Category: Daily Monitor

The Budget for this fiscal year was released at a critical point in Uganda’s economic development journey as it prepares for the commencement of commercial oil production, deepen participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and pursue its ambitious goal of growing the economy from a baseline of nearly US$ 50 billion in 2025 to US$ 500 billion by 2040.

This budget supports the implementation of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy through investments in agro-industrialization, tourism, mineral beneficiation, oil and gas, science, technology and innovation, and supporting infrastructure.

Opportunities arising from strategic sector investments, oil production and AfCFTA market access have the potential to improve productivity, competitiveness, and export diversification.

However, the successful exploitation of these opportunities will require substantial investment and access to affordable medium-to-long-term financing.

According to Uganda Bankers Association (UBA), Agriculture, Tourism, Minerals, Oil and Gas, and Science, Technology and Innovation (ATMS) strategy response, achieving the Tenfold Growth Strategy will require private sector credit to increase from Shs28.6 trillion in 2025 to Shs490 trillion by 2040, while capital markets are expected to mobilize an additional Shs440 trillion during the plan period.

These resources will support not only priority sectors but also enabling sectors such as transport, energy, telecommunications, manufacturing, real estate, and services. Over the last two decades, Uganda has strategically invested in foundations for development.

The country increased electricity access to over 58 percent of the population in FY2023/24, expanded paved road networks (tarmac) to over 6,199km in 2025, improved digital connectivity with internet penetration and usage rising to 53 percent in 2022 from 1.8 percent in 2010 and invested in education and health leading to a rise in life expectancy to 68.2 years in FY2023/24 from 50.4 in FY2010/11, according to the latest reports by the National Planning Authority and Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

While these achievements have strengthened productive capacity and competitiveness, infrastructure alone cannot deliver economic transformation.

Economic transformation will only happen when businesses invest strategically, adopt technology, expand production and productivity, engage in value addition to raw materials, access domestic, regional and international markets and generate productive jobs.

At the Centre of this transformation process lies a critical factor: development finance. According to Bank of Uganda’s latest statistics, personal and household loans accounted for 25.6 percent of the total private sector credit while building, mortgage, construction and real estate activities accounted for 18.6 percent. In comparison, manufacturing accounted for 12.5 percent, agriculture 11.4 percent, and mining and quarrying only 2.0 percent.

This implies that productive sectors central to structural transformation continue to require greater access to affordable medium-to-long-term financing.

Development finance plays a critical role in addressing this challenge by providing affordable patient capital and business advisory services, that supports productive investment in key growth sectors of the economy, benefiting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and large-scale enterprises that have significant socio-economic impact.

Through instruments such as long-term loans, asset finance, project finance, trade investment and assurance support, equity investments, development finance enables businesses to undertake investments that may not be adequately served by conventional financing.

Notably, development finance institutions’ flexible funding arrangements and extended repayment terms give businesses enough time to generate cash flow, expand operations, enhance competitiveness, and achieve long-term sustainability. Further, beyond financing, development finance institutions also provide business advisory services to have professionally run businesses and enterprises which in result reduces the risk of default of financed projects. International experience demonstrates that many countries have relied on national development banks to avail this type of financing and have successfully transformed their economies.

Germany’s KfW supported post-war reconstruction and industrial modernization, Brazil’s BNDES financed infrastructure and industrial expansion, East Asian development banks supported export-oriented industrialization, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) continues to finance strategic infrastructure and regional integration projects.

These experiences show that countries that successfully industrialized established institutions capable of mobilizing and deploying affordable long-term financing for productive investment.

In Uganda, priority sectors under the Tenfold Growth Strategy, including agro industrialization, tourism, mineral development, and science, technology and innovation, are capital intensive and require strong development finance support.

Recognizing this challenge, Government continues to capitalize and revitalize institutions that support productive investment and structural transformation. Government has cumulatively capitalised UDB with Shs1.96 trillion to provide patient capital to strategic sectors vital for industrialization and value addition. Notably, UDB has financed more than 100,000 beneficiaries either directly as projects, or through other innovative financial solutions.

The continued capitalization of UDB is therefore important not only because it expands access to affordable medium-to-long-term financing, but also because it strengthens the country’s capacity to finance strategic investments in sectors that are critical for industrialization, value addition, export growth and job creation.

Ultimately, achieving tenfold growth will require more than infrastructure and macroeconomic stability.

Uganda must mobilize long-term capital, deepen capital markets, strengthen development finance institutions, expand blended and concessional financing, and increase private investment.

Development finance is therefore not merely a supporting instrument but one of the critical pillars upon which the successful achievement of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy depends.

The tragedy unfolded with a nightmare’s familiar, brutal predictability. On Tuesday night, David Owori-the 27-year-old captain of Uganda’s premier football institution, SC Villa-was making his way home through Makindye. He was not on a distant pitch representing the country, nor was he in an unfamiliar back alley. He was on the doorsteps of his own neighborhood. Yet, a ruthless street gang ambushed him, struck him down with paving stones, stripped him of his belongings, and left him bleeding in the dark.

Hours later, despite desperate efforts by medical personnel at Case Clinic, Owori succumbed to his injuries.

Uganda did not just lose a gifted right-back, a former overseas professional, or an influential leader in the dressing room. The nation lost yet another young life to the relentless wave of violent criminality creeping across Kampala and urban centers nationwide.

Owori’s death is not an isolated flash of bad luck; it is a symptom of a systemic crisis. Just two months earlier, in June, national rugby star Sydney Gongodyo, a cornerstone of the Rugby Cranes and Stanbic Black Pirates, was beaten to death in Bukoto after being falsely targeted in a mob attack. Gongodyo was 27-the exact same age as Owori. Both men were elite athletes in the prime of their lives, disciplined ambassadors of Ugandan sports, and symbols of youth ambition. Yet, both fell victim to the dark Underbelly of urban lawlessness-one to gang violence, the other to mob action born of a breakdown in community trust and law enforcement.

Over the years, the Ugandan sports fraternity has buried far too many of its stars under tragic, violent circumstances. But focusing solely on high-profile athletes misses the broader, terrifying reality: if national icons, physically imposing and widely recognized, cannot walk safely through Makindye or Bukoto at 8:00 p.m., what hope is there for the ordinary worker, the market vendor, or the student heading home after dark?

Kampala’s rapid urban expansion has outpaced its security infrastructure. Suburbs like Makindye, Kasangati, Kisenyi, and Kalerwe have increasingly become hotbeds for youth gangs, opportunistic muggers, and organized criminal rings. Dark, unlit streets, erratic police patrols, high youth unemployment, and economic strain have created a volatile environment where human life is priced at the value of a stolen smartphone or a handful of shillings.

Worse still, the rise of mob violence-the very phenomenon that claimed Sydney Gongodyo-reflects a total erosion of public confidence in the judicial and policing machinery. When citizens believe crime goes unpunished, they resort to lethal vigilante action; when criminals believe the police are absent, they strike with impunity. The common denominator in both scenarios is a state mechanism that is constantly reactive rather than proactive.

Tributes, moments of silence in Parliament, and social media hashtags will not bring back David Owori, nor will they restore Sydney Gongodyo to the rugby field. What is urgently required is a fundamental overhaul of urban security management.

First, the government and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) must prioritize basic public safety infrastructure. Adequate street lighting is not an aesthetic luxury; it is a deterrent against crime. Second, security agencies must move beyond sporadic, reactionary sweeps after high-profile deaths occur. Sustainable community policing, visible night patrols, and faster emergency response systems are essential if suburban neighborhoods are to be reclaimed from criminal gangs. Finally, police must aggressively target the receivers and syndicates that fuel street robberies, dismantling the black market that makes a stolen phone worth taking a human life for.

Uganda cannot afford to normalize a society where nightfall brings terror, and where talent is buried before it fully blooms. David Owori led SC Villa with dignity and courage on the field. The very least his country owes him-and millions of citizens who walk those same dark streets every night-is the basic right to reach home alive.

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.