Category: Daily Monitor

The High Court Civil Division in Kampala has set July 7 to rule in the case in which five members of the Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands are challenging their suspension and subsequent expulsion from the club.

The applicants, Nelson Turyatemba, Ronald Samuel Wanda, Gladys Edwards Namala, John Martin Sekwe and Byamukama Robert dragged the leadership of Rotary International and several club officials to court over what they described as a violation of their rights to a fair hearing.

Through a February letter, signed by the Secretary of the club’s Disciplinary Committee, the affected members were suspended from all club platforms and activities.

However, the applicants challenged the decision by ten members of the club’s top leadership, including President Deborah Itwau Ongwech, Acting Secretary and Board member Bernard Ochan, Board Chairperson Dr Canon Charles Kahigiriza, and Disciplinary Committee Chairperson Medard Muganzi, among others.

This Publication learnt that on Monday, a court session was held at the High Court Civil Division at Tweed Tower in Kampala, in which Justice Bonny Isaac Teko set July 7 this year as the date for delivering the ruling in the matter.

Counsel Kakuru Tumusiime, the lawyer representing the applicants, argued that the suspensions were unlawful and violated his clients’ constitutional and procedural rights.

He is demanding that the expelled members be reinstated into the club, adding that their privileges, of attending the club meetings, fellowships and adding them back to the official WhatsApp forum, would help resolve the wrangles.

‘The Club leadership ignored all the rights provided for in the constitution by terminating the members of the club without following due process,’ Kakuru said.

The applicants are also seeking compensation in general damages, arguing that the club’s actions amounted to violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms, alongside other legal breaches.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Rotary leadership after the court session were unsuccessful, as representatives of the club declined to comment on the matter.

According to a February 24, 2026, letter from the club disciplinary committee seen by this publication, on November 10, 2025, one of the accused members reportedly used abusive language to a fellow club member, which the officials say was against the Club by-laws.

The letter further indicates that on November 10, 2025, one of the suspended members also allegedly performed the club duties without formal instructions, which officials say was against the club’s settings, intended to encourage, instigate and create malicious propaganda, among other claims.

Judicial officers have been urged to avoid wielding the authority of their office when conducting out-of-court settlement mediation sessions and instead adopt a more approachable and humane posture to help parties resolve disputes amicably.

Former Uganda Law Society president Francis Gimara said some judges become overly defined by their positions and carry the aura of judicial authority into mediation rooms, yet mediation requires a less formal and less intimidating environment.

‘There is one thing also: when you become a judge, I say this with a lot of respect, some judges lose the humanity bit of it. The judgeship defines who they are. Everything is: ‘I’m a judge,’ and you rub it in our faces, and we are reminded all the time, and we respect that, and our protocol to training respects that,’ Mr Gimara said.

He added: ‘But we would like you to move from that way of leadership. We are reminding judges that when you go into the mediation room, forget you are a judge; humanise yourself.’

The call was made on Monday during a training workshop for judicial officers on the effective handling of land matters, ahead of a major mediation exercise by the Land Division of the High Court.

His remarks sparked discussion among participating judges, with Justice Christine Kaahwa questioning how far judicial officers should go in lowering the barriers between themselves and litigants during mediation.

‘How far can you lower yourself as a judge because you might overdo it and the public starts to familiarise you, which is not good?’ Justice Kaahwa asked.

In response, Mr Gimara said judicial officers should strike a balance between being approachable and maintaining the dignity of their office.

‘There are things to avoid. Servant leaders share power unlike traditional leaders,’ he said, adding that judges should establish personal boundaries while embracing a more collaborative style of leadership during mediation.

Justice Olive Kazaarwe also sought guidance on how female mediators should conduct themselves, particularly during menopause, which she noted can be accompanied by mood swings that may affect interactions with parties.

The training comes as the Land Division of the High Court prepares for a two-week mediation exercise aimed at resolving about 500 land disputes through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Speaking at the event, Justice Prof. Andrew Khaukha, the Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), underscored the need for mediation as a tool to reduce the judiciary’s mounting case backlog.

Citing the Judiciary’s Annual Performance Report for the 2024/2025 financial year, Justice Khaukha said the courts are grappling with approximately 190,000 pending cases, of which about 35,000 are land-related disputes.

He noted that around 8,600 of those land matters are currently pending before the High Court’s Land Division.

‘Assuming the judiciary has all the money and everything is in place, and we make an assumption that a case is concluded every day, which is impossible, it will take us over 8,000 days to conclude the cases at the division,’ Justice Khaukha said.

Meanwhile, at a separate training for selected judicial officers on the handling of criminal matters, Justice Mike Chibita, the chairperson of the Governing Council of the Judicial Training Institute, stressed the growing importance of forensic science in modern criminal adjudication.

‘My Lords and Your Worships, we expect that at the end of this training you will have a functional understanding of forensic science. You will not become scientists. But you must understand what fingerprint identification, DNA analysis, computer forensics, and toxicology reports can and cannot tell you,’ Justice Chibita said.

He added that judicial officers would also be exposed to practical demonstrations of forensic tools and techniques.

Justice Chibita further challenged judges and magistrates to improve their understanding of digital evidence, warning that traditional approaches to electronic exhibits are increasingly inadequate.

‘Printing a screenshot of a messaging application and tendering it as an exhibit is no longer adequate. You must understand metadata, the chain of custody for electronic evidence, and the applicable admissibility standards under Ugandan law,’ he said.

The trainings are part of ongoing efforts by the Judiciary to strengthen the capacity of judicial officers in handling increasingly complex land and criminal cases while improving efficiency in the administration of justice.

As national secondary schools continue to embrace lavish prom and ‘sosh’ parties, a growing number of international schools are deliberately steering away from the trend.

Instead, they describe such events as outdated and inconsistent with their educational philosophy. In recent weeks, schools such as St Juliana High School, Seeta High School, Elite High School and Makindye High School have hosted colourful and costly celebrations featuring music, fashion showcases and high-energy social gatherings. The parties fly in the face of guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports, which caution schools against practices that may compromise discipline or place unnecessary financial pressure on learners and their families. Despite this, prom-style celebrations continue to gain popularity in many secondary schools.

Students typically arrive in elegant gowns, tailored suits and designer-inspired outfits, transforming school compounds into venues resembling formal social galas. However, administrators in international schools say such celebrations are not central to their learning environment. International schools, on the other hand, are increasingly focusing on structured, value-based events such as graduation ceremonies, themed dinners and parent-student engagements. Mr Ahmed Lwasa, the director of Kabojja International School, said prom parties belong to a traditional school culture that does not align with the operational model of most international schools. ‘Prom is an old-school tradition. We have dispensed with those kinds of parties. We are focused on graduation and transition ceremonies,’ he said.

He noted that most international schools operate as day schools, with learners returning home after classes, unlike boarding schools, where social traditions such as prom parties may emerge more naturally. ‘In many international schools, students go home after school. There is no boarding culture that naturally supports such parties. Instead, we organise graduation ceremonies and sometimes dinners where parents are involved,’ he said. According to him, parental involvement remains central to school activities, making elaborate student-only celebrations less relevant. ‘Everything is guided by vision. We ask ourselves: what is the purpose of the event, and what comes next?

Graduation speeches, for example, are meant to motivate learners for the next stage of life,’ he added. While international schools prioritise structured ceremonies, etiquette and parental engagement, many national schools view prom-style events as an opportunity for student expression and celebration. Mr Lwasa said that where celebrations are held in international schools, they are usually formal dinners rather than parties. ‘If there is any celebration, it is usually a dinner with parents. Students interact with their families in a formal setting. But we do not organise parties like prom or leavers’ events in the traditional sense,’ he said. He added that any additional celebrations are typically initiated through consultation between students and their parents. ‘If students want something, they consult their parents. If parents agree, it can happen. But as a school, we do not prioritise parties,’ Mr Lwasa said.

Themed and structured events

Some schools, including Mengo Senior School, have reportedly discouraged or limited such events, opting instead for formal academic ceremonies and structured school programmes. At Vienna College International, administrators say their approach is focused on themed and carefully supervised events . Ms Susan Nuwatamba, a school administrator, said international schools organise formal dinners and graduation ceremonies designed to bring together students, teachers, and parents. ‘We have graduation ceremonies and welcome dinners. These are not just parties. They are structured events that bring students, teachers, and parents together,’ Ms Nuwatamba explained.

‘In addition, the students develop themes and work with administrators to plan. We may hire an events company for lighting, décor, and entertainment, but everything is structured,’ she said. Ms Nuwatamba explained that students are involved in planning the events through committees, working closely with school administrators. Vienna College has previously organised themed events such as ‘Christmas in August’, allowing students to explore cultural and seasonal concepts within a controlled educational environment.

‘One year it can be a red-carpet night, another year a black-and-white dinner. The aim is not just entertainment but etiquette and learning,’ Ms Nuwatamba said. She added that etiquette training is often incorporated into such events, with schools partnering with organisations such as the Uganda Etiquette Centre to teach students social skills. ‘If you are invited to a formal dinner, you should know how to behave. We teach them dining etiquette, how to sit, how to eat a three-course meal and how to interact respectfully,’ she said.

Cost and structure

Ms Nuwatamba added that most international schools fund the events, unlike some national schools where students contribute towards the costs.

‘For welcome dinners, the school usually covers the cost. For graduation ceremonies, students may contribute to gowns and other logistics. These are part of the school programming. They are not extra parties,’ she said.

Keeping up with trend

Although international schools appear to look down on prom celebrations, many national secondary schools continue to embrace prom-style events, particularly for Senior Four and Senior Six students. Often organised as farewell events marking the completion of academic cycles, the parties have become key highlights on school calendars. However, critics argue that the growing emphasis on fashion, luxury dressing, and entertainment risks overshadowing the academic purpose of schooling while creating financial pressure on parents and students.

My former primary school, from where I earned the only First Grade in the entire sub county, no longer exists. The land that once housed its classrooms is now occupied by a fuel station, following a crisis it was ill-prepared to handle. In 2007, officials from an organisation approached the school management with what appeared to be a life changing opportunity.

They promised to connect the school to international donors to support infrastructure development, exchange programmes, and even pay fees for learners. To establish credibility, the organisation introduced another beneficiary school in Mukono, with which we held debating competitions, board games, and other activities that built rapports among learners and school leaders. The only requirement was Shs50,000 subscription fee per learner.

Many parents embraced the idea and paid for their children. Funds were handed over to the intermediaries, who promised to return once numbers increased, to allow donors plan properly. They never returned, their phones went off, and the promised donor support never materialised. The school management was left in a dire situation. They had to compensate parents for the lost money. Then, School fees ranged between Shs15,000 and Shs30,000, meaning some students had to study for a year without paying fees. The financial burden crippled operations. Teachers went unpaid, resources dwindled, and within a few years, the institution collapsed, partly because of their inability to manage this crisis.

While this scam occurred nearly two decades ago, the crises facing educational institutions, from universities to daycare centres today, is even more complex. The rise of digital communication means crises spread faster and attract greater public scrutiny than ever before. Crisis management data compiled by AMW indicate that nearly three-quarters of organisations have experienced reputational incidents, underscoring the reality that crises are no longer exceptional occurrences. Every institution, regardless of size, should expect and prepare for potential crises. Many crises rotate around student welfare, fire outbreaks, deaths, disease outbreaks, strikes, security concerns, among others, which affect public trust. Fortunately, some higher institutions manage them through public relations offices.

The challenge becomes more pronounced in secondary and primary schools, where communication responsibilities often fall entirely on head teachers, proprietors, or other administrators who may have little or no training in crisis communication. In many cases, panic becomes the first response, triggering issuance of contradictory statements, avoid engagement with key stakeholders, or failure to communicate, which often damages institutional reputation more than the incident itself. Many school leadership structures position the head teacher as the face and voice of the institution, expected to comment on everything, from academic performance to crises. However, majority lack basic training in crisis communication.

As a result, schools often provide conflicting accounts of events, with different staff members speaking independently to the media before establishing a common understanding of what happened. Instead of convening a crisis management committee to assess the situation and agree on key messages, institutions sometimes react emotionally and defensively. I recently watched a news story about a school where a learner died mysteriously in a security guard’s room. It is the matron who spoke to the media while the head teacher went in hiding, and other staff members were attacking journalists to stop them from recording footage.

This incident highlighted institutions’ unpreparedness for communication challenges that involve crises. Previously, a school crisis would remain within the local community. Today, a single video, photo, or social media post can reach millions of people within seconds. While many schools face financial challenges to run communication departments, a crisis will not send a notification when coming. They can begin by investing in communication training for head teachers, deputies, and other key admins, establish crisis response committees, develop communication protocols, and prepare basic crisis management plans before emergencies occur.

Public relations practitioners and academic institutions can also support to design specialised crisis management training for school administrators. Schools invest years in building trust among parents, learners, staff, and communities. In today’s digital environment, that trust can be tested within hours. Crisis communication training is, therefore, no longer an optional leadership skill, but rather an essential component for building and maintaining reputation for learning institutions.

Makindye Chief Magistrates Court has further remanded opposition powerhouse and former Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, after the presiding magistrate deferred her ruling on his bail application, citing chaotic courtroom conditions and an overwhelming number of complex procedural issues.

In a high-stakes legal twist, the trial magistrate announced that the long-awaited bail decision will instead be delivered electronically via the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECMIS) within the next 24 hours.

The chief magistrate Sarah Basemera ordered that Lukwago return to court physically on June 30, 2026, for the mention of his case. Crucially, this date aligns with the scheduled court appearance of his high-profile client, four-time presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye. The convergence of both opposition kingpins’ legal battles is expected to draw massive security deployments and intense political interest, setting up a potentially explosive dual showdown at the courthouse.

The Chief Magistrate noted that the environment inside the courtroom had become completely untenable, forcing the abrupt adjournment. She added that her chambers required additional time to systematically review the extensive legal arguments raised by both the defense and state prosecutors during a heated morning session.

Addressing journalists at court, lead defense counsel Medard Lubega Sseggona expressed frustration over the delay but urged supporters to remain calm while they await the digital notification. Sseggona also raised red flags over Lukwago’s deteriorating health in custody, drawing grim parallels to past high-profile detainees.

“Her Worship the Chief Magistrate advised that her ruling is not ready. Owing to the sensitivity of the case and the environment, she undertook to deliver the ruling by email via ECMIS within 24 hours,” Sseggona said. “It’s not pleasant news to us. We have only remained brave because we are duty-bound to be brave.”

Sseggona added a stark warning regarding Lukwago’s medical condition:

“Meanwhile, for the Honorable Lukwago, the health situation gets worse day by day. We had a German national who was denied bail in Kalangala and died. We had the Honorable Muhammad Ssegirinya, who kept telling courts that he was in bad health, and they refused until it was too late. We have put all these materials before court, and we trust that the court will understand.”

The case took on a broader regional diplomatic dimension following revelations that prominent Kenyan politician and lawyer Martha Karua, who had traveled to Kampala to join Lukwago’s defense team, was blocked by state operatives.

Sseggona fiercely condemned the state’s actions, describing it as an affront to both the law and the spirit of regional integration.

“An accused person is entitled to have a lawyer of his or her choice from anywhere; that’s why there is room for accreditation,” Sseggona noted. “I know that the Honorable Martha Karua has not been denied entry but detained at the airport and deported. It is not within the spirit of the East African Community. As a professional, I am deeply concerned.”

Both Lukwago and Besigye continue to battle serious state charges that their supporters have roundly labeled as politically motivated maneuvers to cripple the opposition ahead of future political contests. All eyes now shift to the ECMIS portal for the crucial bail verdict.

Physiotherapy at Aga Khan Hospital is helping patients recover from chronic pain, regain movement and rebuild independence through tailored rehabilitation programmes for conditions ranging from stroke to post-surgical recovery and maternal care.

When Moreen gave birth to her first child via C-section, like many new mothers, she expected a smooth recovery. However, months after adjusting to motherhood and healing from surgery, she developed persistent back pain that would not subside.

At first, she assumed the discomfort was a normal part of postpartum recovery. But as she resumed physically demanding tasks such as gardening and carrying her baby for long periods, the pain worsened until it became a constant part of daily life. Concerned, she sought medical attention and was eventually referred to a physiotherapist.

Moreen’s experience reflects a challenge faced by many people who continue to struggle with pain, weakness or limited mobility long after an injury, surgery or major life event such as childbirth. Yet physiotherapy, often associated only with athletes and sports injuries, plays a much broader role in helping people regain function and improve their quality of life.

More than sports injuries

At Aga Khan University Hospital Nakawa Speciality Centre, Dr Isaac Ssenoga, a physiotherapist with more than a decade of experience, describes physiotherapy as a healthcare profession that treats injuries, diseases and disabilities through physical methods rather than relying solely on medication.

‘Physiotherapy is a vital part of healthcare and rehabilitation. It offers structured treatment that helps prevent disabilities, promotes an active lifestyle and addresses the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle,’ he says.

Rather than focusing only on pain relief, physiotherapy aims to restore movement, improve strength and address the underlying causes of physical dysfunction. However, Dr Ssenoga notes that many patients seek help only after their symptoms have become severe, when earlier intervention could have prevented long-term complications.

A growing burden of pain

A large proportion of physiotherapy patients are treated for orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain, neck pain, arthritis, joint problems and recovery after fractures or surgery.

These conditions are increasingly affecting people of all ages as sedentary lifestyles become more common. Office workers, drivers, students and others who spend long hours sitting are particularly vulnerable.

According to Dr Ssenoga, prolonged sitting can lead to muscle tightness, poor circulation, joint stiffness and chronic lower back pain. Over time, poor posture and inactivity may disrupt spinal alignment, weaken muscles and reduce mobility. In some cases, habits such as sitting on a wallet can compress the sciatic nerve, causing pain and numbness down one leg, a condition commonly known as ‘wallet syndrome.’

Many of these problems develop gradually and are often ignored until they begin interfering with daily activities. Physiotherapy helps address these issues through posture correction, targeted exercises and movement training designed to restore function and prevent further deterioration.

Regaining independence

For stroke survivours, physiotherapy is often a critical part of recovery. Using specialised techniques, physiotherapists help stimulate weakened muscles, improve balance and retrain the body to perform everyday tasks such as walking, eating, dressing and moving safely around the home.

Although recovery can be slow and requires commitment from both patients and caregivers, Dr Ssenoga says early rehabilitation significantly improves the chances of regaining independence and reducing long-term disability.

Physiotherapy is equally important after surgery or serious injuries. While medication may help control pain, recovery often depends on restoring movement safely.

‘For example, a patient recovering from a fracture may receive medication for pain, but without guided movement, the joint can become permanently stiff. Physiotherapy ensures that movement is restored safely during healing,’ he explains.

Supporting mothers and children

Physiotherapy also plays an important role in maternal health, yet many women remain unaware of its benefits.

During pregnancy, physiotherapists help women manage physical changes that place stress on the body. One common condition is Diastasis Recti, where the abdominal muscles separate as the baby grows. Through guided exercises, physiotherapy can improve flexibility, endurance and pelvic strength, helping women cope better with pregnancy and prepare for childbirth.

For the management of diastasis recti, a physiotherapist may prescribe appropriate supportive devices and design a structured exercise programme to help strengthen the abdominal muscles as they heal.

After delivery, many mothers experience back pain, neck strain and abdominal weakness due to the demands of pregnancy and caring for a newborn. Rehabilitation programmes help rebuild core strength, improve posture and reduce persistent discomfort.

Dr Ssenoga also stresses the importance of proper posture while breastfeeding and carrying babies, noting that poor positioning often contributes to chronic neck and back pain. He advises mothers not to rush back into heavy physical work immediately after childbirth because pregnancy hormones temporarily weaken ligaments, increasing the risk of injury.

Children can benefit from physiotherapy as well. The Centre manages conditions such as cerebral palsy, clubfoot, Erb’s palsy and torticollis, commonly known as wry neck. In children with mild cerebral palsy, early intervention can improve mobility and physical independence. For clubfoot, physiotherapists work alongside orthopaedic specialists during and after treatment to strengthen muscles and support normal movement as the child grows.

How physiotherapy works

Treatment varies depending on the patient’s condition and stage of recovery. It may involve hydrotherapy, massage, manual therapy, structured exercise programmes and other specialised techniques aimed at restoring function and improving quality of life.

In the early stages of recovery, especially after surgery or injury, physiotherapists often use gentle passive movements to keep joints flexible and prevent stiffness. As healing progresses, patients are introduced to active exercises that build strength, improve coordination and restore balance.

The final stage focuses on functional rehabilitation, helping patients return to daily activities such as bathing, dressing, climbing stairs, working and participating in community life.

The Centre also offers wellness and exercise programmes for people seeking to manage their weight, remain physically active and reduce their risk of future injuries.

When to see a physiotherapist?

Dr Ssenoga advises people not to wait until pain becomes unbearable before seeking help. Warning signs include persistent pain that does not improve, weakness in a limb or part of the body, difficulty performing routine activities and unusual sensations such as numbness, tingling or burning.

Symptoms that continue to worsen should always be assessed by a healthcare professional. ‘Early assessment prevents small problems from becoming permanent disabilities,’ he says.

Movement as medicine

While physiotherapy is an effective treatment, it is also a powerful preventive tool. Dr Ssenoga recommends at least 30 minutes to one hour of moderate physical activity each day. Activities such as brisk walking, swimming and light jogging help maintain healthy muscles, joints and bones.

He also advises taking short breaks every 30 to 60 minutes to stretch, walk around and reset posture. ‘No sitting position is perfect if maintained all day. The body was designed to move,’ he says.

Good workplace ergonomics, proper lifting techniques, supportive sleeping surfaces and a balanced diet also contribute to long-term musculoskeletal health.

As chronic diseases, sedentary lifestyles and an ageing population continue to increase the demand for rehabilitation services, physiotherapy is becoming increasingly important. Whether helping a new mother recover after childbirth, supporting a stroke survivour on the road to independence or preventing workplace-related injuries, it enables people to move better, function more effectively and enjoy a better quality of life.

Upon the prospective peak of Joshua Cheptegei’s long-distance running career on track, his coach Addy Ruiter began searching for replacements around the Covid-19 period.

One name that has stood for long is Keneth Kiprop. The 21-year-old has occasionally been held back by a spate of injuries but he has remained focused and patient.

The feeling is that Kiprop could eventually announce his grand arrival at the senior level of track long-distance running next month at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Ahead of the trip to the Scottish capital, Kiprop struck delight when he won at the men’s 5000 metres race during the Fanny Blankers-Koen (FBK) Games in Hengelo, Netherlands on Sunday.

Guided by Ruiter’s notes, he measured the hot conditions well to beat a field of 19 runners to win in a time of 13 minutes and 13.43 seconds at the FBK Stadium.

‘It was not easy, the weather was tough,’ a happy Kiprop said. This marked Kiprop’s first 5000 metres race win at an international race since he professionally started out in 2022.

‘When we were at the start line, I said to myself: ‘I must win this race’. It was my first time racing in Hengelo, and I enjoyed the race,’ he said.

‘During the last metres, the only thing in my mind was: ‘I must sprint to win this race’. For the upcoming season, I want to race well at the Commonwealth Games,’ he added.

Kiprop beat Eritrean Saymon Amanuel to the win while the Ugandan’s compatriot Dolphine Chelimo earned a personal best mark of 13:13.72.

‘The boys ran very well and smart,’ Ruiter heaped praise on Kiprop and Chelimo, 20, who came seventh in the senior men’s race during the World Athletics Cross-Country Championships in Florida, USA back in January.

They thrived in hot conditions of 30 degrees Centigrade. ‘I told them not to run too fast in the first 3km because of the conditions. Slowly, they moved up and took the lead, beating guys with PBs below 13 minutes,’ Ruiter added.

In the early periods, Dutch man Lars Laros led, taking the field through 1000 metres in 2:37.31 minutes and Ethiopian Teshager Alemayehu controlled the middle stages.

By the 4000 metres, Kiprop was in the lead and handled the pressure impressively. With a bronze medal to show from the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, Kiprop could have the nation’s attention in Glasgow.

That’s irrespective of the fact that he has not yet dipped under 13 minutes in his career. However, the victory on the Hengelo track is a huge confidence booster.

Meanwhile, Halimah Nakaayi withered in the last 65 metres to finish sixth in a time of 1:59.88 during the women’s 800 metres race won by crowd’s favourite Dutch Femke Broeders-Bol.

2026 FBK GAMES HENGELO RESULTS

MEN’S 5000 METRES

1 Keneth Kiprop (UGA) 13:13.43

2 Saymon Amanuel (ERI) 13:13.48

3 Dolphine Chelimo (UGA) 13:13.72

WOMEN’S 800 METRES

1 Femke Broeders-Bol (NED) 1:57.41

2 Abbey Caldwell (AUS) 1:58.22

3 Clara Liberman (FRA) 1:58.69

4 Majtie Kolberg (GER) 1:58.78

5 Valentina Rosamilia (SUI) 1:59.75

6 Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) 1:59.88

KIPROP AT A GLANCE

Full Name: Keneth Kiprop

Date of birth: May 13, 2005

Major Race: 5000 Metres, 10000 Metres

Personal Bests: 13:00.49, 27:47.91

Coaches: Denis Okudach, Addy Ruiter

International Manager: Valentijn Trouw

Management: Global Sports Communication

KIPROP HIGHLIGHTS

2026: 1st 5000 Metres International Win – FBK Games Hengelo

2025: 5000 Metres Heat 1 – World Athletics Championships Debut

2025: Semi-Marathon International de Lille – 10km Win

2024: 5000 Metre Bronze – World Athletics U20 Champs

2023: Junior Men’s 8km – 6th at World Athletics Cross-country Champs

There is a particular kind of confidence that settles on a man who has already won the arguments that matter. Mr Francis Kamulegeya carries it well. At the Fairway Hotel in Kampala on a recent evening, he sits before a room of young tax professionals, comprising of lawyers, accountants, people with MBAs and fresh ambitions, and tells them, without any drama, that credentials will open a door, competence will earn you a seat, but it is character that makes you stay in the room.

To understand where Mr Kamulegeya ended up, you have to start where he began: Masaka, 1967, in a home where his mother Josephine ran a licensed Enguli gin distillery. He grew up in the shadow of Idi Amin, with the military barracks so close they complicated his childhood. He left at eleven, just after the war that ended that particular chapter of Uganda’s misery. He went to Namasagali College, then Makerere University, to study agriculture from 1987 to 1990. Botany. Crop science. Entomology. He can still walk into a room, spot a plant, and tell you it’s Lantana camara. These are not skills that appear on any tax advisory brief.

They are, however, the skills of someone trained to read a system, to understand what something actually is, not just what it’s called. That habit of mind would travel everywhere with him. After graduating, he became a maize trader in Mbiriizi, a town in the southern part of the Central Region of Uganda (Lwengo District). His edge was that he could bite through a grain with his front teeth and tell you the moisture content. He did this for six months. Then he left for England. Between 1991 and 1992, Mr Kamulegeya did a tour of what he calls ‘every job that exists in this hotel’. He cooked potatoes. He cleaned toilets.

He drove a minibus. He worked as a lifeguard. One afternoon when a colleague didn’t show, he put on a white apron and white hat and served lunch to schoolchildren as the dinner lady and got paid double for the double shift. He was raising £5,400 (currently about Shs26.37 million) to enrol in college. Within 18 months, he had more than he needed. ‘For young professionals, it’s very, very important that you get into the habit of distinguishing who you are from what you do, so that when what you do changes, you do not lose your identity,’ he says.

He enrolled in college, qualified as an accountant in 1994, joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) London in 1996, and encountered a reform to the UK tax system called self-assessment. Something in his brain lit up and never quite went off again. He sat the exams of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, passed them, and became the first Ugandan ever to qualify as a UK Chartered Tax Advisor.

The poor cousin of audits

In 2000, PwC sent him to Uganda. The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) had only been created in 1991. Value Added Tax (VAT) had been introduced as recently as 1996, replacing a patchwork of sales taxes, and was barely four years old. Many staff had simply been transferred from customs when the institution was set up. The big accounting firms in Kampala called themselves auditing firms. Tax, as Mr Kamulegeya puts it, was ‘a poor cousin of audits.’ He had seen something different. He had lived in a system where tax consulting was its own serious profession and the relationship between advisor and revenue authority was one of adversarial respect.

He walked into Uganda and saw, simultaneously, a problem and an enormous opportunity. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s late partner and one of the more formidable minds in American finance, spent decades warning against what he called ‘man with a hammer syndrome’, who is the specialist who interprets every problem through a single lens. His antidote was a ‘latticework of mental models,’ drawing from biology, physics, psychology, and law simultaneously. Munger built a multi-billion-dollar fortune on cross-disciplinary thinking. Mr Kamulegeya built Uganda’s modern tax profession on something very similar, and arrived at it via botany, maize trading, and dinner lady shifts in Croydon.

‘Tax sits at the interface of almost everything,’ he says. ‘If you look at it just from a technical perspective and you stay in that very narrow lane, you are going to miss out.’ He built the PwC Uganda tax practice from seven people into a dominant market force, sending specialists abroad for years before the market knew it needed them: Crystal Kabajwara to the UK for transfer pricing, Pamela Natamba for oil and gas, and Trevor Bwanika to South Africa for international tax and mergers. Then he turned his attention to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) itself. In 2004, a new Financial Institutions Act required banks to raise their minimum capital.

Mr Kamulegeya saw a solution URA had never encountered: issue bonus shares, using retained reserves to capitalise the banks. Legal under company law, standard in the UK, completely new in Uganda. The Revenue Authority said: bonus shares are dividends, and dividends are taxable. Mr Kamulegeya said: No; retained reserves already belong to the shareholders. Reissuing them as shares changes the form, not the substance. He won. URA promptly amended the Income Tax Act to define dividends to include bonus shares. Look at Section 2 today; it is there because of this fight. When the other side changes the law in response to your argument, it means your argument worked.

In 2010, Zain International BV, a Netherlands company, sold its pan-African mobile operations to Bharti Airtel in a deal worth $10.7 billion (Shs39.04 trillion). URA raised an $85 million (Shs310.16 billion) capital gains tax assessment on Zain’s Ugandan interests. Mr Kamulegeya took the other side. His instrument was surgical: the Uganda-Netherlands double taxation treaty, he told them, means no capital gain arises here.

You do not have the right to tax this. ‘A few of them,’ he says, with characteristic restraint, ‘that was the first time they knew about the treaty’. The case became one of the most-watched tax disputes in East African history, permanently changing how Uganda thinks about double taxation agreements and how multinationals structure investment through offshore holding companies.

Inclusion

In 2003, Mr Kamulegeya was a senior manager appearing on television to analyse the national budget. Then he ran into Moses Kirangwa (now deceased). Mr Kirangwa was a childhood friend from Masaka. They had grown up in the same village, played Gogolo (also known as the Rainbow Slide) as barefoot boys. Then Mr Kamulegeya left for Kampala, for England, and for PwC. Mr Kirangwa stayed. He was had an hearing impairment. He had never gone to school, not because he couldn’t learn, but because the system had decided there was no place for him. He was a cobbler, working from a bench on a street in Masaka.

When they reconnected after 25 years, communicating through an interpreter, Mr Kirangwa told Mr Kamulegeya something he has been acting on ever since: the difference between us is education. ‘Here I was, senior manager on the TV analysing the budget and people thinking I’m important, and this guy who I grew up with in the village told me that basically, if I didn’t go to school, I could be like him. He told me that because he had never seen me for the last 23 years, he had also assumed that I’d died.’

In 2005, Mr Kamulegeya co-founded the Masaka School for the Deaf with his late sister, Sophia Kafeero, with teachers, classrooms, a curriculum, and a plan. More than 1,200 deaf learners have since passed through it. Seventeen have graduated from university, according to his narration. There is now a vocational training institute alongside it, and a coffee farm where students are taught agriculture.

The man who once bit through maize grains to read their moisture content is now teaching deaf children to grow coffee. He also runs Time to Play, a children’s centre he opened in 2009 after his daughters visiting from England asked their house help, Annette, to take them to ‘the park’, and Annette, interpreting this sensibly for Kampala, offered them a tour of taxi parks. The misunderstanding, Mr Kamulegeya felt, was actionable. For years on Sundays, he would slip into the SpongeBob costume and work the floor. Nobody knew it was the Country Senior Partner of PwC Uganda inside the foam suit.

Retirement

In 2022, after 27 years at PwC, 12 as Country Senior Partner, eight on the PwC Africa Governance Board, the first Ugandan to serve on that body, Mr Kamulegeya left. He refuses to call it retirement. ‘I never ever wanted to be pushed out by a system simply because of a number. At 60 years of age, that’s the retirement age at PwC. But what happens to me at 60? I’ve been doing very, very well. So, I’m not going to just sit there waiting for the clock to tick.’

He left at the height of it. This is, among people who build careers, almost impossibly rare. He went to Thailand, came back looking 10 years younger, and built what he calls his second half; five board roles, including Chairman of IandM Bank Uganda, and a memoir, ‘And Then What? Reflections on Life, Leadership, and Meaning Beyond Success’, launched in April 2026. The question in the title is the most demanding one you can ask yourself. It prevents you from mistaking a milestone for a destination. You get the degree, and then what? You get the promotion, and then what?

More importantly, it is the question you ask once you have, by any reasonable measure, already succeeded. You’ve changed the law multiple times, built a school, mentored a generation. And then what? ‘If everything you’re doing is for yourself, it’s likely to end with you. And that would be very unfortunate. But if you do things that are going to endure, because your time is finite, it’s going to be long, but it’s very finite; you’ll continue.’ Back at the Fairway Hotel, the young professionals are still in the room.

This is one of ‘The Tax Nights’ organised by Edwin Echiba, a tax lawyer, on the first Thursday of the month. All of them have been in the presence of something increasingly rare: a man who built something significant, knows what he built, and is not confused about why. He wants to be remembered, he says, as the person who made a positive difference in whoever he met. ‘There’s no point holding knowledge without sharing it,’ he says. ‘Nobody knows what you know until you share it. And whenever you play it forward, it keeps going.’

The High Court has ordered a Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) staff member to pay a fellow employee Shs100 million in damages for defaming him through messages posted on a URA Senior Management WhatsApp group.

In a judgment delivered on June 17th, Justice Isaac Bonny Teko found that James Abola, a senior officer in URA’s Staff Compliance Department, defamed customs officer Nicholas Jjengo by circulating unverified allegations linking him to a shooting incident and suggesting he had pursued and attacked another man over a woman.

‘A declaration is issued that the defendant’s (Abola) publications of September 18, 2022, concerning the plaintiff (Jjengo) on the URA senior management WhatsApp forum were defamatory of the plaintiff (Jjengo),’ ruled Justice Teko.

Adding, ‘The defendant shall pay the plaintiff general damages for libel in the sum of Shs70m. The defendant shall pay the plaintiff exemplary damages in the sum of Shs30m.’

The court awarded Jjengo Shs70 million in general damages and Shs30 million in punitive damages, bringing the total award to Shs100 million. Abola was also ordered to issue a written apology within 14 days of the judgment on the same WhatsApp platform and was permanently restrained from making similar defamatory statements against his colleague.

‘The defendant (Abola) shall, within fourteen days from the date of this judgment, issue a written apology to the plaintiff (Jjengo), and publish the same on the URA Senior Management WhatsApp forum,’ the judge held.

The dispute arose from messages posted on September 18, 2022, in the URA Senior Management WhatsApp forum. In one of the messages, Abola informed senior managers that police in Kasangati were looking for Jjengo Nicholas, a Customs Officer who had allegedly fired three bullets at victims the previous night.

A second message went further, claiming that Jjengo had followed another man’s vehicle and opened fire after a woman allegedly chose to ride in the victim’s car instead of his following a social outing.

The judge explained that, however, qualified privilege protects responsible communication made in good faith; it does not protect reckless embellishment, sensationalism, or publication made with indifference to truth.

” The defendant’s (Abola) first message may have been closer to a preliminary management alert. The difficulty arises with the second message. The Defendant moved from reporting that police were looking for the Plaintiff (Jjengo) in relation to a firearm incident to circulating a narrative that the Plaintiff had pursued a victim over a woman from an outing and shot at the victim’s car. That narrative was grave, colourful, sensational and personally destructive,’ Justice Teko held.

Jjengo sued, arguing that the statements falsely portrayed him as a criminal, a violent individual, and an immoral person, thereby damaging his reputation among URA’s top leadership.

In his defence, Abola had noted that he had received the information from a police officer attached to the Staff Compliance Division and shared it in good faith as part of his official duties. He argued that the communication was made on an occasion of qualified privilege because it concerned a matter of legitimate interest to URA management.

However, Justice Teko held that while senior management had a legitimate interest in receiving information about serious allegations involving a staff member, the protection of qualified privilege did not extend to reckless and sensational publications.

“The natural and ordinary meaning of that message is that the Plaintiff was wanted by police for shooting at victims. That is a serious imputation of criminality and violence,” the judge held.

The court further observed that the second message portrayed Jjengo as immoral, reckless, violent, and unfit for trust by suggesting that he had acted out of jealousy involving a woman described in the publication as a skirt.

Justice Teko noted that evidence showed Jjengo’s supervisor, James Malinzi, had contacted the plaintiff to verify the allegations and subsequently forwarded his telephone number to Abola so that he could establish the facts directly. Despite this opportunity, the court found that Abola failed to carry out meaningful verification before circulating the damaging narrative.

“The fact that investigations were ongoing should have made him more cautious…,” Justice Teko said.

He added that although Abola repeatedly stated that the matter was merely alleged and still under investigation, that disclaimer did not excuse the publication of serious accusations to an influential audience.

“Defamation may be committed by repetition of allegations. A person who republishes defamatory allegations cannot escape liability merely by saying that the matter is alleged,” the judge ruled.

The court found that Abola’s conduct demonstrated malice in the legal sense through reckless disregard for the truth and indifference to the impact of the statements on Jjengo’s reputation.

In assessing damages, Justice Teko acknowledged that the allegations were grave because they accused Jjengo of criminal conduct, violence, and moral impropriety. He also considered the fact that the statements were circulated among URA’s highest-ranking managers.

At the same time, the judge noted that the publication was limited to a restricted management forum and that there was no evidence Jjengo was dismissed, demoted, or denied promotion as a result of the allegations.

The judge further held that the defamatory messages caused sufficient harm to warrant substantial compensation and vindication.

Stanbic Black Pirates survived a spirited Heathens fightback to secure their place in the 2026 Uganda Rugby Premiership final after edging through on 36-30 on aggregate after a tense semifinal second leg at King’s Park Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Holding a 15-3 advantage from the first leg and unbeaten in Bweyogerere for two seasons, Pirates appeared firmly in control heading into the return fixture.

But record 17-time champions Heathens arrived determined to overturn the deficit and pushed the Sailors all the way before falling agonizingly short.

The day had begun with a heavier purpose. Pirates spent the mid-morning and early afternoon in discussion about mob violence, an issue that was brought into sharp focus by the death of their big shirt.7 Sydney Gongodyo a fortnight ago.

By kick-off, grief had turned to purpose as the squad went in determined to write a fitting chapter for a player whose career was cut short at 27.

Heathens struck first, winning a turnover penalty after overpowering Humphrey Tashobya at the breakdown. Mathew Musasizi’s effort drifted wide but he made amends minutes later to open the scoring.

Pirates hit back through Roy Kizito who finished off a slick move started by Conrad Wanyama and carried on by Timothy Kisiga, who found Kizito on the blindside for a diving try under pressure. Musasizi kept Heathens ticking with another penalty after they opted for the posts over a maul.

Heathens came close to a try soon after, only for Alex Aturinda to hold up the ball over the line. Kisiga’s loose restart fell kindly for Joseph Oyet, who composed himself for a drop goal from inside his own half. A string of Pirates errors then gifted Musasizi a fifth penalty, sending Heathens into a 12-5 lead at the break.

Kisiga returned sharper after the interval, slotting two penalties to narrow the gap before converting a Haruna Muhammad try. Pirates surged further when Aturinda exploited space off the restart, and Haruna produced the score of the match, slicing through five defenders with a dazzling burst.

Heathens responded through Patrick Okello, converted by Malcom Okello, before Jude Jjuuko crashed over deep in injury time. Malcom’s conversion made it 27-21 on the night, with Pirates’ aggregate lead trimmed to single figures. Heathens threw everything at the line in the closing exchanges, but Pirates’ defence held until Kisiga booted the ball into touch to settle the contest.

Pirates now turn their attention to Saturday’s final against Buffaloes at King’s Park, a fixture they will carry into with both heavy hearts and renewed purpose.

UGANDA RUGBY PREMIERSHIP

Semifinal results

Pirates 21-27 Heathens

(Pirates won 36-30 on aggregate)

Final: Pirates vs. Buffaloes, Kings Park Arena