Category: Daily Monitor

With less than 30 days left to close the 2025/2026 financial year, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has urged taxpayers to clear outstanding obligations, file pending returns, and take advantage of tax waivers before the June 30 deadline.

URA Commissioner General John Rujoki Musinguzi said in a statement at the weekend that URA revenue target of Shs36.7 trillion was within reach and is expected to be achieved if taxpayers pay their outstanding.

‘We are confident that with the help of every taxpaying citizen, this target is possible. Compliance is a shared responsibility. When businesses and individuals pay on time, we can fund the services that drive Uganda’s growth,’ he said, noting that despite rising economic pressures, several taxpayers had paid their tax obligation.

He also noted that URA had, during the year, leaned on technology and service improvement, not just enforcement, to make compliance easier, a trend that is expected to continue in the next financial year.

‘Through our Digital Strategy, we hope to serve our clients better and faster. This technology will transform the entire tax administration by offering instant services, reducing queues and backlog. Our goal is to make it simple for you to do the right thing,’ he said.

Musinguzi also urged taxpayers to file all outstanding returns within the defined deadlines, noting that filing on time reduces penalties and demonstrates good faith.

‘Filing is the first step. It keeps you compliant and opens the door for us to work with you on manageable payment arrangements. Waiting only increases penalties,’ he added.

Taxpayers with arrears still have a window, with URA currently offering relief on penalties and interest for those who voluntarily disclose and settle principal tax arrears.

The waiver applies to taxes such as Value Added Tax, Pay As You Earn, and income tax, but only for payments made on or before June 30, 2026.

For many businesses, this means clearing old balances after the deadline; standard penalties and interest will apply in full.

‘Do not wait for the last minute to make payments; systems get congested, banks take time to process payments, and late action attracts penalties. Act now and keep your business running without interruption,’ Musinguzi said.

URA says it is prioritizing mediation, stakeholder engagement, and tax education over heavy-handed enforcement to recover revenue. It is also stepping up surveillance at borders to deter smuggling, which erodes the tax base.

To understand Uganda Clays Ltd (UCL) as an investment, you must first understand its relationship with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF); not as a shareholder, although NSSF is that too, holding 32 percent of the company’s shares, but as a lender.

The two roles are inseparable, and the tension between them has defined the company’s financial story for 15 years.

In December 2010, UCL borrowed Shs11.05b from NSSF to fund its day-to-day operations at an interest rate of 15 percent per year.

By July 2015, the loan had grown to Shs20.6b, and the company simply could not keep up. NSSF agreed to press pause, freezing both interest and repayments indefinitely.

For the next eight years, the debt sat in the background like a bill stuffed in a drawer. During those frozen years, UCL did well. In 2021, it earned Shs36.7b in revenue, made a profit of Shs5.9b, and paid dividends. The NSSF loan was invisible in all of it because it had been parked.

‘Initially, we had cash reserves of about Shs20b in 2021. We decided to purchase a plant from Italy using our own funds. The assumption was we would easily get money, cheaper capital from a bank like the Uganda Development Bank,’ Managing Director Jones Muhumuza says.

That cheaper capital never came through. The savings were spent. The Italian plant caused disruptions to existing machinery. And the frozen debt was about to wake up.

In May 2023, both boards of NSSF and UCL signed a restructuring agreement-essentially a renegotiation of the old bill. The Shs20.6b debt was cancelled and replaced with a new loan of Shs15.81b, with repayments due to begin in January 2025.

The Shs4.79b difference was recorded as a one-time boost to the balance sheet. But the business was struggling badly that year, recording a loss of Shs2.85b.

And for the first time since 2015, interest started ticking again, Shs1.61b in 2023 alone, instantly the company’s single biggest expense.

Then January 2025 arrived and UCL could not begin repayments as agreed. It went back to NSSF and negotiated yet another delay, a three-year pause running to January 2028, with interest continuing to accumulate the entire time.

Because NSSF is not an ordinary lender, but also a part-owner, accounting rules required the company to record a loss of Shs468m in the net worth section of the balance sheet, chipping away at part of the gain booked in 2023.

The trajectory of the loan tells the story plainly. From Shs11b at inception, frozen at Shs20.6b in 2015, restructured down to Shs15.81b in 2023, grown back through interest to Shs17.42b by the end of 2023, Shs20.13b by the end of 2024, and Shs23.58b by the end of 2025. Not one shilling of the original loan was repaid in 15 years.

Interest charge

Before 2023, the frozen NSSF loan did not appear in UCL’s profit calculations at all. In 2021, the company made Shs7.47b in operating profit, paid NSSF nothing, and shareholders received Shs6.6 profit per share plus a dividend worth Shs1.35b.

Then interest switched back on. By 2025, the company generated Shs4.59b in operating profit, a decent number, but Shs2.98b went straight to NSSF as interest before shareholders saw anything. Operating profit shows what a business actually earns from running itself, before taxes, interest, or one-off events distort the picture.

What remained after all other costs and taxes was Shs142m in net profit on Shs34.8b of revenue. Shareholders’ profit per share slid to Shs0.16. The interest charge alone was twenty-one times larger than the profit left for shareholders.

The trend across years shows something. In 2022, despite machinery breakdowns, shareholders still earned Shs2.71 profit per share, because the loan was still frozen. In 2023, the moment interest resumed at Shs1.61b, the company recorded a loss of Shs2.85b.

In 2024, interest rose to Shs2.71b, and the loss widened to Shs4.95b. In 2025, margins nearly doubled, and revenue grew, yet shareholders received Shs0.16 profit per share.

The business is genuinely improving. The debt is simply consuming the improvement faster than management can generate it.

Cash flow, structural gap

Across all five years from 2021 to 2025, UCL has not generated positive free cash flow after capital expenditure in a single year. The best year was 2021, when the company brought in Shs9.28b from operations. But that same year it spent Shs9.07b on equipment. Almost every shilling that came in went straight back out.

Since NSSF’s interest started being charged in 2023, the cash situation has gotten significantly worse. The company generated Shs1.42b in operating cash flow in 2023 and Shs1.53b in 2025, the actual cash its core operations produced after meeting day-to-day costs.

Unlike accounting profit, which can look healthy even when a business is cash-starved, this figure captures what the company truly collected and held from running itself. It is the most honest test of operational self-sufficiency.

Buried inside those numbers is Shs3.93b of interest owed to NSSF but not actually paid in cash, instead being added onto the loan balance every year.

Mr Muhumuza says the production problems are resolved. ‘The challenges or bottlenecks that we had were on production. That has been resolved.’

His focus now is revenue growth. ‘For any company to grow, obviously, you manage costs but that is not the most important thing. The most important thing is growth, which is the top line.’

The growth plan is wide-ranging-five new products in 2026, including bricks to compete directly with concrete blocks, a ten-year vision of ceramics, tiles, bathroom fittings and kitchenware, and export markets in Sudan, DRC and Kenya.

On the debt, Mr Muhumuza says the company will start setting aside between Shs500m and Shs800m monthly from next year in interest-earning accounts ahead of January 2028.

He is confident about this. ‘With the projections that we’ve done, NSSF gave us a period of five years from 2028 in which to pay that money. But in about 2.5 years or two years, we should have paid off that loan.’ That would mean clearing a debt approaching Shs30b in roughly half the time NSSF has allowed.

2028 reckoning

The pause ends January 1, 2028, by which point the loan will have grown to roughly Shs30.7b. Repayments then run over five years, with the annual bill, principal plus interest, exceeding Shs6b every year, against operating cash generation of just Shs1.53b in 2025.

The total eventually owed to NSSF is Shs49.5b by December 2025, more than the company’s entire net worth of Shs37.96b. Bridging that gap would require a level of cash generation UCL has never achieved, even in its best years, even when NSSF was charging nothing. Its debt-to-equity ratio nearly doubled from 0.36 in 2021 to 0.73 in 2025.

NSSF sits at the centre of every decision that matters, as both the largest creditor and a major shareholder.

Asked whether that dual role creates a conflict of interest, NSSF Head of Corporate Affairs Barbra Teddy Arimi said: ‘The NSSF representatives on the Uganda Clays Board are not part of the investment committee that approved the loan restructuring.’

On recoverability, she added: ‘The NSSF formal assessment is that Uganda Clays has the ability to meet its financial obligations over time. This is largely due to positive operational results and prospects that will continue to strengthen its ability to meet obligations.’

Assets have been pledged as collateral, and UCL cannot borrow further during the moratorium without NSSF’s approval.

When pressed on what happens if the company cannot pay again in January 2028, the answer returned to collateral and covenants. That reassurance has been independently scrutinised.

The Auditor General’s report for the year to June 2025 found the pledged properties, land in Budaka, Pallisa, and Bulambuli in rural eastern Uganda, had a market value of just Shs15.4b, 25 percent below the loan amount at restructuring.

The legal mortgage registered against them was only Shs11b, leaving Shs9.6b entirely unsecured.

The properties had not been revalued since January 2022, before two consecutive years of losses, and the Auditor General recommended that NSSF obtain additional collateral. NSSF responded that UCL indicated some properties were being developed, increasing their value.

When Ms Arimi says the loan is secured, she is technically correct, but the legal mortgage covers only Shs11b of a loan now at Shs22b and still growing, on rural land last valued three years ago, on a company that spent much of the intervening period losing money.

A third restructuring, which is the fourth major renegotiation of a loan now fifteen years old, remains possible.

The 2025 results are genuinely encouraging: margins improved dramatically, revenue grew, and the company returned to profit after two painful loss-making years. The Italian plant, once fully running, could push performance further still. But the loan that started at Shs11b in 2010 now stands at Shs23.6b.

The moratorium buys three years. The only question that matters is whether UCL uses that time to build a business strong enough to finally face this debt, or simply delays a bill that gets bigger every month it goes unpaid.

ABOUT UCL

Uganda Clays Limited (UCL) is a leading manufacturer of quality baked clay building products in Uganda. It uses Hoffman kilns to currently provide the building materials in a brick-red color. The company’s products are categorized into roofing tiles, bricks, maxpans, quarry floor tiles and others. The company was established on July 10, 1950.

Without revealing figures, National Council of Sports (NCS) general secretary Bernard Ogwel revealed they are considering more support towards clubs.

Ogwel was speaking during a press briefing in Lugogo, where he was sharing updates of the current status of compliance by sports federations and associations under the 2023 National Sports Acts.

‘We now know that in some sports disciplines, clubs are more serious than federations,’ Ogwel said.

‘Last year we had Shs300m to support clubs that had continental engagements and for most of them, we came in to help in a small way to complement their efforts especially by buying air tickets.

‘We should support clubs more and we will start that by piloting with football then move to other sports disciplines. No federation owns an athlete. It is the clubs doing the work and that is why I am shocked that some federations now want to start academies.

‘Federations can support clubs with academies instead of competing with them. In my view, federations can have centres of excellence where they can have capacity building for technical staff, support clubs, scout players.’ Daily Monitor understands that some basketball and hockey clubs were beneficiaries of this subsidy.

Ogwel was highlighting the waste and lack of accountability in federations, where some leaders take on duplicated or more roles to keep government support to themselves.

‘Conduct proper research on what these federations do with the money we give them,’ Ogwel urged the media.

‘They organize national team engagements where the president also goes as a coach. Maybe they do not see eye to eye with their general secretary so they are also the ones doing the accountability. Then after they say they do not have funds (to complete the compliance process).

‘If we did a proper audit of the money federations have received from the government in the last five years, you will realize that they are just not good planners.

‘In Public Service, an accountant earns about Shs700,000 to Shs1m. Why would a federation that gets over Shs100m fail to employ an accountant to do proper accountability. It would cost them about Shs12m a year.

‘The compliance process has been affected by a lot of these internal federation wrangles because you need a fully-fledged executive committee to submit applications. We also want sports organizations to streamline their activities (have administrators, technical directors too) but we can only guide them, not force them,’ Ogwel added.

Residents of Busia District have been urged to embrace commercial agriculture and take advantage of the area’s strategic position on the Uganda-Kenya border to access wider markets across East Africa.

Speaking at the inaugural Busia District Agriculture Expo at Masafu Playground, National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Treasurer Barbara Nekesa said the district’s location offered farmers significant opportunities to expand beyond subsistence production.

“We are a border district, and this comes with opportunities of market access both locally and internationally,” Nekesa said on Saturday .

She noted that Busia hosts one of East and Central Africa’s largest cereal trading hubs but said much of the produce sold there originates from other districts.

“This is one of the biggest export markets for cereals and other agricultural produce, which we must take advantage of,” she added.

Nekesa urged farmers to transition to commercial agriculture, citing growing demand from Uganda’s urban centres and the wider East African market.

She also cautioned against continued subdivision of land, describing it as a major obstacle to agricultural productivity.

“We need to move away from rampant land fragmentation because it is a hindering factor to commercial agriculture,” she said.

According to Nekesa, farmers can substantially increase household incomes by investing in high-value crops such as coffee.

“If you grow one acre of coffee, you can earn not less than Shs27 million per season,” she said.

Former tourism minister Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi used the event to train farmers on coffee agronomy, including proper land preparation and recommended spacing of 10 by 10 feet, which accommodates about 450 seedlings per acre.

He said a well-managed coffee tree can generate about Shs50,000 per season, translating into more than Shs22 million per acre annually.

“To earn such money from maize, you would need at least 10 acres. Farmers must join the cash economy,” Kiwanda said.

The May 28-30, 2026 expo also highlighted success stories from beneficiaries of the government’s Parish Development Model (PDM).

Adikinyi Wanyama from Majanji Sub-county said she invested a Shs1 million PDM loan in piggery two years ago and now sells about 16 piglets annually at Shs250,000 each.

Another beneficiary, Hadija Musana, said her poultry enterprise had expanded from 100 birds to 3,000 birds over three years with support from the programme.

Busia District LC5 Chairperson John Charles Namayindi said the expo had provided farmers with practical knowledge and pledged to make it an annual event.

“As a district, we commit that this agriculture expo will be annual because farmers have learnt a lot from the experts,” he said.

District Production Head Patrick Barasa said the exhibition was intended to provide a platform for farmers to showcase their enterprises and engage directly with agricultural specialists.

In June 2024, I wrote an article for this publication with the headline: ‘Always laugh at people who think NRM can fight corruption.’ President Museveni had delivered his State-of-the-Nation Address and reiterated his ‘commitment’ to fighting corruption. That was the same year when former Speaker Anita Among was grabbing headlines, as she is now, over corruption allegations. My article mentioned corruption in the army decades before Ms Among became a politician and asked a pertinent question: How can we have prison wards with hardly anyone convicted of high-level corruption, yet there is large-scale evidence of high-level corruption?

Two years later, Uganda is dealing with corruption allegations involving the same person. This time, the government has launched a probe into how she acquired her assets. But many Ugandans – at least those who know how governments genuinely committed to fighting corruption behave – are not impressed. They are calling it a big joke. Many are even laughing, not least because the so-called crackdown on Ms Among has ‘politics’ written all over it in red capital letters. Unless she is prosecuted and jailed, if found guilty, there is little to suggest that the government is seriously fighting corruption.

One of the reasons many Ugandans have dismissed the crackdown as a joke is that it does not appear to target corruption impartially. Consider this: Ms Among was not working alone at Parliament. She is not the only official there who has faced corruption allegations. A dossier from intelligence organisations cited by this newspaper last week mentioned people linked to Ms Among who should, by now, be on forced leave as investigations continue. There is no evidence that this has happened or that it will happen.

Ms Among’s deputy, Thomas Tayebwa, has been re-elected to a new five-year term and publicly apologised on behalf of Parliament, although he stopped short of using the word ‘corruption’. Video clips of the apology are circulating on social media. People do not apologise when there is zero evidence of wrongdoing. Mr Tayebwa did not resign when allegations of corruption were first levelled against Parliament. If he is keeping his job, how can the government convince sceptical Ugandans that the investigation is impartial?

Even if evidence is found that Ms Among has a case to answer, the government would still need to investigate everyone in and outside Parliament to reassure Ugandans that the anti-corruption campaign is serious and not selective. Otherwise, as things stand, the government has armed Ms Among with a powerful argument. If the government is truly against corruption, she can rightly ask, why is it targeting only her? Another reason why the probe has been derisively dismissed is the manner in which it has been conducted. Those behind it had time to plan. They had time to discuss what works and what does not.

And if they are indeed investigators, as the media describes them, they should understand the importance of searching suspected crime scenes simultaneously. Instead, searches have been conducted sequentially, potentially giving those under investigation time to move, conceal, destroy or tamper with evidence. Many Ugandans are asking a simple question: why would anyone serious about uncovering wrongdoing conduct investigations in this manner? The last reason is perhaps the most important. It is an open secret that Ms Among had become politically powerful – perhaps too powerful for some people eyeing Uganda’s top job after Mr Museveni.

One of them is army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is widely seen as the force behind the crackdown. His Patriotic League of Uganda, a nascent political outfit presented as a pressure group, endorsed the new Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth. Many Ugandans now suspect that even if Ms Among has a case to answer, the timing and intensity of the crackdown may also be about eliminating a political obstacle.

Uganda were eliminated by Kenya on away goals from the 2016 Africa U-17 Women World Cup Qualifiers on Saturday.

Sloppy defending saw the Teen Cranes give Kenya’s Emily Adhiambo a wonder goal in a 1-1 home draw in the first leg of the second and penultimate qualification round at Fufa Stadium Kadiba on May 22.

Then on Saturday, coach Sheryl Botes’ side drew 0-0 away at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi to fall to coach Mildred Cheche’s Junior Starlets at the same stage for a second year running.

Botes, who needed a victory or high scoring draw to make it to the final qualification hurdle due in July, made two changes to the side that drew at home with Ritah Nambuusi coming into defence ahead of Phionah Arach while Martha Babirye replaced Brenda Nassaka in midfield.

Cynthia Kirenga who was withdrawn in the first half at Kadiba was allowed to start in Nairobi but was replaced at the start of the second half by Joan Namakula.

Uganda were undoubtedly superior in possession to their Kenyan counterparts and fashioned first half chances through Immaculate Acen from close range and Justine Ayerango from distance but could not find the accuracy.

Acen was again played through on goal by Shadia Nabirye early in the second half but Kenyan captain Beverline Awuor did well to recover. Botes showed more ambition when winger Grace Kawino replaced defender Dominick Gerevans Angel in the 65th minute but the Kenyans kept tight.

In the 76th minute, Babirye forced the Kenyan goalie to spill a freekick but the ball fell to Ayerango at the edge of the box and her shot agonizingly went wide.

In the end, Kenya managed to see out the game and await to play the winner between South Africa and Tanzania for a place in the Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup due in Morocco from October 17 – November 7. South Africa beat Tanzania 2-0 away from home and the second leg was due yesterday in Pretoria.

Uganda and Botes, on the other hand, have to pick themselves up after being eliminated from two youth football World Cup qualifiers in a space of three weeks. Earlier, the Queen Cranes were stopped by Ghana at home in the quest to make it to the September Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

The worsening Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa has emerged as the latest obstacle for African football fans hoping to attend the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Already battling high visa rejection rates, expensive flights and strict immigration scrutiny, supporters from several African nations now face an additional challenge of health-related travel restrictions that could derail long-held World Cup dreams.

The biggest concern surrounds the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974 has been overshadowed by an outbreak that has triggered international alarm and tighter border controls.

Travel barriers grow

The United States has imposed restrictions on travellers who have recently visited DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan following the spread of Ebola in the region.

Under the measures, non-citizens who have been in the affected countries within the last 21 days face enhanced screening requirements or possible denial of entry. The restrictions followed the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Countries that have tightened Ebola-related travel controls so far include the United States, Canada, Bahamas, Bahrain, Jordan and Thailand. Kenya and Mexico have also strengthened airport surveillance measures, while Uganda temporarily restricted movement along parts of its border with DR Congo.

The move has sparked anxiety among football fans, especially Congolese fans eager to witness their country’s first World Cup appearance in more than five decades.

Seeking alternatives

Some fans are already reorganising their travel plans to avoid disruptions caused by the restrictions.

Clive Kyazze, a journalist with Sanyu FM, is preparing for his second Fifa World Cup assignment after covering Qatar 2022.

To comply with the American health restrictions, Kyazze will leave Uganda for Tanzania before proceeding to the United Kingdom and eventually the United States. The arrangement allows him to complete the required 21 days outside Uganda before entering America.

His revised itinerary means he will miss the opening week of the tournament.

‘I won’t be affected much. The tournament will just be starting with more group stage games to cover, Round of 32, Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final,’ Kyazze said.

‘But also my coverage officially starts with my 21-day countdown on Monday.’

His case reflects the growing logistical burden facing African travellers as they attempt to navigate health regulations while still securing access to football’s biggest event.

Millions expected

While Fifa has not released exact projections for African attendance, tourism analysts estimate that between 250,000 and 400,000 African fans could travel to North America for the expanded 48-team tournament.

Africa will have 10 representatives at the World Cup for the first time after DR Congo secured qualification through the intercontinental playoffs earlier this year.

Countries with large travelling football communities such as Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Egypt and DR Congo are expected to contribute the biggest numbers of supporters.

Morocco’s historic semifinal run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar also inspired growing confidence among African fans about travelling in larger numbers to global tournaments.

More than just Ebola

For many African fans, the Ebola restrictions compound an already difficult journey to the World Cup.

Obtaining a US visa remains one of the biggest challenges. Fans from countries such as Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon often face long appointment waiting periods, expensive processing fees and high rejection rates.

Many applicants are required to prove strong financial standing, employment stability and compelling reasons to return home after the tournament.

Travel costs are another major concern. Return air tickets from East and Central Africa to the United States during the World Cup period are expected to exceed $2,000 (about Shs7m), excluding accommodation, match tickets and domestic travel across North America.

The Ebola outbreak is also affecting teams themselves. Reports indicate that DR Congo’s national team has already adjusted parts of its World Cup preparation plans to avoid quarantine complications and possible entry delays into the United States.

Health experts insist Ebola does not spread through the air and that the risk to ordinary spectators remains relatively low. However, the fear generated by the outbreak combined with strict immigration systems may still keep many African fans away from the world’s biggest football stage.

Opening fixtures for African teams

June 11: S. Africa vs Mexico, Mexico City

June 13: Morocco vs Brazil, New Jersey

June 14: Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador, Philadelphia

June 14: Tunisia vs Sweden, Monterrey

June 15: Cape Verde vs Spain, Atlanta

June 15: Egypt vs Belgium, Seattle

June 16: Senegal vs France, New Jersey

June 16: Algeria vs Argentina, Kansas City

June 17: Ghana vs Panama, Toronto

June 17: DR Congo vs Portugal, Houston

Two young people beat drums passionately while another beats a calabash with the bicycle spokes as the stage for the larakaraka dance is set.

It’s fast-approaching 6pm here in the middle of nowhere in northern Uganda’s Lamwo District, and the late afternoon heat can still be felt. But some youth dare to catch a bit of the action near the trading centre in Padibe

It is a typical market day, but the larakaraka dance is what the youth are looking forward to enjoying.

After all, it is the Acholi courtship dance.

The larakaraka dance, a vibrant courtship ritual central to the Acholi people of northern Uganda, is still popular today as it was in the past.

Performed primarily during the dry season after the harvest, it serves as a competitive and romantic arena where music, attire, and physical skill converge to help young men and women find life partners.

Patrick Odoch, 64, was a senior larakaraka dancer and trainer. He went for his first dance at the age of 12, but was humiliated when the group leader rubbished his skill at playing the calabash.

The melody from the big drum, accompanied by two small drums and the clash of bicycle spokes on several calabashes, harmonised by fiddle, was so captivating that Odoch, then a beginner, played out of tune.

“I thought I would get a partner during the dance, but my hopes were dashed when our group leader said my calabash was out of tune. That was an insult, and it hurt my feelings. Our group had many girls, and I was out to impress them that day,” he says.

Rather than give up, that remark pushed Odoch to rehearse more.

‘It took me two weeks to perfect my skill and to master how to sing while beating the calabash at the same time,” he says, adding that visual presentation is critical to success in the larakaraka arena.

After two weeks and some days, he joined another group, which was set to perform at Pawidi market, Agoro Sub-county in Kitgum. Odoch thought it was indeed the day he would hook up with a girl. Little did he know that he was yet to suffer another public humiliation!

This time round, it was his rough voice that let him down. When he entered the dance arena, the girls fled. None of them wanted to dance with him. Dressed in shorts and a white vest, Odoch was the youngest boy in the group, but croaked out of tune when he attempted to sing.

His dancing gear, like that of his colleagues, comprised an odye (piece of metal or cardboard) tied around the waist to cover the buttocks and a headgear made of ostrich feathers.

Meanwhile, the women wore short skirts that covered their hips and a piece of cloth or a bra to cover their breasts. Young girls who haven’t developed breasts dance bare-chested.

“When we walked away from the dancing arena to give room to another group to take the stage, I looked at my calabash. It was in pieces. That is when it occurred to me that I had been applying too much force on the calabash to make it loud,” the Primary Four dropout says.

From then on, Odoch became a regular larakaraka dancer all over the village. During the dry season, the youth would converge in a particular area for the dance. Depending on the availability of food and drinks, these dances could go on for more than a week. They started in the late evening and went on deep into the night.

By the time Odoch was 15, he already had a wife. He met her during the first successful dance at Kitgum Matidi. This particular dance had attracted 13 groups from different villages. Given his recently acquired expertise and charm, winning her over was a cup of tea.

With more training and practice, Odoch developed his voice into an irresistible baritone that would turn heads and hearts on the dance floor. With that, he had made an unforgettable mark in his newfound profession.

Today, the peasant farmer boasts of three wives and over 40 children.

In 1998, he joined the then National Resistance Army (NRA) and was nicknamed Abayo Mac because of his bravery.

“I used to train youth in Kitgum and Gulu how to dance larakaraka. I always tell them that to be a good dancer, you need to have all the customs, a good voice, be flexible, and be skilled at beating the calabash to attract girls,” he says.

Call it old-fashioned, but several men in Acholi still use larakaraka to court women during the dry season. It is a dance for youth who are looking for partners.

Dancers often trek long distances just to be part of the crowd. The larakaraka dance has been part of Acholi culture since time immemorial.

Alfred Nyeko, a farmer in Diino, Odek Sub-county in Omoro District, recalls that their descendants used to dance when they were processing game meat with smoke.

For a complete orchestra, all you need are a big drum, two small drums, calabashes, bicycle spokes, and a fiddle.

Formation

When men go and put on shorts and vests, they decorate their heads with feathers and tie a set of clothes on their hips. Some men also put on beads around their necks.

Meanwhile, women put on short skirts that cover the hips. They wear short blouses to cover their chest and breasts. On top of the short skirts, they wear beads, which are said to make them more attractive to men.

“When a man touches these beads during the dance and does not react, then he is not healthy”, Joyce Aber, a seasoned larakaraka dancer, says.

‘When the dancers are ready to perform, they make more lines. Men form a line on one side and face the women on the other side. Two men then pick up their drums and dance to the stage. A man who has a good voice starts the entry song, which is followed by the sound of drums. Another person beats a calabash with the bicycle spokes. Then the group leader, who is a woman, blows a whistle, bringing everybody on stage, and the dance begins,’ Aber explains.

Making choice

Dancers can either move slowly towards the stage or run there. This depends on how the dancers were trained. When the show is underway, men beat their calabashes while ladies dance in the middle of the stage.’

A girl dances as she scrutinises different faces for a man of her choice before picking him.

‘Performers do not care whether onlookers understand their song or not, so long as it attracts the object of their attention. After picking a man, the woman pushes him outside the dancing circle where each one of them tries to show his or her dancing technique,’ says Aber.

‘A few minutes later, the man shakes her hand before flooding her with romantic words. When the girl removes her beads or handkerchief and gives it to the man, it means that she has accepted him to be her lover.’

The devastations of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict also took their toll on the larakaraka dance. With over 90% of the entire population at the time living in internally displaced people’s (IDP) camps, survival was what mattered most to them and the courtship dance.

Former KCCA had coach Abdallah Mubiru sparked outrage among the Kitara faithful when he described their team as small in a build-up to a league game two seasons ago.

The Hoima-based club showed on Saturday they are fast shedding that tag by claiming a second Stanbic Uganda Cup title with a gutsy 2-1 win over nine-time winners SC Villa at the Fufa Technical Center in Njeru.

After Patrick Kaddu and Misi Ssemugera traded own goals in a space of a minute early in the game, Kitara forward Jimmy Kalema gave his side the lead with a firm drive at the start of the second half before hanging onto victory for a second title after the 2024 triumph.

It included surviving two penalty shouts with the stronger claim happening when Villa substitute Isaac Mpagi appeared to be brought down by Kitara goalkeeper Meddie Kibirige in the second half.

The decision enraged a group of Villa fans who formed the majority of the lively crowd at the Fufa Technical Center despite a late change in venue from the Kadiba Stadium.

The Villa fans continued making their displeasure known by directing insults at Fufa president Moses Magogo before hurling a couple of water bottles and stones in his direction.

Some were also initially irked by a faulty online ticketing system that led to a clash with stewards at the entrance.

On the pitch however their side failed to generate any real pressure apart from the penalty shouts with the experienced duo of Murushid Jjuuko and Isa Lumu dominant against Frank Ssebuufu.

Villa’s Patrick Kakande was also given close attention before he went off limping while Hassan Mubiru and Najib Yiga were also largely ineffective before being withdrawn.

That helped Kitara close out another victory against another established side having eliminated holders Vipers in the semifinal on away goals rule after forcing a 1-all draw in the second leg played in Kitende.

With Kirara club president Deo Kasozi’s bottomless pockets still funding the club, they look set to continue requesting tournament sponsors Plascon to continue painting the trophy in their preffered red colours.

Stanbic Uganda Cup

Result

Kitara 2-1 SC Villa

Former winners

2015 Villa 3-0 KCCA

2016 Vipers 3-1 Ondurapaka

2017 KCCA 2-0 Paidha Black Angels

2018 KCCA 1-0 Vipers

2019 Proline 1-1 Bright Stars [5-4 pen (no extra time)]

2020 abandoned

2021 Vipers 8-1 BUL

2022 BUL 3-1 Vipers

2023 Vipers 1-0 Police

2024 Kitara 1-0 NEC

2025 Vipers 2-0 KCCA

2026 Kitara 2-1 Villa

What began as a conversation about golf has evolved into a wider environmental mission.

The usually calm greens at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa became the setting for a bold sustainability push aimed at cutting single-use plastics from Uganda’s golfing culture.

DFCU Bank and Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa officially launched the Plastic Free Golf initiative, a three-year environmental partnership that introduces reusable aluminium water bottles and strategically placed refill stations across the golf course, starting with one symbolic target: making Hole 14 completely plastic-free.

But beyond the bottles and refill stations lies a larger ambition, changing habits and attitudes around waste.

The initiative was born out of a recurring problem witnessed at the course after heavy rains. According to the resort’s management, plastic waste regularly washes into parts of the course, particularly around Hole 14, before eventually draining into Lake Victoria.

For the resort, the campaign is as much about protecting one of Africa’s largest freshwater bodies as it is about improving the golfing experience.

‘This initiative is very important to us,’ said Theodor Van Rooy, Golf Director at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa.

‘For two years, we have observed the amount of waste that flows into the golf course after heavy rains, especially around Hole 14. Much of that waste eventually finds its way into Lake Victoria, a vital water body that so many people depend on.’

The golf course, which hosts about 3,000 guests every month, generates significant plastic consumption through bottled water and other disposable materials used by players and visitors.

To tackle this, every golfer will now receive a reusable aluminium bottle during their round, with refill stations positioned at key points across the course, including around Holes 5 and 14.

‘Water coolers will be available at strategic points so players can refill their bottles throughout the day. This is our contribution toward reducing single-use plastic and protecting the environment,’ Van Rooy added.

For dfcu Bank, the partnership reflects a broader shift in how corporate institutions are approaching sustainability, moving beyond boardroom ESG conversations into visible, practical action.

Speaking during the launch, dfcu Board Chair Jimmy D. Mugerwa said sustainability only becomes meaningful when it is embedded into daily organisational culture and linked to both community impact and business responsibility.

Drawing from more than three decades in the oil and gas industry, Mugerwa stressed that environmental responsibility should not be treated as a passing corporate trend.

‘In 2024, dfcu Bank made notable progress in its ESG performance. The bank successfully recycled 60 percent of the waste generated across its operations,’ Mugerwa said.

‘In addition, the bank achieved a 15 percent reduction in its operational carbon footprint through various environmental commitments and sustainability initiatives.’

The initiative will also extend to club members, with all Lake Victoria Serena Golf Club members set to receive personalised reusable bottles engraved with their names, courtesy of dfcu Bank.

While golf is often associated with prestige and leisure, the campaign signals a growing effort to use sport and lifestyle spaces as platforms for environmental awareness.

And at Serena Kigo, the hope is that a simple refill bottle can spark a larger behavioural shift, one round of golf at a time.