Category: Daily Monitor

Police and local residents in Namayingo District in Eastern Uganda have concluded a two-week retrieval operation following a tragic mine collapse in Mabuka Village, Bukana Sub-county, recovering six dead bodies of artisanal miners buried deep underground.

The disaster occurred two weeks ago when a gold pit measuring over 50 feet deep caved in while more than 10 miners were excavating gold ores.

The tragedy unfolds

Speaking to journalists on August 4, Commander of the Minerals Police Unit in the Eastern Region, Mr Cephas Wanjala, confirmed that the joint search operation had successfully brought the tragic recovery efforts to a close.

“Today, we retrieved the final body from the rubble, bringing the total number of bodies officially recovered from the collapsed pit to five,” Mr. Wanjala said, noting that four bodies had been pulled out earlier in the multi-day excavation.

However, sources on the ground and local residents revealed that six miners died in total during the tragedy. According to highly placed sources who spoke to this publication, one victim’s body was secretly and hastily removed by fellow miners before security forces arrived at the scene, as operators feared legal repercussions.

Among the deceased are two brothers, Israel Twinomulem and Daniel Byakatonda, both residents of Lubaali Village, Kasanda in Mubende District. The other victims were identified as Sowedi, Wejuli, Gift, and Wycliffe, all hailing from Namayingo and Busia districts.

Survivor recounts horror underground

Siriman Mwase, one of the few miners who survived the fatal incident, recalled the harrowing moment the earth gave way shortly after they entered the pit.

“We left our camp with the victims in the morning and headed into the mine. But shortly after we entered, the walls collapsed and caved in, trapping everyone inside,” Mr. Mwase said.

Mr. Mwase explained that police and fellow miners acted swiftly to dig through the heavy soils, rescuing him and several others alive. However, several of his colleagues were brought to the surface already dead. Survivors were rushed to Buyinja Health Centre IV for emergency medical treatment and have since been discharged.

A local miner, Mr Ibrahim Ssebunya, noted that while response efforts began immediately, it took two full weeks to completely excavate the collapsed pit and recover all remaining bodies due to deep soils and inadequate specialized equipment.

Sienne Kanakuganda, a brother to the deceased Mubende miners, expressed relief after waiting at the site for two grueling weeks. He stated that receiving his brothers’ bodies allows the family to finally transport them home for a decent burial.

Unregulated mining and growing toll in Uganda

The Mabuka gold mine had been officially closed in early June by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development alongside the Minerals Protection Unit following an intense gold rush that began in May.

According to Mr. Wanjala, the site falls within the exploration license of Wagagai Mining Limited-a major Chinese firm operating out of Alupe, Busia District, which hosts one of Africa’s largest gold refineries. Despite official closure orders, artisanal miners took advantage of the lack of permanent police guards to sneak back into the hazardous tunnels.

Police have now deployed heavy earth-moving equipment to backfill the abandoned shafts and open pits left behind by illegal operations. Residents have been ordered to temporarily vacate the vicinity as safety clearing operations continue.

A persistent nationwide hazard

The Namayingo tragedy reflects a broader, deadliest trend in Uganda’s unregulated artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Due to poverty, high youth unemployment, and the lack of protective gear or professional engineering standards, thousands of Ugandans venture into unstable, deep underground shafts daily.

Mine collapses are reported continuously across Uganda’s gold-rich regions, including Karamoja, Buhweju, Bushenyi, Mubende, and Busoga. Dozens of artisanal miners lose their lives annually in similar pit cave-ins, particularly during rainy seasons when heavy downpours weaken unreinforced earth walls.

Earlier this year, a single landslide at a gold site in Bushenyi District claimed five lives, while multiple fatal collapses were recorded across Karamoja in Kaabong District, where young miners routinely enter deep shafts without helmets, supports, or oxygen supplies.

Despite the obvious dangers, surviving miners like Mr. Mwase continue to appeal to authorities for controlled access rather than outright bans.

“We have no other source of livelihood apart from gold mining,” Mr. Mwase said. “Our request to the police and government is to allow us to mine under strict safety guidelines rather than closing the sites entirely.”

The recovered bodies remain at the Buyinja Health Centre IV mortuary as families make arrangements to transport them to their respective home districts for burial.

What is driving the growing appetite among Ugandans to save?

No matter where you are, people have needs and life goals.

Ugandans are no different; they just want proper, secure, and regulated options. With over 850,000 members, we don’t view them as mere accounts; we view them as habits. By automating the process of clarifying goals and acting on saving intentions, we are helping Ugandans transform saving into a seamless habit.

Historically, people have been saving rather than investing, particularly in regulated products.

What transformed this behaviour for our case is automation and linking investments to personal goals.

Last year alone, we attained half a million members. A significant portion of them went on to refer friends and family because of the structured plans we offer.

Does this also explain the explosion of investment schemes in Uganda?

In the past, collective investments were heavily manual, making them slow and difficult to access.

Today, technology has flipped the script. By partnering with telcos like MTN, we allow everyday Ugandans to start investing with just Shs10,000 via a simple click on their phones.

Combined with a growing shift in retirement planning, the democratisation of tech has made unit trusts accessible to the masses.

Should someone worry about the yields, or be sure what yields will be accrued before investing?

It depends on the asset. Generally, there are two types of assets: those with debt-like features and those with equity-like features.

With debt-like assets, you lend money and get paid interest. For example: treasury bills, bonds, and fixed deposits.

With equity-like assets, you invest in an underlying asset and reap the profit from its increased value when you sell it. For example: land.

Now, the bond market is the largest asset class in the world, and in Uganda, it is the largest regulated asset class. When investing in bonds, yields are market-based and no entity controls them. They fluctuate based on the economy and can sometimes be 9 percent, 10 percent, or 15 percent.

Therefore, with debt-like instruments (like fixed bonds), you can lock in a known yield, making it easier to plan your returns.

But with equity-like assets, yields are variable and market-driven.

Therefore, investors should focus less on predicting the exact equity yields and more on understanding the market environment and the underlying asset’s long-term value.

How can someone actually execute this?

My core philosophy is simple: invest consistently regardless of market timing. It does not matter whether current yields are 9 percent, 10 percent, or 20 percent.

The goal is to keep investing and accumulating those returns. Waiting to invest until yields reach a specific high level is rarely a prudent strategy.

Your primary benchmark should be whether the return beats inflation. If it does, it is a win, regardless of the exact percentage. If you wait out the market, and conditions stay flat for the next three years, what happens to your money?

What are your growth ambitions in Investment Management and FinTech, and how will that growth shape the financial services sector?

As players, we are committed to complying with sector regulations, and our numbers reflect healthy sector growth as a whole. We grew from half a million to over 850,000 members.

Reaching 1 million in the next 12 months is highly achievable because our focus is on impact.

When we succeed, we help children get an education, parents retire comfortably, and couples get married on their own terms. As a sector, there is a lot of untapped potential for growth and that means our work is cut out.

Are you pursuing this alone, or working with key market players?

We’ve built excellent partnerships. We are already working with wonderful partners like MTN, and we are in extensive discussions with Airtel to further expand our reach.

By distributing our products through channels like MTN, we successfully expanded our reach to thousands of customers.

One of your key messages during the AGM was repeated saving. Is this feasible to cope with consistently?

Consistency and disciplined habits are the true drivers of long-term wealth, far more than raw income levels. Today, this is highly feasible. Digital tools make it easier for families to meet financial goals regardless of their income.

This is why we continue to advocate for goal-based investment services, which allow Ugandans to start building wealth for emergencies, child education, and retirement with as little as Shs 10,000. It is possible in our environment, and that is the mindset we champion-that yes, we can

Shifting focus to you as a sector player: How has the economic environment impacted your portfolio’s performance?

We have had yet another fantastic year, building on three consecutive years of double-digit returns across all funds.

Operating in a country with relatively low, single-digit inflation has certainly been a tailwind, but this growth is a direct result of our team’s strategic execution and plans we have put together.

We have seen significant upward trends in money market and bond yields, accompanied by strong asset accumulation and market expansion.

Our money market fund averaged about 14 percent and our bond fund averaged 16 percent. On the equity side, our domestic equity fund had a holding period return of 32 percent, and the East Africa regional equity fund delivered approximately 45 percent. We are very thankful for the trust our clients place in us to build their futures.

Do your funds mix different asset classes?

No, we keep our asset classes distinct to ensure clear risk and return profiles. Our money market fund handles short-term instruments, while our bond fund is geared toward medium-to-long-term instruments. We also run a domestic equity fund and an East Africa regional equity fund.

Can investors build a diversified structure across these portfolios?

Absolutely. Combining these distinct funds creates a diverse portfolio with different drivers of returns. We’ve made this incredibly easy; clients can structure their portfolios and invest toward specific objectives using our digital workflows in just a few clicks.

Where are you in your expansion beyond Uganda?

We are currently operating in both Uganda and Kenya. We looked closely at Nigeria, but high local capital requirements made it a significant barrier, so we have put that market on hold for now.

However, we are actively eyeing other regions. Our overarching mission drives us: we won’t stop until we have directly helped at least 20 million people across Africa achieve financial freedom in the next 10 years.

Police in Rukiga District have arrested two Rwandan nationals in connection with the murder of a 45-year-old man who was allegedly strangled to death during a domestic dispute on Monday night.

The Kigezi regional police spokesperson, Mr. Nelson Tumushime, identified the deceased as James Vian Maliwa, a resident of Nyamatete village, Rwimbogo Sub-county, Gatsibo District in Rwanda.

According to police, the suspects have been identified as 48-year-old Sitafania Nyirampakaniye, the deceased’s lover, and Sarah Asifiwe, a casual worker from Kagarama village, Nyagatare District, Rwanda.

Mr. Tumushime stated that the incident occurred at the couple’s rented residence in Kikuto village, Kashekye parish, Kamwezi Sub-county, Rukiga District. It is alleged that a domestic dispute broke out between the couple during the night, leading Nyirampakaniye and Asifiwe to strangle Maliwa to death.

While condemning the act, Mr. Tumushime urged members of the public to report domestic grievances to law enforcement and local leaders rather than resorting to violence.

The tragedy comes against the backdrop of a concerning rise in violent crimes across the Kigezi region. Police records indicate that 12 murder cases were registered in the area within just two weeks. According to police authorities, these incidents-which involved mob action, hacking, stabbing, assault, and strangulation-have led to the arrest of several suspects who are currently awaiting prosecution.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, police in neighboring Kabale District opened an investigation into a case of attempted murder by shooting in Nyakijumba village, Kabale Municipality.

A security guard attached to Uganda Securiko Company, identified as Emmanuel Akanyijuka, reportedly fired a gunshot that injured a 30-year-old boda-boda rider, Davis Niwamanya. The motive behind the shooting remains unknown.

“We strongly condemn acts of violence involving the use of firearms against civilians,” Mr. Tumushime said regarding the incident. “Possession and use of firearms without lawful authority is illegal. We wish the victim a quick recovery and assure the public that the perpetrator will be brought to justice.”

The commemoration of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II’s 33rd coronation anniversary has drawn my appreciation to the reality that Buganda’s history is not merely a record of events and fallen kings.

Every kabaka inherited a different Buganda and left behind a different Buganda. Crowns and thrones are often mistaken for symbols of glory and pomp. Yet behind Buganda’s palaces and political institutions lies a trail of ambition, betrayal, reform and resilience. Few institutions illustrate this better than Buganda Kingdom, whose more than 800-year history has been shaped by 36 kabakas, each leaving a distinct mark on the kingdom. Forget what your Primary Three Social Studies teacher taught you; that Kato Kintu was the first Muganda.

More accurately, Kato Kintu was the founding father of the Baganda people and the first Kabaka of Buganda. He defeated Bemba Musota, ruler of Ensi Muwawa, united the clans under Bemba’s rule, added 13 more, and founded present-day Buganda. Tradition holds that Kintu and his Katikkiro, Kisolo, mysteriously disappeared after a 30-year reign from 1200 to 1230. Kintu laid the foundation upon which the 35 kabakas after him built. They expanded Buganda from the three counties of Mawokota, Busiro and Kyadondo into one of Africa’s most formidable kingdoms. They refined governance by delegating authority to county chiefs, strengthened the clan system that became the kingdom’s backbone, and assigned every clan duties at the royal palace while regulating relations between clans through customary law.

They also built a formidable army that protected Buganda’s sovereignty and fuelled its expansion. They opened new trade frontiers, notably Ssekabaka Ssuuna II’s commercial ties with Arab traders from Zanzibar. Like monarchies elsewhere, Buganda was no stranger to succession disputes, conspiracies, assassinations and wars. Many kabakas paid with their lives, reminding every occupant of the throne that power was never inherited without peril. By the time Ssekabaka Muteesa I ascended the throne, Buganda was larger, wealthier and more politically sophisticated than Kintu could have imagined. Yet it now faced challenges that would redefine its future.

Many historians regard Muteesa I as Buganda’s greatest strategist in governance, diplomacy, trade, religion and education. He famously wrote to the Queen of England requesting emissaries to educate his people. During his reign, Protestantism and Catholicism took root in Buganda, while Islam, introduced during Ssuuna II’s reign, continued to flourish. He allowed every faith to preach freely before succumbing to illness. His successor, Mwanga II, ruled amid fierce religious and colonial conflicts. Yet by the time he died aged only 35, he had commissioned the Kabaka’s Lake, built the perimeter wall around Mengo Palace, and donated land that today hosts Namirembe and Rubaga cathedrals and hospitals.

Under his son, Daudi Chwa II, the 1900 Buganda Agreement and the 1902 Orders in Council stripped the Kabaka of the absolute authority his predecessors had enjoyed. The burden of that transformation weighed heavily on him until his death in 1939 at just 43. Edward Muteesa II inherited the throne during intense political upheaval. Britain sought to dilute Buganda’s autonomy by integrating it more firmly into an East African colonial state and, at one point, Sir Andrew Cohen contemplated casting a ballot to replace him because he had violated the 1900 Buganda Agreement. Rather than yield, Muteesa stood his ground.

His exile in 1953 ignited widespread resistance, culminating in the 1955 constitutional settlement that restored him to the throne with stronger guarantees for Buganda’s identity and institutions, cementing his place as one of the kingdom’s foremost constitutional defenders at only 30 years of age. He later became Uganda’s first president in 1962 before being overthrown four years later and forced into exile for the second time. The kingdom was abolished, and he died in exile in 1969 amid allegations of poisoning. Buganda remained abolished for 27 years before its restoration in 1993. As Buganda marks Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II’s 33rd coronation anniversary, it celebrates not merely the reign of its 36th monarch but the resilience of an institution that has endured for more than eight centuries. The hills and valleys of the Mutebi era deserve a discussion of their own.

Police in Lugazi are holding eight men suspected of vandalising electricity lines in Buikwe and Mukono districts, following an intelligence-led operation conducted with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL).

Sezibwa Regional Police Spokesperson, Ms Hellen Butoto, said the suspects are currently detained at Lugazi Central Police Station.

‘The suspects were found in possession of vandalized wires and instruments used to cut down power lines,’ Ms Butoto said.

Given the nature of the offence, the suspects are expected to be arraigned before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court – also known as the Electricity Court – in Kampala soon. The court is the specialized tribunal that handles electricity-related crimes in Uganda.

In similar past cases, suspects have first appeared at Lugazi Magistrates Court or Mukono Magistrates Court for mention before files are committed to the Electricity Court, or to the High Court if terrorism charges are preferred.

Under the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2022 assented to by President Yoweri Museveni, vandalism of electricity infrastructure is treated as a serious economic crime. First-time offenders face up to 12 years imprisonment or a fine of Shs 1 billion [50,000 currency points], or both. Repeat offenders face up to 15 years imprisonment or a fine of Shs 2 billion [100,000 currency points], or both. Section 85A of the Act specifically criminalizes the unauthorized removal, transfer, or tampering with electricity infrastructure.

Ms Butoto warned that operations are continuing and there will be ‘no mercy’ for those still engaged in vandalism.

‘These acts are causing huge losses to the government and leaving communities in darkness. We shall not spare anyone caught vandalizing power lines as operations continue,’ she said.

Whereas technical faults and bad weather also contribute to power outages in most parts of the country, theft of copper cables, angle bars and vandalism of electric poles are cited as the main causes. Vandals are said to be making a fortune through the sale of stolen copper wires to unscrupulous scrap dealers, while other items are sold to private electrical suppliers mainly in Kampala.

The continued vandalism of the electricity network is sabotaging the government’s electricity access agenda to ensure power for all by 2030.

UETCL says Uganda loses an estimated Shs 2.6 billion annually to vandalism and power theft, with the company alone spending over Shs 600 million each year repairing damaged transmission infrastructure.

More than 473,000 people in the Karamoja Sub-region are facing acute food insecurity, with tens of thousands already in emergency conditions, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report.

The assessment, conducted jointly by the government and humanitarian and development partners, found that 473,000 people were experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026.

It also projects continued hardship through February 2027 despite an anticipated seasonal improvement. According to the report, about 41,000 people are classified under IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), while another 432,000 are in IPC Phase 3 (Critical).

The worst-hit districts are Kaabong, Kotido, Karenga, Moroto and Nabilatuk, where more than five percent of the population is in emergency conditions and up to 45 percent are facing crisis or worse.

”Compared to the same period last year, the situation has moderately deteriorated with a two percent increase in the affected population, driven by climate shocks, below-average food and livestock production, pest and disease outbreaks and high food prices,” the report states.

Although the report projects some improvement between August 2026 and February 2027 as harvests are expected, it warns that food insecurity will remain entrenched in parts of Karamoja.

The number of people in Phase 3 is expected to decline from 432,000 to about 352,000, but districts such as Kaabong, Karenga and Moroto are still expected to have between 25 and 35 percent of their populations facing crisis-level food insecurity.

The report also raises concern over worsening malnutrition, estimating that between March 2026 and February 2027, about 122,100 children aged between six and 59 months will suffer acute malnutrition, including 30,600 who are expected to be severely malnourished.

Another 8,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to require nutritional treatment. Kaabong and Kotido remain the most affected by acute malnutrition despite a slight improvement from last year, with global acute malnutrition falling from 13.5 percent in 2025 to 11.4 percent.

The report attributes persistent malnutrition to poor dietary diversity, high disease burden, limited access to safe water and inadequate nutrition services.

Karamoja Affairs Minister John Baptist Lokii said the government had stepped up relief food distribution to cushion vulnerable households as the region waits for the return of rains.

”The food that has been delivered should sustain the affected communities through August. Once the rains return in September, the government will distribute early-maturing crop seeds as part of measures to prevent another food crisis,” Mr Lokii said.

He blamed the current food shortage on widespread crop failure caused by poor rainfall across the sub-region.

Residents noted that they have become desperate because of the situation. ”We are starving, and it is even worse for the little children. Food is scarce and very expensive,” said Ms Maria Losiike, a resident of Lorengedwat Sub-county in Nabilatuk District.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja recently flagged off more than 9.4 million kilogrammes of relief food destined for Karamoja, saying the government was pursuing both emergency interventions and long-term solutions, including irrigation and research into drought-tolerant and early-maturing crop varieties.

Karamoja has experienced repeated food crises linked to climate shocks. In 2022, the sub-region suffered one of its worst hunger emergencies, with more than 900 deaths reported to have been associated with starvation.

Kotido District Chairperson Paul Komol Lotee said at least 19 people have recently died from suspected hunger-related complications, although he noted that ongoing government relief efforts have started easing the situation for many households.

On June 12, 2026, SpaceX became a public company through an IPO (Initial Public Offer), selling shares on a stock exchange for the first time. It listed on the Nasdaq at $135 a share, raising $75 billion and valuing the company at about $1.77 trillion, the largest IPO in history. It made Elon Musk the first person ever recorded to be worth a trillion dollars on paper.

But Elon Musk is no longer a trillionaire, with his net worth dropping back down to roughly $700-$740 billion. Though he remains the richest person by a wide margin, his trillion-dollar status lasted only briefly.

According to the investment platform Hiive, more than 4,400 current and former employees became dollar millionaires because of their shares, and about 400 became worth over $100 million each.

By comparison, Google’s 2004 IPO and Facebook’s 2012 IPO each created around 1,000 employee millionaires in dollars. SpaceX beat both combined. This wealth was not only for engineers.

Juan Hernandez, for example, joined SpaceX as a contract welder in 2015, earning about $28 an hour. He took some of his pay in stock instead of cash and kept buying more with his pay cheque.

On IPO day, his roughly 6,500 shares were worth over $1 million. Before that, SpaceX had let employees sell shares back to the company every six months for years, including a December 2024 sale at a $350 billion valuation.

This is what a share option is supposed to do: reward years of work with part-ownership of the company.

Now compare it to what happened to Rafiq Suleman at Tugende, a Ugandan asset financing company. He was promised shares too.

When he tried to claim them but lost everything. SpaceX’s plan worked because the United States has decades of strong laws around share options, and because SpaceX itself built a system involving regular share sale events, then a clear path to a stock market listing, that let employees turn shares into real cash. Tugende had no such system.

No law forced it to build one, and there was no company process for paying for the shares. Suleman joined Tugende as a financial analyst in August 2017.

His contract promised him 1,000 shares, a third vesting after one year and the rest in six-monthly instalments. By the time he resigned in August 2019, 333 shares had vested, worth $16,500 at the time.

He said he was willing to pay for them, but was never given the mechanism to do so. When he took the matter to court, he lost.

The judge found the contract vague on the timing of payment, but ruled that because Suleman had not paid or formally demanded the shares in writing before his employment formally ended on December 1, 2018, when he moved to a consultancy arrangement, meaning his right to them had lapsed.

What is a share option?

A share option is a promise: the right to buy a share later, at a price agreed today. Picture a voucher that says, ‘You may buy one share for $7.’

If the company grows and the share becomes worth $50, the voucher is now valuable. To get the share, you must ‘exercise’ the option by paying the agreed price and complete the paperwork.

An unused option eventually expires worthless. Companies offer options for two reasons: to give employees a stake in long-term success, not just a salary, and to let a cash-poor company offer something valuable instead of a high wage.

Shares usually ‘vest’, which is to say release gradually over time, to keep people from leaving early. Do so, and you lose what hasn’t vested yet.

These ideas are the same everywhere. What differs by country is everything around the promise: clear laws, settled tax rules, a regulator, and court cases that have already answered the hard questions.

How SpaceX built a working system

SpaceX was private until June 2026, so employees couldn’t sell shares on the open market. Instead, the company built its own system, like regular tender offers, roughly every six months, at company-set prices, letting employees cash out vested shares again and again over the years.

The 2026 IPO then gave them a clear time-bound path to sell publicly. All of this sits on decades of established US securities and tax law, so disputes are rare and usually about minor details, not whether the employee is owed anything at all.

Kenya and South Africa laws

Kenya treats Employee Share Ownership Plans as a proper legal category. A company can register its plan with the Capital Markets Authority and the tax authority for clear treatment.

A 2022 law change means tax applies only when the employee exercises the option, when they actually gain value, not earlier, at vesting.

South Africa goes further. Section 97 of its Companies Act sets out what a company must do for its share plan to qualify officially, including registering the plan’s rules with the regulator and naming someone responsible for compliance.

That law specifies how the scheme must be run before it can operate, not just how the outcome is taxed. This is why the Ugandan judge in the Tugende case leaned on South African and Kenyan court decisions.

Uganda had no law like either, and no local case law on this topic until April 2025. Stronger laws like these would likely have helped Suleman’s case. But not every lawyer agrees that better laws are what Uganda needs most.

The government has pledged to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and menstrual hygiene facilities in schools across the country in a bid to curb dropouts and keep girls in education.

The pledge was made by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Ms. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, alongside the Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Dr. Mercy Faith Lakisa. The leaders were speaking during the national commemoration of the Day of the African Child held at Nawansaso Primary School in Kamuli District on Monday.

The national celebrations, held under the theme ‘Ensuring universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene for every child in Uganda,’ had been postponed from its original June 16 date following an Ebola outbreak in the region.

The event followed a Children’s Parliament organized by Plan International at the Kamuli District headquarters. During the sitting, young learners presented a comprehensive position paper detailing the pressing challenges affecting their welfare and education.

Annet Blessing Kyomunda, a Primary Four pupil from Kinaitakali Primary School who served as the chief guest representing her peers, urged the government to equip schools with adequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. Kyomunda emphasized the need for designated safe spaces where girls can privately change and dispose of sanitary pads.

“When we have access to clean water, safe sanitation facilities and proper hygiene, we become healthier, safer and better able to learn and achieve our dreams,” Kyomunda told the congregation.

In her address, Kyomunda also advocated for practical hands-on training to enable learners to make reusable sanitary pads, stricter enforcement of laws against open defecation, and enhanced positive parenting through open communication, guidance, and counseling.

The young parliamentarians further raised critical concerns surrounding widespread child labor, rising teenage pregnancies, forced early marriages, inadequate school feeding programs, and persistent negative social norms that force children out of the classroom. In a poignant moment during their presentations, the learners questioned why the government readily provides free condoms to the public while free sanitary pads for schoolgirls remain unprioritized.

Responding to the children’s demands, Dr. Lakisa assured the gathering that the government is actively reinforcing measures to safeguard child rights nationwide. She highlighted ongoing policy interventions, including the implementation of the National Safeguarding Guidelines for Children and the Children Participation Guidelines.

“We are here to be your voice. Your issues, concerns, and advocacy will be addressed, especially with the girl child champion, Mama Kadaga, here for you,” Dr. Lakisa said.

On her part, Ms. Kadaga reaffirmed her personal commitment to championing the welfare of the African child, promising to lobby for free sanitary pads, safe changing facilities, and aggressive protection against defilement, forced marriages, and child exploitation.

“My commitment to children is total and unconditional,” Ms. Kadaga stated. “We shall follow up your concerns, work with development partners, and ensure your rights are protected so that you can enroll, stay, and complete school.”

The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday nominated candidates for parish and ward Local Council II (LC2) elections across the country, paving the way for campaigns that begin today.

In a statement posted on its official social media platforms, the EC said the election of Parish/Ward (LC2) chairpersons, as well as the nomination and approval of parish executive committee members, will be conducted according to the published electoral programme.

The commission said nomination forms for aspiring LC2 chairpersons were issued during the display exercise conducted between July 30 and 31.

EC spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi clarified that only those elected to the Local Council I (LC1) executive committees, including chairpersons, are eligible to contest for LC2 chairperson positions.

However, he said members representing Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are not eligible because they already attained leadership through those structures.

‘The people eligible to contest for the LC2 chairperson position are members of the LC1 executive committee, including the chairperson, except those representing Special Interest Groups.

After the chairperson is elected, six committee members are nominated to serve on the executive committee,’ Mr Mucunguzi said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Ben Kumumanya, said the LC1 and LC2 structures remain the foundation of Uganda’s decentralised governance system by bringing leadership and decision-making closer to communities.

He said the structures enable citizens to identify development priorities, monitor public service delivery and hold leaders accountable.

‘As Uganda prepares for the Parish/Ward (LC2) elections, citizens have another opportunity to strengthen this democratic foundation by electing leaders of integrity, competence and commitment to public service. The Ministry of Local Government continues to champion decentralisation as an effective approach to promoting good governance, accountability, inclusive development and citizen participation,’ he said.

Why LC2 matters The LC2 is the second tier of Uganda’s lower local government structure and operates at parish level, linking village councils (LC1) to sub-county administrations.

Among its key responsibilities are resolving local disputes, hearing appeals from LC1 courts, mobilising communities for government programmes and coordinating development initiatives at parish level.

The LC2 also serves as a local council court, handling minor civil and community disputes through a quorum of five members, including at least two women.

In addition, the council supports implementation of government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), immunisation campaigns and community sanitation drives.

Mr Kumumanya said the executive committees at LC1 and LC2 are structured under the Local Governments Act to ensure different aspects of community life are represented through designated office bearers.

‘This structure ensures that residents know where to seek assistance on specific community matters while promoting inclusive, accessible and responsive local governance,’ he said.

He added that lower local council leaders occupy a unique position because they are the closest elected leaders to the people and are often the first point of contact for resolving community concerns.

Police in the Kigezi Sub-region have proposed an inspection exercise for all canoes and engine boats used to carry passengers and goods on Lake Bunyonyi, in a bid to reduce fatal water accidents linked to vessels in poor working condition.

The proposal comes a month after a dugout canoe capsized on Lake Bunyonyi following strong waves, killing John Tumukunde, 45, a primary school teacher and resident of Butebi Village, Nyamiryango Parish in Kabale District.

The body of the deceased was recovered a week after the incident. A 19-year-old female passenger, only identified as Rebecca, who was in the same vessel, was rescued immediately.

‘We have proposed to the officials at the Ministry of Works and Transport to conduct a boat/dugout canoe inspection exercise to ensure that all the vessels on Lake Bunyonyi are in good condition for the safety of the passengers and their goods,’ Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson SP Nelson Tumushime said.

He advised residents to always use life jackets and avoid overloading canoes and boats. He also appealed to the management of transport affairs on Lake Bunyonyi to ensure that vessels in bad shape are replaced. ‘Canoes and boats that are in bad shape should be replaced with new ones to avoid risking the lives of the passengers,’ SP Tumushime said.

However, boat operators say training is more urgent than inspection.

The former General Secretary of the Bunyonyi Boat Operators Association, Brian Niwagaba, said strong waves, not the quality of vessels, are the main cause of capsizing.

‘Training boat and canoe operators on how to manage water waves is more important than the planned inspection exercise for boats and canoes. We have over 100 engine boats operating on Lake Bunyonyi every day on a commercial basis while hundreds of dugout canoes facilitate community members that cross the lake for social activities. The problem is not the quality of the vessels but the strong water waves that challenge the operators leading to the capsizing of the canoes. People using dugout canoes must avoid overloading them,’ Mr Niwagaba said.

Long-time lake users also defended the dugout canoe as a safe means of transport when handled properly.

Silas Mukunde, 54, who has used a dugout canoe for more than 40 years on Lake Bunyonyi, said experience and judgment are key. ‘I have been using a dugout canoe for about 40 years as means of transport on Lake Bunyonyi and I have never had a single accident because I calculate properly water behavior i.e. I cannot roll my dugout canoe when there is too much water wave and wind on the lake waters,’ Mr Mukunde said.

Local leaders are calling for stricter enforcement of safety rules.

In April this year, Rubaya Sub-county LCIII Vice Chairperson Innocent Arineitwe Karibobo said about 20 people die annually on Lake Bunyonyi due to canoe accidents, mostly because of overloading.

‘We lose about 20 people per year because of dugout canoe accidents on Lake Bunyonyi and this is a result of poor adherence to the established safety precautions that include the use of life jackets. Most accidents are a result of overloading the dugout canoe where 8 people squeeze themselves on a dugout canoe that is supposed to transport only 4 people,’ Mr Karibobo said.

‘We need the marine police to ensure that there is no overloading on Lake Bunyonyi and we also appeal to the government to provide enough speed boats that can be used to rescue people in case of an accident,’ he added.

Police say they will continue engaging the Ministry of Works and Transport and local boat operators to agree on safety measures for Lake Bunyonyi.