Category: Daily Monitor

As universities prepare to shift from knowledge-based teaching to Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET), the Ministry of Education and Sports has told academics it’s time to adapt or be left behind.

Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda said lecturers and professors must be ready for a system that demands practical skills over theory.

‘The learning and teaching process at this level won’t be business as usual,’ she warned.

The directive follows a letter from Education Minister and First Lady Janet Museveni more than a year ago, asking universities and the National Council for Higher Education to retrain lecturers. The goal is to equip students with skills that match the realities of the job market after years of employer complaints about graduates lacking practical ability.

‘Competence-Based Education and Training is what we are set on,’ Turyagyenda said while officiating at the launch of a multi-million Euro EU-funded project at NCHE headquarters in Kampala on Monday, May 25.

She had a direct message for senior academics: ‘Those participating in the pilot should be ready to unlearn, learn and relearn, especially the professors. You have done something for such a long time to be called professors but you need to commit yourselves to start unlearning, learning and relearning. It is no longer as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be for ever. We want tangible results, not theories, not results on a piece of paper but the capacity to do something.’

The project, Proliferation of Local Expertise in the Development of a Green-Growth Economy (PLEDGE), is worth pound 1 million, about Shs4.3 billion. It aims to close the gap between classroom training and industry needs by embedding CBET in universities, with a focus on coffee, tourism, and horticulture value chains.

Partners include Mountains of the Moon University as coordinator, Uganda Martyrs University, Bukalasa Agricultural College, Management Institute of Science and Technology, and international institutions like HSWT and Ghent University.

NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol said CBET is the most effective way to make higher education relevant.

‘It emphasises practical skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation, and application of knowledge to real-life situations. We must move beyond theoretical instruction and focus more on producing graduates with competencies that match labour market needs and national development priorities,’ she said.

NCHE has already released standards for CBET implementation and is training staff through regional training-of-trainers sessions. The council also plans to support a national policy on greening sectoral skills, an intersectoral supervision board, and a Green Competence Framework.

Mr. Marko Stojanovic, Head of Training Academy at Western Balkans Institute in Serbia, said PLEDGE will support restructuring of study programmes in tourism, coffee, and horticulture over the next four years.

Dr. Vicent Ssembatya, Director of Quality Assurance and Accreditation, noted that universities will need to invest heavily in infrastructure and retool staff to deliver the new curriculum.

Mountains of the Moon University Vice Chancellor Prof. Pius Coxwell Achanga said the university has already set up a CBET committee and costed a Shs 4 billion roadmap to retool staff and upgrade facilities.

‘Why should someone study Agriculture for all those years and end up riding a boda-boda?’ he asked.

Universities and other higher education institutions are expected to begin implementing the CBET curriculum in the 2027/2028 academic year.

When Meghan Ineza Mirembe was born in August 2025 in Uganda, her parents immediately noticed something unusual. Her rich, deep brown skin carried a distinct, unnatural yellowish undertone that stood out clearly against her natural complexion.

‘From birth, the baby had what is called jaundice,’ recounts Derrick Charles Ssembatya, Mirembe’s father. Jaundice is a condition that causes yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and signals liver problems. Mr Ssembatya says they never received a proper diagnosis in Uganda, and as a result, they could not find any meaningful solution to save their daughter. ‘We went to many hospitals in Uganda. We spent a lot of money on treatment. But we did not get so much help here at home,’ he narrates. Amid this, the baby’s stomach started swelling due to the accumulation of fluid in the belly.

Mr Ssembatya did not give up on her daughter.

‘We got in touch with a friend who also had a liver problem. The friend connected us to Dr Jennifer in India,’ he recounts.

Mr Ssembatya says they got in contact with a liver transplant team at Artemis Hospital, one of the leading hospitals in liver care and transplant in babies in India.

‘We were well received. The doctors made investigations, blood tests, scans and established that our baby’s liver was already damaged and that the hepatic portal vein (HPV) that supplies 75 percent of blood to the liver did not grow,’ he says. Mr Ssembatya says they had to take a difficult decision, whereby the mother had to donate part of her liver. The doctors also had to extract a vein from the neck to give to the baby.

‘After preparations were done, the day came for the transplant. The transplant was done by Dr Giriraj Singh Bora and the team at the liver transplant unit. It was successful,’ he adds.

The condition Dr Bora, a liver transplant surgeon at Artemis Hospital in India, says they diagnosed the baby with biliary atresia, a rare condition in which the bile ducts are absent or blocked. The bile duct is a tubular structure which collects bile from the liver and takes it to the small intestines. Bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the liver and its primary function is to break down and absorb dietary fats in the small intestine.

‘Unfortunately, this bile duct did not develop in baby Meghan, and because of this, she was suffering from jaundice since birth. The other consequence was that fluid started accumulating inside her belly,’ he explains.

According to a study report by Carolina Jimenez-Rivera from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Canada, ‘Biliary atresia, a serious liver disease of infancy, which has an estimated prevalence of 5 to 10 per 100,000 births, is the leading indication for paediatric liver transplantation worldwide.’ Dr Bora says the transplant could have been avoided if the condition had been diagnosed within three months after birth. Delays caused damage to the liver that could not be reversed. ‘If you diagnose this problem early, you can perform a bypass procedure, but unfortunately, in the case of Meghan, this problem was undiagnosed for a long time. By the time she came to us, she had established liver cirrhosis. At this stage, liver transplantation remains the only life-saving option for these babies,’ he explains. Mr Ssembatya returned from India in early May.

‘The baby is okay. She’s recovering well, and post-care management is going on well. We want to thank the team at Artemis Hospital, and Dr Jenifer,’ he says.

‘We want to thank Dr Bora. We thank the liver transplant team and everyone who has supported us through all this.’

Support The family received treatment coordination and support from DoctoGenie Medical Assistance, which has been supporting and guiding many international patients seeking advanced treatment in India. Ms Jenifer Choudhary, the founder and director of DoctoGenie, says they facilitated communication between the family, doctors and hospital teams to ensure smooth treatment support throughout Baby Meghan’s successful treatment journey.

‘With each passing day, Baby Meghan’s condition in Uganda was deteriorating, so immediate action was our only option,’ she notes.

‘DoctoGenie Medical Assistance ensured priority coordination-securing top Pediatric Liver Transplant teams, providing clear cost break-ups, managing visa support, logistics, and end-to-end care in India, including assistance in-country High Commission approvals for the transplant,’ Ms Choudhary adds.

Mr Ssembatya says it cost Shs100 million for the liver transplant procedure. He said other costs related to staying in India, such as accommodation, feeding and travelling, came to about Shs40 million.

The National Council of Sports has warned that the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) will collapse if it fails to meet all registration requirements under the National Sports Act 2023 by the June 7 deadline.

NCS set June 7, 2026, as the deadline for all national sports organisations to meet the registration requirements under the new sports law.

But many sports bodies are still lagging behind the process, with several excuses. But since the law was passed in September 2023, boxing has generated the loudest and lingering noise because, by default the amateur and professional arms have been governed by different bodies, which the new law seeks to eliminate.

This sparked a dispute between UBF-the default amateur body-and the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission (UPBC), the custodian of professional boxing since 1988. While the law gives a natural advantage to UBF to regulate all boxing activities, because it was already registered under the old 1964 NCS Act, UPBC, who were licensed by the Ministry of Trade, refused to simply surrender the fight ‘because professional boxing is our business.’

The ideal end is that both bodies merge and form a new single body but both have disagreed on the means because the UBF president considers UPBC as ‘a mere bunch of promoters who simply need to get licenses from UBF and resume operations.’

UPBC says, ‘we cannot be licensed by a body whose formation and regulations we did not contribute to.’

Stakeholder meetings have been held by the sports minister and NCS. But the back and forth has delayed the UBF registration process, with now just a week to the deadline.

‘If the boxing federation fails to meet the deadline, they will collapse and remain just a sports discipline, but not registered and recognised by NCS. And therefore, as government, we will refer to them as promoters of boxing,’ NCS general secretary Bernard Patrick Ogwel told the press on Monday.

‘Even by the time you apply, you will be a promoter. Now we shall look at the nitty-gritty of compliance areas that you will have addressed. And if we see that you have complied, you will be issued a certificate as a fully recognised national sports organisation. That’s where most of them are.’

Ogwel further warned: ‘And by the way, there’s going to be consequences for impostors. For federation members who fail, at that point your authority will expire, and therefore you will be relegated…And if you want to operate illegally, the law will take its course.’

NCS gave an exemption to bodies like the Uganda Paralympic Committee (UPC), following guidance from the attorney general, ‘that the Sports Act shall be amended to accommodate UPC in its unique institutional form.’ Interestingly, boxing was not considered among the unique cases.

Meanwhile, boxing is one of the bodies whose registration faced formal objections. The NCS thus reminded such bodies that their respective remedial compliance periods expire in July and August, ‘after which failure to fully comply shall result in automatic rejection of the application and revocation of certificates of recognition in accordance with the law.’

The registration priority under the new law was given to only those bodies initially recognised and registered by NCS.

But once a sports body loses its status, Ogwel warned that NCS will open up the floor for anyone willing to apply for registration to run that sport under a federation or association.

Gators’ Ethani Ssengooba showed consistency in accumulation of points over three months to top the 17 and Over boys’ category in the 2026 Uganda Aquatics National Swimming League that climaxed May 17 at Kabojja International School, Buziga.

Ssengooba, who won their 100m butterfly (58.45) in one of the final weekend’s races, accumulated 271 points over three legs of the league to finish ahead of Torpedoes’ Kyle Kaweesa (265.5 points) and Dolphins’ Pendo Kaumi (248), who won their 200m individual medley in 2:20.52.

Aqua Akii’s Tendo Mukalazi won their 100m freestyle in 51.79 seconds as Ssengooba (53.53) and the Mwase brothers Mathew (54.55) and Arthur (55.91), from Sailfish, followed. Mathew (2:19.13) and Arthur (2:24.50) also followed Gators’ Shaun Murungi (2:18.49) in the 200m backstroke.

Mukalazi also won their 50m breaststroke (28.79) while swimming in the penultimate heats but Kyle (29.51) and Aqua Akii’s Nathan Nsereko (29.83) joined him in swimming under 30 seconds.

For the 17 and Over girls, Aquatic Academy Kampala’s Rahmah Nakasule has stayed at the summit from the onset in February and topped the age group with 337 points ahead of Makerere University’s Chloe Mulogo (289) and Altona’s Blessing Kaitesi (275).

Nakasule won the senior girls’ 100m fly in 1:09.83 and 200m backstroke in 2:41.90 then finished second (1:03.40) behind Altona’s Tara Kisawuzi (1:02.77) in the 100m free. Kisawuzi also won the 200m IM in 2:41.98 while Gators’ Swagiah Mubiru topped the 50m breaststroke in 36.62.

15-16 years

For the 15-16 boys, Torpedoes’ Jonathan Kaweesa did not only dominate the overall tally with 347 points but he was also wound up the league with five wins in their 100m fly (1:01.80), 200m back (2:25.87), 100m free (56.06), 50m breaststroke (32.58), and 200m IM (2:23.38).

In the girls’ category, Gators’ Paloma Kirabo almost did the same winning the 100m fly (1:11.75), 200m back (2:37.08), and 200m IM (2:40.29) but finished second overall with 312 points behind Dolphins’ Theresa Kikambi (326), who won the 50m breaststroke in 37.79 some few microseconds ahead of Altona’s Abigail Mwagale (37.90) and Aqua Akii’s Angella Businge (37.91). Crystal Ssemanda topped the 100m free in 1:03.53.

13-14 years

Imara Aquatics’ Arthur Nsubuga showed incredible point collection by topping the 13-14 boys’ group, with 323.5 points – just 0.5 points ahead of Torpedoes’ Elijah Ayesiga.

Nsubuga is not a big medal collector but swims everything to collect points. Ayesiga, on the other hand, won the 50m breaststroke (33.98) and 200m IM in 2:28.23 – a few microseconds ahead of Black Panthers’ Benjamin Ssali (2:28.88). Ssali won the 100m fly (1:03.98).

Ssali was also microseconds (58.72) behind Dolphins’ Manuel Ssemanda in the 100m free (58.45) while Altona’s Adam Katumba won the 200m back (2:24.19).

For the girls, Gliders’ Tyrah Muganzi collected 329 points to top the age group but on the final weekend she also won the 100m fly (1:07.74). Second-placed Zara Mbanga (317 points), from Jaguar, took the ‘gold medals’ in the 200m IM (2:33.79), 50m breaststroke (36.23), 100m free (1:02.72), and 200m back (2:33.90).

11-12 years

Otters’ Shane Mugenyi threatened to top the 11-12 boys’ group when he won their 100m fly in 1:09.20. But Imara’s Kristian Bwisho engaged different gears to win their 200m back (2:37.66), 100m free (1:00.17), 50m breaststroke (34.26), and 200m IM (2:32.33) races in order to top the category with 349 points – 10 more than Mugenyi.

In the girls’ category, 11 year old Mushirah Nabatanzi, from Aquatic Academy, ended the debate that swimmers struggle when they advance to new age groups as she topped it with 336 points – ahead of Imara’s Alba Ihunde with 322.

Ihunde topped the 200m IM (2:44.09) and 100m fly (1:16.37) – 17 microseconds ahead of Nabatanzi. The latter avenged by taking the 50m breaststroke in 38.79 – 16 microseconds ahead of Ihunde. Dolphins’ Jinan Nakato, who finished third with 308 points, 200m back (2:44.83) and 100m free (1:04.64).

10 and Under

Aqua Akii’s Tzion Tamale topped the 10 and Under boys with 226.5 points – just one ahead of Ozprey’s Geremiah Opolot, who won their 100m free in 1:10.96.

Dolphins’ Isaac Gabriel Isabirye won their 50m breaststroke in 40.07 while Tamale’s teammate Kyle Asiimwe took the 100m fly in 1:26.51.

For the youngest girls, third-placed Blessing Namugga (218 points), from Vision for Africa, took the 50m breaststroke in 41.08 while group winner Aya Adams (236.5 points – 12 more than Otters’ Gabrielle Amaya) won their 100m free (1:11.64) and fly (1:23.55) to continue lifting new club Blue Whales Aquatic Ventures’ flag high.

1500m free

Meanwhile in the open category’s 1500m free, Gators’ Kirabo won the girls’ race in 19:41.85 and was followed by Mbanga in 20:00.92 and Dolphins’ Mackayla Ssali (20:21.56).

For the boys, three went under 19 minutes while another five ensured they were also under 20 minutes. The race was won by Arthur Mwase in an incredible 18:01.55. He was followed by Gators’ Benjamin Lutaaya (18:34.89) and Immelman Akubu (18:55.00), and Sailfish’s Robin Vandenhoeke (18:56.06).

Former presidential candidate and leader of the opposition Alliance for National Transformation [ANT] party, Rtd Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, has said Uganda’s fight against corruption will fail unless the country strengthens institutions responsible for accountability and justice rather than selectively targeting individuals.

Speaking during a meeting with candidates and coordinators from the Ankole sub-region to review lessons from the recently concluded elections, Rtd Maj Gen Muntu said corruption in Uganda had become deeply entrenched and systemic, requiring broad institutional reforms.

Uganda loses more than Shs10 trillion annually to corruption, according to data from the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), with watchdog agencies repeatedly warning that graft continues to undermine public service delivery and economic growth.

Gen Muntu said the recent corruption scandal involving former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among would not produce meaningful change unless government addresses structural weaknesses within anti-corruption institutions.

‘Corruption is systemic, it’s so deeply rooted. It’s even infiltrated the consciousness of the population and the country for that matter,’ Rtd Maj Gen Muntu said.

‘You cannot claim to be fighting corruption when you do it in a knee-jerk reaction and also use it in a discriminatory way. If you are going to systematically fight and eliminate corruption, you have to be indiscriminate. You must target anybody who is involved,’ he added.

He argued that a genuine anti-corruption campaign should be reflected in increased funding and independence for institutions such as the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), the Inspectorate of Government and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

‘If you want to see any government which is serious in fighting corruption, see the funding that they put behind the institutions which fight corruption,’ he said.

‘Look at the manner in which they motivate those who will be in CID, the manner in which they recruit and train young men and women who are disciplined, who are incorruptible themselves. Then you look at the money they put into IGG, the prosecution department and the crackdown on loopholes within the judiciary,’ he added.

Rtd Maj Gen Muntu warned that selective anti-corruption campaigns risk becoming political battles rather than genuine reform efforts.

‘It’s amazing when you find the corrupt roasting the corrupt. They must be above it themselves and consistent. But if you find it is only individuals fighting themselves targeting each other, then forget ending corruption,’ he said.

His remarks come amid mounting political scrutiny surrounding Ms Among, whose properties were recently searched by investigators over allegations of corruption, unexplained wealth and financial mismanagement. She has denied wrongdoing and maintains she is being politically targeted.

Rtd Maj Gen Muntu also urged ANT members to remain focused despite political setbacks and financial constraints, saying political transformation requires patience and resilience.

‘Liberation does not just come. It only takes the brave ones, the ones who are hopeful beyond the distractions,’ he said.

‘I call upon all of you not to look at what seems to be breaking our agenda because it is us to shape the Uganda that we need to be in. Politics affect our everyday life, so let us keep moving. Remember what you sow is what you reap,’ he added.

The ANT leadership said the ongoing post-election review meetings across the country would also serve as mobilisation drives after the party cited severe funding shortages during the recent electoral campaigns.

As Parliament bids farewell to a generation of legislators this year, few exits carry as much political symbolism as those of the former National Resistance Movement (NRM) rebel Members of Parliament . For nearly two decades, this group represented a rare brand of political courage within Uganda’s ruling party.

They challenged official positions, questioned powerful figures, resisted caucus pressure and, in some cases, paid a heavy political price for it. Among the most recognisable faces of that generation was former Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Niwagaba. An ex-seminarian and lawyer by profession, Niwagaba entered Parliament in 2006 on the NRM ticket after defeating the late Avitus Tibarimbasa.

At the time, he was part of a youthful and energetic crop of legislators that included Theodore Ssekikubo, Barnabas Tinkasimire, Henry Banyenzaki, Muhammad Nsereko and Dr Chris Baryomunsi. These were not ordinary backbenchers. At a time when many ruling party MPs were expected to simply defend government positions, the ‘rebel MPs’ built a reputation for scrutinising decisions within the NRM itself. They openly challenged controversial government actions, questioned corruption scandals and offered dissenting views on major national issues. Their popularity stemmed from their willingness to speak beyond party lines. Henry Banyenzaki became widely known during the Temangalo controversy involving the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and former prime minister Amama Mbabazi.

Dr Chris Baryomunsi attracted national attention when he publicly questioned the official narrative surrounding the death of former Butaleja Woman MP Cerinah Nebanda. Later, the group became even more prominent during debates surrounding the removal of the presidential age limit under Article 102(b) of the Constitution. While many MPs aligned themselves with the ruling establishment, the ‘rebel MPs’ openly resisted what they considered dangerous constitutional amendments. For many ordinary Ugandans, they represented a rare form of internal accountability within the ruling party. But political dissent within dominant political systems often comes at a cost.

Over time, relations between the rebel MPs and the NRM leadership deteriorated. Some were reportedly isolated within party structures, excluded from key caucus activities and treated with suspicion by sections of the establishment. Others faced disciplinary action, political hostility and growing pressure from within their own party. Eventually, the group began to fragment. Some members gradually aligned themselves with the establishment they once criticized. Others accepted government appointments. A few attempted to balance both worlds by maintaining elements of their reformist image while remaining politically connected to the centre of power. Now, with the 2026 elections bringing an end to many of these political careers, the era of the ‘rebel MPs’ appears to be closing. And perhaps that is the bigger story.

The fall of the ‘rebel MPs’ raises uncomfortable but important questions about the nature of Uganda’s politics today. Can politicians sustain independent political positions outside the protection of State power? Can ideological conviction survive the pressures of political survival, financial uncertainty and changing alliances? Ugandan politics has increasingly shown that many politicians, whether from the ruling party or Opposition, often drift toward the establishment after electoral defeat or prolonged political isolation. Recent political shifts involving figures once considered fierce government critics only reinforce that reality.

This is why the story of the ‘rebel MPs’ matters beyond individual personalities. It is ultimately a story about the cost of dissent within a dominant political system. As this generation exits Parliament, Uganda is left with a deeper national question: does the country still have room for independent-minded politicians willing to challenge power from within, or has political survival gradually replaced political conviction?

There was something fitting about Denis Onyango’s second Caf Champions League title arriving in disorder.

A red card from the bench. Bottles flying from the stands. Tempers stretched thin by tension, noise and history.

Then, at the end of it all, another gold medal around the neck of a goalkeeper who has spent nearly two decades building one of the greatest African careers of his generation.

Football rarely offers symmetry. Yet Rabat somehow did.

Ten years after Onyango stood at the centre of Mamelodi Sundowns’ first continental coronation under Pitso Mosimane, he was there again on Sunday as the South African giants drew 1-1 with AS Far Rabat to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory and reclaim the biggest prize in African club football.

Change of roles

Only this time, the role had changed. Back in 2016, Onyango was the towering figure in goal, leader and heartbeat of a team discovering itself at the highest continental level.

In 2026, he arrived at the final as veteran custodian, elder statesman and increasingly part-time footballer.

The legs no longer carry the same authority. Time sees to that eventually. But influence does not always disappear with minutes played. Sometimes it deepens.

‘Waking up as an African champion again feels sweeter after a huge win like that last night,’ Onyango said afterwards.

Then came the line that revealed what it meant to him.. ‘After 10yrs, the Caf Champions League title returns home – back where it belongs.’ It was less boast than belonging.

Sundowns have spent the last decade trying to convince the continent that they are Africa’s modern standard bearers. Expensive, ambitious, relentless.

But for all their domestic dominance, the Champions League had become an uncomfortable reminder of unfinished business. Until Rabat.

Rollercoaster of emotions

The night itself was brutal. Hostile. Moroccan finals tend to breathe with fury and this one did not disappoint.

Far Rabat led through Mohamed Hrimat’s penalty after 40 minutes and the stadium briefly tilted towards belief.

But Sundowns replied almost immediately through Teboho Mokoena’s superb finish, a goal that quietened the noise and shifted the pressure back into Moroccan lungs.

During the celebrations, Onyango became part of the chaos.

Objects were allegedly thrown towards the Sundowns bench and the Ugandan goalkeeper reacted by hurling a water bottle back towards the stands. The referee spotted it. Red card. Dismissed without playing a minute.

‘The final is an emotional game,’ Onyango admitted later. ‘I shouldn’t have done that with the experience I have, but that is football.’ And perhaps that too explains him.

Now into his fourth decade on earth, Onyango still feels matches rather than merely observing them. There remains a competitive edge beneath the calm exterior, the same edge that carried him from SC Villa to Ethiopia, then South Africa, and ultimately into African football royalty.

Ronwen Williams would later save another Hrimat penalty to preserve Sundowns’ advantage, but by then the emotional tide had already turned.

When the final whistle came, Onyango became one of only two remaining members of the Sundowns side that conquered Africa in 2016, alongside Themba Zwane. A decade apart. Two stars above the badge.

And somewhere in between, a Ugandan goalkeeper quietly built a legacy no player from his country has ever matched.

Onyango’s major club and individual accolades

12x PSL Champion

2x Caf Champions League

1x African Football League

1x Caf Super Cup

3x Telkom Cups

2x Nedbank Cups

1x MTN 8 Cup

1x African-based Player of the Year

Former Member of Parliament Gideon Onyango edged a tightly contested election to become the new chairman of the Pool Association of Uganda (PAU) , replacing outgoing Bob Trubish at an elective Extraordinary General Meeting held at Pope Paul Memorial Centre on Saturday.

Onyango, who unsuccessfully contested for the treasurer position in the 2024 elections, secured 39 votes alongside his running mate Meyan Yusuf Magomu to narrowly defeat former Technical Director Robert ‘Pipo’ Kayanja and Paul Okware, who garnered 36 votes.

The three-vote margin capped weeks of intense lobbying and brought to an end a turbulent leadership period for the association, which has recently struggled to align with requirements set by the National Council of Sports (NCS) under the new Sports Act.

Regional delegates decisive

Pool, despite its popularity across the country, has faced criticism over weak organisational structures, a factor that delayed its registration with NCS. The association was tasked to first organise fresh elections and present audited accounts dating back to 2023 before regaining full recognition.

‘This election was different because regional delegates were voting for the first time and that changed everything. I campaigned heavily among the regional delegates and that effort paid off,’ Onyango said after the victory.

His immediate tasks include securing a permanent office for the association, which currently operates from Kamwokya, and rebuilding relations with NCS.

But the race for General Secretary also attracted significant attention after incumbent Paul Wasike declined to seek re-election. Rogers Ssemanda defeated Jackson Edau 44-31 to take over the powerful office.

Ssemanda built his campaign around improving the image of the sport and creating partnerships through his experience at the Advanced Talent Agency (ATA). He had also emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the outgoing administration, twice pushing for Extraordinary General Meetings over concerns surrounding the association’s audited accounts.

Kayiiya victory sparks drama

Meanwhile, outspoken Muhammad Wasswa Kayiiya was elected Technical Director after polling 42 votes to beat incumbent Donald Ampumuza (14) and former Technical Director Ismail Nkata Kalibbala (18).

Kayiiya’s victory, however, came amid controversy after Wasike attempted to table a petition challenging his academic qualifications during the meeting. Wasike alleged that Kayiiya did not possess the minimum O-Level requirements, although no evidence was presented before the Electoral Committee.

Familiar faces return

Only three members from the previous executive committee retained slots on the new nine-member body.

Pius Akampa, who heads schools and institutions, returned unopposed, just like treasurer Cosmas Segawa from Masaka. George Katongole was elected Director of Public Relations after defeating Jondu Emmy 43-31. In the women’s affairs docket, Debborah Ibenu overcame Pool Cranes captain Amina Faith Nganda 42-32.

Fauzah Namuganza also completed a comeback to the executive after winning the clubs representative race against Capital Night’s Michael Kanaakulya by 41 votes to 33.

Namuganza said club owners and investors deserved greater respect within the sport. ‘The people investing their money in pool must have their voices heard,’ she noted.

The newly elected executive immediately faces a packed calendar, with qualifiers for the National Open expected to begin soon ahead of the finals pencilled for November.

New PAU Executive Committee

Chairman: Gideon Onyango

Vice chairman: Meyan Yusuf Magomu

General Secretary: Rogers Ssemanda

Technical Director: Muhammad Wasswa Kayiiya

Director of Public Relations: George Katongole

Clubs Representative: Fauzah Namuganza

Women Affairs: Debborah Ibenu

Treasurer: Cosmas Segawa

Schools and Institutions: Pius Akampa

Uganda Volleyball Cranes head coach Shilla Omuriwe has named the team that will represent Uganda in the CAVB Zone V Nations Qualifiers.

The team was revealed Tuesday morning through the Uganda Volleyball Federation social media channels.

Omuriwe, who is returning to the helm of the team she guided to fifth place in the 2021 African Championship, has gone with familiar faces.

Of the 14 players named, nine were part of the 2021 squad and will be familiar with the tactician’s ways.

George Aporu, Smith Okumu, Daudi Okello, Bernard Malinga and Emmanuel Elanyu are some of the seasoned campaigners trusted with delivering Uganda to the African championship again.

The five have been part of the national team set up for a while and carry the experience needed in the competition.

Rwandan based pair of Gideon Angiro and Marino Oboke will also play a big role.

Angiro made his debut for Uganda in 2021 and has since gone on to rise through ranks and become arguably Uganda’s most important player.

He turns out for Police Volleyball Club of Rwanda and played in the CAVB Men’s Club Championship final early this month.

Oboke features for Kepler and was Okumu’s understudy in Kigali, Rwanda five years ago.

Jonathan Tumukunde and Sharif Nabangi were also part of the team in 2021.

The new faces on the team include Duke Kyomukama, Mohammed Iga, Owen Omoding, John Bosco Opila and Willington Talemwa.

Uganda will face competition from teams like Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi and Tanzania in a bid to qualify for the continental showpiece slated for September in Kinshasa, Congo.

The zonal qualifiers will run from May 31 to June 5 at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium in Kampala.

CAVB Zone V Nations Qualifiers

Volleyball Cranes squad

Receiver Attackers

Gideon Angiro, George Aporu, Duke Kyomukama, Jonathan Tumukunde

Liberos

Emmanuel Elanyu, Sharif Nabanji

Setters

Marino Oboke, Smith Okumu

Opposites

Mohammed Iga, Daudi Okello

Middle Blockers

Owen Omoding, John Bosco Opila, Willington Talemwa, Bernard Malinga

A story titled ‘Busoga heritage site: Underutilised goldmine,’ which published in the Daily Monitor yesterday, succinctly describes how potential cash cows are not being milked in the Busoga Sub-region. Busoga, which is home to popular tourist attractions such as the Source of the Nile and Itanda Falls, also has many cultural and historical sites that can increase the number of tourists visiting the sub-region if they are promoted and the requisite infrastructure is put in place. Sites such as Mpumuire Hill, which serves as the coronation ground for the Kyabazinga (king) of Busoga, have the potential of attracting more tourists, both domestic and international, into the sub-region.

This can create more employment opportunities in the tourism value chain for locals and thereby improve standards of living in a sub-region where poverty is rampant. Other regions of the country also have several cultural and historical sites, potential cash cows, that have been neglected. Some of them have been encroached on and damaged. The central government should work with local governments and cultural institutions to ensure these sites are protected from encroachment. The authorities should invest in building infrastructure such as roads, and provide electricity and piped water to these sites. There is also a need to establish centres where locals can be taught foreign languages and how to properly guide tourists who visit these sites.

Entrepreneurs should be facilitated to build hotels, restaurants, and provide other services such as car rentals for tourists who visit these sites. These suggestions, if properly implemented, will enable tourists to enjoy their visits to these sites and come back for more of what they experienced on their previous visits. The happy tourist will also recommend the site to their relatives, friends, and colleagues. Developing these neglected sites into booming tourism sites will not only provide jobs for thousands of unemployed citizens but also increase revenue of the central government and local governments that directly manage these sites.

The revenue received from the tourism sector can be used to build more schools and hospitals. This money can be used to equip hospitals with the requisite tools, hire more health workers, and provide medicines to patients. The education sector can also benefit from the tourism revenue through procurement of textbooks, laboratory equipment, hiring of more teachers and paying them well, among others. These sites are also reservoirs of tradition and history and should, therefore, be safeguarded against destruction.