurred in generating business income-and are supported by proper documentation-qualify for deduction.

For example, employee salaries, office rent, utilities, professional fees, insurance, marketing expenses, and other legitimate business costs may be deductible where they are directly related to the business. On the other hand, personal expenses, undocumented transactions, fines, penalties, and costs unrelated to business operations generally do not qualify.

One of the most expensive assumptions entrepreneurs make is believing that every payment made by the business automatically reduces its tax liability. Unfortunately, that is not how tax works.

Without invoices, receipts, contracts, bank statements, and other supporting documents, even genuine business expenses may be disallowed during a tax review or audit.

Good bookkeeping, therefore, does much more than satisfy compliance requirements. It gives business owners a clear picture of profitability, supports informed decision-making, strengthens cash flow management, and significantly reduces tax risk.

The strongest businesses don’t prepare their records when an audit begins. They maintain them consistently throughout the year.

Costly mistakes

One of the advantages of working closely with businesses is that you begin to notice recurring patterns. Surprisingly, many tax challenges are not caused by complex tax laws. They result from a few avoidable mistakes that are repeated by businesses of all sizes.

One of the most common is delaying tax registration. Some entrepreneurs believe they should only register with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) once the business becomes large or starts making significant profits. Unfortunately, that misconception often creates compliance gaps that become expensive to correct later.

Getting registered early and obtaining the necessary tax obligations from the outset gives a business a much stronger foundation for growth.

Another common mistake is treating tax compliance as something that only matters when money is due. In reality, filing tax returns is a legal obligation regardless of whether tax is payable. Businesses that miss filing deadlines may attract penalties and interest even during periods when they have made little or no profit.

Equally important is record keeping. A growing business generates invoices, receipts, contracts, payroll records, bank statements, and many other financial documents. These records are more than administrative paperwork-they are the evidence that supports every figure declared in a tax return.

Where documentation is incomplete, businesses may struggle to justify expenses that were genuinely incurred. The result is often additional tax assessments that could have been avoided through proper record management.

I have also observed that many entrepreneurs continue mixing personal and business finances long after their businesses have grown. While this may seem convenient in the early stages, it quickly creates confusion when determining business profitability, preparing financial statements, or calculating taxable income.

Separating business finances from personal finances is therefore not simply good accounting practice-it is good business governance.

Perhaps the most expensive mistake, however, is waiting until URA raises questions before seeking professional advice.

The most successful businesses involve tax professionals before making significant decisions-not afterwards. Whether expanding operations, restructuring the business, importing equipment, or entering into major contracts, obtaining tax advice early often prevents costly surprises later.

Good tax management should therefore become part of everyday business decision-making rather than an annual compliance exercise.

The tax doctor’s note

The strongest businesses are not those that simply make profits-they are those that manage their tax affairs proactively. Don’t wait for a tax assessment to review your compliance. Invest in good accounting, maintain accurate records, and seek professional advice before making major business decisions. Remember, good tax management isn’t just about compliance-it’s about building a resilient business that can grow with confidence.

The visiting Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Mr Tomio Okamura, has named a newborn mountain gorilla ‘Thomas’ during a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, signaling a boost in bilateral relations and conservation awareness between Uganda and the European nation.

Mr Okamura, who holds the third-highest constitutional office in the Czech Republic, was accompanied on the trek by Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa.

Deeply moved by the experience, Mr Okamura explained that the name “Thomas” holds a personal connection to his own Czech heritage and pays tribute to his host.

‘My mother called me Tomáš because my Japanese name is Tomio, as my father is Japanese and my mother is from the Czech Republic. So you are also Thomas [Tayebwa]. It matches perfectly and should serve as a sign of our friendship,’ Mr Okamura said.

During the trek through the 331-square-kilometer UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Uganda, the delegation encountered the Bitukura gorilla family.

Mr Okamura commended the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for its conservation efforts, noting that observing the primates offers profound lessons for humanity.

‘You could see how the mother looks after the baby-the care and attention she gives. Every day, they give us a reason to protect nature. They are endangered, and if we don’t protect them, one day we might also lose protection,’ Mr Okamura added.

Deputy Speaker Tayebwa highlighted the encounter as an opportunity to push for both domestic tourism and international exposure. He urged Ugandans to prioritize exploring their own country over foreign travel.

‘I see very many Ugandans going to Dubai and elsewhere. First, come and see the beauty of our country,’ Mr Tayebwa said. ‘Gorilla trekking is the most exciting wildlife experience. I’ve done this four times now, but every time I come, the experience feels brand new.’

Mr Tayebwa reminded citizens that domestic gorilla trekking permits cost Shs300,000 for Ugandans, compared to $800 (about Shs2.9 million) for foreign non-residents, making it highly accessible to locals.

Beyond tourism, both leaders held discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture, trade, and strategic partnerships.

Mr Tayebwa noted that Uganda plans to leverage major upcoming international events-including hosting the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly-to showcase its tourism potential to over 500 global delegates.

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, international tourist arrivals in Uganda surged to 1.64 million, while domestic tourism participation reached 3.27 million. Total tourism earnings rose to Shs5.83 trillion ($1.62 billion), contributing 5.9% to the national GDP and supporting over 876,000 jobs across the country.

Uganda today is engulfed in what many leaders politely call ‘corruption.’ Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara has launched a nationwide crackdown, and for that he deserves commendation. But let me be clear: I strongly disagree with the language he uses. To call it corruption is to sanitise it. To call it corruption is to soften the blow. What we are witnessing is not corruption. It is grand theft. And those who perpetrate it are not corrupt officials, they are thieves.

When we say ‘corruption’, it sounds like a technical problem, a bureaucratic hiccup, something that can be solved with a few reforms. Theft is criminal. Theft is immoral. Theft is punishable. A thief is not a corrupt technocrat; a thief is a criminal who belongs to prison.

Uganda has been robbed blind by individuals entrusted with public office. They steal from hospitals, from schools, from roads, from the very lifeblood of our nation. And yet, because we insist on calling it ‘corruption’, we allow them to hide behind euphemisms. We allow them to walk around in suits, attend conferences, sit on front rows in church and mosques and pretend to be respectable.

Let us not deceive ourselves. The theft happening in Uganda is not petty. Billions of shillings vanish into private pockets while ordinary Ugandans struggle to afford basic necessities.

When funds meant for roads are stolen, it is not corruption; it is theft of lives. When roads are impassable, farmers can’t reach each market.

Every accident on our dilapidated highways is blood on the hands of thieves. When money meant for medicine is stolen, it is theft of health. Every child who dies in a hospital without drugs is a victim of grand theft. When funds meant for schools are stolen, it is theft of the future. Every generation denied education is robbed of opportunity.

The reason I insist on calling them thieves is simple: thieves provoke outrage. Thieves are despised. Thieves are punished. But corrupt officials? That phrase almost sounds respectable. It allows society to tolerate them. It allows them to remain in office.

If a man breaks into your house and steals your property, you call him a thief. You do not say he is corrupt. Why then do we use softer language when the theft is done in broad daylight, with pens and contracts by men and women in government offices?

Minister Barugahara’s crackdown is a step in the right direction. For once, there is energy and momentum in confronting this national cancer. But the crackdown must go further. It must stop treating these criminals as ‘corrupt officials’ and start treating them as thieves. Arrest them. Prosecute them. Jail them. Seize their properties. Return the stolen money to the people.

The cost of this grand theft is staggering. Uganda borrows billions from international lenders, only for the money to vanish into private accounts. Projects stall, costs balloon and deadlines are missed. The Busega-Mpigi Expressway is a perfect example: a project that should have cost Shs600 billion now stands at Shs1.3 trillion, with completion pushed years into the future.

And who pays the price? The ordinary Ugandan. Ugandans must stop tolerating thieves. We must stop glorifying them. We must stop inviting them to weddings, to parties, to church services. We must stop electing them. We must stop clapping for them when they donate stolen money to our communities.

A thief who donates stolen money is not generous; he is mocking us. He is buying legitimacy with our own resources. We must reject this culture of silence and complicity. Between 2022 and 2025, I traversed the entire country; people were all complaining about poor service delivery.

Uganda’s problem is not corruption. Uganda’s problem is theft. And until we call it what it is, until we treat the perpetrators as thieves, we will continue to suffer. Minister Barugahara’s crackdown is commendable, but it must evolve into a war on theft.

Dear Mr President, it’s not corruption but grand theft by people entrusted to serve the *wanainchi*. Imagine someone building a village home bigger than a hospital yet their source of income is government salary. Corruption should be treated as treason.

Let us stop hiding behind polite words. Let us call them what they are. They are thieves. And thieves must be treated as such.

The Governor of Darfur region, Mr Mini Arko Minawi, has expressed optimism that the Sudanese government is making significant headway in reclaiming territory from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), signalling a potential turning point in the country’s devastating conflict.

Speaking during a meeting with Sudanese nationals residing in Uganda, Mr Minawi stated that the government forces are actively working to restore security and reclaim land seized by the paramilitary group.

‘The war will end because the government is doing its best to protect the people and their land. Right now, the government is winning the war and winning the ground and stepping forward,’ Mr Minawi said.

Sudan has been plunged into severe instability since April 2023, following a fierce power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The fighting has since expanded across large swathes of the country, severely impacting the Darfur region-an area previously scarred by the early 2000s conflict under former President Omar al-Bashir that left over 300,000 people dead and millions displaced.

Mr Minawi explained that his visit to Kampala aimed to offer reassurance to the diaspora community and urge refugees to maintain discipline and adhere strictly to Ugandan laws.

‘We came to talk to our people and let them know that as refugees they have to adhere to the laws of Uganda. As Africans, I came to send greetings, bring hope and tell them to appreciate Uganda and not engage in any crimes,’ he stated.

He further cautioned that the destabilisation of Sudan poses a broader regional threat, urging African heads of state to take a collective role in bringing the violence to an end.

‘It is a problem to every African country, and we have to sit down and see how we can solve it,’ Mr Minawi noted, describing the war as a continental disaster.

The governor expressed gratitude to President Yoweri Museveni and the Ugandan government for maintaining an open-door policy for fleeing Sudanese families and students, providing them with safety and educational opportunities during the crisis.

‘Uganda remains open for us, the people of Sudan, and that is why this community is here, especially our students. We are especially grateful for the opportunity you have given our students to study in Uganda,’ Mr Minawi said.

He urged community leaders to guide the youth and ensure Sudanese nationals contribute constructively to their host country while holding onto hope for a peaceful return home.

‘Our Sudanese community in Uganda, I encourage you to remain steadfast in your contribution to both the host country and our homeland. I urge you to live in harmony with the host community, respect the laws of Uganda,’ he added, praising President Museveni’s Pan-African leadership.

Parliament has ordered the arrest of Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Chairperson, Ms Mariam Wangadya, after she repeatedly failed to appear before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to answer accountability queries.

The directives follow financial discrepancies highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended December 31, 2025.

In a letter dated August 10, seen by the Daily Monitor, COSASE Chairperson Mr Muwada Nkunyingi directed the commander of the Parliament Police Division to arrest Ms Wangadya and produce her before the committee on Tuesday at 9:00 AM.

According to Mr Nkunyingi, Ms Wangadya snubbed two consecutive committee summons without providing a satisfactory explanation.

‘During the meeting, it was ruled that arrest orders do issue, to have Ms Wangadya Mariam arrested and produced before the Committee on Tuesday, 11th August 2026, at 9:00 AM,’ Mr Nkunyingi wrote, invoking Rules 218(d)(i) and (e) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

He called on Parliament Police to execute the order to enable the committee to fulfill its constitutional mandate under Articles 90 and 163 of the Constitution. The Daily Monitor understands that Parliamentary Police have received the directive and are preparing to execute the arrest.

Wangadya declines to comment

When contacted on Monday evening regarding the impending arrest, Ms Wangadya maintained a tight lip.

‘I don’t have a comment on that,’ she said.

The arrest order was issued after committee members unanimously resolved to compel her appearance when UHRC officials arrived at Parliament without her.

The delegation was led by the commission’s Acting Secretary and Accounting Officer, Mr Kamadi Byonabye, who presented a letter from Ms Wangadya explaining her absence. In the letter, she stated that she would instead present the national human rights status report before Parliament’s Human Rights Committee.

‘I will present the status report on human rights in the country before the relevant Committee-the Human Rights Committee of Parliament-on a date and time to be scheduled by the Committee,’ her letter read in part.

‘She cannot choose where to appear’

Rejecting her explanation, Mr Nkunyingi stated that Ms Wangadya’s attempt to select which committee to appear before undermines parliamentary oversight and accountability processes.

‘First of all, it’s not proper for anyone being summoned by the committee to decide how and where she will appear. All Auditor General’s reports about the Uganda Human Rights Commission come before the COSASE Committee, and it’s not proper for the leader of the vote to say that they will not appear,’ Mr Nkunyingi emphasized.

He stressed that COSASE holds the sole constitutional mandate to scrutinize accountability issues arising from Auditor General reports concerning statutory bodies like the UHRC.

Ms Wangadya, however, countered that she had already addressed some of the queries before Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

‘Why doesn’t this committee interact with its counterpart? I explained all these things, and to date, we are waiting for their report… as I said on my arrest, I will not comment,’ she added, referring the newspaper to her earlier correspondence with the committee.

Dispute over deputy chairperson

In her submission to COSASE, Ms Wangadya also dismissed questions regarding the status of a Deputy Chairperson at the commission, arguing that the position is legally non-existent.

‘The position of ‘Deputy Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission’ does not exist. I am, therefore, unable to ‘clarify the status’ of an officer who does not exist,’ she wrote, adding that creating such a role would require a constitutional amendment.

Widening inquiry

While COSASE’s primary focus remains on the Auditor General’s financial audit, its probe has broadened to cover general governance, operational concerns, and the commission’s handling of human rights complaints.

The ongoing standoff adds to the turbulence surrounding the commission’s leadership. On July 6, Ms Wangadya reportedly submitted a notice of resignation to President Yoweri Museveni, the appointing authority. However, the Attorney General later advised Parliament that she remains the substantive UHRC Chairperson.

COSASE is scheduled to resume proceedings today at 9:00 AM, where Ms Wangadya is expected to be produced under police custody.

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates globally, so does the cost of powering it. Surge in computational demands-driven largely by high-end Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and massive server farms-has created a financial hurdle that threatens to derail innovation, particularly across Africa and the Global South.

However, Edwin Nguthiru, founder of Nairobi-based Aphorion Labs, believes the global tech industry is solving the wrong problem. Rather than pouring billions into heavy processing power, Nguthiru is challenging the fundamental assumptions behind modern AI development.

“Running standard AI models currently requires enormous computational resources,” Nguthiru explains. “We are building solutions that challenge this paradigm. Our systems do not require massive processing power. Instead, we rely on very lightweight requirements-a philosophy that forms the foundation of our mission.”

Storage as the source of intelligence

Nguthiru’s breakthrough stems from a simple, radical question: What if intelligence came from how data is stored rather than how heavily it is computed?

Traditional databases store raw information in rigid rows and columns, retrieving data only through exact keyword matches. Modern AI systems use heavy computation to analyze relationships between data points after retrieval.

Nguthiru turned to neuroscience to flip this equation, developing HeatherDB-arguably the world’s first natively intelligent database. Inspired by how the human brain organizes, connects, and recalls information, HeatherDB stores the intelligence itself within the storage layer.

“Traditional systems store data first and compute intelligence later,” says Nguthiru. “HeatherDB stores the intelligence-the connections and organization of information-much like the human brain does. Because storage is inexpensive and easy to scale compared to processing power, our AI models are dramatically cheaper to run.”

To demonstrate the power of this architecture, Nguthiru ran production-grade AI workloads on a $5 server paired with a Raspberry Pi at the GITEX Kenya North Star platform. By proving that advanced AI can operate on low-cost edge hardware, Aphorion Labs is breaking down barriers for grassroots communities and budget-constrained startups.

Rewriting the narrative on African IP

For decades, African tech ecosystems have often been cast as consumers of Western and Eastern technology rather than producers of foundational intellectual property. Nguthiru is determined to dismantle that narrative.

Building HeatherDB was far from easy. Starting with a neuroscience video and an obscure 1980s academic paper, Nguthiru spent months bootstrapping the research, spending roughly $300 of his own money to build prototypes that could learn and adapt in real-world environments.

Beyond financial constraints, his primary obstacle was perception.

“There is often skepticism and an underlying assumption that Africa cannot produce foundational AI systems,” Nguthiru notes. “People see us primarily as consumers rather than creators. However, Africa is increasingly becoming a source of original intellectual property and scientific discovery. Our resource limitations actually forced us to think differently and innovate from first principles.”

Interpretable, inexpensive, and open

HeatherDB is currently in its pilot phase, with design partners integrating the system into enterprise workloads. Unlike standard “black box” AI models that are difficult to alter once trained, HeatherDB’s architecture is fully interpretable and adjustable, allowing developers to inspect decisions, reduce algorithmic bias, and update information continuously.

Looking forward, Nguthiru plans to open-source core components of the technology to democratize AI access globally, while monetizing through enterprise licensing, support, and model ingestion services.

For tech developers and entrepreneurs across the continent, Nguthiru’s journey offers a clear lesson in perspective: constraints can become catalysts for genuine breakthroughs.

“We genuinely enjoy errors and failures during development because solving them unlocks new possibilities,” Nguthiru says. “My message to innovators is simple: challenge the norms and assumptions. The future of AI cannot depend entirely on expensive, centralized infrastructure.”

The Ministry of Health is hopeful that five regional incinerators, currently under the final phase of construction, will offer a lasting solution to challenges related to the poor disposal of tonnes of toxic and infectious medical waste being generated by public health facilities across the country.

The regional incinerators are being constructed in Gulu, Lira, Fort Portal, Mbarara and Masaka to tackle the massive medical waste problem.

According to figures from the health ministry, a regional referral hospital generates about 1,000kg of toxic and infectious waste each day. This translates into approximately 330,000kg of medical waste being generated by a regional referral hospital annually.

According to the Ministry of Health data, 16 percent of medical waste in Uganda is hazardous. Of this, 20 percent is infectious, 1 percent pharmaceutical, 1 percent sharp materials, and another 1 percent is cytotoxic and radioactive waste.

Ms Susan Namukose, a Public Health Specialist at the Ministry of Health, said annually government health facilities across the country generate up to 70 million kilograms of medical waste.

Ms Namukose, however, noted that the challenge has been the proper disposal of such toxic and infectious materials to prevent them from ending up in landfills and water bodies.

An assessment conducted in 2021 in 1,484 health facilities indicated that each health facility can generate up to 45kg of medical waste each day.

According to Ms Namukose, some of the waste ends up in open fields and water bodies.

“Such waste is toxic and it can lead to infections. So there is a need to dispose of it properly,” she added.

Ms Namukose noted that part of the challenges related to poor medical waste management and disposal are access to standard incinerators, lack of training in healthcare waste management, donor aid cuts and outdated guidelines.

Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Senior Communication Officer at the Ministry of Health, said once the facilities become functional, health facilities across the country will be able to tackle the problem of waste management properly.

“The Ministry of Health is working to ensure proper medical waste management across the country. The Gulu Regional Incinerator covers the entire Acholi Sub-region, and it will be ready November,” Mr Ainebyoona said.

The construction of the Shs2.5 billion hi-tech incinerator in Oding Village, Unyama Sub-county in Gulu District, kicked off in 2022. The construction was delayed due to a funding gap, procurement challenges and land ownership disputes. It has capacity of incinerating 250kg of medical waste within an hour.

In August 2023, the government kicked off the installation of key equipment and machines such as the waste pre-treatment system, flue gas treatment system, combustor, pollution controller and automatic control machine.

“The delayed functionality of the facility is largely due to the installation of the power grid and the generators, which are currently under procurement. They [generators] are coming from abroad because the procurement is being handled by the Global Fund, which is funding part of the incinerator project,” Mr Ainebyoona explained.

Recently, the management of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Gulu City and that of Anaka General Hospital in Nwoya District, revealed that the facilities were struggling to safely dispose of non-biodegradable medical waste being generated at the facilities.

The public facilities, among the largest in the country, also generate domestic waste.

However, the incinerator constructed at the hospital cannot handle such a large amount of waste. To make matters worse, private health facilities within the city also use the same incinerator to destroy medical waste.

The World Health Organisation warns that poor management of waste can cause serious disease to healthcare personnel, waste workers, patients, the general public, and may severely pollute the environment and water bodies.

Government wants the Uganda National Oil Company to find new ways to fund itself as the country inches closer to first oil, with the Ministry of Finance pressing the company to cut reliance on budget support.

Finance Minister Henry Musasizi, flanked by State Ministers Amos Lugoloobi and Cissy Mulondo, tasked the UNOC Board during a performance review to explore innovative and sustainable financing options. The directive comes at a time when capital demands across the oil and gas value chain are rising and the Treasury is under pressure to prioritize spending in health, education and infrastructure.

Musasizi commended UNOC for keeping the country’s petroleum supply stable despite global geopolitical tensions and conflicts in major oil-producing regions. He said the fact that fuel has remained available at relatively stable prices shows the value of having a national oil company actively involved in the market.

But he also questioned why consumers continue to pay very different prices depending on where they buy fuel. Citing pump prices in Kabale, Masaka, Mbarara and Kampala, the minister asked UNOC to explain the wide variations and propose measures to narrow the gap.

‘Stability is good, but equity matters too,’ Musasizi said. ‘A Ugandan in Kabale should not feel penalized compared to one in Kampala simply because of logistics.’

UNOC officials told the meeting that upstream projects are advancing steadily. By the end of June 2026, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline had reached 89.4 percent completion. The Kingfisher Development Area was at 79.36 percent, while Tilenga stood at 74.2 percent.

With first oil expected soon, the company said it faces about US$72 million in cash-call obligations to meet its share of joint venture costs. Those obligations, UNOC noted, will increase as field development accelerates.

On the downstream side, UNOC reported strong growth from its role as sole importer. Volumes increased by 39 percent year on year, and the company is now supplying 36 Oil Marketing Companies across the country. That expansion has translated into better revenues. Gross margins rose from Shs387 billion to Shs540 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year.

The company is leveraging a US$2 billion financing facility with Vitol Bahrain to support imports. To date, US$150 million has been drawn down under the facility. UNOC also said it had transferred Shs536 billion to the Ministry of Finance from its operations, underlining its contribution to public coffers.

Beyond trading, UNOC is building infrastructure meant to cut import costs and improve storage. The flagship projects include a 320-million-litre Kampala Storage Terminal, a 110-million-litre terminal in Mombasa to secure product before it enters Uganda, and plans for a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery.

At Kabalega Industrial Park in Hoima, Phase One infrastructure works are progressing after Shs37.96 billion was secured. Government sees the park as the hub for refinery, storage and other midstream investments.

To reduce dependence on the budget, UNOC has proposed a sustainable self-financing model. Officials said the sole-importation business alone generates about US$3 million every month in administrative charges, money that can be reinvested into operations and infrastructure.

However, the company cautioned that government’s continued commitment to capitalize UNOC remains critical. Without that equity support, it said, the company will struggle to meet its obligations in joint ventures and to deliver large projects on time.

The engagement underscores a broader government strategy to position UNOC as a commercially viable entity capable of delivering value from Uganda’s petroleum resources. With first oil on the horizon, the focus is shifting from project development to how Uganda will manage revenues, ensure energy security, and use the sector to drive industrialization.

For now, the message from the Finance Ministry is clear. UNOC must innovate on financing, improve efficiency in distribution, and prepare to operate with less direct budget support, while still delivering on national energy goals.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has never hidden his goal of making the East African Community a unified polity. Yet after trying and failing for the last two decades, the veteran leader is returning the agenda back on the table, seeking to influence peers in partner states to accommodate a political confederation, instead.

It is part of his to-do items as chair of the East African Community heads of state summit, the topmost decision-making organ of the eight-member bloc. Museveni took over the mantle from Kenya’s William Ruto earlier in April and seeks a united political front, as well as integrating Somalia into the Customs Union, and resolving security crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo as priority items.

Just before travelling to Dar es Salaam, this week for a two-day, August 5-6, working visit, he renewed his call for an EAC political confederation, proposing a shared military and space programme among regional states.

“On the side of defence, strategic defence, you must have political integration where possible. Not everything is possible, but where the people are the same, like those of East Africa, they are the same people,” said Museveni.

He pushed for a unified military command and single defence structure, including a joint regional navy, to protect landlocked states and fend off external interventions.

“If we have the East African Federation, we shall be able to have a navy which can defend us in the ocean, and we will be able to have a space programme,” said Museveni.

Museveni has fronted these ideas before, only to be met with subtle hurdles. Some countries in the bloc were not ready to cede ground. Others were at war with themselves. Over the years, the Ugandan leader seems to have learnt that a political federation will not be overnight. That experience may be handy now, given he is the oldest leader in power today in the bloc.

His latest agenda signals adaptability, asking members to agree on some areas while keeping their sovereignty in the meantime.

Which is why he is fronting a confederation instead of an immediate political federation, allowing flexibility and function as a gradual steppingstone that builds a regional trust and legal alignment.

“President Museveni is the champion of the regional integration on the continent and so we expect that we should do more in terms of integration and hopeful that consultations for the political federation will be completed by one or two other countries so that we can start the confederation,” Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda’s Minister for EAC Affairs, told The EastAfrican. She is also the chair of the EAC Council of Ministers.

“This is one of the major things that President Museveni would like to see during his one-year term as chairman of the EAC.”

Critics argue that the EAC political federation is an unrealistic and premature goal plagued by national nationalism, institutional failures, and a severe lack of public awareness or civic participation. In fact, they argue the EAC has struggled to attain simpler goals, such as a customs union and common market, as seen in never-ending non-tariff barriers to movement of people and goods.

Critics say that governments merely pay “lip service” to integration treaties, failing to enforce protocols or harmonise divergent legal, bureaucratic, and colonial legacies such as Anglophone vs Francophone administrative systems. There are also inherent suspicions between leaders of partner states in the bloc, delaying the political will needed to implement decisions.

“Political Federation/Confederation is a big no,” said Dr Kizito Sabala, a lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS), University of Nairobi.

“Ceding sovereignty is the greatest challenge. Political federation cannot succeed with partner states ceding some level of sovereignty.”

The EAC set itself four main pillars including attaining a political federation, the fourth pillar. Others include the Customs Union (whose deadline was in 2005), Common Market protocol (2010), and the Monetary Union, whose deadline seems fluid. Countries have relatively implemented most of the tasks under the customs union and common markets, as seen in visa-free travel and common taxes on externally imported goods. Yet countries such as South Sudan have routinely imposed fees on travellers although Juba refuses to call them visa fees. South Sudan, Burundi, DRC, and Somalia have also dragged feet on cutting call roaming charges while Tanzania is only implementing the one network area arrangement.

Back on the political ambitions, a committee of experts tasked with drafting a model constitution for the EAC confederation is underway and President Museveni has instructed that the process of collecting views should be expedited.

A special committee led by former Ugandan Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki is conducting stakeholder discussions on a political confederation, before it drafts the required constitution.

The proposed EAC confederation will have its own institutions, officials, and funds.

It would deal directly with partner states rather than EAC citizens.

The confederal authority will, however, have the right to suspend or expel a member state that violates the confederal constitution.

Partner states will largely retain their national sovereignty, one official explained, providing assurance to basic fears around it.

But while the push by Museveni is strategic, Dr Sabala points out that it is likely to stall just like it has happened before.

Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda have already completed the exercise of collecting and collating public views on what political federation they want. Tanzania, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are yet to speak.

“I would like the people of EA to agitate more for political federation above all else,” said Kadaga in an exclusive interview with The EastAfrican.

“The political federation is the solution to all our problems. If we are a federation, we shall get rid of small budgets, taxes and so on. I would like to see a political federation as quickly as possible. I want to engage Somalia, Tanzania, South Sudan and later the DRC.”

Critics point to the fact that the EAC partner states fiercely protect their national autonomy and are unwilling to hand over critical controls, such as defence, foreign policy, and security, to a centralised regional authority.

Surveys, such as those by Afrobarometer polling this week, reveal that a large majority of citizens across the region have heard little to nothing about the proposed federation, showing a profound communication gap between regional policymakers and the public.

Background

In May 2017, the EAC Heads of State summit decided that a political confederation is the preferred model towards closer cooperation.

Justice Odoki said the confederation was “a slight change of policy” by the Community due to constitutional differences among Partner States, different levels of economic development, and mixed progress in the implementation of the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union.

A confederation is not a federation. A confederation means a union of sovereign states in which the autonomy of members is recognised, while a federation implies a union of states in which the supremacy of the common government is the foundation.

The EAC took its first major step toward integration in 2005, forming a customs union that allows for free trade within the community and common tariffs on external trade.

The next milestone, a common market with free movement of goods, services and labor, launched in 2010.

The EAC’s ultimate goal is full federation of the eight member states – Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda – that would install a single central government with common foreign and security policies.