Category: Daily Monitor

Rising fuel prices have pushed annual inflation higher, increasing business costs, squeezing household budgets, and slowing economic activity.

Details released by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) show annual inflation rose to 3.2 percent in the 12 months to May 2026, up from 3.0 percent in April.

The increase was largely driven by higher fuel prices, which continue to ripple through transport, manufacturing, and other sectors of the economy.

Inflation updates come amid a sharp increase in pump prices, which in February, a litre of petrol retailed at Shs5,080, but has since risen by Shs1,539, equivalent to a cumulative increase of more than 30 percent.

At the weekend, major fuel retailers, including Shell and TotalEnergies, were selling petrol at around Shs6,619 per litre, while diesel retailed at about Shs6,490.

Ubos data shows annual liquid energy fuels inflation surged to 16.6 percent in May, up from 7.7 percent in April.

As a result, annual Energy, Fuel and Utilities (EFU) inflation increased to 9.1 percent from 6.1 percent the previous month.

Petrol prices rose by 16.6 percent on an annual basis, compared to 8.7 percent in April, while diesel inflation rose to 21.5 percent from 10.8 percent, and kerosene inflation jumped to 25.4 percent from 7.5 percent. Cooking gas prices also recorded a modest increase.

Month-on-month, EFU inflation rose to 3 percent in May from 1.8 percent in April, largely due to a 9.3 percent increase in liquid fuel inflation.

Ubos head of macroeconomic statistics, Samuel Echoku, said at the weekend that the increase is largely linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted global oil supply chains.

‘The increase in oil prices in Uganda is a result of the war in the Middle East, which has disrupted the supply chain of oil,’ he said.

Last week Ministry of Energy assistant commissioner for communication and information management, Patricia Litho, said tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route, have increased international prices for crude oil and refined petroleum products.

As a net fuel importer, Uganda has had to absorb these external shocks through higher import costs.

Additional pressures, including rising freight charges, marine insurance premiums, regional demand, and exchange-rate movements, have further increased costs.

Litho noted that Uganda initially benefited from fuel stocks procured before the escalation of tensions, allowing domestic prices to remain relatively stable.

However, newer shipments purchased after the conflict intensified have arrived at significantly higher costs, which are now filtering through to consumers.

The impact is increasingly visible across the wider economy, with annual services inflation rising to 4.6 percent in May from 4.1 percent in April, driven largely by higher passenger transport charges, which increased by 10.6 percent compared to 2.2 percent previously.

Energy is a critical input across transport, agriculture, manufacturing, and services. Consequently, higher fuel prices raise operating costs, increase the price of moving goods, and reduce household purchasing power.

Some food prices, however, provided a measure of relief. Annual core goods inflation eased to 1.7 percent in May from 2 percent in April, reflecting slower price increases for maize flour, rice, sugar, fish, and other food products.

Annual food crops and related items inflation also slowed to 0.2 percent from 0.6 percent, largely due to falling prices for matooke, sweet potatoes, and beans.

Nevertheless, analysts warn that gains from lower food inflation could be offset if fuel prices continue rising.

But government says it has taken steps to cushion consumers, with the Ministry of Finance noting that centralised fuel procurement through UNOC has helped streamline imports and improve supply management.

Strategic fuel reserves in Jinja have also been deployed to stabilise supply and reduce shortages.

Absa acting head of trading Richard Nsubuga said international oil prices have slightly eased, with Brent crude futures recently falling below $92 per barrel amid optimism over easing tensions between the United States and Iran.

He noted that global oil prices have declined by nearly 15 percent last month on hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough, although uncertainty remains over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, and the future security of the Strait of Hormuz.

The final scorecard will forever show Uganda XI were dismissed for 70 and lost by seven wickets to Suryakumar Yadav’s Mumbai Triumph Knights NE.

What it cannot show is the journey that preceded it.

It cannot explain eight matches in unfamiliar conditions. It cannot reveal the draining heat that baked the Bandra Kurla Complex on Saturday afternoon. Nor can it measure the confidence gained from a 4-0 sweep of the 50-over series that nobody outside the dressing room genuinely expected.

For Uganda’s Cricket Cranes, the final T20 defeat represented the end of a tour, not the end of a story.

Hard lessons

After losing the toss, Uganda found themselves batting on a surface that local bowlers understood instinctively. Simon Ssesazi’s fluent 18 briefly promised another competitive total before the innings unravelled dramatically from 22 without loss to 40 for six.

Yet even as wickets tumbled, the visitors refused to surrender. Joseph Baguma battled for 21, Juma Miyaji dug in for 12 and Uganda somehow found a way to stretch the innings into the 17th over.

Defending 70 appeared impossible. Uganda almost made believers of everyone.

Refusing to fold

Miyaji struck three times with the new ball. Jigar Rana departed. Akhil Herwadkar followed. Sagar Mishra soon joined them. Suddenly a contest that appeared over was alive again.

That fighting spirit became one of the defining themes of the tour. Whenever adversity arrived, Uganda kept searching for solutions.

Eventually Vedant Murkar’s unbeaten 45 ended the resistance, but not before Uganda had once again demonstrated the competitiveness that carried them through much of the trip.

Bigger picture

The T20 scoreline reads 3-1 to Mumbai. The broader picture tells a different story.

Uganda won five of the eight matches played. More significantly, they completed a commanding 4-0 sweep in the 50-over format against opponents who were expected to dominate on home soil.

Coach Steve Tikolo preferred to focus on those wider gains.

“We have enough lessons to take back home and continue to improve as we gear up for ICC tournaments,” Tikolo said.

“It is important we add another set of bricks on the foundation laid.”

Those words may ultimately define the tour.

International cricket development rarely follows a straight line. Progress is often hidden beneath losses, concealed inside difficult mornings and uncomfortable conditions.

Mumbai provided plenty of both.

Foundation stones

Captain Fred Achelam perhaps summed up the experience best.

“We came, saw and most of all we learnt.”

The numbers support him. Five wins from eight matches.

A 4-0 sweep in the 50-over series. New players tested. Youngsters got exposed to pressure.

Senior players challenged.

Most importantly, another layer added to Uganda’s preparation for future ICC competitions.

The Cricket Cranes boarded their flight home without the T20 honours but they returned with something potentially more important: evidence that their processes are beginning to travel.

UGANDA TOUR OF MUMBAI

RESULT – GAME 4 – T20s

Uganda XI 70/10 | Triumph Knights 74/3

Mumbai Triumph Knights NE won by 7 wickets

T20 Series: Mumbai Premier League T20 Teams won 3-1

Overall White-Ball Series Tour: Uganda won 5-3

THE TALKING POINT

Hidden Gains. The scorecards show Uganda were bowled out for 70 and lost by seven wickets. They do not show the 40-degree heat, unfamiliar pitches, quality opposition or the courage required to compete away from home. In many ways, Mumbai was less about winning matches and more about discovering what it will take to succeed at future ICC events.

In a drastic move to curb runaway government expenditure and manage Uganda’s widening fiscal deficit, the Ministry of Finance has announced that the government will no longer fund national public holiday celebrations starting next financial year (FY 2026/27).

The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST), Ramathan Ggoobi, revealed that prominent national events-including Independence Day, Labour Day, and International Women’s Day-will no longer receive state funding for lavish public functions. Instead, state resources will only be allocated to a select few religious functions, according to a statement from Ministry of Finance.

According to Ggoobi, President Museveni will henceforth address the nation via radio and television from State House during these holidays.

“The money saved from these functions will be redirected to finance core government priorities, specifically the ATMS (Agriculture, Tourism, Mineral-based industrialization, and Science/Technology) and key economic enablers,” Dr. Ggoobi stated.

The austerity measure comes at a critical time for Uganda’s economy. The country has been battling a persistent budget deficit, heavily reliant on domestic and external borrowing to fund its national budget.

Uganda raised its projected public spending for the 2026/2027 financial year by 12.7% to Shs78.2 trillion ($21.78 billion), up from an earlier estimate of Shs69.4 trillion, the finance ministry announced in February.

The government has previously stated that spending in the next fiscal year will prioritise the completion of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), facilitating the commencement of crude oil production.

Other priorities include mineral quantification for iron ore, gold, and copper deposits, the development of a refinery, and the ongoing construction of a standard gauge railway, the ministry said.

‘The budget for FY2026/27 will prioritise the ATMS and enablers. Particular attention will be on cleaning up and enforcing execution discipline,’ said Uganda’s Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi.

Uganda’s public debt has spiraled in recent years, prompting warnings from civil society and international lenders like the IMF about debt sustainability. Servicing this debt consumes a massive chunk of local revenue.

The suspension of holiday funding aligns with the ongoing rationalization of government agencies and public expenditure (RAPEX), aimed at eliminating wasteful administration costs.

By cutting back on tent rentals, entertainment, and logistics for massive public gatherings, the treasury hopes to inject much-needed capital into productive sectors capable of stimulating economic growth. However, critics argue that while the fiscal discipline is necessary, it remains to be seen if these minor cuts can significantly offset the country’s massive deficit.

An experimental drug developed by China-based Akeso 9926.HK helped patients with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer live 15% longer than BeOne Medicines’ 688235.SS immunotherapy Tevimbra, and cut the risk of death by more than one-third in a study presented at a medical meeting on Sunday.

Patients who received ivonescimab and chemotherapy lived an average of 27.9 months, compared with 23.7 months for those who received Tevimbra and chemotherapy, according to a brief summary of the study results.

The company had reported in October that ivonescimab met the main goal of the study, showing that it cut disease progression or death by 40% versus Tevimbra, before the overall survival data was available.

The head-to-head study conducted in China involved 532 patients with newly diagnosed advanced stage 3 or stage 4 squamous non-small cell lung cancer. It compared ivonescimab with Tevimbra as an initial, or first-line, treatment. All patients also received chemotherapy.

The results are being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago on Sunday.

Dr. David Spigel, chief scientific officer of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, said during a press briefing on Saturday it is not clear if the trial in China will translate to a wider population because differences in ethnicity sometimes affect how drugs work. But, he said, the results are “very encouraging.”

Ivonescimab belongs to a newer class of medicines known as bispecific antibodies, which have dual targets. It blocks the protein PD-1 that helps cancer avoid immune system attack and a second protein called VEGF that can promote tumor growth.

Tevimbra, like other widely used immunotherapies such as Merck’s MRK.N Keytruda, is a monoclonal antibody that targets PD-1.

The company said with the improved survival data from the dual-target approach and the drug’s favorable risk-benefit profile, it should become the new standard of care in the management of advanced squamous NSCLC.

About 69% of people given the drug experienced serious side effects versus 59% given the standard treatment arm. About 5% of people stopped treatment due to side effects in both groups, according to the publication in the medical journal The Lancet.

Summit Therapeutics SMMT.O has rights for the drug in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan through a deal worth up to $5 billion, while Akeso retains rights for China and the rest of the world.

The new data will not be used to seek U.S. approval because the trial was conducted only in China, said Dr. Julie Gralow, ASCO’s chief medical officer.

A separate, ongoing global late-stage trial comparing ivonescimab with Keytruda is expected to produce interim data this year, she said.

“We’ve kind of moved from monoclonal antibodies to antibody drug conjugates. Now I think bispecific antibodies are the hot new area,” Gralow said. “If we see the same kind of benefits in this global trial, it will undoubtedly lead to an approval in the U.S.”

Authorities in Kanungu District have indefinitely suspended weekly markets, bars, discos, and unauthorised public gatherings as part of measures to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus in the border district.

The decision was reached on Thursday by the Kanungu District Task Force and the district security committee following a meeting chaired by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Ambrose Mwesigye Amanyire.

Kanungu, one of the districts bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), remains on high alert amid growing concerns over possible cross-border transmission of Ebola.

District leaders say strict surveillance and rapid-response mechanisms have been intensified at all high-risk border entry points.

Mr Amanyire said the restrictions were introduced after security and health officials identified gaps in border safety during the task force meeting.

‘We have suspended all weekly markets in the district with immediate effect. Daily markets and public institutions must enforce handwashing and screening measures under strict security monitoring,’ Mr Amanyire said.

‘All bars and disco activities are also hereby suspended as part of our efforts to safeguard the community from the Ebola threat,’ he added.

The RDC further revealed that border access has been significantly restricted, with only essential travellers allowed to cross under strict health protocols.

‘Only cargo vehicles with drivers and turn-men, cargo boda bodas, registered refugees, and security personnel will be allowed to cross, subject to strict health screening standard operating procedures,’ he explained.

The district task force also announced a ban on unauthorised gatherings, including meetings, rallies, and social events, warning residents against non-compliance.

In addition, all institutions, banks, and business premises have been directed to install thermo guns and handwashing facilities at entry points to ensure mandatory screening of all visitors.

Authorities said burials in the district must strictly follow safe burial protocols under the supervision of health and security personnel to minimise the risk of infection.

‘Public transport operations will also face increased monitoring to ensure compliance with Ebola prevention guidelines,’ Mr Amanyire said.

The district has also intensified public awareness campaigns through radio broadcasts and community sensitisation programs to educate residents about Ebola prevention and response.

He rallied residents, business owners, and local leaders to cooperate fully with the directives and promptly report suspected Ebola symptoms, including fever, bleeding, and vomiting, to the nearest health facility.

‘As a gateway district bordering the DRC, Kanungu carries a major responsibility in preventing cross-border transmission of Ebola. We call upon everyone to remain vigilant and comply with the measures put in place,’ Mr Amanyire said.

On Friday, the Ministry of Health of Uganda reported two new cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Kampala, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Uganda to nine, including one death.

Newly sworn-in lawmakers from Uganda’s eastern Busoga sub-region have pledged to work together across political divides to accelerate development and improve service delivery, following years of internal divisions that leaders say weakened the region’s influence.

The commitment was made during a meeting with the Kyabazinga of Busoga, William Wilberforce Nadiope Gabula IV, in Iganga District, where legislators promised closer cooperation with the kingdom and among themselves.

Among those present was Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, who also represents Kamuli District as Woman Member of Parliament.

The legislators said they represented a mix of experienced and newly elected leaders determined to fulfill campaign promises and address long-standing development challenges in the region.

Led by Luuka South MP Stephen Kisa, who chairs the Busoga Parliamentary Group, the lawmakers acknowledged that divisions among MPs had previously undermined collective efforts to advance Busoga’s interests.

“We have not been united as MPs from the Busoga sub-region, and some of our colleagues have not returned to the 12th Parliament. Voters made choices and brought in new leaders who we hope will effectively address their problems and drive development in the region,” Kisa said.

He said some legislators in the previous Parliament rarely attended kingdom functions, creating a disconnect between elected leaders, cultural institutions and local communities.

Kisa said MPs had now resolved to work together regardless of political affiliation in order to strengthen collaboration with the Busoga Kingdom and mobilize support for regional development.

The remarks were made during the graduation ceremony of 600 health professionals at Lubega School of Nursing and Health Professionals in Iganga, where the Kyabazinga serves as vice chancellor.

The graduates completed diploma and certificate programmes in nursing, clinical medicine, pharmacy, laboratory technology and medical records management.

Bukooli North MP Jamali Ayagalachi Mukuve of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) said divisions among leaders had persisted for years and contributed to underdevelopment.

“As MPs in the 12th Parliament, we have resolved to unite and work together before you, regardless of our political affiliations. We seek your guidance, Kyabazinga, so that we can deliver effective services to the people of Busoga and help lift them out of poverty,” Ayagalachi said.

He expressed concern that Busoga continues to rank among Uganda’s poorest regions despite possessing significant agricultural and human resources.

“For those MPs in the region who still want to continue bringing confusion among us, we are not ready to welcome their selfish ambitions against the will of our community, which expects services from us,” he added.

Luuka North MP John Ngobi Bagoole said voters had returned him to Parliament because many communities still lacked visible development and improved public services.

Kamuli District Woman MP Mastula Namatovu said residents expected lawmakers to focus on fulfilling campaign commitments and addressing persistent challenges facing households.

Responding to the concerns, Kadaga urged MPs to establish sector-based coordination structures among themselves to improve resource mobilization and monitoring of government programmes.

She said legislators should closely track the implementation of government initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to ensure resources reach intended beneficiaries and contribute to poverty reduction.

Kadaga also called for stronger accountability and cooperation among leaders in the region.

Background

The push for unity follows years of political rivalry within Busoga that intensified during recent elections and contests within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Earlier this year, Kadaga convened meetings bringing together leaders from different political parties, including NRM, NUP, FDC, DP, UPC and PFF, in an effort to build consensus around the region’s development agenda.

Following the 2025 elections, she credited Busoga voters with ushering in new leadership and argued that internal divisions had previously slowed progress.

Political tensions in the region deepened after NRM primary elections, during which some candidates aligned themselves with supporters of former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among.

Kadaga has previously blamed some MPs for contributing to divisions that weakened Busoga’s political influence at the national level.

The recent elections also saw several opposition politicians win parliamentary seats across the region, particularly in Jinja City and parts of Busoga, reflecting voter frustration with leaders perceived to be focused on political infighting rather than development.

Among the opposition legislators elected from the region are NUP lawmakers Timothy Batuwa, Paul Mwiru, Hussein Muyonjo, Sarah Lwansasula, John Odwori, Jamal Mukuve, Nasser Mudiobole and Andrew Kaluya, alongside FDC’s Grace Kirya Wanzala.

Regional leaders say the challenge now is whether the newly elected MPs can translate their pledge of unity into tangible improvements in infrastructure, education, healthcare and household incomes across Busoga.

A decades-long land dispute between Ngandho Primary School and the Church of Uganda has ended after the family of the late Yeremiya Katoto and Yeremiya Bagiire formally donated 8.6 acres of land to Busoga Diocese, resolving years of tension over the shared church and school premises in Buyende District.

The land title was officially handed over to the Bishop of Busoga Diocese, Grace Lubaale, during a Saturday ceremony attended by church leaders, education officials and local residents.

Speaking on behalf of the family, John Bagiire said the donation fulfilled the vision of his grandfather, Yeremiya Katoto, and his father, Yeremiya Bagiire, who were among the pioneers of education and Christianity in the area.

‘My father, Yeremiya Bagiire, was a primary school teacher who established this school in 1958, following in the footsteps of my grandfather, Yeremiya Katoto, who was a catechist. He initially constructed a grass-thatched church to promote education and foster spiritual growth. We are grateful that their aspirations have been realized,’ he said.

Bagiire said the family consulted the Ministry of Education before processing the land title and urged residents to focus on development rather than disputes that have historically affected the community.

He also cautioned the church against selling the donated land.

Buyende District Education Officer Dison Bwire described the donation as a major achievement for the education sector, noting that the family worked closely with officials from the Ministry of Education to ensure proper documentation before the handover.

‘The donation of the land title is a significant achievement, and we appreciate the efforts made by the family to secure proper ownership documentation,’ Bwire said.

Local leaders welcomed the move, saying it would promote harmony between the church and the school after years of disagreement over ownership and use of the land.

Bishop Lubaale described the donation as a landmark moment for the Church of Uganda and said it would strengthen ongoing efforts to resolve similar disputes affecting schools and churches across the diocese.

‘Today is a notable milestone in the life of the Church in Busoga as I witness the donation of 8.6 acres of land from the Bagiire family,’ he said.

The bishop said the conflict emerged after the original Bagiire Primary School was renamed Ngandho Primary School, creating disagreements over ownership that persisted for nearly three decades.

‘Sometimes over the last 30 years, there has been conflict as the community believed it was school land and wanted the church to leave, yet the two are inseparable,’ he said.

Lubaale said many church land disputes stem from inadequate documentation, selfish interests and forgery, but expressed optimism that ongoing interventions would help restore stability.

‘Those conflicts tend to exist in some places, and we are handling them case by case. Within two years, there will be total stability,’ he said.

The donation is expected to end one of the longest-running church-school land disputes in Busoga and provide a model for resolving similar conflicts elsewhere in Uganda.

Forty-six years ago on Wednesday, former president Milton Obote launched a virulent attack on countries in the West, accusing them of doing nothing to stop the killings of innocent Ugandans during president Idi Amin’s eight-year rule.

Instead of stopping the killings, which he said were of proportions close to a genocide, Obote said most countries in the West had maintained diplomatic relations with the regime and even provided it with arms and technology to facilitate its murderous agenda.

‘For whilst Amin and his bandits were plundering our material resources, desecrating our cultural heritage and carrying out what was tantamount to a genocide in Uganda, the world – except Tanzania, Zambia, Somalia, Botswana and Sudan – just sat by and watched. Indeed, most of the countries maintained diplomatic relations and some not only carried on trading, but sold to this butcher, no doubt at exorbitant prices, weapons and other electronic gadgets to carry out his massacres more efficiently,’ Obote said.

Obote made the remarks on May 27, 1980, in a speech he gave shortly after he touched down in Uganda after nine years in exile.

He said after the response that the civilised world made in response to the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany and most parts of Europe, it was ironic that the world had looked the other way as Amin ran amok.

‘It is ironic that after all the pontifications by the leaders of our so-called civilised world about the horror and atrocities committed by Hitler during the Second World War, no leader of any major power felt compelled to put an end to similar atrocities committed by the monster in Uganda in the last quarter of the 20th Century,’ Obote said in his much-publicised speech.

Officially, this was his first return to Uganda, but the Washington Post reported in its edition of May 28, 1980, that it had learnt that he had, with the consent of the Tanzanian government, ‘made at least three clandestine trips to Uganda to consult with government officials in the months since Tanzanian-backed rebels ousted Amin in April 1979’.

The newspaper further reported that the former president, who had been in exile in Tanzania following his ouster by his former army commander, Gen Idi Amin, on January 26, 1971, returned to Uganda aboard a Tanzanian military plane.

‘With tears in his eyes, the former president kissed the soil as he stepped down from a Tanzanian military plane in the southwestern town of Bushenyi,’ the newspaper reported.

Doubts about return

Obote’s return had been in doubt following stiff resistance from sections of exiled groups that had participated in the war and the Moshi Conference, which opened on March 24, 1979, and closed on March 26, 1979.

Whereas Obote did not participate in the conference, some people and organisations that were loyal to him attended the same. They included top Gen Tito Okello Lutwa and Brig David Oyite-Ojok, who were the top commanders of the Kikosi Malaamu, a fighting group that fought alongside the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF); Uganda Action Group of Paulo Muwanga and the Uganda National Unity and Reconciliation Organisation of Eric Otema Alimadi.

The conference, which was sponsored by president Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, aimed to avert the possibility of a power vacuum after the fall of Amin, and it indeed elected Prof Yusuf Lule as president.

Lule was deposed on June 20, 1979, after only 68 days in power. Eighteen out of 32 members of the National Consultative Council (NCC), which was Uganda’s interim Parliament after the fall of Amin, voted to kick him out of office accusing him of among other things having ‘ignored democratic methods’ of work; failure to consult the NCC; failure to set up systems to facilitate economic recovery and ‘arbitrarily’ going about the reorganisation of local governments.

Former attorney general Godfrey Binaisa was on the same day installed as Lule’s successor.

Blocking Obote

Binaisa and his ministers worked hard to ensure Obote did not come back to Uganda.

Hiding under the need to forge unity as a prerequisite for national recovery and development, Binaisa got the NCC to endorse his idea of holding the 1980 elections under the umbrella of the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF).

That meant that there would be no campaigning along the lines of the old political parties. It also meant that Obote could not return to lead his Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) into the elections.

Despite the fact that the NCC had its say on the election, Obote announced that he would be returning to Uganda on May 27, 1980, to lead his party into the election.

Dr Barnabas Kununka, who was the minister for the Interior and head of the security police, immediately announced that he would arrest whoever would attend any political rallies organised by UPC.

It would appear that Obote would not have returned or would have been arrested if Binaisa had not been deposed on May 10 1980, and replaced by the Military and Presidential Commission two days later.

Stinging OAU

Speaking in Bushenyi, where he landed, Obote also had no kind words for the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU), for what he described as honouring Amin.

‘Near home, the OAU honoured the monster by holding its summit meeting in Kampala in 1975 and appointing him its chairman for a whole year,’ he said.

It should be remembered that the OAU summit in 1975 was famously held in Kampala. The International Conference Centre and the Nile Mansions Hotel, both now part of the Serena Hotel Complex, were completed in time for the said summit.

Stinging the Commonwealth

Obote also did not have any kind words for the Commonwealth, which he said had taken so long to speak out on the brutality of Amin’s regime.

‘Similarly, it took more than six years of continuous murders before the Commonwealth felt obliged to condemn the happenings in Uganda at its conference in 1977,’ Obote said.

It should be remembered that the Commonwealth heads of government condemned president Amin’s regime for its ‘disregard for the sanctity of human life’ and its ‘massive violation of basic human rights’.

In a June 15, 1977 communique that was released at the end of an eight-day Commonwealth conference held in England and Scotland, representatives of 34 nations asserted that the ‘excesses’ in Uganda were ‘so gross as to warrant the world’s concern and to evoke condemnation by heads of government in strong and unequivocal terms’.

The New York Times reported in its June 16, 1977, edition, that the heads of government had, as a compromise, avoided mentioning president Amin by name.

The newspaper reported that even before the communiqué was issued, Radio Uganda broadcast a reply from the president, quoting him as suggesting that Israel, South Africa and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) should be admitted to the Commonwealth, which, he asserted, had become an ‘imperialist and racist club’.

According to the newspaper, the communique’s strong language had raised questions about the safety and fate of about 300 Britons who were living in Uganda at the time.

There was special concern about the fate of one Robert Scanlon, a 44-year-old motor company executive who had taken up Uganda citizenship in 1975. The executive, who had been born in Britain, had been arrested on spying charges. It was not clear at the time whether he had been executed.

According to the newspaper, Amin had dominated most accounts of the conference to the irritation of Leonard James Callaghan, who was the prime minister of Britain at the time.

Even though the British government had made it clear to Amin that he was not welcome, Radio Uganda aired several bulletins of his ‘impending arrival’ for the conference.

Details have emerged about how political players in Busoga Sub-region aligned with the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda’s leading Opposition party, fronted Paul Mwiru to replace Joel Ssenyonyi as the incoming Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP).

Weekend Monitor understands that the Busoga leaders were intent on their sub-region being rewarded for the strong performance it exhibited during the 2026 parliamentary elections that culminated in seven candidates being sent to the 12th Parliament, Mr Mwiru inclusive.

It remains unclear whether NUP’s decision to retain Mr Ssenyonyi as the LoP while naming Mr Mwiru the Opposition’s Chief Whip will assuage a sub-region that has hitherto endeared itself to NUP. This is after President Museveni named five ministers from the sub-region to his Cabinet for the 2026-2031 elective term.

Before, NUP had fronted Mr Mwiru for the House Speakership role in the 12th Parliament during Monday’s vote in a move observers say set out to appease the Busoga that contributed only one legislator in Manjeri Kyebakutika (Jinja City Woman MP) during the 2021-2026 term. Mr Mwiru was soundly beaten by the ruling NRM party’s candidate, Jacob Marksons Oboth, in Monday’s speakership race after polling only 60 votes.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, leaders who are part of NUP’s top brass told Weekend Monitor that it is easy to see why the party decided to continue hedging its bets on Mr Ssenyonyi in the LoP role.

‘We couldn’t change the captain of our team because he has been doing a good job,’ one of the NUP leaders said, adding: ‘It has been an obvious choice for us.’

Ssenyonyi, again

NUP’s choice to retain Mr Ssenyonyi now looks set to come under some level of scrutiny. Observers say the choice carries the danger of entrenching the view that NUP is a Ganda-based political party. The choice will also differ starkly from that of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) when it was Uganda’s leading Opposition party from 2006 to 2016.

During that decade-long period, the FDC appointed LoPs from all four corners of the country. These included: Morris Ogenga-Latigo (Acholi), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Bugisu), Wafula Oguttu (Samia), Winfred Kiiza (Bukonzo), and Betty Aol Ochan (Acholi).

Mr Ssenyonyi’s strong hand, we understand, was fortified by his standing as part of Robert Kyagulanyi’s inner sanctum. Mr Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, currently exiled in the US, is NUP’s principal. Sources familiar with the thinking within NUP’s top echelons told this writer that there was an almost uniform satisfaction with Mr Ssenyonyi’s performance.

This performance was gauged against that of his predecessor, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, who was let go after one term in office, after being stained by the so-called service awards that saw him and other former parliamentary commissioners-Solomon Silwany, Esther Afoyochan, and Prossy Mbabazi Akampurira-share Shs1.7 billion.

Mr Ssenyonyi, also the Nakawa West lawmaker, was also the first person to reveal that the same four commissioners secretly channelled another Shs400 million apiece (totalling Shs1.6 billion) to themselves, allegedly through the Parliamentary Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (Sacco). These latest claims were fiercely denied by Sacco management and parliamentary leadership.

Also, in his former role as the chairperson of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), Mr Ssenyonyi led a heavily publicised probe into Uganda Airlines. His investigations-prompted by Auditor General reports-uncovered massive financial losses, procurement irregularities, and questionable executive appointments at the State-owned airliner.

The Cosase report detailed steep financial losses and recommended that both past and current executives be held accountable for flouting procurement regulations. The committee notably concluded that Jennifer Bamuturaki, the former chief executive officer of Uganda’s flag carrier, was unfit for the role. Though Ms Anita Among, the House Speaker in the 11th Parliament, blocked the report from being debated, citing that the document had prematurely “leaked” to the public, Mr Ssenyonyi felt vindicated. This came after Ms Bamuturaki was fired by President Museveni earlier this year, citing alleged incompetence and corruption.

Running into speed bumps

Notwithstanding, Mr Ssenyonyi ran into speed bumps of his own during his tenure as LoP in the 11th Parliament. Critics say while his approach has not quite been akin to political grandstanding, it has lacked the rigour that Mr Mpuuga’s detailed legislative agenda brought with it. The agenda illuminated issues such as electoral reforms, which Mpuuga had promised would be key, and they would channel their efforts towards passing the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2019 that was presented by Ndorwa West MP Wilfred Niwagaba.

Mpuuga insisted that Uganda lacked what he called a clearly defined transitional procedure of both leadership and operations of government.

‘It’s only presumed under actions such as swearing-in and approval of appointments,’ Mpuuga’s legislative agenda read, pointing out the need to curb the President’s influence, more so during election cycles.

To cure such anomalies, the agenda wanted to resurrect the Presidential Transition Bill that was presented by former Buyikwe South legislator, Dr Michael Lulume Bayigga, in 2014.

Among other electoral reforms that the Mpuuga-led Opposition wanted to advance were provisions that would further guarantee the independence of the Electoral Commission (EC) through pursuing amendments that would ensure public selection of the electoral body’s members and commissioners through a process initiated by statutory bodies such as the Judicial Service Commission, Uganda Law Reform Commission, Uganda Law Society, and Law Development Centre.

During his first spell as LoP, Mr Ssenyonyi focused mainly on corruption allegations against the House leadership that emerged following the online Parliament exhibition propped up by activists. With Mr Mpuuga implicated for pocketing Shs500 million as a service award, Mr Ssenyonyi was among the NUP leaders who insisted that the former LoP be booted as a commissioner. Though Ms Among told Mr Ssenyonyi and the entire NUP leadership that it was not legally possible to get rid of Mr Mpuuga by just writing a letter, they still insisted that Mr Mpuuga was no longer a commissioner.

During his time as LoP, Mr Ssenyonyi wrote to the anti-graft government agencies such as the Inspectorate of Government, the Financial Intelligence Authority, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, and the Office of the Auditor General to investigate Ms Among, and the Clerk to Parliament, Mr Adolf Mwesige, on grounds that they were involved in the questionable expenditure of billions of public money for personal gains. Ms Among is currently under investigation but has always denied any wrongdoing.

Budgeting queries

Mr Ssenyonyi wasn’t, however, spared in the corruption scandal after it emerged that he had requisitioned per diem of a five-day trip to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, totalling $4,250 (Shs16.3m) and yet he was out of the country for one day. Mr Ssenyonyi seemed to have got himself out of the mess by quickly refunding the money, saying it had been irregularly allocated to him for his trip to Nairobi to see then ailing Kawempe North lawmaker, Muhammad Ssegirinya, who has since passed on, without his knowledge.

‘I saw a reflection on my account. They had processed money for five [days] instead of one day, which I had indicated I was going for, but I was told they were processing for others,’ Mr Ssenyonyi said. ‘I was there for one night, so I shouldn’t have been paid for five days. But the process was delayed, so the money wasn’t deducted from the March 2024 emoluments, and I was told it would be deducted from the April emoluments.’

Despite the vehement denials, the documents this newspaper got from the Speaker’s office indicated that Ssenyonyi had requested to be away for five days. In a request to the Clerk by Ssenyonyi, a copy of which Weekend Monitor has seen, the Nakawa West lawmaker had requested $4,250 and $900 for a Business Class ticket. Having refunded the money, Mr Ssenyonyi was never reprimanded by his party like Mr Mpuuga was.

Yet with Parliament being accused of not just corruption but also wastage of taxpayers’ money, the LoP’s office has come into the limelight for having an annual budget to the tune of Shs4.2 billion. In his defence, Mr Ssenyonyi has repeatedly said he has no hand in the budgeting process.

‘The Speaker controls the budgets of all departments and committees of Parliament. Even when committees have money budgeted for them, many times the money is used elsewhere by the institution and, therefore, not availed to the particular committee. Likewise, the LoP’s budget is not under the LoP’s control,’ he said.

The Bishop of Kigezi Anglican Diocese, Rt Rev Gaddie Akanjuna, on Sunday ordained seven priests and eighteen deacons as it moves to strengthen church ministry in the area.

The Bishop called on the new men of God to serve faithfully, avoid worldly pleasures and seek God`s guidance as they administer their priesthood vocation.

‘Avoid worldly pleasures, avoid preaching that diverts Christians, be trustworthy, live exemplary lifestyles that promote Christian values, respect the leadership positions you have attained today.”

Bishop Akanjuna urged the servants of God to promote peace among Christians in churches where they will be deployed, and respect church and civic leaders voluntarily.

Reverend Canon Yoramu Ntoreine from South Ankole Diocese, who preached at the ordination ceremony, cautioned the Church against segregation.

‘Be good shepherds, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ in the Bible. Be Shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care and always watch over them not because you must but because you are willing as God wants you to be.’ Rev Canon Ntoreine said.

The diocesan head of laity, Canon Engineer Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, welcomed the newly ordained priests and deacons and asked all the Christians to work with them for the good of the church ministry in the diocese.