Category: Daily Monitor

Police have launched an investigation into a Saturday afternoon shooting in Bukwo District that left one person dead after he allegedly attacked officers executing an arrest operation.

According to Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke, the incident occurred on August 8, 2026, at around 1:00 p.m. in Chemusebe Village, Kapchemoken Parish, Brim Sub-County.

Preliminary reports indicate that officers from Giriki Police Station in Kween District had traveled to Bukwo to effect an arrest. They coordinated with personnel from Riwo Sub-County Police Station and were joined by an officer familiar with the area before proceeding to the scene.

Upon arrival at Chemusebe Trading Centre, the suspect reportedly spotted the officers, abandoned a motorcycle he was washing by a stream, and fled. Officers subsequently impounded the motorcycle.

Rusoke explained that while officers were engaging local leaders and relatives who were claiming the impounded motorcycle, a man only identified as Mutakan approached the security team armed with a panga and stones.

Despite efforts by his mother and bystanders to restrain him, Mutakan allegedly struck one officer with a stone and continued advancing aggressively. Warning shots were fired to deter the attack, but Mutakan continued to advance, prompting officers to shoot him. He was rushed to Bukwo General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation,” Rusoke said. “Four persons, including the officers involved in the operation, are currently being questioned. The investigation will establish the circumstances under which the firearms were discharged and whether the force used was lawful, necessary, and proportionate.”

Rusoke strongly cautioned members of the public against attacking, confronting, or attempting to disarm police officers performing lawful duties, warning that such actions put lives at serious risk and often result in avoidable fatalities.

The Bukwo incident comes amid a troubling pattern of violent confrontations between local communities and law enforcement officers across the country. In April 2025, Police Constable Suleiman Chemonges was killed by a mob while deployed to provide security at a burial in Ibanda District.

In a similar incident on May 18, 2025, Police Constable John Bosco Naturinda was killed in Tecik Village, Ngai Sub-County, Oyam District. An arrest operation escalated into mob violence when community members attempted to disarm the officers, resulting in the death of a civilian and leaving two other police officers severely injured before Naturinda was lynched.

Addressing these recurring clashes, Rusoke urged citizens to remain calm and comply with lawful police instructions, stressing that grievances should be raised through established legal and administrative channels rather than taking the law into their own hands. He added that the Uganda Police Force remains committed to investigating allegations of officer misconduct while ensuring the safety of its personnel in the field.

Uganda’s informal sector continues to absorb the largest share of the country’s working population, particularly among the youth who are either unable to access formal employment opportunities or are intentionally pursuing entrepreneurship and self-employment as alternative economic pathways.

From small traders and transport operators to agricultural workers, mobile money agents, artisans, and small business owners, the informal economy has increasingly become the foundation upon which millions of Ugandans sustain their livelihoods and contribute to national economic activity.

Despite this growing economic significance, personal financial management within the informal sector remains one of Uganda’s least addressed financial challenges. While the country has made visible progress in expanding financial inclusion through mobile money services, SACCOs, agency banking, and digital financial products, the ability of many informal earners to sustainably manage, protect, and grow their finances remains weak.

According to the FinScope Uganda 2023 Survey, financial inclusion in Uganda increased to 81 percent, up from 77 percent in 2018, largely driven by the expansion of mobile money and formal financial access points.

However, the same findings reveal that deeper financial health indicators such as long-term savings, investment participation, insurance uptake, pension coverage, and financial resilience remain considerably low among a large section of the population, particularly within the informal economy.

This exposes a structural gap within Uganda’s financial ecosystem. Access to financial services has improved faster than financial capability, financial stability, and financial preparedness.

For many years, financial products and financial education initiatives in Uganda were largely designed around the realities of formally employed individuals with predictable monthly income, structured payroll systems, collateral, and documented financial histories.

Meanwhile, the informal sector, whose income patterns are highly irregular and heavily dependent on daily economic conditions, continued growing without equivalent financial systems tailored to its realities.

As a result, many people in the informal economy still operate without structured budgeting systems, emergency funds, investment planning mechanisms, insurance protection, or long-term wealth preservation strategies. Financial decisions are often shaped by immediate survival needs rather than long-term financial sustainability because income itself remains uncertain and inconsistent.

The challenge of irregular income is one of the most significant drivers of poor personal financial management within the sector. Unlike salaried workers, most informal earners operate within unpredictable cash flow cycles influenced by inflation, weather patterns, fuel prices, customer demand, school seasons, family obligations, and broader economic disruptions. In such an environment, financial planning becomes difficult because income availability itself fluctuates constantly.

The FinScope findings further indicate that a significant percentage of Ugandans continue to experience budget deficits and financial vulnerability arising from unexpected expenses and income shocks. This means that many households operate without sufficient emergency buffers, forcing them to redirect income toward immediate consumption and crisis management instead of long-term asset accumulation.

Another major concern within the informal sector is the widespread absence of separation between business finances and personal finances.

Many small business operators rely on the same cash flow to sustain both household needs and business operations, making it difficult to preserve working capital or measure actual business performance.

Over time, this weakens business growth, limits reinvestment capacity, and traps many enterprises within cycles of subsistence rather than expansion.

The financial literacy gap also continues to undermine progress within the sector. While many informal earners possess strong entrepreneurial instincts and practical survival skills, a large percentage still lack access to practical financial education that directly addresses the realities of managing irregular income, debt control, cash flow planning, savings discipline, investment diversification, and long-term financial security. Much of the financial education available remains overly technical, urban-centered, or disconnected from the lived experiences of ordinary Ugandans operating small and informal enterprises.

At the same time, trust in formal financial systems remains relatively fragile among many informal workers. Financial institutions are still widely perceived as expensive, procedural, inaccessible, or insufficiently responsive to the realities of lower-income earners and small enterprises.

Transaction charges, documentation requirements, limited financial advisory support, and fear of formal systems continue to push many communities toward informal savings mechanisms and community-based financial arrangements.

Consequently, informal savings groups, rotating savings schemes, SACCOs, and village savings associations continue to play a critical role in expanding financial participation in underserved communities.

According to FinScope Uganda 2023, these informal financial groups remain heavily utilised, particularly among women, rural populations, and lower-income earners who often rely on them for savings, borrowing, and emergency financial support.

However, the absence of proper governance structures, financial controls, investment knowledge, and accountability systems within many of these groups exposes members to risks of fraud, mismanagement, leadership conflicts, and financial losses. In many cases, communities are attempting to solve complex financial challenges using structures that themselves require strengthening and professional support.

The rapid growth of digital finance has also introduced both opportunities and new risks within the informal economy. While digital platforms have expanded convenience and increased transaction accessibility, they have not automatically translated into stronger financial discipline or improved financial planning. Easy access to mobile credit and instant digital borrowing has, in some cases, increased impulsive spending and debt dependency among financially vulnerable users who lack adequate financial literacy support.

Uganda’s informal sector, therefore, presents a paradox within the country’s economic transformation journey. It remains highly active, resilient, innovative, and economically significant, yet financially fragile at both the household and enterprise level. Millions of people are participating in financial systems daily, but many continue doing so without adequate financial protection, structured planning systems, investment pathways, or long-term wealth-building mechanisms.

Addressing this crisis will require Uganda’s financial inclusion agenda to evolve beyond measuring access alone. The next phase of financial sector development must focus on strengthening financial health, financial capability, and financial resilience within underserved communities. This will require financial institutions, policymakers, fintech companies, SACCOs, regulators, and financial educators to intentionally design systems and educational frameworks that respond to the realities of irregular income earners rather than assuming the financial behavior patterns of formally employed individuals.

The future of financial inclusion in Uganda will not simply depend on how many people can access financial services, but on how effectively financial systems can help ordinary citizens build stability, manage risk, preserve income, and transition from economic survival towards long-term financial security.

Students say exam pressure is becoming unbearable, blaming it on overloaded revision schedules, public shaming over marks, inadequate counselling, and poor study guidance.

They urge schools to adopt humane academic practices and protect mental health.

During exam season, teachers often rush to complete syllabi, packing 12 hours of non-stop coaching into a single day. By 4pm, your brain is completely fried.

Schools should introduce light revision schedules during mock and final exam weeks, with mandatory breaks.

Dedicating even 30 minutes every Friday to stress-relief activities-like class sports, music, or guided peer talks-would help us recharge and stay focused.

Ivan Kizito, S4, Mengo Senior School

A lot of our anxiety comes directly from how results are communicated. When teachers read out mock marks publicly or warn us about failing Uneb every morning, it creates panic instead of motivation.

Schools need to train staff to give one-on-one constructive feedback. When a teacher sits down with you privately to explain where you missed marks and how to correct them, it builds confidence instead of fear.’

Sarah Akwero, S6, Mengo Senior School

The biggest cause of stress is not knowing how to revise effectively. Many students cram endlessly because they don’t understand Uneb question framing or marking schemes.

Schools should hold practical exam-technique workshops early in the term. Providing past papers alongside clear examiner marking guides gives us a roadmap, taking away the guesswork and fear of the unknown.

Prossy Nalubega, S4, Mengo Senior School

Exam stress doesn’t start and end at school-it follows us home. Parents often demand Aggregate 8 or 20 points without realising how tough the competition is.

Schools should invite parents to pre-exam orientation meetings to sensitize them on how to support their children emotionally rather than piling on unbearable pressure.

Amina Hussein, S4, Kololo Senior Secondary School

In many day and boarding schools, night preps run too late into the night, leaving students with barely four hours of sleep. A tired brain cannot perform well in an exam room.

School administrators should enforce strict sleep schedules during exam periods and ensure students get proper, nutritious meals to keep their energy and concentration levels high.

Daniel Ochen, S4, Kololo SSS

Examinations should be made normal to students by giving out more small tests/assignments along the way before the final examinations.

Rachael Ahimbisibwe, S5 Mbarara High School

Teachers should actually teach us how to revise, not just say ‘go revise’. Half of us don’t even know how to study properly, we just panic and reread the textbook’. A proper session on revision techniques would help.

Christopher Gumisiriza, S3 St. John’s Rutsya Secondary School

It is honestly stressful when teachers pile on more work right before exams. Some free periods or light days closer to exams would help way more.They should at least give us a chill period before exams, not extra homework.

Rebecca Natumanya, S2 Kaberebere COU Secondary School

Examinations shouldn’t all be put in the same week. Like, why do I have Mathematics, Chemistry and History finals back to back?

A day gap should be given for proper revision instead of cramming everything at once.

Maurice Ainamani, S5 St. John’s Rutsya Secondary School

Let us talk to someone if we’re stressed, without it being a whole thing.

A counsellor or even just a teacher we trust can do better, without everyone finding out or it going on some record. Sometimes we just need to vent before we explode.

Elijah Ddumba, S6 Mbarara High School

Reading out marks or ranking students after examinations in class makes it worse. Some of them are already anxious enough without being compared to everyone else out loud.They should approach a student at a time to advise where to do better and not publish their failures.

Esther Nakibuule, S3 Kaberebere COU Secondary School

Schools should be giving us continuous tests to get us used to exams, so that by the time exams come, everything is normal to us’

Agatha Nantale, S5, Bishop Cyprian Kihangire SSS, Luzira.

They should give students sample papers and corrections all the time.

Slavia Okumu, S5, St John SSS. Bweyogerere.

Schools should be giving us at least one resting day in between the exams, not back-to-back exams

Joyce Babirye, S4, Brothers of the Sacred Heart Project Uplift Mutungo Biina

Schools should 1st understand how each of us is treated at home, before giving us exams. Some students do a lot of chores at home and barely have time to read, which brings exam pressure, hence stressing us.

Brian Ayesiga, S2, Luzira SSS.

Schools should help us get used to papers through regular assignments to help ease the pressure that comes with exams

Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), in partnership with the Ministry of Works and Safe Way Right Way, has launched a safety campaign dubbed ‘Safe Tracks. Safe Roads. Safe Lives’ aimed at averting railway crashes at level crossings.

URC Managing Director Mr Benon Kajuna said the campaign targets motorists, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and communities living and operating along the railway reserve.

‘Accidents involving trains and road users in Uganda and globally are relatively few compared with those involving other modes of transport, especially road transport; however, they can be destructive when they occur, resulting in serious injury, loss of life and property, and the damage they cause,’ Mr. Kajuna said.

He expressed concern over rising disregard for safety at crossings. ‘We have noted with concern that many road users continue to disregard instructions from the level crossing guards, pedestrians along the corridor and on the railway lines,’ Mr. Kajuna said.

As a short-term measure, he announced that all high-risk level crossings across the country will be fitted with manual barriers. ‘All high-risk level crossings across the country will be fitted with manual barriers as a short-term safety measure to strengthen control and reduce the risk of accidents, while long-term solutions are being pursued, with the automation of level crossings remaining our long-term objective,’ he added.

The campaign follows several incidents and near misses at level crossings.

On December 19, 2025, a fatal crash at the Wankoko level crossing in Bugolobi, a Kampala suburb, involving a Commuter Train Service travelling from Kampala to Namanve and a private motor vehicle claimed the life of American national Savannah Gardner.

Last month, a bus carrying students and teachers from Mwebaze High School which was coming from Mukono towards Jinja collided with a train at Namumira Level Crossing in Mukono District, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries.

Sgt David Mwanje, the Officer in-Charge of Railway Police at Kyetume and Namumira level crossings, who was seen in a viral video flagging down the ill-fated bus, recounted the incident.

‘The train had reached and had reduced its speed because there is a stage around that place where passengers embark on the train,’ Sgt Mwanje said. He added that after realising the bus was going to hit the train, he survived by falling into a trench.

He said he had stopped taxis, trucks and boda boda riders, but the bus failed to stop. Sgt Mwanje theorized that the driver refused to stop because he had ‘some issues’, or thought that he was a policeman on a routine traffic stop that would see him penalized.

Earlier, URC Spokesperson Mr John Linnon Ssengendo said preliminary findings indicated that the bus driver failed to comply with traffic instructions at the crossing.

Authorities say the ‘Safe Tracks. Safe Roads. Safe Lives’ campaign will include public sensitization, increased deployment of crossing guards, and stricter enforcement at high-risk points along the railway corridor.

Ntare School, one of the country’s most prestigious secondary schools and a cradle of some of the region’s most influential leaders, celebrated 70 years of excellence, late July, with the anniversary serving as both a reflection on its distinguished past and a renewed commitment to shaping future generations.

The celebrations brought together hundreds of former students, education leaders, government officials and development partners to honour the school’s legacy, while mobilising support for its future.

Current headteacher Saul Rwampororo said the milestone goes beyond commemorating the institution’s history. ‘This anniversary is about reconnection and shared purpose,’ Rwampororo said during the launch of the celebrations.

‘It gives us a moment to reflect on our proud history while also engaging alumni and partners to help shape the next chapter of the nature story.’ He said the school remains committed to the values of discipline, integrity and service that have defined it for seven decades.

According to Mr Rwampororo, the anniversary presented an opportunity to strengthen partnerships that will support infrastructure development, mentorship programmes and improved learning opportunities for future generations.

The celebrations were also a rallying point for the Ntare School Old Boys Association (NSOBA), whose leaders say the occasion is a call for alumni to invest in the institution that helped shape their lives.

NSOBA chairman Apollo Kashanku described the 70-year milestone as more than a celebration of past achievements.

‘As Ntare marks 70 years of excellence, we are reflecting on a legacy built on discipline, integrity and service. More importantly, we are reaffirming our commitment to the future, inviting all alumni and partners to be part of what comes next,’ he said.

Kashanku said the celebrations offered former students spread across Uganda and the world an opportunity to reconnect while inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Over the years, Ntare School has earned a reputation as one of Uganda’s leading centres of learning and leadership.

Its alumni include President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and former Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose time at the school has often been cited as a symbol of the institution’s regional influence.

The school has produced a long list of prominent public figures, including former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, former deputy premier Eriya Kategaya, former ministers John Nasasira, Elioda Tumwesigye, Tarsis Kabwegyere, Fred Ruhindi, James Nsaba Buturo, Richard Kaijuka, current Internal Affairs Minister Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, Prof Charles Kwesiga, Lt Gen Fred Mugira, and many others.

Other distinguished alumni include former Rwandan Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Mazimhaka, educationist Prof Elly Katunguka and retired Justice Jotham Tumwesigye.

The school’s influence extends beyond politics, with former students making significant contributions in medicine, engineering, academia, diplomacy, literature, entrepreneurship and sports.

With its enduring motto, Better Your Best, Ntare School hopes the platinum jubilee will inspire both its old boys and current students to continue pursuing excellence while preserving the values that have defined it as one of East Africa’s most celebrated schools.

Members of Parliament from the Lango Sub-region on Monday toured the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City to get first-hand assurance that the mega facility will be ready to host matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The delegation, led by Lango Parliamentary Group Chairperson Mr. Patrick Ogwang Obura, inspected the sprawling construction site, assessed workmanship, engaged the contractor’s technical team, and listened to concerns from the local community.

What they found, the lawmakers said, was encouraging. The Shs470 billion stadium being built by Egyptian firm SAMCO National Construction Company is advancing steadily.

“We have gone round it. We have seen the work in progress. We have seen very steady work that is promising,” Mr Ogwang Obura told journalists at the site.

He thanked President Museveni for fulfilling a pledge to the sub-region and commended the contractor.

“As chairman, Lango Parliamentary Group, once again, I want to thank the President for promising Lango and for fulfilling it. You can stand here and see a mega project of the stadium. We also want to thank the leadership of SAMCO, and the technical team, for ensuring that this project is delivered,” Mr. Ogwang Obura said.

Timeline pushes into 2027

Project Manager Eng. Mohammed Nazih told the legislators that works had reached the 75 percent mark as of Monday.

But MPs cautioned that the initial December 2026 completion date cited to Parliament may no longer hold.

“The Project Manager, we have seen the progress you’re making. It is promising, though in Parliament, we are told by December you would be done with this project. But from this visit, we are now learning that this may go up to January or February,” one legislator noted.

The contractor’s revised schedule shows construction began on May 3, with completion now set for February 2, 2027 – just weeks before AFCON kicks off.

Access road and community concerns

The inspection also exposed infrastructural gaps. While a 1.8-kilometre access road to the stadium has been built, MPs found its width inadequate for the expected traffic of vehicles and spectators.

To address this, the Lango Parliamentary Group said it will push for negotiations with Uganda Prisons Service to acquire neighboring land to widen the road.

Lawmakers also flagged the need for a formal profiling and compensation exercise for community members affected by the project, to ensure all legal and social obligations are honoured before momentum toward AFCON 2027 is lost.

The group thanked the technical teams, contractor, and local community for their cooperation, describing the stadium as more than infrastructure – “a unifying symbol for football fans and residents alike” – that will rise under the watch of the City Mayor and the Resident City Commissioner.

About the project

The Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium is financed by the Government of Uganda, with the National Council of Sports as client. President Yoweri Museveni flagged off construction of the 20,000-seat facility on January 29, following the contract signing with SAMCO on December 6, 2024. The contractor was given 20 months to deliver.

Once complete, the stadium will feature a 20,000-seat main bowl with an athletics track, training facilities with at least two changing rooms, a 2,000-seat multi-sport indoor arena, a 25-metre semi-Olympic swimming pool, and outdoor courts for basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton.

Other components include a 1,000-vehicle parking facility, a fully furnished clubhouse, a 60-room hostel, five sports pitches, a borehole, plus roads, utilities, ICT systems, a sewerage treatment plant, landscaping, perimeter fencing and security systems as Lira positions itself to host continental football in 2027.

At least 25 percent of learners in Ugandan schools miss school due to violence, according to a report by a lecturer at Makerere University.

Eddy Joshua Walakira, a professor of Social Work, Children and Youth, says corporal punishment tops the list of forms of violence meted out at school.

‘Despite various interventions to end violence against children, the vice is still very much entrenched. A quarter or 25 percent of school children, or 1 in every 4 girls and 1 in every 6 boys, miss school due to violence,’ Mr Walakira said.

‘The most common form of violence is corporal punishment, followed by emotional violence. Sexual violence is not widespread, but mostly it affects girls, although some boys are also victimised. There is also a lot of bullying.’

Mr Walakira’s report came during a two-day National Good School Symposium organised by Raising Voices from June 30 to July 1, 2026. The symposium was held under the theme, ‘Together creating good schools where every child can thrive.’

According to Prof Walakira, violence within the school environment affects both boys and girls and is mainly triggered by teachers obsessed with good grades, followed by some students.

‘Violence is mostly from teachers within the school system, but peer-to-peer violence is also common,’ he added.

‘The way forward is to improve the school culture to do away with the belief that children can’t perform well without being caned.’

He explained that violence against children affects their academic performance and general growth, emphasising the need to prevent the vice effectively to promote a violence-free school environment.

According to him, sensitising teachers and learners and reactivating measures to punish the perpetrators of violence could help solve the problem at hand.

He advised schools to embrace positive discipline to substitute violent corrective measures.

Prof Walakira’s call is for teachers to strive to find out the cause of a child’s poor performance, so that necessary support can be rendered.

‘Find out why the child is performing poorly. It could be that the teaching is not good, or the student comes to school when they are hungry, or the learning environment is not conducive. There could be a whole range of factors,’ he explained.

In response, the Minister of State for Primary Education, Ms Phyllis Chemutai, acknowledged that violence against children remains an issue of concern.

‘Recently, a teacher boxed a student to death. Rape and sexual harassment still exist,’ he said.

‘My prayer is that the teachers respect their code of conduct and respect girls. Their work is to teach, not to rape or harass the learners. During my school days, some teachers could send girls to take books to their homes and end up abusing them sexually. The question is, how do we build a culture where violence is rejected even when no one is watching?’

Mr Hassan Mulusi, a technical advisor on violence against children at Raising Voices organisation, asked educationists to be intentional in ending violence against children.

‘Government has made commitments to prevent violence against children in schools, civil society has interventions in schools, and we would like to share how those interventions are impacting a child. The learners, too, have a role to play in ending violence,’ he said.

Mr Mulusi noted that the good school tool kits that Raising Voice developed and distributed to about 2500 primary and secondary schools in a bid to end the issue at hand.

‘The kits have empowered learners with information that encourages them to speak out in case they are confronted with violence among others,’ he said.

UNICEF report

A recent United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report mirrors Mr Walakira’s findings, showing that most children in Uganda have experienced physical violence that threatens and halts their holistic and positive development – 59 per cent of girls and 68 per cent of boys.

Mr Mondo Kyateeka, assistant Commissioner for Youth and Children’s Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said it is the responsibility of everybody to ensure that children are safe, thrive, learn, and progress through school.

‘All of us must play our part. Things don’t just happen, but they are made to happen. We must be the architects of a non -violent ecosystem that will support children to stay in school,’ he said while wondering why only about 800,000 children complete the primary school level cycle in a country where 2 million babies are born annually.

‘You need to ask District Education Officers, school inspectors, the teachers, teachers, and parents, are we being accountable?’ he questioned.

Ms Blessing Nahurira, S6, St Joseph’s Secondary School Nkoni, Lwengo district, says a good school goes beyond having good buildings and large compounds, but promotes a conducive environment where students are given platforms to share their ideas and concerns.

Violence-free environment

Doreen Kemigisa of Tooro High School in Fort Portal City says a good school is violence-free and embraces positive discipline.

Child rights in Uganda are primarily protected by the 1995 Constitution, the Children Act, and key regional and international treaties.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which Uganda ratified in 1990, commits to protecting children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).

Police in Jinja City have arrested a 41-year-old man accused of impersonating a freelance journalist with Nation Media Group (NMG), the parent company of Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, among others.

The suspect, identified as Edwin Mayende, a resident of Buyanja B Village, Bukungu Town Council in Buyende District, was arrested in the Golf Course area of Jinja City on Monday.

Among the documents found on him was a curriculum vitae (CV) indicating that he studied at Elgon View Primary School, Seeta College Mukono and Tororo Progressive Academy. He later attended the Uganda Institute of Business and Media Studies in Kampala, where he obtained a diploma in Business, Media and Journalism.

Kiira Regional Police spokesperson James Mubi said Mr Mayende was found in possession of forged documents.

‘He has forged documents, including a national ID and a workers’ ID. He has been masquerading as a freelance journalist working with Daily Monitor,’ Mr. Mubi said.

Police said they moved to verify his claims with both the local bureau and NMG headquarters.

‘We engaged the bureau chief of Jinja City, Daily Monitor, to verify whether he was a staff member, but he had never been part of the organisation. We also went ahead to verify with the headquarters in Kampala, and he was not in the database,’ Mr Mubi said.

A backpack containing several items was also recovered and is being examined as part of the investigation.

‘Our Crime Intelligence team is thoroughly interrogating him because we have to establish other criminal activities he may have been involved in,’ Mr Mubi said.

Mr Mubi warned against impersonating journalists or using forged documents to commit crimes.

‘These are the people who snatch mobile phones and can even go ahead to rape our people. These are the people involved in criminal activities,’ he said.

He said the suspect will be arraigned once investigations are complete.

‘When our inquiry is complete, he is going to be taken to court and remanded to Kitalya,’ Mr. Mubi said.

He also appealed to young people to shun crime. ‘This is an appeal especially to the youth: be productive and do lawful activities. You will not succeed if your aim is to commit crime,’ he said.

Mr. Mubi said police are committed to keeping Jinja safe for residents and visitors.

‘Our aim is to make Jinja the number one tourist destination in Africa. That is why we do not treat any case as minor. Whether a case is minor or major, to us it is major,’ he said.

The Uganda Meteorology Authority recently confirmed what most people are feeling. It is the dry season, and the sun will be up in the sky bright and early, almost every day. It is also the season when the air will be thin and most likely to be polluted with dust, owing mostly to the condition of our roads.

This all comes after the country won its fight against the Ebola outbreak, which required many to maintain social distancing and extreme hygiene.

The Ministry of Health has encouraged schools to apply the standard operating procedures as a way of preventing infections for this hemorrhagic fever, which has caused untold havoc in neighboring countries.

In addition to this, the prevailing weather situation could also lead to an explosion of a recurring ailment – influenza or flu and cough, which can be disruptive to a learner’s life.

Several learners are asking to return home to rest and recover, while others may also be hospitalized.

Those on treatment are juggling numerous remedies, from various syrups to tablets and intravenous fluids; most do not avail. Others, desperate for a break, have resorted to unconventional treatments, including concoctions.

Many parents are wondering whether this ailment is immune to the various conventional remedies. They are anxious to hear from health professionals, who they hope can avoid turning this into a money-spinning exercise, instead of finding a viable cure.

In a situation where everyone who is coughing is suffering from a viral infection that is spread through antibiotics that seem to mask the source of the bacteria, there is increased anxiety when the remedy is not curing the ailment.

So, what is being done to avoid illness altogether appears radical as teachers and parents are once again emphasizing the use of face masks among the school community to avoid infections.

Apart from this, schools and parents, where possible, should encourage learners to consume honey as a preventive remedy in the case of a cough.

Recommended by health workers and nutritionists, lemon and ginger can be provided in warm drinks, particularly for those who do not usually suffer from ulcers.

Police in Rakai District are investigating how a mother and her seven-year-old daughter died in a community spring well on Sunday evening.

The tragic incident occurred at Kyaluwakula Village, Lwanda sub-county, where Majorine Nanyange, 7, and her mother Olivia Nakibirango, 21, drowned.

According to locals, Nanyange had gone with her colleagues to fetch water. She drowned in the process, and the children returned home to report that she had died in the water source.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that Nakibirango then entered the well in an attempt to rescue her daughter, but she too drowned.

Mr Gabriel Kakulu, the village chairperson, has warned parents against sending children to open water sources alone.

‘I warn parents against sending children alone to water sources, they should always be under the watch of older people if they are to fetch water from spring wells,’ he said.

He said a farmer who was attending to his tomato garden near the well tried to rescue the pair but arrived too late.

‘The farmer tried to save the duo, but he failed, and by the time other people came, they could also not do much, but to call police who managed to get the bodies out of the well. This should serve as an eye-opener to parents to stop sending children alone to open water sources to avoid such shocking incidents,’ he added.

Southern Regional Police Spokesperson, Twaha Kasirye, confirmed the incident.

‘Police have removed the bodies and handed them to relatives for burial,’ he said.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing.