Category: Daily Monitor

Government has announced a two-month window, during which it will inspect all Sinotrucks in Greater Kampala, which includes Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, and parts of Mpigi and Kayunga, warning to impound those that fail to comply with the directive.

The Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety in the Ministry of Works, Mr Winstone Katushabe, says enforcement of the inspection will be preceded by next week’s meeting between his ministry, Sinotrucks owners and police.

‘All Sinotrucks in Greater Kampala are to undergo mandatory inspection within 60 days, while all drivers must be accredited to establish who they are. Their drivers must be vetted like bus drivers,’ Mr Katushabe said on Wednesday, warning: ‘Sinotrucks that will not have been inspected will be impounded.

He added: ‘We have scheduled a meeting with all owners and police have been asked to attend, so that there is no congestion when the exercise is rolled out. After Greater Kampala, the exercise will be rolled out to all areas.’

According to Mr Katushabe, operations will later shift to taxi drivers, boda boda riders, and car bonds, who will specifically be tasked to explain why issuing number plates is delayed, with a plan to have the time taken to register vehicles reduced from eight hours to an hour.

Justification

Mr Apollo Kashanku, the Assistant Commissioner in-charge of Road Transport Regulation and Safety, who has been charged with spearheading the enforcement, says they have a concern with Sinotrucks, which he said are ‘accident-prone’ and carry a lot of tonnage because they are very heavy.

‘We understand that some countries are not comfortable with these Sinotrucks on the road; so, we want to study the problem further, and also to focus on them and see why they are causing accidents. Are the drivers well trained? Do they know how to operate these vehicles?

‘Because they are not normal vehicles, but heavy-load vehicles. Then, secondly, are the vehicles in good working condition? Do they have good brakes that support that kind of load? So, we want to focus on them because apparently, one in every five accidents involves Sinotrucks.’

Sinotrucks are heavy-duty trucks manufactured in China; however, in Uganda, a growing demand for construction and logistics equipment has created a robust need to support the transportation of materials and equipment.

Most recently, on Monday, at least 14 people perished in a road crash involving a taxi and a Sinotruck, which was transporting sand at Lwera Swamp along the Kampala-Masaka Highway in Kalungu District.

Greater Masaka Regional Police spokesperson, Twaha Kasirye, confirmed the death on the spot of all14 occupants of the ill-fated taxi, while four other victims, including two from each vehicle, sustained injuries and were rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.

Mr Frank Agaba, 54, says he has driven a Sinotruck before, but notes that they have ‘gearbox issues’, and ‘always fail to ascend’, leading to serious accidents. ‘They are also overloaded, and can’t be compared to, say, the Isuzu or three axle trucks (Magulu Kumi),’

The development follows an impromptu operation by the Ministry of Works, Directorate of Police and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) at Namirembe Road Bus Terminal in Kampala, where the team uncovered a laundry list of issues, with its management fanning ignorance.

Some unsettling confirmation was that a big portion of the park had been taken up by cargo trucks, and not the buses for which the facility was primarily licensed, and there were more buses (six) than what licences provided for (three).

Mr Katushabe said they have held a meeting with the leadership of KCCA, and agreed that buses only load passengers in gazetted parks, not ‘gazetted garages’, and that the impromptu operation, including another held earlier at Kisenyi Bus Terminal, followed several complaints from the general public.

At Kisenyi Bus Terminal, about three of the buses that were sampled were found noncompliant for route charts and passenger service vehicles (PSVs), among other statutory requirements, while a number of brokers were found fighting for passengers.

The operation at Kisenyi Bus Terminal further revealed persistent lapses in the transport sector, including the issuance of fake tickets allegedly by the elusive brokers, prompting a directive from Mr Katushabe that every bus company should have uniformed guides.

Mr Saturday Muhwezi, the General Manager of Kisenyi Bus Terminal, said they have set up a seven-member committee that will see two uniformed guides allocated to each bus to curb the errant brokers.

For the first time in open court, Public Service Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala recounted in gripping detail the terrifying assassination attempt on his life five years ago.

He described how gunmen ambushed his vehicle in the Kisaasi-Kulambiro area of Kampala, unleashing a hail of bullets that killed his daughter, Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Haruna Kayondo, while leaving him seriously wounded.

Below is an abridged version of his testimony as the 18th State witness. The trial was before the High Court International Crimes Division presided over by four justices.

Ms Marion Benbella (Prosecutor): What is the current position that you hold?

Gen Edward Katumba Wamala: I’m now the Minister for Public Service

Prosecutor: I will take you a step back. What position did you hold in 2021?

Gen Katumba: I was Minister of State for Works before I became a full minister

Prosecutor: Were you based in the country?

Gen Katumba: Yes, my Lord, I was based in the country, and specifically in Kampala.

Prosecutor: I want to take you to June 2021; were you in Kampala?

Gen Katumba: Yes, my Lord. I was in Kampala.

Prosecutor: Do you remember the incidents that happened?

Gen Katumba: Yes, I remember.

Prosecutor: Proceed and tell us what happened.

Gen Katumba: On May 31, I lost my mother-in-law at a place called Najjanakumbi. So early in the morning on the 1st of June, I left my home in Najjera at around 8:25am or 8:30 am. I was heading to Najjanakumbi to arrange the burial of my late mother-in-law. I was travelling in a vehicle, a military land cruiser with one bodyguard, a driver, and my daughter, the late Brenda Nantongo.

Prosecutor: General, did you remember the name of the bodyguard you moved with that day?

Gen Katumba: He was Sgt Khalid Kabayoit, and the driver was Kayondo (Haruna), the late. That bodyguard is now a Lieutenant. On leaving home, we used the Kulambiro Road towards Kisaasi through Kisota Road after crossing the road of Kyanja that leads to Kyanja Town Council. Kisota Road is a narrow road with buildings on both sides. Having driven for a short distance on that road, there are a number of humps, but on the first hump, shots started ringing out.

Prosecutor: What do you mean by shots?

Gen Katumba: Gunshots started ringing out. At first, I had not fully taken in that they were gunshots; I thought a boda boda had crashed into our vehicle, but soon, it dawned on me that these were gunshots coming from behind and on the right-hand side. At that time, my Lord, the shooting was from both behind and on the side. I was seated on the left-hand side of the vehicle with my escort also on the left-hand side. My driver was, of course, on the right-hand side together with my daughter, who was seated behind him. When the shots came in from behind and the side, the first victim who took the shots was my daughter. I heard her shout, ‘Jesus’, and she fell on my lap bleeding. Just after a short distance, the vehicle stopped and leaned on the left-hand side where there was a perimeter wall, and I realised that my driver could no longer move the vehicle. And I saw his head drop. I called on my escort, and I said, ‘Khalid, get that rifle, get out and respond because I could see one of the assailants, hooded, in front of the vehicle, seated with his face facing us, the vehicle.

At that time, I put up my left hand to try to squeeze myself out of the vehicle, and that is when my left hand was shattered. The bullet didn’t go far deep into the right hand. Throughout that time, I never lost consciousness, so I was evacuated to Medipal Hospital. My Lord, at that time, I had already been shot in the left hand, and my bodyguard squeezed out of the vehicle, so I put up my left hand to gain stability and also try to squeeze out of the vehicle, and that is when my left hand was shot and shattered.

Prosecutor: Which part of the left arm was shattered?

Gen Katumba: The shoulder area.

Prosecutor: So, what happened next?

Gen Katumba: I squeezed out of the vehicle, dropped down, and rolled to the rear tyre, and I was also joined by the bodyguard at the rear.

Prosecutor: What happened down there?

Gen Katumba: While we were lying down, we could see underneath that the assailant who was seated on the boda boda was actually trying to come back to the vehicle. I told my bodyguard to continue engaging the assailant, and I think from the awkward position he was in, he could not aim and fire a shot. After a few shots, the assailant, who was trying to come back, actually sped off on the boda boda.

Prosecutor: Which direction did he speed off to?

Gen Katumba: To the direction of Kisota junction towards Bukoto.

My Lord, at that time, my bodyguard said we cannot stay here. He got me on the right-hand side, which was still ok, and moved to the right of the road and away from the scene, and we chanced on an abandoned chicken house. My bodyguard said, ‘you stay here as I go back to the scene to secure whatever was in the car’.

It was meant to be a warning. Instead, it became the moment everything went wrong.

James Mugerwa, 70, and his wife Susan, 60, had just finished their evening walk in Kiryowa, Buikwe District. The air was calm, the kind that settles over roadside trading centres after sunset, when traffic still moves but life slows down. As they approached the Njeru Municipality junction, a country bus came up fast behind them, racing to beat a green light. Then came the horn. It was not a gentle alert. It was sharp, prolonged, and angry. Startled, the elderly couple reacted instinctively.

In that split second of panic, they stepped into the path of another oncoming vehicle. The impact left Susan unconscious on the road, bleeding from her nose, head and mouth. Mugerwa’s ankle was badly broken. What followed was months of hospital visits, pain, and recovery. Even after discharge, Susan was left with facial injuries and a knee fracture, while Mugerwa struggled to walk again. What should have been a routine road warning had, in their account, become the trigger for a life-changing accident. Across Uganda’s busy roads, similar stories are quietly accumulating, rarely recorded as horn-related incidents, but often beginning with a sudden blast from a vehicle behind.

The sound that startles, the reaction that kills

On a different day on the Kampala-Jinja highway, 14-year-old Ronald Kamulegeya was cycling home from Nyenga Senior Secondary School when a station wagon approached from behind. The horn came without warning. Ronald says he panicked. The sudden noise broke his concentration. He swerved, lost control, and fell hard onto the road. He sustained a fracture. For Maureen Nakanyike, 15, the sound came as she pushed her disabled father in a wheelchair on the same highway.

A trailer hooted loudly from behind. Frightened, she ran instinctively, abandoning the wheelchair. Her father toppled into a trench, hitting his head. Weeks later, he remained unconscious in hospital. At Mulago National Referral Hospital, 62-year-old Moses Kalungi is also recovering after what relatives describe as a ‘bullying hoot’ from a vehicle behind him. He slipped, fell, and fractured both knees. He has been bedridden for weeks. Individually, these may appear as unfortunate road accidents. But together, they point to a less visible hazard on Uganda’s roads: the misuse of the vehicle horn.

A culture of loud roads

In Uganda’s traffic culture, the horn is more than a safety tool. It is communication, impatience, warning, frustration and sometimes aggression. On busy highways and in congested towns, drivers often hoot to demand space, express anger, or force others to move faster. Over time, what was designed as a warning system has become part of the emotional language of the road. Some vehicles, particularly long-distance buses and heavy trucks, have gone further. Drivers install modified horns that are louder and sharper than factory specifications. According to traffic authorities, this has worsened the problem. SP Michael Kananura, spokesperson of the Directorate of Traffic, says the law permits hooting only as a safety warning, nothing more.

‘A driver should only hoot to warn other road users of imminent danger or an immediate safety hazard,’ he explains. ‘But what we are seeing is unnecessary, excessive hooting, sometimes out of anger. That is misuse,’ he says, adding that many drivers modify their horns, making them louder and more frightening than intended. ‘The manufacturers know the appropriate sound for each vehicle. Why should drivers add extra voices?’ he asks. Kananura also warns that hooting is often misused at the wrong time, while overtaking, at corners, or in situations where silence and caution are more appropriate. ‘In those moments, hooting does not help. It confuses or frightens other road users,’ he says.

When warning becomes a trigger

Road safety experts say the danger of hooting lies not only in noise, but in human reaction. A sudden loud horn can trigger panic, especially among pedestrians, cyclists, children, and the elderly. That split-second reaction; jumping, swerving, or freezing, can be enough to cause a crash. What is meant to prevent an accident can, therefore, become the cause of one. This ‘startle effect’ is increasingly being recognised in traffic psychology, where unexpected loud sounds disrupt decision-making and motor coordination. On Uganda’s roads, where pedestrians and cyclists often share tight space with fast-moving traffic, the risk is even higher.

The silent health cost of noise

Beyond accidents, environmental regulators warn that constant hooting is also a public health concern. An official from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) says noise pollution is more than an irritation; it is a health hazard. Noise pollution is defined as unwanted or disturbing sound that interferes with normal life, comfort, and well-being. Medical studies linked to noise exposure show that prolonged disturbance can lead to fatigue, headaches, elevated stress levels, and increased blood pressure. In more severe cases, it contributes to cardiovascular strain and coronary disease risk.

In urban centres where traffic noise is constant, residents are exposed not only to congestion but to a persistent acoustic stress that often goes unnoticed.

A road culture under pressure

Uganda’s roads are getting busier, faster, and more competitive. Drivers are under pressure to beat traffic, meet schedules, and navigate unpredictable conditions. In that environment, the horn has become a reflex rather than a deliberate safety tool. But traffic authorities argue that discipline, not louder communication, is what is needed.

They maintain that hooting should be:

brief, necessary, and used only when there is imminent danger.

Anything beyond that, they warn, crosses into nuisance and risk.

The unanswered question

Despite clear guidelines, enforcement remains inconsistent. Modified horns still echo through highways. Drivers still communicate impatience through sound. Pedestrians still react instinctively to sudden blasts. And in between, accidents continue to occur, some recorded, many unreported. What remains unclear is whether Uganda’s road culture can shift away from noise as a language of control and fear, toward quieter, more predictable communication. For now, every sudden horn carries two possibilities: a warning meant to save a life, or a trigger that changes one forever.

Residents of Nabirumba Parish in Nabwigulu Sub-county are in shock following the death of a Senior Three student at Irundu Secondary School in Buyende District, who reportedly died by suicide.

The deceased has been identified as Amuza Basoome, 17, son of Mr Abasa Dhikusooka, a resident of Nabirumba Parish in Nabwigulu Sub-county, Kamuli District.

Mr Mberenge Kitimbo, a former district councillor for Nabwigulu sub-county, said the student had allegedly been expelled from school after he was found in possession of a mobile phone.

“It is truly disheartening that a young man has lost his life over what appears to have been a minor issue. The focus should be on discipline and providing proper guidance to children,” Mr Mberenge said.

Mr George Bogere, the LCIII chairperson of Nabwigulu sub-county, said the deceased was questioned by his father about how he got the mobile phone after returning home from school but declined to explain.

He said the father later asked him to work in the family garden as a disciplinary measure. Mr Bogere said the young man was found dead the following morning.

“This is the second reported suicide in the area within two weeks. I urge community and religious leaders to step up efforts to provide guidance and support to young people to help prevent such tragedies,” Mr Bogere said.

Mr Bogere urged people experiencing depression or emotional distress to speak to family members, friends, religious leaders, or other trusted individuals instead of suffering in silence.

Mr George Byantuyo, the chairperson of private school owners in Kamuli District, described the incident as a setback for the education sector.

He called on school administrators, teachers, parents, and learners to comply with Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines banning the use of mobile phones in schools.

“The Ministry of Education has not yet issued specific guidance on the use of earphones and mobile phones in schools. It is therefore important that we adhere to established guidelines to promote effective administration and discipline,” he said.

He emphasised the need for parents to build stronger relationships with their children, warning that a lack of communication and support at home can have serious consequences.

‘The boy had an opportunity to explain to his parents where he got the phone, but he chose not to. This shows the importance of parents maintaining open communication with their children and creating an environment where they can freely share their challenges,’ Mr Byantuyo said.

Busoga North police spokesperson Samson Lubega said the body was discovered hanging from a tree behind his father’s residence and was later retrieved by police.

Police have since released the body to the family for burial arrangements as investigations into the incident continue.

Mr Lubega called for stronger counselling and guidance services in schools and homes to help students cope with challenges and manage pressure.

“Guidance and counselling remain one of the most effective approaches because some students have become disconnected from their support networks. Schools and families must take greater responsibility in providing the necessary support and guidance,” Mr Lubega said.

Senior Two students have registered marked improvements in proficiency in English Language, Mathematics and Biology, according to the 2025 National Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE), the first national secondary school assessment conducted since the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2020.

The assessment, conducted last year by the Research and Development Department of the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb), covered learners in 136 districts. It was the first such evaluation in 11 years, with the previous assessment conducted in 2014. Uneb Executive Director Dan Odongo attributed the long gap to funding constraints.

‘We have not been able to carry out this assessment in secondary schools for the last 11 years due to a shortage of funds,’ Mr Odongo said.

Launching the report yesterday, Education Minister Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo urged teachers and school leaders to fully embrace the competency-based curriculum, saying it was designed to equip learners with practical skills rather than encourage rote learning.

He, however, expressed concern that some schools were not implementing the curriculum as required, particularly the continuous assessment component.

‘For example, schools have continued to teach outside the stipulated time, and some start project work only in Senior Three instead of following the prescribed guidelines,’ Dr Muyingo said. He urged education stakeholders to study the findings carefully and develop targeted interventions to address the gaps identified.

English performance improves

The report shows that proficiency in English Language improved significantly, with the proportion of Senior Two learners rated proficient rising from 49.3 percent in 2014 to 80.7 percent in 2025.

Uneb attributes the improvement to several government interventions, including the deployment of more teachers, expansion of school infrastructure and education reforms, particularly the implementation of the competency-based curriculum.

Private schools shine Private schools performed better than government schools in the writing sub-skill, with 85 percent of learners rated proficient compared to 79.4 percent in government schools. Location also influenced performance.

Urban schools registered 86 percent proficiency in writing compared to 71.1 percent in rural schools. Boarding students also outperformed day scholars. About 88.3 percent of boarders were proficient in writing compared to 74.5 percent of day scholars, although the report notes that the difference was not statistically significant. Learners in non-Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools also performed better, with 88 percent rated proficient compared to 77 percent in USE schools.

The assessment further shows a shift in gender performance. While boys outperformed girls in 2014, girls overtook boys in 2025, widening the gender gap in favour of female learners.

Learners with special needs

Despite the overall gains, the report highlights persistent challenges among learners with disabilities. Less than half (46.7 percent) of deaf learners were rated proficient in the writing sub-skill, well below the national average of about 80 percent. The assessment also recorded notable improvement in Mathematics.

National proficiency rose from 41.5 percent under the previous curriculum to 61.6 percent under the competency-based curriculum. Uneb again links the improvement to increased teacher deployment, better school infrastructure and curriculum reforms.

Although private schools registered a slightly higher proficiency rate (66.5 percent) than government schools (60.1 percent), the difference was not considered statistically significant.

However, gender disparities remained pronounced. In government schools, 71.3 percent of boys were proficient in Mathematics compared to 49.1 percent of girls. In private schools, 74 percent of boys were proficient compared to 59.5 percent of girls. Urban learners also outperformed their rural counterparts, with proficiency standing at 67.8 percent against 50.3 percent in rural schools.

Similarly, learners in non-USE schools performed better than those in USE schools, recording proficiency levels of 71.7 percent and 56.4 percent respectively. The report notes that the gender gap in Mathematics widened between 2014 and 2025, with boys maintaining a stronger lead. Performance among learners with disabilities remained low. Only 16.7 percent of deaf learners and 48.4 percent of blind learners were rated proficient, both below the national average.

Biology shows progress

Biology also registered substantial improvement. The proportion of learners rated proficient more than doubled from 20.5 percent in 2014 to 45.6 percent in 2025. Reacting to the findings, Uganda Professional Science Teachers’ Union General Secretary Aron Mugaiga welcomed the assessment, saying it provides evidence needed to improve learning outcomes.

He said the disparities between urban and rural schools largely stem from differences in resources and staffing.

‘Urban schools have the capacity to hire more teachers and pay them better, unlike many rural schools where incomes are limited and institutions largely depend on government funding,’ Mr Mugaiga said.

A section of activists has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Jacob Oboth-Oboth, seeking parliamentary intervention into the suspension of some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the failure to constitute the national bureau for non-governmental organisations.

The petition also raises constitutional and governance concerns regarding abuse of administrative power, disregard of statutory procedures, and the erosion of the rule of law in the regulation of NGOs in Uganda.

In an August 3 letter co-signed by a total of 31 petitioners from different CSOs and NGOs, activists claim that the suspension violated the Constitution, in addition to crippling organisations working on constitutionalism, human rights, civic education, election observation, and access to justice.

On January 9, 10 organisations were suspended through administrative directives arbitrarily issued by the commissioner-in-charge of the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations. They include: African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Agora Centre for Research, African Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV), and Chapter Four Uganda.

Others are Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), National NGO Forum, Network of Public Interest Lawyers (NETPIL), National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD), and Human Rights Network for Journalists.

Mr Henry Muguzi, the executive director of ACFIM, on behalf of other petitioners, urged Parliament to fulfil its mandate, pursuant to Articles 79, 90 and 94 of the Constitution of Uganda and the Rules of Procedure of Parliament by fulfilling its constitutional oversight mandate over the ministry responsible for NGO affairs and the Bureau for Non- Governmental Organisations to ensure their operations resume without any conditions.

‘The suspensions have persisted for several months despite there being no legally constituted bureau capable of making such decisions and despite the absence of any legal provision authorising indefinite suspension of NGOs,’ Mr Muguzi said in the petition.

The petitioners argue that the NGO Act establishes the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations as a statutory body responsible for regulating the NGO Sector.

However, following the 2024 amendments to the Act, the Bureau has not been duly constituted because its members have neither been appointed nor gazetted as required by law.

They now want Parliament to inquire into the legality of the decisions taken in the name of the Bureau during this period and take appropriate remedial action where necessary.

The acting director of communication and public affairs, Parliament of Uganda, Ms Grace Gidudu, said the petition will be forwarded to the relevant offices for further action to be taken. ‘After the petition was received, I am sure those offices are now going to work on,’ she told this publication.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni begins a two-day working visit to Tanzania today, as the two countries seek to strengthen bilateral ties.

The August 5-6 visit marks President Museveni’s second trip to Tanzania this year, coming six months after his February working visit during which he and President Samia Suluhu Hassan pledged to fast-track a series of strategic infrastructure, transport and energy projects.

‘The discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including trade and investment, infrastructure and transport, energy, tourism, defence and security, and regional integration,’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation said in a statement yesterday.

The visit aims to further strengthen the longstanding historical, fraternal and diplomatic relations between Tanzania and Uganda, it said, adding that the two leaders will also review progress in implementing strategic projects and discuss measures to remove barriers affecting trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Analysts speculate that the leaders will focus on accelerating key cross-border infrastructure projects and reviewing progress on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), among other things. The flagship EACOP project has moved significantly closer to completion. During an inspection of the project in Tanga on June 29, Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi announced that construction had reached 86 percent, with completion expected this month. He also said the first crude oil shipment from Chongoleani Port is now expected in January 2027, replacing the earlier target of July 2026.

‘The minor challenge we identified is that electricity lines have not yet reached the project site. I have directed the contractor, through TANESCO, to ensure the work is completed before the contract deadline,’ he said.

The $6 billion EACOP project stretches about 1,443 kilometres from Hoima in western Uganda to Chongoleani in Tanga and is expected to become the world’s longest heated crude oil pipeline. According to the government, construction has already created about 10,000 jobs, with approximately 7,500-equivalent to 75 percent-going to Tanzanians.

Beyond EACOP, the two governments are also pursuing a proposed natural gas pipeline from Tanzania to Uganda, a refined petroleum products pipeline to Tanga, expansion of the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara, and railway projects intended to improve regional connectivity and lower transport costs.

An economist at the University of Iringa, Mr Samson Rutashobya, said the visit is likely to concentrate on ensuring the remaining work on EACOP and other strategic projects is completed on schedule. He added that the talks could also culminate in the signing of new agreements on other bilateral projects, particularly the proposed natural gas pipeline and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connection between the two countries. ‘The relationship between Tanzania and Uganda has increasingly shifted from political goodwill to implementation of large economic projects. This visit offers an opportunity for the two leaders to assess progress, resolve remaining bottlenecks and ensure the agreed projects deliver the expected economic benefits,’ he said.

He added that successful completion of EACOP would strengthen investor confidence while positioning Tanzania as a major regional energy and logistics hub.

The Executive Director of the Research on Poverty Alleviation (Repoa), Dr Donald Mmari, said regular high-level engagements demonstrate both countries’ commitment to translating bilateral agreements into measurable economic outcomes.

‘Major infrastructure projects require continuous political oversight because they involve multiple institutions and cross-border coordination. The visit provides an opportunity to review implementation while discussing wider trade, investment and industrial cooperation,’ he said.

According to him, improved transport and energy infrastructure could significantly reduce business costs and stimulate trade throughout the East African Community.

Foreign policy analyst and political scientist at the University of Dar es Salaam, Mr Salbinus David, said the visit also carries important diplomatic significance.

‘Tanzania and Uganda are among the region’s most influential countries. Frequent consultations between their leaders strengthen cooperation not only on bilateral projects but also on regional peace, security and East African integration,’ he said.

Mr David noted that the second visit within a single year reflects the strategic importance both governments attach to their partnership, particularly as major infrastructure projects approach completion.

A public administration and political analyst at the State University of Zanzibar, Prof Makame Ali Ussi, said presidential diplomacy has become increasingly important in ensuring regional flagship projects remain on course.

‘Large cross-border investments require sustained political commitment. Regular meetings between heads of state help maintain momentum, resolve emerging challenges and reinforce confidence among investors and development partners,’ he said.

A recent spell of prolonged drought across several parts of the country threatens to plunge millions of Ugandans into a severe food crisis after scorching sunshine caused widespread crop failure.

Farmers in the worst-affected areas say they have lost much of their harvest, with the situation leading to higher food prices and uncertainty over the second planting season.

In south-western Uganda, the prolonged dry spell, which persisted between May and July, has taken a heavy toll on farmers, livestock keepers and rural communities.

It has contributed to declining crop yields, drying water sources, rising food prices and increasing transport costs. Coffee farmers say the prolonged dry spell has had both positive and negative effects on production.

Mr Alex Bahikiriwa Nyakatete, a coffee farmer from Mpaama Village in Ntungamo District, said that while the sunny weather had been ideal for drying harvested coffee beans, improving their quality and reducing post-harvest losses, the dry conditions are now threatening the next harvest.

He explained that after harvesting, coffee plants naturally begin to flower in preparation for the next production cycle. However, the flowers have been drying up before developing into coffee cherries because of the prolonged drought.

‘With this prolonged dry spell, many flowers are drying up, and if the rains delay further, next season’s harvest will be much lower. That will be a double tragedy because in the previous season, I had lower coffee harvests as the coffee berries dried immediately after flowering due to a dry spell,’ he said.

Farmers growing tomatoes, watermelons, passion fruit, oranges and vegetables say they are struggling to keep their crops alive because of a lack of water. Those without irrigation systems have watched their crops wither before harvest, while those with irrigation face high pumping and fuel costs.

Mr Joshua Mujuni, a tomato farmer, said the reduced supply of fresh produce during the dry spell has driven up market prices.

He added that farmers who irrigate during the dry season must do so consistently because if irrigation is interrupted, crops that had begun recovering often wilt and dry up under the intense heat.

‘When you irrigate today and fail to water again because, for example, the water source has dried up or fuel has become too expensive, the crops suffer even more. The soil becomes too hot and hard, making it difficult for the roots to access moisture. Consistent watering is necessary to keep the soil moist and cool,’ another farmer said.

Mr Felix Tusiime, an agronomist, advised that irrigation should be accompanied by practices such as mulching, which helps the soil retain moisture, reduces evaporation and keeps it cooler, enabling crops to withstand prolonged dry conditions. Adding subheadings will improve readability without changing the story. Here’s Phase 2 with appropriate newspaper-style subheadings.

Climate change effects bite

Agricultural experts and United Nations agencies warn that extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are likely to worsen food insecurity and push thousands of people who depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture deeper into poverty.

Mr Jimmy Owiny Eron, the agricultural officer for Alango Sub-county in Otuke District, said climate change is no longer a distant threat but a persistent reality affecting farming communities in different ways.

‘Climate change is real and it is affecting the farming community in different ways. Last year, during the first planting season, there was a lot of drought, and most of the crops that farmers planted dried up.’ Mr Owiny added that the beginning of this year’s first planting season was no different, with rainfall lasting for only about two weeks. ‘From June to July, it was totally dry in Otuke, which greatly affected all the crops.’

Karamoja faces worsening hunger crisis

An acute food crisis is unfolding across several parts of the greater Karamoja Sub-region following widespread crop failure caused by prolonged drought. In Rengen Sub-county, Kotido District, scores of people are reportedly surviving without proper meals after their households ran out of grains and cereals.

Mr Elijah Lokoribok Lobur, the LC3 chairperson of Rengen Sub-county, said several elderly people and children had died from hunger because there was nothing left for residents to eat.

‘All the sorghum and maize fields, as well as the local cucumber used as sauce, which were planted in early April, were scorched by the relentless heat,’ he said.

Mr Lobur confirmed that parish chiefs were compiling data on the reported deaths before submitting it to the district, which would then forward it to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mr Paul Lotee Komol, the LC5 chairperson of Kotido District, said they had briefed the central government on the situation on the ground and that some relief supplies had already been delivered.

He confirmed that grain fields and other crops had been scorched, warning that the district expected even more difficult times ahead.

An audit of Uganda’s Health Care Waste Management (HCWM) has revealed widespread failures in handling infectious medical waste, with health facilities struggling to safely dispose of Health Care Waste (HCW) amidst inadequate funding, weak enforcement of regulations, poor segregation and treatment practices, lack of reliable waste data, and limited monitoring.

According to the Value for Money Audit Report on the Effectiveness of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Public Health Facilities in the Management of Health Care Waste 2025 report, although the Ministry of Health has developed several policies, regulations and guidelines to govern health waste management, critical gaps still exist in the current HCW management regulatory framework.

According to the audit findings, for the financial year 2022/2023 to 2024/2025, the Ministry had no budget for HCWM and work plans, and major activities such as construction of incinerators were purely reliant on the development partners, who have since withdrawn their funding.

However, in response to the funding challenges, the audit indicates that the Ministry has since allocated Shs5b to budget for the gap left by development partners and has guided that health facilities allocate 10 percent of their Primary Health Care (PHC) budget to HCWM.

‘Following the withdrawal of the USAID support, the Ministry issued a circular on 13th February 2025 directing all health facilities to integrate HCWM into their budgets beginning in FY 2025/26. This was aimed at improving sustainability and ensuring consistent funding for HCW activities,’ the Audit reports states.

According to the report, the average annual PHC funding available for HWM amounts to approximately shs60,000 for HC II facilities, Shs120,000 for HC III facilities, shs600,000 for HC IV facilities, and shs7,500,000 for hospitals which the Auditor General says is unlikely to cause any impact.

Mr Edward Akol the Auditor General, explained that although a new HCWM Strategy (2025/26 to 2029/30) has since been developed, it has not yet been implemented by the time of the audit.

The audit further reveals significant deficiencies in HealthCare Waste (HCW) storage whereby of the 25 heath facilities assessed, 17 (64%) lacked appropriate storage infrastructure. Eight of the 17 facilities (47%) had no dedicated HCW storage area at all, and the remaining nine (53%) had storage areas that had no sheds, and or enclosed.

At Mityana General Hospital, Lira, Mbarara and Gulu regional referral hospitals HealthCare Waste was compacted inside storage rooms that lacked secure locks, while in facilities such as Mbarara, Gulu , Lira , Iganga General hospital, HCW was stored in the open, posing a risk of un-restricted access and potential exposure to infections.

The auditor General revealed that all the 25 sampled and inspected facilities lacked compliant temporary storage areas, and waste is frequently retained for longer than the recommended duration due to inadequate infrastructure and unreliable treatment or disposal arrangements.

‘These weaknesses show that current practices do not provide the necessary safeguards for the safe handling, containment, and storage of HealthCare Waste prior to treatment, thereby posing significant health and environmental risks,’ Me Akol stated.

Of the 25 facilities assessed, 48 percent had incinerators, however, functionality was inconsistent: 8 facilities (67%) had operational units, though none had emission-control systems or the capacity for complete combustion of sharps and glass waste, the remaining 4 facilities (33%) had non-functional incinerators, resulting in continued reliance on alternative and often unsafe waste treatment methods.

Furthermore, of the 25 health facilities assessed, 52 percent had no incinerators and among these 6 with non-functional and relied on off-site Health care waste treatment through private providers for collection, treatment and disposal, while several without incinerators resorted to open burning HCW within their premises.

‘These gaps indicate inadequate investment in compliant HCW treatment infrastructure and expose health workers, patients, and nearby communities to avoidable health and environmental risks,’ Mr Akol said.

The report further noted that Health facilities, including those equipped with incinerators, are currently overwhelmed by large volumes of untreated HealthCare Waste given the limitations in capacity of the existing HCW treatment infrastructure increasing exposure to infections and heightening public health risks and environmental risks.

Mr Akol stated that the treatment processes and infrastructure currently available in health facilities are insufficient to ensure the safe and compliant treatment of HealthCare Waste, noting that many facilities continue to rely on inappropriate methods such as open burning and the use of incinerators that lack emission-control systems.

‘As a result, infectious waste is not fully decontaminated, and hazardous pollutants continue to be released into the environment. This leaves healthcare workers, patients, and surrounding communities exposed to preventable health and environmental risks,’ he said.

Mr Akol also found out that of the 25 health facilities only Gulu, Jinja, and Iganga Regional Referral Hospitals had lined ash pits for the final disposal of incineration residues. Six facilities disposed of HealthCare Waste offsite, while 17 relied on ordinary waste pits, with placentas and pathological waste placed in placenta pits.

Additionally, it was further noted that early in 2025, a placenta pit at Nsangi Health Centre III had collapsed due to a weakened slab, causing a serious occupational accident when a midwife fell into the pit while disposing of a placenta

Mr Akol also highlighted inappropriate waste segregation, noting that there was a mix up of infectious and non-infectious Waste in the same bins, unmatched bin liners, unlabeled waste bags, absence of dedicated temporary storage spaces, absence of temperature and emission meters at incinerators.

The Auditor found out that health facilities didn’t measure or report the volume of waste they generate, no clear indicators to assess treatment efficiency and emissions control, and no standards governing the design of common-user waste pits leading to difficulties planning and monitoring.

Mr Akol also sighted lack of coordination meetings among the Ministry of Health, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), local government councils, District Health offices and health facilities during the financial year 2022/23 and 2024/25 even when the ministry established national and regional WASH/ HCWM steering committees.

The Government has taken steps to improve HCWM from generation to final disposal through developing regulations, such as the National Guidelines for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities 2022, the National Environment Waste Management Regulations 2020 and National Health Care Waste Management operational guidelines 2025, among others.

Mr Akol recommended the Ministry of Health to prioritise HCWM by providing sufficient resources at the national and facility levels, engaging with the local governments and relevant regulatory bodies, to strengthen supervision of HealthCare Waste management in both public and private health facilities.

He further urged the Ministry to fast-track dissemination and implementation of the recently developed HCWM Strategy (2025/26-2029/30), operational guidelines, regulations and SOPs to ensure that all health facilities apply harmonised standards for HealthCare Waste quantification, treatment, emissions control and final disposal.

‘Disseminate and enforce implementation of the recently developed HCWM guidelines at facility level to ensure effective control of waste at source and strengthen compliance with national HealthCare Waste management requirements,’ he said.

Mr Akol also asked the management of health facilities to ensure availability of color coded bins and liners at all waste generation points to prevent waste, enforce strict adherence to prescribed HealthCare Waste collection schedules and container fill limits as well as establishing and enforcing formal contracts with licensed waste handlers.

He also advised management of health facilities to enforce strict adherence to prescribed HealthCare Waste collection schedules and container fill limits in order to prevent occupational injury and infection risks.

According to data from MOH the approximate volume of medical waste handled annually by the different categories of health facilities is as follows; 10million tonnes for National Referral Hospitals, Two million tonnes for Regional Referral Hospitals, 500,000 tonnes for General Hospitals, 100,000 tonnes for Health Centre IVs, and 20,000 tonnes for Health Centre IIIs.

Dr Herbert Nabaasa. Commissioner of Environmental Health said that the Ministry has put in place strategies to improve HCWM noting that under their National Healthcare Waste Management strategy, the ministry is committed to ensure effective collection, transportation, treatment and safe disposal of healthcare waste.

The ministry has undertaken several strategic reforms to this effect, these include; strengthening the legal framework, infrastructure development, human resource, and improving coordination.

According to Dr Nabaasa. Commissioner of Environmental Health at the Ministry of Health, the ministry has established five regional incinerators in Gulu, Lira, Mukono, Fort Portal and Mbarara to improve health care waste management.

Dr Nabaasa explained that these regional incinerators will serve all health facilities in the region, case in point, the incinerator at Mbarara regional referral will serve health facilities in Ankole region districts of Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Ibanda among others.

He explained that regionalisation of incineration is to reduce the emission footprint associated with many incineration points that have previously been in the several health facilities, improve efficiency, and mitigate the problem of indiscriminate healthcare waste disposal by unregulated healthcare waste producers and handlers as well as reducing maintenance costs.

‘Our aim is to ensure that we increase efficiency in terms of monitoring, because when you centralise it, it is easier to know the final destination of waste. You can track where waste is being generated up to where it is being destroyed,’ Dr Nabaasa said.

He explained that working with licensed companies, they will be able to transport and track waste from different health centers to the regional incinerator for disposal.

‘They have arrangements with hospitals to ensure that all the hospitals have their waste collected, transported, cleaned and destroyed. Our task in the ministry is oversight, regulation, standardisation, monitoring and ensuring compliance in all these matters,’ he said.

Dr Nabaasa noted that the Ministry has also developed a tracker to capture data that will help in knowing how much waste is generated from each health facility.

‘We have made it digital in a sense that it should be easy to find out anybody who picks waste from a facility has to input it into a tool. So when you pick from a facility they fill in the data, and receive it here at the Ministry because it will be displayed on our dashboard,’ he said.

Dr Alfred Yayi , Senior Executive Consultant Jinja Regional Referral hospital noted that HCWM challenge was due to the funding gap created by withdrawal of donor support that had previously financed them since health farcicalities relied entirely on donor support.

He explained that at Jinjia, medical waste was previously collected and managed by Green label Services Limited with funding From USAID and funding was terminated, the hospital struggled with waste and started accumulating since there was no allocated budget for it.

‘Fortunately, USAID through Green Label had constructed a new incinerator, which we needed operational, so to address the electrical challenges and make it functional we provided the fuel as a hospital management within our operational funds to run it and is currently used to burn waste produced at our facility,’ Dr Yayi said.

However, he noted that the issue remains funding noting that the incinerator which runs twice a week for five hours consumes approximately 200 liters of diesel every week making it very expensive.

‘There are other private health centers and government health centers that are asking us to help them but because of the high operational costs, we are unable to support other facilities, we only handle the waste we generate from our hospital,’ Dr Yayi said.

According to Dr Yayi, the hospital has since created a budget line for healthcare waste management in the coming financial year, setting aside an estimated Shs60 million for fuel and maintenance of the incinerator.

‘We had to repurpose our funds because the support we had been relying on was no longer available. Going forward, we have budgeted for waste management because it is something that cannot be ignored,” he said.

He also noted that currently with support the Ministry of Health has also partnered with Green label Services Limited to continue supporting government health facilities in waste management.

‘When USAID funding was stopped, the Green Label could not support us because they had no funding but recently, the Ministry of Health has contracted them support our region, think with the funding from government and lately, we are engaging them to support us especially on the technical aspects when the machines don’t work well,’ Dr Yayi said.

Responding to waste segregation challenges, Dr Yayi also acknowledged challenges highlighted in the audit regarding the mixing of infectious and non-infectious waste, however he noted that the challenges emerge during transportation from wards to waste holding areas.

He explained that health workers generally separate waste correctly at source using colour-coded bins for infectious, non-infectious and pharmaceutical waste, while sharps are disposed of in safety boxes.

‘We discovered that sometimes the waste handlers tend to mix this instead of transporting them separately for their own convenience, sometimes they mix them. So we have noted that and our Infection Prevention and Control Committee is sensitizing them to ensure that the waste is not mixed,’ Dr Yayi noted.

The audit found that many health facilities do not measure the amount of waste they generate, making planning difficult.

Dr Yayi said the hospital has recently begun paying closer attention to waste volumes because it now bears the cost of treatment.

‘When Green Label was handling this for us, I think there was not much focus on how much we were generating because there was a third party handling it for us. But now that we are the ones handling it, we have had to establish how much we are generating, how much we need to burn it, how many days we need to run the incinerator,’ he said.

He urged health facilities across the country to stop relying entirely on partners but also begin to budget for HCWM.

“Time is up for us to plan for waste management. We need to build capacity for segregation, transportation and disposal of waste, and we need to budget for it because depending on partners is no longer sustainable,” he said.

At Mbarara regional referral hospital, waste management remains a challenge largely because the facility generates large volumes of waste while relying on a small incinerator.

Mr Halson Kagure, the communication and Public relations officer of the hospital, however, stated that the hospital is constructing a big regional incinerator expected to serve all health facilities in the region.

‘This is a facility handles the catchment area of the whole western region and it does generate a lot of medical waste, so without that incinerator the situation could have been alarming,’ Mr Kagure said.

He added; ‘Besides, now we are putting up a mega incinerator which is going to be used or which is going to be accessed by all health facilities in this region.’

Responding to issues of poor waste segregation raised by the Auditor General, Mr Kagure noted the hospital has strengthened waste segregation through its continuous quality improvement program.

‘Under this project, we ensure that there is proper waste management by putting in place different bin liners. When you come to the facility you will find they are black or non- hazardous, yellow for the medical waste that is hazardous and red for those medical wastes which are very hazardous and harmful,’ Mr Kagure said.

He maintained that the hospital has made significant progress in sanitation and waste management compared to previous years.

Dr Charles Kabugo is the Executive Director of Kiruddu National Referral Hospital said that HCWM challenges are usually at lower level health facilities, noting that national hospitals like Kiruddu have well guided waste management processes.

‘At Kiruddu we have no challenges, we have a company that picks waste twice/three times a week and the disposal mechanism is spelt out by the Ministry of Health and we pay them off the system. For us we have never had any issues, it’s the small health centers that real dump waste is swamps and other places.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) spokesperson, MS Naomi Namara Karekaho said that while the Authority develops regulations to guide waste management, the implementation largely rests with governments and facility managements.

‘The environmental regulatory framework is fairly new, while some of the hospitals existed long before NEMA came into force. In addition, many health facilities are under local governments, which are the frontline managers of waste,” Ms Karekaho said.

She explained that NEMA’s role is primarily regulatory, ensuring that standards and guidelines are in place to protect the environment from harmful waste disposal practices.

“NEMA provides the regulations that are supposed to guide them on how to manage waste so that it does not harm the environment, which we have done, but we are not the frontline managers of how waste is managed in different jurisdictions,” she said.

Three people have been killed and 11 others injured in a road crash involving a commuter taxi and a trailer at Kakira Junction along the Jinja-Iganga Highway. Police attribute the accident to suspected reckless driving.

The crash occurred in the early hours of Thursday when a commuter taxi collided with a trailer. The three victims died on the spot, while 11 injured passengers were rushed to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.

Hospital sources indicate that seven of the survivors are in critical condition after sustaining severe head injuries, while the others are reported to be in stable condition.

Steven Balaza, a motorcyclist who responded to the scene, said he joined other rescuers and security personnel to retrieve victims who remained trapped inside the wreckage for more than 10 minutes.

‘Calls for help from the injured initially received little response because there were few road users at the scene at the time of the crash,’ Balaza said.

Kiira Regional Police spokesperson James Mubi confirmed the accident, saying the bodies of the deceased had been taken to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations.

‘Police are working with emergency medical responders to ensure the injured receive the necessary treatment while efforts continue to establish the identities of both the deceased and the injured so that their families can be informed,’ Mubi said.

He said preliminary investigations point to reckless driving as the likely cause of the crash, although traffic investigators are still finalising their inquiries before releasing a comprehensive report.

Mubi added that the wreckage of the taxi is also being examined by the Inspector of Vehicles to determine its roadworthiness as part of the ongoing investigations.