Category: Daily Monitor

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.

There is much to like about Kampala. Even in the book of someone who has practised architecture in hospitality and multi-family settings in the United States of America (USA) for two decades. Antony K Mukangura, who is passionate about reimagining Kampala and finding practical solutions to problems that continue to beset Uganda’s capital, is not in doubt about the scale of work to be done.

Mr Mukangura, who holds a Bachelor of Business from Trent University, a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies and a Master of Architecture from Dalhousie University in Canada, tells The Transcript that he sees Kampala’s glass as both half full and half empty. Half full because it is ‘a city of immense cultural energy, economic potential, and natural beauty’. Half empty because it ‘faces pressing urban challenges like flooding and traffic congestion.’

He adds: ‘Solving these challenges requires a coordinated strategy, integrating architectural, urban planning, landscape architecture, environmental design, and civil engineering.’

The problems besetting Kampala are, in Mr Mukangura’s assessment, ‘solvable through disciplined planning, investment, and integrated urban systems’, not least because global cities have faced similar challenges.

‘Decades of rapid growth without sufficient integration between transportation, land use, environmental infrastructure, and civic development have led to these problems,’ he tells The Transcript, adding: ‘Research from institutions like MIT Senseable City Lab, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and UCL Bartlett School of Planning consistently shows that resilient cities succeed when transportation planning, water management, land use, and environmental systems are designed together.’

Light bulb moment

When Mukangura was undergoing his postgraduate studies in Canada, a flame was lit in him as he embarked on writing his thesis. The thesis entirely focused on developing an intermodal transportation facility for Kampala.

‘This research-based experience reinforced my belief that Kampala’s future depends on integrated urban systems rather than fragmented interventions,’ he says.

‘I have also had the opportunity to work on numerous projects in Uganda and collaborate with developers to reinforce the role of architectural design to improve Kampala’s built environment,’ he adds.

Mukangura sees Kampala’s urban planning failure majorly through the lens of the concentration of major traffic-generating civic functions in the central business district.

‘Facilities like the Department of Motor Vehicles, National Identification registration, Kololo Ceremonial Grounds and City Hall attract enormous daily traffic,’ he observes.

Kampala, he reckons, urgently needs a decentralisation strategy.

‘Cities like Singapore successfully reduced congestion by distributing government and commercial functions into multiple urban districts connected by mass transit. Singapore reduced transportation inefficiencies through coordinated transit-oriented development, strict parking controls, and satellite business districts.’

The relocation of major civic and administrative facilities domiciled within Kampala outside its central business district (CBD) has been talked about for eternity. Mukangura says it can be actualised when urban nodes that connect to the CBD through a reliable mass transit infrastructure see the light of day.

‘Land repurposed within Kampala’s urban core should prioritise mixed-use/tourism development, public parks, pedestrian-oriented public space, commercial activation, residential density, and transit connectivity. The city also needs a major expansion of grade-separated infrastructure at critical intersections like Nakawa, Portbell, Kitgum House, Mulago, Wandegeya, Acacia, and Kira Road etc,’ he notes.

‘These locations require phased bridge and tunnel bypass roadways designed through long-term civil infrastructure planning. These projects should be viewed as components of a larger metropolitan mobility strategy,’ he adds.

To show how global cities have proven that transportation systems work best when integrated with land use planning, he cites one example in the Americas.

‘Curitiba, Brazil,’ he says, ‘transformed urban mobility through bus rapid transit integrated with zoning and development policy. Studies show Curitiba concentrated higher-density development along transit corridors, reducing traffic congestion and urban sprawl.’

He adds: ‘Kampala can adopt a similar framework by intensifying mixed-use development around major transit corridors and implementing an integrated ‘park and ride’ system and adopt multi-level mass parking facilities. Kayoola EV bus transit hubs at the city periphery would allow commuters to transition from private vehicles to electric public transit, reducing congestion and emissions within Kampala city.’

He proceeds to note: ‘Rationalising social infrastructure is also crucial. Schools, mall facilities, and public institutions, which typically have high traffic volumes, should be planned strategically to minimise unnecessary long-distance commuting.’

Drowning in problems

One cannot speak to the problems besetting Kampala without referring to flash floods that repeatedly submerge low-lying areas in the capital during torrential rains. These areas include streets, businesses, and even residential areas.

‘The city understands the low-lying flood-prone districts, seasonal rainfall cycles, topographical conditions, and drainage bottlenecks. However, the problem is a lack of integrated implementation. Current drainage systems are disconnected channels designed only to move water quickly, accelerating runoff and overwhelming low-lying districts,’ Mr Mukangura says.

‘A comprehensive citywide hydrological strategy is needed, including detailed topographical mapping, flood-risk modelling, watershed analysis, and integrated drainage master planning. Upstream water retention systems are crucial to slow runoff and protect vulnerable downstream areas. The Netherlands, a global leader in flood management, utilises integrated retention basins, controlled overflow systems, and underground drainage networks. Modern flood resilience relies on upstream water storage rather than immediate removal,’ he adds.

Key to the approach that Mr Mukangura proffers are upstream retention basins, constructed wetlands, stormwater detention systems, and engineered drainage corridors.

‘These systems should reduce peak flood volumes before reaching vulnerable districts. Underground flood tunnels are also essential in critical areas. Tokyo’s advanced flood-control system, featuring massive subterranean drainage tunnels and stormwater retention chambers, demonstrates how dense urban environments can manage severe flooding through underground engineering. While Kampala may not require such scale initially, phased underground stormwater tunnels could significantly reduce recurring floods,’ he notes.

‘Additional interventions include mechanised pumping stations, elevated roadway sections, flood walls, bioswales, permeable paving systems, and expanded urban green infrastructure. Mechanised pumping systems are vital in low-lying areas where terrain hinders natural drainage. Strategic pumping infrastructure can efficiently move stormwater over embankments into downstream networks without excessive excavation,’ he adds.

A new chapter?

Mr Ronald Balimwezo, Kampala’s new Lord Mayor, this week spoke about ‘practical solutions’ as he unveiled his executive team. While it remains to be seen how Mr Balimwezo’s ‘practical solutions’ will enhance Kampala’s flood resilience and sustainability, Mr Mukangura reckons a rethink of the capital’s water management is long overdue.

‘Water should not be hidden in concrete channels. Many successful cities have integrated water into their public identity and environmental quality. Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project is a powerful example. It removed an elevated highway and restored a historic stream corridor, improving flood management, environmental quality, biodiversity, walkability, and economic revitalisation,’ he offers.

‘Kampala can transform its drainage and wetland systems into public environmental assets that improve ecological health and urban liveability. This requires protecting water quality from urban runoff contaminated by waste, fuel, and pollution, which damages downstream ecosystems and threatens public health. Flood mitigation should be linked to environmental stewardship and water quality management,’ he adds.

Mr Mukangura also strongly believes that Kampala needs clear urban design governance for its future growth.

He says, ‘Design review districts with specific architectural and urban standards should be established for different areas, such as the CBD, residential districts, mixed-use corridors, industrial zones, institutional districts, and waterfront areas. These review entities should set standards for building materiality, public realm integration, pedestrian experience, landscaping, setbacks, environmental performance, and architectural quality. Cities like Copenhagen, Singapore, and Vancouver have shown that consistent design governance improves urban identity, walkability, development quality, and long-term land value.’

As Mr Mukangura continues his pitch about how urban growth should create coherent, beautiful, and human-centred environments, and not just maximise building density.

‘Kampala has potential but needs a long-term implementation strategy. Cities worldwide have overcome severe challenges through visionary leadership and coordinated infrastructure planning. Kampala should establish a 10-year integrated urban transformation framework with measurable goals, such as reducing flood-prone roadway closures, commute times, and expanding public transit,’ Mr Mukangura says.

‘This transformation must be led collaboratively by architects, urban planners, landscape architects, environmental designers, transportation engineers, and civil engineers. Treating Kampala as an interconnected urban ecosystem is crucial. Disciplined planning, coordinated investment, and visionary leadership can transform Kampala into one of Africa’s most resilient, liveable, and beautiful cities,’ he concludes.

Seamless payments across Africa and beyond are crucial to the continent’s growth. Yet this remains more aspiration than reality because, even within the East African region, progress is still uneven.

Ms Sarah Njuguna, the group senior legal counsel at PawaPay, has been in the trenches of this challenge. When we meet, she tells me that one of the biggest headaches is that innovation often moves faster than regulation.

Ms Njuguna began her legal career in private practice at leading law firms in East Africa, where her background spanned corporate law, from legal advisory work to transactional matters.

A significant part of that involved advising clients in regulated sectors, including payments and fintech.

‘Through that work, I was exposed early on to the regulatory and operational complexities of the fintech ecosystem. That included licensing and compliance requirements, and how partnerships are structured. That background and understanding of the realities on the ground have been valuable in my current role at PawaPay, a mobile money payments aggregator,’ she says.

Working with international merchants, Ms Njuguna says her corporate law background has proved invaluable. As a commercial lawyer, one of the key questions is how to design something that works not only today, but as it continues to grow.

‘My previous experience trained me to think in terms of structure, risk allocation, compliance and scalability,’ she tells Lunch with the DM.

Many places, such as the one where we meet for this interview, use Point of Sale (POS) machines to process transactions. Before we can use one, Ms Njuguna tells me that when it comes to frictionless payments, a major part of the equation is the technology behind them. That means assessing how easy, fast and reliable payment processing is.

‘Behind that, from a legal perspective, is designing the right structures so that compliance is built into the system, rather than becoming a bottleneck,’ she explains.

Lessons from the frontline

While innovation moves rapidly, regulation is also constantly evolving. Part of Ms Njuguna’s role is to bridge that gap, helping the business move at speed while ensuring innovations are built sustainably and aligned with where regulation is heading.

Advising on legal strategy across the fintech and mobile money ecosystem has also taught her that simplicity on the surface often requires complexity underneath.

‘The more seamless the merchant experience, the more carefully designed the legal and compliance infrastructure needs to be behind it,’ she says.

Ms Njuguna also believes partnerships are critical for scaling in this space. That means working closely with mobile network operators, financial institutions and regulators to make cross-market expansion possible. And while regulation can sometimes feel like a setback, she has learned that it can also be an enabler when approached proactively.

‘That means working with regulators rather than reacting to them,’ she says. ‘Taken together, those lessons are what allow businesses to operate across multiple markets in a way that is both reliable and scalable.’

Fragmented regulation challenges

One of the biggest obstacles remains Africa’s highly fragmented regulatory landscape, which creates real operational complexities for businesses expanding across markets. Each country has its own licensing regime, regulatory expectations and operational requirements.

From a legal perspective, Ms Njuguna says their role is to absorb that complexity so it does not sit with the merchant.

That involves a combination of local licensing strategies, partnerships with regulated entities, and clearly structured contractual frameworks across markets.

‘That legal structure sits alongside the technical integrations and operational set-up, so the merchant benefits from a single, consistent way to collect and disburse payments across countries. In practice, that is what turns a fragmented landscape into infrastructure that a global business can actually rely on day to day,’ she says.

Among the latest efforts to bridge this gap is the recent regulatory passporting agreement between Kenya and Rwanda, allowing licensed firms to operate across both markets without duplicate approvals while regulators retain oversight.

This has been welcomed by fintech players because it significantly reduces the friction involved in entering the other market. In practice, licensing can take months, and sometimes years.

‘If this model proves effective, it could pave the way for similar frameworks across East Africa. We are already seeing movement in that direction through initiatives like the East African Community Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan, which aims to promote more harmonised regulatory frameworks,’ Ms Njuguna tells Lunch with the DM.

She adds that there are also early signs of similar co-operation in other markets, signalling greater regional alignment. It also reflects growing trust between regulators and a willingness to work more closely together.

‘The impact is fairly clear. Lower barriers to entry will increase competition. Greater regulatory consistency reduces uncertainty, which tends to attract more investment,’ she says.

From a payments perspective, it also becomes easier to build infrastructure that works across multiple markets, rather than having to rebuild country by country.

Uganda’s growing fintech ambition

Uganda is also making progress in the fintech space, signalled by the launch of the Sandbox to Accelerate Fintech Innovation by the Capital Markets Authority of Uganda.

Ms Njuguna applauds the move, saying sandboxes create a controlled environment where fintechs can test products under regulatory supervision before full-scale launch.

From a regulatory risk perspective, this reduces uncertainty and potential loss. Instead of launching a product into a fully regulated environment and then having to make adjustments afterwards, companies can validate their model early, receive feedback from regulators, and identify compliance gaps before scaling.

She says sandboxes are also valuable for multi-market expansion, as different jurisdictions have different regulatory expectations.

‘Sandboxes allow businesses to test assumptions in one market and refine their approach before replicating it elsewhere,’ she says. ‘They also improve regulator engagement. As you work closely with regulators during the testing phase, you build a clearer understanding of expectations, which reduces the risk of delays or approval issues later on.’

Ms Njuguna notes that the same is happening through the Central Bank of Kenya sandbox and the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya sandbox, with several firms successfully graduating into wider rollout.

‘Overall, controlled testing environments help de-risk innovation by allowing companies to move faster with greater confidence while ensuring compliance and regulatory alignment are built in from the start,’ she says.

Building trust in payments

Trust is essential in the payments arena, and that comes down to transparency and reliability. Payments must be processed correctly, funds settled as expected, and reconciliation must be clear and timely, even across different markets.

PawaPay has built a pool of global partners, and Njuguna says the trust begins with the company’s set-up, such as operating through licensed entities and direct integrations with mobile network operators.

‘Our merchants do not rely on informal routes. They are plugging into infrastructure that holds up under regulatory scrutiny in each market,’ she says.

A major part of her team’s role is ensuring there is no ambiguity about how that infrastructure is used. This includes contracts that clearly define responsibilities from the outset and explain what happens if circumstances change.

‘If that is properly defined upfront, most of the perceived unpredictability disappears,’ she says.

Day-to-day performance, however, matters most. Settlement must be predictable, reconciliation must be clean, and reporting should be transparent.

‘We process millions of transactions, and partners stay because the fundamentals work. Funds move when they should, the numbers match, and if something breaks in a corridor, we are quick to communicate and resolve it. That consistency is what builds trust over time,’ she reveals.

PawaPay, where Ms Njuguna works as group senior legal counsel, is one of Africa’s leading mobile money payment platforms. She advises on legal strategy across the business, including structuring merchant and partner arrangements across the fintech and mobile money ecosystem.

An advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the East Africa Law Society, and GC Connected, Ms Njuguna’s experience spans corporate law and mergers and acquisitions, having advised everyone from development finance institutions to high-growth scale-ups across emerging markets.

The wife of a school director in Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District, who was abducted by unidentified armed men, was on Saturday night dumped near her home after nearly three days incommunicado.

Mr Bosses Taremwa, the husband of the victim, confirmed that his wife, Ms Mollette Komugisha, was dumped by unknown motorcyclists, but declined to share her health conditions.

‘We have managed to recover her. The rest of the information will be shared later,’ he said at about 11:30 p.m.

The survivor has been taken to an undisclosed facility for medical attention as more investigations continue, he added.

Ssezibwa Regional Police spokesperson Ms Hellen Butoto confirmed on Sunday morning that Ms Komugisha had been safely recovered.

According to Ms Butoto, the victim was dropped off at night near her home by a boda-boda rider.

‘It is true that we were informed that the kidnapped lady was dropped by a boda-boda rider last night near her home. Police are still gathering more information on the circumstances under which she was released from her captors,’ Ms Butoto said.

She explained that upon her return, family members immediately took her for a medical check-up to ascertain her condition and overall well-being.

Adding that, authorities are still working to establish the sequence of events and determine the role played by those involved in her recovery.

Ms Komugisha was kidnapped by unidentified armed men riding motorcycles who stormed her family residence in Bujowali, Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District on Thursday at around 8pm.

The assailants, who were reportedly four in number, whisked her away at gunpoint. Until her release, no one had reached out to the family or demanded ransoms.

Just as Uganda’s tourism industry appeared to be regaining momentum after the devastation of Covid-19, a new combination of pressures is beginning to test the sector again. Renewed Ebola fears are unsettling travellers and triggering cancellations, while rising fuel prices are driving up the cost of air travel, safari logistics, accommodation, and domestic tourism.

For tour operators, hotel owners, and events organisers, the concern is not simply about isolated disruptions. It is the fear that Uganda’s tourism recovery, still fragile after years of pandemic-related losses, could once again lose momentum under the weight of both a health scare and an increasingly expensive operating environment brought on by US President Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East.

‘We are monitoring the situation closely and with the seriousness it deserves,’ says Francis Nyende, the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) marketing manager.

‘Any health alert of this magnitude, particularly one declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO [World Health Organisation], has the potential to influence traveller perception, and we are not in the business of downplaying that reality.’

Tourism remains one of the most shock-sensitive sectors in any economy because it depends almost entirely on confidence, movement, and disposable income. Unlike essential spending such as food or healthcare, travel is often among the first expenses households and tourists cut back on whenever uncertainty or costs rise. That vulnerability is now becoming visible across Uganda’s tourism value chain.

Fear travels faster than facts

Even before governments impose travel restrictions, disease outbreaks often begin affecting tourism through perception alone. Operators say international travellers, particularly first-time visitors unfamiliar with Uganda’s geography or health systems, are reacting cautiously to Ebola-related headlines, regardless of how limited the actual outbreak may be.

Patra Agassa of Express Safaris says the impact is already translating into lost business.

‘Just recently, we had a client cancel a 10-day itinerary out of fear of Ebola, despite being fully prepared to visit Uganda,’ she says.

‘The reality is that convincing a client to travel during these periods is an uphill battle. You either have to provide official documentation from the Ministry of Health proving that cases are low and contained, or watch them take their business to neighbouring countries like Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.’

For many operators, the bigger frustration is not only the outbreak itself, but how quickly international perception shifts once Uganda’s name becomes associated with Ebola.

‘I appeal to the government and communication officials to be incredibly mindful of how they broadcast such alerts,’ Ms Agassa further opines. ‘A single, poorly framed announcement can destroy months of marketing effort and investment in minutes. Tourism benefits all of us, and public communication must protect the industry while keeping people safe.’

Ms Kedith Kanyesigye, a tour consultant at Safari with Edris, says the slowdown in enquiries has already become noticeable.

‘We are already experiencing cancellations from clients who had confirmed travel for June and July,’ she said. ‘We have also lost business deals that were close to being finalised because many agents and travellers became worried and decided not to continue. We are now receiving very few inquiries, which shows how much confidence in travel to Uganda has dropped.’

Ms Kanyesigye says Uganda’s tourism industry remains trapped in a cycle where every new crisis interrupts recovery before stability fully returns.

‘We keep falling every time there is progress in recovery, and yet each setback makes rebuilding even harder for the industry,’ she said. ‘The global headlines are louder than the positive information coming from Uganda, and this has greatly affected trust in travel to the country.’

The concern among tourism players is that foreign tourists often do not distinguish between isolated outbreaks and widespread national risk, especially when international media coverage amplifies fear.

Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) officials insist the situation remains under control and argue that Uganda’s health response systems are far stronger today than during previous outbreaks.

‘We want to be clear and factual: Uganda is not an Ebola epicentre,’ Nyende said. ‘The confirmed cases in Uganda are imported and linked to travel from the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], and our Ministry of Health, working with WHO and other partners, has responded swiftly and transparently. Uganda has successfully managed Ebola scares before, and our health response infrastructure has matured significantly.’

Still, even UTB acknowledges that perception remains one of tourism’s biggest vulnerabilities.

‘Some operators have reported increased traveller enquiries seeking reassurance before confirming bookings, and a number of prospective visitors are in a ‘wait and see’ mode,’ Nyende says. ‘We have also received isolated reports of cancellations, particularly from first-time visitors who may be less familiar with Uganda’s geography relative to the DRC.’

Fuel price squeeze

At the same time, rising fuel prices are increasing pressure across the tourism economy. Fuel costs influence almost every stage of tourism operations, from airfare pricing and safari transport to hotel logistics, food supplies, and electricity generation.

For airlines, jet fuel remains one of the biggest operational expenses, meaning rising global oil prices often translate directly into higher ticket prices. That creates another challenge for Uganda, whose tourism sector already competes against better-connected and sometimes cheaper regional destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

Marvin Kiyaga of Pearl Afric Tours and Travel says operators are now being forced to rework pricing structures that had been agreed months earlier.

‘Rising fuel prices in the world and Uganda in particular have greatly caused financial strain to tour operators and how safari logistics run,’ he says. ‘A litre of fuel, which used to be at Shs4,500 is currently at Shs6,200, an increase of about 50 percent from the original price we used to quote for packages already sold to guests.’

Mr Kiyaga says the cost increases are now affecting transport, accommodation, and overall package pricing, making Uganda less attractive to budget-conscious travellers.

‘At the same time, the Ebola situation and poor management of information have caused a big threat and significantly dampened Uganda’s upcoming tourism season despite containment efforts,’ he adds.

For operators already operating on thin margins after Covid-19, the combined impact is becoming increasingly difficult to absorb.

‘For tour operators, this combination means tighter margins, unpredictable client flows, and the need to reassure guests that Uganda remains a safe destination,’ Mr Kiyaga adds.

Domestic tourism under strain

The pressure is not limited to international travel. Domestic tourism, which became a lifeline for many hotels and tour operators during and after Covid-19, is also beginning to slow under the weight of rising pump prices and broader inflationary pressures. Families are cutting back on leisure travel, shortening trips, or postponing holidays altogether as transport costs rise.

Peter Sebulime, alias Demo Riley, president of the National Tourism Events Organisers Federation, says the events industry is already seeing weaker turnout and declining ticket sales.

‘Our events industry is built around people and gatherings, but the Ebola outbreak is hurting business as authorities continue to warn against public events,’ he says. ‘Today, as I speak, events are underperforming, and ticket sales have dropped as rising fuel prices continue to strain the economy.’

He points to the postponement of the 11th edition of the Alur Cultural Festival after Zombo District was declared an Ebola red zone.

‘A member of our federation was forced to postpone the festival after a year of planning and investment,’ Mr Sebulime says.

The concern for industry players is that Uganda’s tourism sector supports thousands of livelihoods beyond hotels and tour companies alone, including transport workers, food suppliers, entertainers, craft sellers, and conservation activities. Any prolonged slowdown, therefore, carries wider economic consequences.

Govt betting on communication

Government officials insist Uganda can avoid another tourism collapse if communication is handled carefully and consistently. During the opening of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2026 in Munyonyo last week, President Museveni sought to calm anxiety around the outbreak.

‘I really saw that many people were panicking,’ Mr Museveni said. ‘Ebola spreads through intimate contact, and an infected person only develops visible signs after several days.’

The President defended the government’s decision against sweeping border closures.

‘When we met with the task force, we did not agree with closing borders completely,’ he said. ‘We shall continue working, no cause for alarm.’

UTB says its strategy now focuses heavily on coordinated messaging between the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Media Centre, and tourism stakeholders.

‘The narrative must be unambiguous,’ Mr Nyende says, adding, ‘Uganda’s key tourism zones like Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, and the Ssese Islands are safe, open, and fully operational. We will not allow misinformation or geographical conflation with the DRC to go unanswered.’

Mr Nyende argues that the successful hosting of POATE itself was intended to send a message of confidence.

‘That event was itself a powerful statement, that Uganda did not flinch, that our sector continued to do business, and that we convened an international tourism platform in the middle of a health alert with full confidence,’ he says. ‘Our message to the world is simple: come informed, not afraid. Uganda is open.’

But for many operators on the ground, reassurance alone may not be enough. The deeper concern is that Uganda’s tourism industry is once again being reminded how vulnerable recovery remains to shocks beyond its control. And after years of rebuilding from Covid-19, many fear the sector simply has less room left for another setback.