Category: Daily Monitor

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attention before he went off limping while Hassan Mubiru and Najib Yiga were also largely ineffective before being withdrawn.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

Since the onset of the US and Israeli war with Iran on February 8, 2026, pump prices have largely been seen through the lens of worst-case assumptions. And with good reason.

Lesser known, but not less impactful, is the rise in the price of fertiliser brought on by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Globally, there has been an 80 percent surge in the price of fertiliser, with a 50kg bag of the same surpassing the Shs200,000 mark in Uganda.

The domestic spikes are estimated at anywhere between 15 percent and 30 percent. While failure to lift the blockade that Iran has been running in the key waterway of the Hormuz strait has inflicted the damage it was expected, an equally devastating blow has come elsewhere.

This is courtesy of Russian fertiliser stocks being targeted by Ukrainian strikes in another war that marked a grim milestone of straddling four years in February. So, essentially, both wars have contrived to stop the supply of fertiliser.

Why should Ugandans care about this state of affairs?

It is easy to see why critical reactions to the consequences of fertiliser shortages have toggled between a yawn and a sneer in Uganda. Most Ugandan farms have time and again shown that they can work through the turmoil of an absence of fertiliser.

Traditionally, Ugandan farmers are known to use fertiliser rather sparingly. At last count, the average was slightly below five kilogrammes of fertiliser per hectare. This is well below the African average of slightly above 20 kilogrammes of fertiliser per hectare. The sub-Saharan Africa average stands at 17 kilogrammes of fertiliser per hectare or thereabout

Notwithstanding, armed with the knowledge that crop yields can drop off precipitously-as much as 50 percent in the first [planting] season-when nitrogen fertiliser is not applied, Ugandan farmers have started to tap into the fertiliser market.

With a disproportionate part of Uganda’s first [planting] season having panned out when the US and Israeli war with Iran was at its fiercest, an outcome of reduced crop yields is currently the sum of all fears.

The first [planting] season is usually typified by long rains between mid-February and late March. The season aligns with the March-May (MAM) rains.

Experts are bracing for a brutal impact in the wake of the dearth of fertiliser. Already, in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for the 12 months ending in April 2026, the annual inflation rate for ”Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages” stood at 2.8 percent. The specific sub-category of ‘Food Crops and Related Items” was put at 0.6 percent.

Does the second [planting] season also risk being met with crippling fertiliser shortages?

For starters, the planting season in question, which spans from mid-August to the back end of September, is marked by short rains that are indispensable to the realisation of a second crop rotation. This is before ringing in a new year. To be clear, talks over the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remain deadlocked.

This impasse carries the unnecessary risk of leaving things no better than they currently are-if anything worse. This, as experts forecast that an El Niño weather event will likely occur at the back end of 2026, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, negatively impact food production.

The last El Niño weather event brought one of the worst droughts to East Africa, gravely impacting the sub-region of Karamoja, whose planting window straddles from April to May.

Where does Uganda get the fertiliser that its farmers rely on?

The annual volume that the country imports is estimated at nearly 300,000 metric tonnes, with a value of about $55 million (Shs206.66 billion). NPK is a firm favourite, gobbling up to 34 percent of demand. Urea (24 percent), DAP (12 percent), and MOP (six percent) all hold sway with varying degrees.

As for the fertiliser itself, most of it comes from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kenya. The presence of a country from the Persian Gulf should not come as a surprise.

Anywhere between 30-35 percent of the international trade in urea and around 20-30 percent of ammonia can be traced back to the Gulf.

Elsewhere, Russia is the biggest exporter of fertiliser. But, in the here and now, it is important to note that 30 percent of the world’s fertiliser trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This, if it needs to be stressed, is no small beer.

Does Uganda produce fertiliser?

It does. But most of it is organic rather than synthetic. Projects like the Mpigi Organic Fertiliser Plant in Kampiringisa and the Green Hydrogen Fertiliser Company stand out. Yet the stillbirth of the multimillion-dollar Sukulu fertiliser project in Tororo District tells its own story. Not a pleasant one, I’m afraid.

A legal battle over licensing rights condemned the project to a fate that has effectively left it dead in the water.

The $620 million (Shs2.32 trillion) project counted fertiliser production as well as production of glass, steel, bricks, and cosmetics as its components.

The plant is expected to produce purely organic fertilisers on the local market with an annual target of 300,000 metric tonnes.

Is the spike in domestic prices of fertiliser singularly down to shipping bottlenecks?

No, it is not. While the Hormuz blockade has choked the supply of fertiliser, surging global energy costs have inflicted harm that has proved to be equally pernicious in its consequences. From planting to harvesting, then processing, right through to transportation, energy prices play a telling role in food production. For instance, nitrogen-based fertilisers like urea-extensively used in Uganda-count natural gas as a vital ingredient. Small wonder, the price of urea has soared by 65 percent.

The shipping bottlenecks, though, will take some beating. Kpler, which provides real-time market intelligence by putting its finger on the pulse of movement of commodities, maritime shipping, and supply chains worldwide, estimates that almost two million tonnes of fertiliser are stuck on the wrong side of the Strait of Hormuz. A staggering number by any measure.

In Uganda, it certainly has not helped matters that the government added a 2.5 percent tax on imported agrochemicals. Observers say this will further choke the supply of vital crop nutrients, exacerbating crop yields.

So, what next? What does the road ahead look like?

Obviously, it is vitally important that the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz be boosted. Lamentably, encouraging signals have been few and far between. The Trump administration’s ‘Project Freedom’ has not delivered a much-needed tonic by ending the standoff in the Gulf.

This, regrettably, will not be without consequences, with a hunger crisis expected to knock sub-regions like Karamoja and Teso sideways sooner rather than later. The drought that the sub-regions grappled with between 2020 and 2023, when an El Niño weather event reared an ugly head, was the worst experienced in 40 years. There were widespread crop failures, severe water scarcity, and acute food insecurity following the prolonged drought conditions. If lightning were to strike twice, it would be devastating. To say the least.

KEY FACTS ON HORMUZ

Location. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow stretch of water located between Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. The waterway – which is about 21 miles (33 km) at its tightest point – connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, making it a vital global shipping route.

Users. About 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through the Strait of Hormuz. That oil comes not only from Iran, but also Gulf states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil passed through the waterway per day, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) – that’s nearly $600bn (£447bn) worth of energy trade per year. Sea traffic has been significantly reduced since the war began.

Destination for Iran’s oil. In 2022, around 82% of crude oil and other fossil fuels leaving the Strait of Hormuz were bound for Asian countries, according to EIA estimates. China alone is estimated to buy around 90% of the oil that Iran exports.

There are novels which arrive dressed properly, bow politely to the reader, wipe their shoes at the door of literature, and speak in civilised tones about ‘the human condition.’ Then there is Agony in Her Voice, which arrives barefoot, sweating through its collar, muttering scripture, spying on schoolgirls, and plotting romantic conquest with the moral composure of a hungry goat near a young cassava garden.

I must immediately congratulate Peter Katuliiba for producing a novel so magnificently uncomfortable that I occasionally feel the need to hide it from onlookers. Rarely has obsession been presented with such theatrical dignity. The book reads as though a provincial schoolmaster swallowed equal portions of Shakespeare, lust, Catholic guilt, and cheap beer, then attempted to digest them all while sitting on a hot sigiri.

Fearless storytelling

Agony in Her Voice is not a polite novel. It is not a neat novel. The book is deeply uncomfortable, unintentionally hilarious in places, brilliantly observant in others, and powered by the kind of fearless storytelling that modern publishing houses would probably approach wearing latex gloves. Reading this book eerily reminds one of the first time one encountered the writings of Nikolai Gogol. You get the sense that the Katuliiba, like Gogol, is a rabid sadist. He enjoys throwing his head back and laughing at human absurdity without any pity whatsoever.

Protagonist

At the centre of this ridiculous tale stands Julio Kinyua, deputy headmaster, intellectual, moral custodian, romantic strategist, and perhaps the sweatiest human being in African literature. The man perspires with evangelical commitment. His nose alone deserves its own chapter, possibly its own passport. This is one of the many aspects that reminds you of Gogol. Whenever emotion strikes him, desire, fear, embarrassment, ambition, confusion, hunger, theological uncertainty, the nose erupts like a missionary waterfall. Kinyua, in his 50s, falls head-over-heels in love with his teenage student, and his life unravels hilariously.

Now, lesser writers would present Kinyua merely as a villain. Katuliiba, however, understands the first law of human absurdity; every ridiculous man believes himself profound. Kinyua does not think he is a predator. No! He imagines himself tragic. Noble. Romantic. A mature lion among childish boys. In his pursuit of a forbidden love interest, he manipulates sermons, recruits schoolchildren as spies, cancels school holidays, then he considers poisoning a rival with tainted banknotes. All this ridiculousness to try and separate a schoolgirl from her boyfriend and manipulate her to love him back. Then, exhausted from these moral labors, he settles down to mark essays on The Merchant of Venice. One almost rises from the chair to applaud.

Structure

The structure of the novel deserves serious praise. Katuliiba understands escalation. Each chapter tightens the screws of madness a little further. At first Kinyua merely watches Kainda. Then he advises her. Then he manipulates her emotions. Then he mobilises religion, administration, school policy, and espionage against Mbatau, the teenage boyfriend to his love interest.

The rivalry between Kinyua and Mbatau is one of the great comic wars of modern fiction. Mbatau strolls through the novel with the lazy confidence unique to handsome young men who have never paid rent on time. He can’t be bothered. He can’t lose because he doesn’t even know or care that he’s competing. On the other hand, Kinyua is orchestrating strategic operations worthy of collapsing an empire, yet he cannot win on any level. Mbatau is essentially saying, ‘Pole pole, my friend,’ while ordering another beer.

And herein lies the novel’s genius; everybody is ridiculous, yet nobody knows it.

The priests speak about morality like men attempting to stop rain with umbrellas made of Bible pages. The teachers behave like colonial detectives investigating romance. The students float through the chaos half innocent, half opportunistic. Even the holy institution itself appears held together by gossip, sexual panic, and tea. Especially tea. One feels throughout the novel that if somebody removed tea from the staffroom, civilisation itself would collapse by Thursday afternoon.

Style

Stylistically, Katuliiba writes with alarming confidence. There is no decorative dancing. No euphemisms. No modern literary acrobatics. The prose marches straight ahead carrying a machete. Dialogue arrives clean and sharp. Characters reveal themselves through humiliation rather than explanation, always the mark of a serious comic writer. And yet the book is dark. Dark in the way old churches are dark; full of echoes, secrets, and things sweating quietly in corners. Beneath the absurdity sits a merciless portrait of power. Adults claim to protect youth while feeding hungrily upon innocence. Religion becomes theater. Education becomes surveillance. Masculinity becomes performance. Everybody speaks of morality while privately negotiating with desire like corrupt politicians dividing stolen cattle.

And illusion is the true subject of the novel. Kinyua believes he is still youthful yet he’s in his 50s and rapidly balding. The priests believe sermons can regulate desire. The school believes discipline can defeat biology. Mbatau believes pleasure has no consequences. Everybody is wrong. By the end, the reader begins to understand that Agony in Her Voice is not merely about lust. It is about the terrifying comedy of self-deception. Human beings constructing grand moral cathedrals atop foundations made entirely of panic.

Humor

One must also praise the novel’s accidental humor, which is abundant enough to require medical supervision. Kinyua trying to seduce a teenager while worrying about his sweaty nose, philosophising about love immediately after contemplating homicide and interpreting basic politeness as romantic destiny. And yet, somehow, one pities him. That is the final trick the novel performs.

Against all reasonable judgment, this sweating, manipulative, delusional, Shakespeare-quoting old disaster of a man becomes painfully human. Beneath the vanity sits terror: terror of aging, irrelevance, loneliness, failure, humiliation. He chases youth because he feels death breathing down his neck.

Agony in Her Voice is chaotic, morally dangerous, psychologically sharp, unintentionally hysterical, and utterly unforgettable. Very Gogolian in its unbridled silliness. You smile from beginning to end. It is the sort of novel respectable critics pretend to dislike before secretly recommending it to friends after midnight. It is the sort of novel that young secondary school readers will definitely recommend to each other.

I participated in the 2021 campaign for the re-election of President Museveni. As would be expected, it was not unusual for me to tap into the information traffic of highly placed people discussing the Constitution of the next Cabinet.

And that is how I landed on what was described (by the author) as the final draft for a list of proposed Cabinet ministers. Ambassador Adonia Ayebare’s name was there as the minister for Foreign Affairs.

So, I was sure Mr Ayebare mwene Kanduhho was going to be appointed as minister for Foreign Affairs.

Given the level at which I had tapped into these things, I must confess I was scandalised when Mr Ayebare’s name was missing on the Cabinet list. Me being me, I even threatened to protest…

So, yes, at last, Mr Ayebare has been appointed to his rightful place at the right time. Congratulations, ambassador Adonia Ayebare!

Mr Ayebare is familiar with the nuances of the regional geo-politics and security in our neighbourhood.

He, after all, is the President’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region. This appointment was, despite Museveni’s many other appointments, not some convenient spur-of-the-moment action to appease this or that constituency.

Mr Ayebare is very knowledgeable about the Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda issues. He was directly involved in ending the armed conflict in Burundi.

And need I say, he was ambassador to Rwanda, where he cultivated leverageable contacts.

As the outgoing Permanent Representative of Uganda to the UN, he is familiar with the sophistications of international multilateral engagements.

For me, the most enduring element of Ayebare is his consistent professional approach to what many see as intractable foreign policy situations. During the last spat between Uganda and Rwanda, social media became a frontline of sorts.

Accusations and counteraccusations flew between Kigali and Kampala. Rwandan social media actors were portraying the person of Mr Museveni in a very bad light.

Some Ugandans wanted to retaliate by bashing the person of President Paul Kagame. Some of these people even held positions in government structures. I remember Ayebare protesting and arguing: responding to what is clearly off-the-hand things would be ridiculous for us. It would add no value to the efforts aimed at resolving our problems with Rwanda.

Ayebare’s was a lone voice of sanity. The Rwandan social media actors had really crossed the line into insanity.

Can you imagine some people in the Rwandan media even accused me (Asuman Bisiika) of committing genocide and corruption? And that’s why I was chased from Rwandan soil.

Ambassador Ayebare helped a lot in the resolution of what many viewed as the former president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza (RIP), running for a third term of office in 2015.

I participated in generating a paper on why Nkurunziza qualified to run for office for a third time. I sent the document to Mr Ayebare, and he is rumoured to have used our paper properly and appropriately at the UN. Nkurunziza ran for a third term of office. (I still have the paper. It offers good reading for the curious mind).

An online news outlet reported that the proposed ministerial appointment of Mr Lawrence Muganga is likely to face legal challenges.

Mr Muganga, the vice chancellor of the privately-owned Victoria University, is rumoured to hold Rwandan and Canadian citizenship.

He is said to have worked in the Government of Rwanda and later studied in Canada as a bona fide Rwandan citizen, on some claim was a Rwanda government scholarship.

While in Canada, he acquired Canadian citizenship. Does he hold Ugandan citizenship? I don’t know. Are his other citizenships an issue in Uganda? I don’t care.

Police in Lwengo District have arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly hacking his 10-year-old son with a machete and concealing him in a tarpaulin, reportedly with the intention of burning him alive.

The suspect, Gonzaga Luwaga, a resident of Kyalutwaka Village in Lwengo Rural Sub-county, allegedly committed the offense after his son refused to reveal the whereabouts of his mother. Luwaga had accused his wife of stealing his coffee beans while he was away on a drinking spree.

The child sustained deep cuts to his head, face, and hands. He was also severely beaten with sticks.

The area local council chairperson, Mr. Fred Kyalikunda, said he rushed to the scene after being alerted by concerned neighbors.

“I intervened and found the boy badly injured and in severe pain. We immediately apprehended the suspect and handed him over to the police,” Mr. Kyalikunda said, condemning the rising brutality against minors.

The victim later told neighbors that his father had subjected both him and his mother to routine domestic abuse.

The boy’s mother, Ms Fatumah Kwiiza, expressed fear for her life, detailing years of marital hardship. She indicated plans to flee back to her parents’ home for safety.

The southern region police spokesperson, Mr. Twaha Kasirye, confirmed the arrest, stating that Luwaga will be charged with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse once investigations are complete.

Alcoholism and systemic failures

Frustrated residents labeled the attack as “attempted murder” and blamed local leaders for failing to curb rising lawlessness and unregulated alcohol consumption in the village.

In response, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Bonny Rwatangabo, alongside former Lwengo District Chairperson, Mr. George Mutabaazi, vowed to launch a crackdown on bars operating during morning working hours. They cited chronic alcohol abuse as a primary trigger for the district’s soaring domestic violence cases.

The broader crisis of child abuse

This grim incident highlights a nationwide spike in violence against children, which authorities and civil society organizations warn has reached crisis levels.

According to the Annual Crime Report by the Uganda Police Force, thousands of child abuse cases-ranging from aggravated defilement and torture to infanticide-are reported every year, with a significant number going unreported in rural areas due to family collusion.

Child rights advocates have repeatedly challenged the government to enforce the Children Act (Amended 2016) more strictly, noting that unless systemic issues like substance abuse, poverty, and domestic violence are addressed at the household level, Ugandan children will remain highly vulnerable to extreme violence.

Authorities in southwestern Uganda have destroyed a banana plantation belonging to a Catholic church after determining it had been established inside a protected wetland, as officials intensify efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and combat the effects of climate change.

The operation, carried out on Friday in Kagarama Parish, Buhara Sub-county, targeted a plantation owned by St. Peter Kabasigaba Catholic Church within the Kabanyonyi-Kyanamira wetland.

District Natural Resources Officer Henry Tumwesigye Kamutoro said the exercise was conducted jointly with police as part of a broader campaign to restore wetlands that have been degraded through human activity.

‘The Kabanyonyi-Kyanamira wetland covers about 24 hectares and is the largest wetland restoration project currently being undertaken in the district. Any activities that compromise its ecological functions cannot be allowed to continue,’ Tumwesigye said.

He said Kabale District is restoring 19 degraded wetlands with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change, including flooding, soil erosion and environmental degradation.

Officials said investigations had uncovered additional encroachment within the wetland, including residential houses and perimeter fences erected along River Kirururuma, which passes through the protected ecosystem.

According to Tumwesigye, affected residents have been given 21 days to voluntarily remove the structures or face enforcement action.

‘We have given all encroachers 21 days to remove their houses and fences. Failure to comply will leave the district with no option but to enforce the law. Wetlands are critical ecosystems that must be protected for the benefit of current and future generations,’ he said.

He stressed that authorities were not completely barring communities from using wetlands but said any proposed activities must first be assessed and approved by relevant agencies.

‘We are not closing wetlands to communities. Activities such as beekeeping, fish farming, and bamboo planting may be permitted after assessment and approval to ensure they do not interfere with the ecological integrity of the wetland,’ he added.

Contacted for comment, the parish priest of Maziba Catholic Parish, Rev. Fr. Ignatius Leoson Mbabazi, said he had not yet received a detailed report about the destruction of the plantation.

‘I am still waiting for a formal report from the catechist at St. Peter Kabasigaba Catholic Church. Once I receive all the details concerning the incident, I will be in a position to comment comprehensively on the matter,’ Fr. Mbabazi said.

The action underscores growing efforts by local authorities to enforce environmental protection laws as Uganda seeks to restore wetlands that play a critical role in water conservation, biodiversity protection and climate resilience.

Residents in Jinja City have expressed growing concern over organised criminal gangs targeting bank customers after police arrested a woman suspected of being part of a syndicate that allegedly trails victims withdrawing cash before stealing or conning them.

The suspect, identified as Mariam Bahati, was arrested and detained at the Kiira Regional Police headquarters as detectives investigate a string of incidents reported in Jinja and Kampala.

Police said they recovered a bag containing local herbs, suspected charms and foreign currencies during the operation.

Investigators believe the items may have been used by the group while carrying out its activities, although police have not yet disclosed whether any criminal charges have been formally filed against the suspect.

According to police and victims, members of the alleged gang monitor customers withdrawing money from banks before following them and exploiting moments of distraction to steal cash or valuables.

Ali Naika said her sister recently lost Shs1.6 million shortly after withdrawing the money from Opportunity Bank on Alice Muloki Road in Jinja.

‘She had just withdrawn money from the bank when she was approached and later realised the cash was missing,’ Ms Naika said.

Residents said the gang has been operating around Jinja’s main banking district along Alice Muloki Road, which hosts several financial institutions, including Opportunity Bank, DFCU Bank and Finance Trust Bank.

Witnesses and victims said the suspects typically operate in groups, with some members stationed near banking halls to identify potential targets while others follow victims after they leave the premises.

Police officers involved in the arrest said they recovered foreign currencies, including US dollars and Sudanese pounds, alongside the suspected charms.

Authorities said the suspect allegedly told investigators that the group had been operating in both Kampala and Jinja for an extended period, though police have not independently confirmed the claims.

Jinja Deputy Resident City Commissioner Paul Balidawa urged the public to exercise caution when conducting banking transactions.

‘Cases involving organised criminal gangs are increasing across the Busoga sub-region. People should avoid displaying money openly after withdrawals,’ Mr Balidawa said.

He called on banks, private security personnel and members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious individuals loitering around banking premises.

Police said investigations are continuing and efforts are underway to trace other suspects believed to be linked to the alleged network.

The arrest comes amid growing concerns over theft and fraud targeting bank customers in urban centres, where criminals often exploit surveillance gaps and victims’ movements after withdrawing cash.

In a major milestone for transboundary conservation, Dr Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment, has been awarded a prestigious regional accolade for his outstanding contribution to the sustainable development of the Lake Victoria Basin.

The coveted award was presented by the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, during the historic commemoration of the maiden Regional Lake Victoria Day held at the Nane Nane Grounds in Mwanza. The high-profile recognition underscores Dr Okidi’s tireless efforts in steering regional dialogue and advocating for the collective preservation of Africa’s largest freshwater body.

As the top technocrat leading Uganda’s water and environment docket, Dr. Okidi has been instrumental in shifting the East African Community (EAC) away from isolated, country-specific campaigns toward highly coordinated, cross-border resource management frameworks.

A unified triad against ecological decay

Dr. Okidi’s collaborative leadership culminated this week in the historic rollout of three transformative digital and structural shields designed to salvage the basin from severe ecological decay:

The State of the Lake Victoria Basin Report: A data-heavy scientific audit exposing environmental degradation trends to inform regional planning.

The Lake Victoria Basin Water Information System (LVB-WIS): A cross-border digital network built to facilitate real-time hydrological data sharing across member states.

The Integrated Water Resources Management Strategy: A harmonized master plan mapping out coordinated investments and wetland reclamation campaigns.

A matter of national security

Throughout his tenure, Dr. Okidi has aggressively lobbied EAC partner states to establish blended, sustained regional financing models to build massive transboundary waste treatment plants and scale up pollution controls. He has consistently championed conservation by framing the lake’s health as an existential economic issue, warning that a compromised ecosystem is a direct threat to the region’s industrial future.

“For Uganda, a compromised Lake Victoria would mean not only environmental degradation, but also energy insecurity and economic disruption,” Dr. Okidi warned in his address to regional leaders.

The stakes for Uganda are remarkably high. The country oversees approximately 45% of the lake’s surface area, which acts as the sole feeder for the River Nile at Jinja. This vital resource powers Uganda’s sequential hydroelectric dams-including Nalubaale Kiira, Bujagali, Isimba, and Karuma-which collectively generate more than 90% of the electricity running the national grid.

Dr. Okidi’s signature guiding principle remains a cornerstone of the region’s current conservation narrative: the financial cost of repairing a completely dead ecosystem far outweighs the budget required to protect a functioning one.

A sweeping win for Uganda

Uganda’s prominent role in safeguarding the basin was further cemented with additional prestigious awards at the event. Ms. Edith Mwanje, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, was recognized for her diplomatic contributions.

Additionally, a posthumous honor was awarded to Dr. Tom Okurut, the first Executive Secretary of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, celebrating his foundational and outstanding contribution to regional cooperation.

Entebbe Municipality Mayor Fabrice Brad Rulinda has been sworn in for a second term alongside an unprecedented council composed entirely of ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) councillors, a political sweep that has sparked heated debate over accountability and institutional checks and balances.

All 15 elected councillors in the newly inaugurated council belong to the NRM. This absolute majority marks a significant shift in Entebbe’s political landscape, an urban centre historically known for highly competitive multi-party politics.

Mr Rulinda and the NRM councillors took their oaths of office during a modest ceremony held at the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC). The venue was temporarily shifted due to ongoing renovation works at the municipal headquarters.

The NRM’s clean sweep signals the party’s growing influence in urban centres, which have traditionally leaned toward the opposition or independent candidates. Mr Rulinda secured his mayoral seat after polling 6,704 votes, comfortably defeating independent candidate Michael Kabwama, who garnered 2,746 votes.

The complete absence of opposition voices has raised red flags among local political actors, civil society, and former leaders. Opponents warn that without dissenting views to scrutinise budgets, procurement, and municipal projects, the new council risks becoming a mere rubber stamp for the executive.

Political analysts note that opposition representation in local councils plays a vital role in monitoring public expenditure and ensuring transparency. However, some observers counter that the outcome reflects a shifting voter preference for service delivery over partisan gridlock.

Speaking shortly after taking his oath, Mayor Rulinda acknowledged the immense pressure that comes with an all-NRM chamber, admitting that the public’s expectations are higher than ever.

‘The people of Entebbe really trusted us. The outcome of the election was amazing,” Mr Rulinda said. “We don’t take it for granted and we want to serve and deliver for them. But it’s also a challenge because now all eyes are on us. For the councillors, I expect extreme work because we have to prove that the trust the people gave the NRM was deserved.’

Mr Rulinda outlined his administration’s immediate agenda, promising to fast-track urban development projects that stalled during the previous term.

During the council’s first sitting, Mr George William Tamuzadde, the councillor representing older persons, was elected Speaker of Council, while Mr Ibrahim Mwagalwa was voted Deputy Speaker. The duo will now guide a house where consensus is guaranteed, but public scrutiny remains at an all-time high.

By the time dessert arrived at Kardamom and Koffee on Saturday night, strangers were leaning across the communal table like old friends. Art collectors traded thoughts with marketers. Guests laughed loudly over shared plates and raised glasses in an impromptu toast to World Whisky Day, celebrated earlier this month on May 16. That atmosphere captured exactly what The Chef’s Table Africa has become known for in Kampala; creating connection through food.

This latest edition, headlined by Nairobi-based Chef Marcelino Dgedge, unfolded less like formal fine dining and more like an intimate dinner party shaped carefully around conversation, storytelling and experimentation. And while the food naturally commanded attention, the evening’s quiet stars were the cocktail pairings. In most dining experiences, drinks exist in the background. Saturday night was different. Before guests settled fully into the evening, bartender Preston Okot explained how the cocktails were designed not to overpower the dishes but to complete them.

‘The pairing tonight is being led by Singleton 12. Singleton 12 is known for its soothing, calming and elegant pairing, especially with desserts,’ he said while introducing a vanilla-forward whisky cocktail served alongside dessert.

The cocktail carried soft notes of vanilla, honey and citrus, balanced gently by oak to mirror the coconut gelato served later in the evening.

The menu

Chef Dgedge’s menu reflected his philosophy of restraint and ingredient-driven cooking. After arriving in Kampala earlier in the week, he spent time wandering through Nakasero Market studying local produce before finalising the menu.

‘The quality of vegetables here amazed me. So I wanted to focus on humble ingredients instead of luxury ingredients,’ he told guests.

That approach shaped nearly every course. One standout dish paired beef with peanut curry, sweet potato purée and crisp sweet potato shards. Dgedge explained how the peanut reduction was made by extracting milk from finely ground peanuts before reducing it slowly with aromatics. The result was earthy, rich and comforting without becoming heavy. The fish course revealed the chef’s more vulnerable side.

‘That was the dish I was most nervous about. You never know exactly what is happening inside the fish. It can easily become overcooked,’ he admitted.

Wrapped delicately in banana leaf, the dish balanced smoke, acidity and savoury notes with remarkable restraint. Alongside it came a citrus-led cocktail pairing designed carefully to cut through the richness without overwhelming the fish. That balance defined the evening.

The cocktails

Behind the scenes, mixologist Okot and the team reportedly debated tiny adjustments to sweetness, acidity and soda levels for nearly twenty minutes during preparations. Guests never saw that work. But they experienced the finished harmony. Perhaps that is what makes The Chef’s Table Africa increasingly important to Kampala’s growing culinary culture. It is quietly teaching diners that fine dining is not really about exclusivity or expensive ingredients. It is about intention.

The crowd

The room itself reflected that philosophy. Guests came from different professional worlds and social circles, yet by the third course, the table had settled into the warm chaos of shared experience. And unlike many chefs who disappear behind kitchen doors, Dgedge remained present throughout the evening, hosting and explaining textures, inspirations and even uncertainties to the diners.

‘The whole menu is basically my story. Mozambique, Italy, Joburg, Nairobi, now Uganda. Everything I have gathered over time is here,’ he said.

Dessert

Even dessert carried that sense of narrative. The cassava pudding, inspired by a Mozambican classic, layered coconut milk, coconut crumble and coconut ice cream with cinnamon and vanilla.

By then, however, guests were no longer analysing flavour notes too carefully. They were simply enjoying themselves. Which may ultimately be The Chef’s Table Africa’s greatest trick of all.