Category: Daily Monitor

‘I was working so hard, and I thought I needed to retire at 40, so I started planning for that,’ he says.

Bainomugisha’s eureka moment came after a conversation with a friend who had travelled to Queen Elizabeth National Park and struggled to find accommodation. For Bainomugisha, who had studied Economics at Kyambogo University, the story represented a gap in the market. ‘If there is a problem of people looking for where to sleep and they cannot find it, then there is an opportunity,’ he says.

The piece of land he had acquired for personal use suddenly took on a commercial possibility. Instead of building a private home, he began thinking about creating accommodation facilities. The result was the beginning of a project that would eventually transform about three acres of hillside land overlooking Lake Victoria into a hospitality property.

Building an asset from savings and patience

Unlike many large property developments that begin with institutional financing, Bainomugisha’s investment was built gradually from personal savings and proceeds from previous business activities. Before entering hospitality, he had worked in the sports betting industry, where he was part of the team that started a sports betting company. The company would grow significantly, giving him an opportunity to save and invest in property.

‘I am not the kind of person who spends money on many things. I managed to save and buy pieces of land, sell, reinvest and continue building,’ he says.

The approach to Divine Resort was gradual. Rather than leaving employment immediately, he continued working while directing funds into the project.

‘It was invest as you work, invest as you work,’ he explains.

Construction started with a simple concept; cottages, a swimming pool and a restaurant. The first phase consisted of eight cottages designed for double occupancy, alongside a family suite that could accommodate parents and children.

However, the construction process was far from straightforward. At the time, Bainomugisha admits he had limited knowledge about some of the technical and regulatory requirements involved in property development.

‘I did not know everything that goes into construction at a lakefront. You need approved plans, environmental impact assessment approvals and many other things,’ he says.

The project faced a major setback when authorities halted construction after concerns were raised over approvals and environmental requirements.

‘They told me construction had to stop because there were no approved plans and environmental certificates. It was a very difficult period,’ he recalls.

The project stalled as he worked to address the regulatory requirements. For a property development already consuming significant resources, the delay created additional pressure. His wife encouraged him not to abandon the project, and construction eventually resumed between 2019 and 2021. By the time the resort was ready to open in February 2022, Bainomugisha had invested years of effort and resources into completing an idea that had started as a retirement plan.

Turning location into a property advantage

One of the biggest considerations in real estate is location, and Divine Resort’s location became both its opportunity and its challenge. The property sits on the Mpatta Peninsula, a relatively quiet area away from Kampala’s urban congestion but still within reach of the capital. The challenge was accessibility. While the distance from Kampala is short by water, the road journey presents a different experience. Bainomugisha says this influenced his decision to incorporate boat transport into the property’s concept.

‘I needed to give people a reason to cross because the road was not easy. The water became part of the experience,’ he says.

For property investors, the development reflects a wider shift in Uganda’s real estate market. Locations previously considered remote are increasingly being assessed based on lifestyle value rather than only distance from urban centres.

Waterfront properties, especially those around Lake Victoria, have attracted interest because they offer a combination of scenery, privacy and recreational opportunities. However, developing such locations also comes with higher costs, including infrastructure, maintenance and environmental considerations.

Moving from rooms to experiences

Bainomugisha says one of the lessons from developing Divine Resort has been understanding what modern travellers want. He argues that many hospitality facilities in Uganda were historically designed mainly around foreign tourists, particularly those visiting national parks. However, he believes local travellers have different expectations.

‘Ugandans mind about the details. When they travel, they are not only looking for a place to sleep; they are looking for an experience that makes them feel valued and understood. They compare what they find here with what they experience when they travel to places like Dubai, Zanzibar or Bali, so properties must focus on quality, comfort and the small things that make a difference,’ he says.

According to the investor, the domestic middle-class traveller increasingly looks for experiences similar to those found in international destinations.

‘They want to feel catered to, they want to feel understood,’ he says.

This thinking influenced the resort’s positioning around what he describes as love, connection and relationship hospitality. The focus is less on accommodation alone and more on creating spaces where couples, families and groups can spend time away from city routines. The approach reflects a broader change in the property sector, where developers are increasingly considering lifestyle preferences alongside basic infrastructure. A building is no longer only valued by its size or location but also by the experience it creates for users.

The difficult realities behind property development

While the finished property presents a calm environment overlooking the lake, Bainomugisha says operating a hospitality asset has introduced a different set of challenges. One of the biggest lessons, he says, has been the importance of systems.

‘When you start a business without systems, you end up depending on individuals,’ he says.

He recalls early challenges with maintaining consistent service, particularly in areas such as food quality and customer experience. For him, the lesson applies beyond hospitality.

‘A business should not depend on one person. You need systems that allow someone else to come in and understand what to do,’ he says.

Maintenance has also become a major consideration. Unlike some property investments where costs are concentrated around construction, hospitality properties require continuous spending to maintain standards. Gardens, rooms, equipment and facilities require regular attention. Bainomugisha says this has also influenced his approach to sustainability. While he wants to introduce measures such as solar energy and reduce reliance on plastics, he notes that such investments require significant capital. A transition to solar power, he says, would require a substantial investment, making gradual implementation more realistic for a growing business.

Building the next phase

Four years after opening, Divine Resort is still evolving. The current facility includes eight cottages and a family suite, but expansion plans are underway, including additional deluxe rooms and future villas. The long-term vision is to create a wider tourism ecosystem where visitors can combine accommodation, transport and travel experiences. Bainomugisha says the plan is to connect resort stays with other tourism activities, including safaris, creating a longer travel experience for both domestic and international visitors. For property developers entering hospitality, he believes the market requires a different mindset from previous decades.

‘You cannot come into this business thinking about what was happening 10 years ago. The hospitality industry is changing quickly, and customers’ expectations are different from what they used to be. Developers must think ahead, understand new trends and create properties that can serve both today’s travellers and the generations coming after them,’ he says.

He urges developers to ahead, understand changing customer expectations and create properties that appeal to both local and international visitors.

Uganda’s political opposition has raised the alarm over a fresh wave of state-sponsored lawlessness following the daytime reported abduction of political activist Andrew Natumanya, popularly known as Ninye Tabz from Kamwokya, a known stronghold of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).

According to top opposition officials, the prominent photojournalist and anti-corruption whistleblower was violently intercepted and whisked away by armed operatives in a notorious Toyota Hiace minibus, popularly known in Uganda as a “drone.” The vehicle is commonly associated with plainclothes state security agencies conducting extrajudicial arrests.

NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya condemned the incident on June 17, 2026, via the social media platform X. “We’ve just been informed of the abduction of Ninye Tabz from Kamwokya a short while ago. He has been whisked away in a drone. The lawlessness continues!” Rubongoya stated.

Echoing his frustration, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, also took to X to decry the targeted state crackdowns. “The senseless abductions continue, Tabz @NinyeTabz has been taken by a drone from Kamwokya!!” Ssenyonyi posted. The incident occurred amid escalating tensions and widespread local and international condemnation regarding the heavy-handed treatment of opposition figures in the country. Just two days prior, on June 15, prominent lawyer and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) president Erias Lukwago was similarly abducted by elite Special Forces Command (SFC) operatives from his Wakaliga home.

Lukwago, who was seized while preparing to serve court documents to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a high-profile treason case involving Dr. Kizza Besigye, was also bundled into a “drone” van.

Though Lukwago was eventually dumped at Kira Division police headquarters and later arraigned in court before he was remanded on charges of misprision of treason, the swift seizure of Tabz indicates that security agencies have not relented. Opposition leaders warn that these continuous, unconstitutional disappearances threaten the rule of law and political freedoms ahead of upcoming national cycles.

Kenya hosts nearly a million refugees, mainly from South Sudan and Somalia. Many of them have been living in refugee camps for decades.

Now, the country is attempting a major shift in refugee policy. The Kenyan government and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) developed the Shirika Plan, launching it in March 2025. The policy aims to move refugees away from long-term encampment and integrate them in society.

Drawing on their research on refugee governance and migration in Kenya, Edwin Mutyenyoka and Franzisca Zanker explain the opportunities and challenges the plan presents for refugees and host communities.

What is the Shirika Plan?

The Shirika Plan seeks to shift refugee management away from a camp-based system largely overseen by the UN towards a government-led model centred on inclusion into the local economy. The plan is a by-product of Kenya’s Refugee Act of 2021, which seeks to include and protect refugees better.

The plan builds on the success of two pilot models: the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan and the Garissa Integrated Socio-Economic Plan. They showed that refugee inclusion can strengthen both refugee and host economies.

The Shirika Plan will convert camps into county-administered municipalities. There will be investment in roads, water systems, healthcare and education in places that host refugees. Developments are designed to serve refugees and host communities.

The plan is closely aligned with the UN’s refugee frameworks. These encourage governments to move beyond emergency assistance and towards allowing refugees to work, use public services and contribute to local economies.

The plan’s six pillars include sustainable economic development and climate action.

Implementation is expected to take place in three phases and requires an estimated US$943 million.

The first phase (2025-2028) is the transition period. It lays the foundations: putting regulatory and policy frameworks in place and turning camps into municipalities. There’s an emphasis on building local capacity too.

The second phase (2029-2032) is the stabilisation period. It will evaluate the transition, and strengthen institutional capacity and financial management. This phase will also build on peaceful co-existence between refugees and host communities.

The final phase (2033-2036) – the resilience period – aims to fortify financial structures, diversify revenue and build the resilience of communities. This is to reduce dependence on external support.

Why does Kenya need such a plan?

Kenya has become a major destination for both forced and economic migrants in the region. This is due, in part, to the country’s relative political and economic stability. A higher Human Development Index, vibrant secondary economy and a largely welcoming host society have created a good environment for refugees.

Kenya was home to 954,851 refugees and asylum seekers in 2025. This makes it the fifth biggest host in Africa and 13th largest in the world.

Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps in the northern region are home to over 800,000 refugees and asylum seekers between them. They are two of the biggest shelters for forced migrants in the world.

Most of the refugees in these camps – mostly from Sudan and Somalia – have lived there for up to 30 years.

In addition, surveys by organisations such as the Mixed Migration Centre and IOM Kenya estimate that between 100,000 and 200,000 refugees – mostly not registered – live in cities like Nairobi and Mombasa.

Kenya has gone through significant challenges, however, between the Refugee Act of 2021 and the launch of the Shirika Plan in 2025. A severe economic crisis ignited fierce protests and put mounting pressure on public services. In addition, humanitarian aid cuts, both globally and in Kenya, have been swift and severe.

Rather than relying on repeated emergency appeals, the Shirika Plan aims to attract development financing, while reducing tensions between refugees and host communities through shared access to services and economic opportunities.

This reflects a broader shift towards linking emergency assistance with longer-term economic and social inclusion.

The plan also offers a chance to address protracted displacement by making camps obsolete, while enhancing local development in remote areas.

What happens next?

The next challenge is implementation. The first years of the Shirika Plan are vital to show it can actually work.

In the first phase, planned initiatives centre on expanding livelihood opportunities, strengthening local services and improving coordination between humanitarian and development actors. Financing will be critical for success.

Kenya has secured substantial international support for refugee-hosting and economic integration. This includes a Sh155 billion (US$2 billion) loan from the World Bank in 2024 that requires Kenya to integrate 400,000 refugees into the economy by 2027.

For Kenya, the plan is a complete change of policy direction, away from a focus on security concerns and threats to close refugee camps. Closure threats happened most recently in 2021 but were quashed by the high court in 2024.

The emphasis is now on inclusion, local development and burden-sharing.

Success will depend not only on funding, but on the government’s ability to deliver tangible benefits for both refugees and host communities.

What are the risks?

First, the Shirika Plan relies on a system of differentiated assistance. This means support is tailored to refugees’ levels of need rather than provided equally to everyone. However, misconceptions of preferential treatment risk fuelling tensions between different refugee groups.

Second, moving vulnerable refugees out of camps could create new challenges. Many have spent years with limited access to education, jobs and public services. Competing in open labour markets could be particularly challenging for refugees who have long lived under UNHCR-operated enclosures.

Third, although more than 75 public engagement forums have been held across Kenya, some refugee and host-community representatives report feeling excluded from the design of the plan and broader decision-making processes. Concerns have also been raised about public awareness, accountability and oversight mechanisms. This is a worry as public support is vital to the plan.

Fourth, funding shortfalls are a risk to the plan. Supporting programmes aimed at building capacity during the transition period require consistent financial investments.

Where does this leave the plan?

The alternative – continuing to confine nearly a million people to underfunded camps – carries far greater risks than the challenges outlined above.

As the wheels of the Shirika Plan start turning, there is a need to invest in the municipalities hosting refugees.

A gradual reduction in UNHCR’s direct role should also create greater space for refugee-led organisations, whose local knowledge and community ties are useful to identify needs and support integration efforts.

Residents of Buhoma Town Council, Kanungu District, have expressed concern over the state of Kanyantorogo-Buhoma-Bwindi tourism road. They said the 44-kilometre road, which leads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is full of potholes, rendering it impassable, especially when it rains, thus frustrating the tourism sector and other economic activities.

On June 5, some residents staged protests claiming that the deteriorating road network is causing frequent accidents.

They cited the example of Harrison Shuldman, an American tourist, who died after the vehicle he was travelling in from Bwindi National Park lost control at Kakureiju in January 2025.

The residents also cited a recent incident where a truck transporting iron ore overturned at the same section and killed a driver, Philip Mukunya.

‘Every time we get a chance to meet our leaders both at local and national levels, we inform them about the sorry state of this road, but they have completely kept a deaf ear to this problem,” Mr Agaba Twinomujuni 36, a boda boda rider in Buhoma Town Council, said.

Ms Jacqueline Musimanta 34, a vendor dealing in matooke, said the road is in appalling condition, which affects the transportation of agricultural produce to markets.

‘Because of the appalling state of this road, food trucks are forced to load half their capacity so that they can manoeuvre through the rough road, and this results in a lot of money being lost because at times we are forced to load two trucks to transport food stuff that were supposed to be transported by one truck,” Ms Mbabazi said.

Buhoma Town Council Mayor Moses Bashaija said tourists visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which receives approximately 80 international visitors daily, have also decried the sorry state of the road.

‘Many tourists question why such an important tourism route remains in a dire condition despite the significant revenue generated through gorilla tracking permits,’ Mr Bashaija said.

He added:’Beyond tourism, the sorry state of this road disrupts trade, especially during the rainy season when heavy vehicles transporting goods from Kihihi Town Council struggle to access Buhoma and surrounding areas.”

The Kanungu District chairperson, Mr Francis Byamukama Kapesha, said he had informed the Works ministry about the sorry state of the road and expressed hope that the matter would be speedily resolved.

When contacted for a comment, the Kinkizi West area Member of Parliament, Mr James Ruugi Kaberuka, said he had repeatedly presented requests in Parliament for the rehabilitation of the Kanyantorogo-Buhoma-Bwindi tourism road, but in vain.

”This is a tourism road which needs to be regularly maintained, but I wonder why it is not, and for your information, I have tabled this road on the floor of Parliament over 10 times, and the government is aware of its state,’ Mr Kaberuka said.

He, however, promised that would keep on pushing the government to see that this road is worked on.

” I will visit the minister of Works and Transport and inform him about the sorry state of this road,” Mr Kaberuka said.

The district woman Member of Parliament, Ms Patience Kinshaba Nkunda, made similar promises to push the government to repair the road.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi has called on the public and state institutions to speak out against what he described as the unlawful conduct of Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, following the arrest of former Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago.

Denouncing Lukwago’s apparent abduction on Monday by men in military uniform, Ssenyonyi said the actions attributed to the military chief had heightened concerns about the safety of government critics and opposition figures.

“Everyone is unsafe with Muhoozi’s behaviour of abducting and torturing Ugandans at will,” Ssenyonyi said.

The arrest of Lukwago, a lawyer and president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and civil society actors, with questions raised about the circumstances surrounding his detention.

Addressing journalists and more than 10 lawmakers at Parliament on Wednesday, Ssenyonyi said it was important for institutions mandated to uphold the rule of law to act and ensure that all Ugandans are protected.

‘I’ve seen leaders including MPs who sing him praises even when he breaks the law in a wanton manner. I hope that these leaders MPs, ministers can wake up and advise this man against breaking the laws,’ he remarked.

Ssenyonyi noted that politicians, civic activists and religious leaders had previously been arrested or gone missing under unclear circumstances.

According to Ssenyonyi, some individuals who disappeared were later released and charged in court, while others remain unaccounted for years after they were last seen.

He expressed concern about reports of missing persons and called for greater accountability from state institutions.

‘His garbage’

Ssenyonyi also criticised what he described as a tendency by some public officials and institutions to seek the attention or approval of the military chief.

‘I know some of them are seeking his attention and keeping saluting all his garbage but what guarantee do you have that you’re safe?’ he asked.

Even ruling NRM MPs are not safe. Generals are not safe either. He has total disregard for the rule of law.

The opposition NUP party legislator faulted President Museveni for what he termed a lack of action in response to concerns raised about his son’s conduct.

If Gen Muhoozi wants to engage in politics, he should leave the military and compete with us on the political ground,” according to Ssenyonyi.

In March 1991, a teenager from Kasese was sitting through a compulsory political training at Chwa II Memorial College, Kyankwanzi, waiting for his senior six results, when a guest speaker walked in.

The man was a commissioner of customs at Ministry of Finance, and he had come to talk to students about a new government idea: an agency that would soon be called Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

He talked about responsibility. He talked about why every citizen owed something to the state they lived in.

Oscar Kambona was curious about exactly one thing: why is government sending ‘someone to talk to us about taxes?’ The answer, once he chased it down, surprised him.

Tax was law. No tax can be charged unless a law says so. And if it were law, then a lawyer, someone trained specifically to interpret law, was the natural person to be doing it, not an accountant.

‘That was the question I asked myself,’ he says. ‘Why is it that taxation is being left as a preserve of accountants?’

It is a small, sharp insight, and it would define the next 35 years.

He was a guest at the fifth edition of Tax Nights, a networking and knowledge-sharing event hosted by The Tax Hub UG in Kampala.

Three students

At Makerere University, three years into a law degree still taught as a three-year programme, a man named Prof David J. Bakibinga arrived as the first head of legal services at the newly formed URA and introduced a brand-new elective: revenue law and taxation.

At least 46 students were in Kambona’s class, but almost all of them avoided the unit; no notes existed, no track record of who passed, nothing but risk.

Three students signed up. Kambona, Robert Kabushenga, later the chief executive of Vision Group, and Benson Tusasirwe.

This is the kind of detail that looks, in hindsight, like destiny. It wasn’t. It was a teenager’s curiosity from a political training camp, refusing to let go, meeting an unlikely elective at exactly the right moment.

Kambona calls this combination ‘preparation meeting opportunity,’ and he repeats it so often across his career that it stops sounding like a platitude and starts sounding like an operating principle.

Opportunities, in his telling, are not rare. What is rare is being ready when one appears.

The classroom

At Law Development Centre (LDC), taxation was still being taught by an accountant because there were, at that point, no tax lawyers in the country at all.

Kambona finished his diploma, and LDC, short of anyone else qualified, asked him to stay on and teach the unit he had just studied.

He started lecturing on revenue law and taxation around 1995, and kept teaching for years.

The list of people who sat in his classroom reads like a directory of Uganda’s modern legal establishment. The Chief Justice. The Deputy Chief Justice. The Attorney General, whose final exam Kambona set.

The list also includes the Director of Public Prosecutions and members of the Tax Appeals Tribunal, including its current chairperson.

‘I can name right from the Chief Justice,’ he says, without much formality, because to him it is simply a record of who walked through a door he happened to be standing behind.

Years later, when Kambona pursued his own postgraduate studies, several of his former students, by then judges, professors, and senior practitioners, sat as his examiners.

The teacher became the candidate.

Second to file

In 1997, the Tax Appeals Tribunal was established to hear tax disputes outside ordinary courts. Parliament asked LDC’s law society for comments on the enabling legislation.

Kambona, the man teaching the only tax course in the building, was the obvious person to consult.

He studied the tribunal before it existed, advised on its design, and then, once it opened its doors, became one of its very first litigants.

The first person ever to file a case before the tribunal was an accountant. The second was Kambona.

The case was Uganda Consolidated Properties versus URA, and the dispute, on its surface, looked low-key.

A company had sold a building and not charged Value Added Tax (VAT), because the law exempted sales of land.

URA said a building isn’t land, so pay the tax. Kambona disagreed, and his argument came straight from a land law lecture most people forget the moment they pass the exam: a title deed doesn’t say ‘building,’ it says ‘land.’

A building is simply land with something standing on it. Sell the building, and you have sold the land beneath it.

He won, and the law itself absorbed the lesson. It was rewritten to exempt only the sale of undeveloped land specifically, closing the gap his argument had opened.

It is a recurring shape in Kambona’s career. He finds a layer nobody else notices, pulls on it in a courtroom, and the legislature eventually has to come back and patch the hole.

He did it again in the MultiChoice case, when URA tried to tax the satellite broadcaster for ‘importing’ a service from South Africa.

He argued that the importer of a broadcast signal is technically whoever’s dish receives it, which is every subscriber in their living room, not MultiChoice.

URA could hardly bill every Ugandan with a dish. The law had to be amended.

He also fought, repeatedly, over the requirement that taxpayers pay 30 percent of a disputed assessment before the tribunal would hear a case, arguing that ‘pending final resolution’ could mean any time before judgment, even the day before, not the moment of filing.

He lost that one in the Commercial Court, but the legislature noticed the wording gap and closed it anyway. Win or lose, the law kept rewriting itself around his arguments.

Know your lane

Kambona is fond of dividing his advice into neat clusters of principles that comprise connection, mindset, skill, ethics, or excellence, impact, and growth, which is the rhetorical habit of a man who spent two decades as a lecturer and never quite put the chalk down.

Beneath that is a genuinely unusual career decision he chose, early and deliberately, to specialise only in tax litigation, and to outsource everything else.

‘You must know your strength,’ he says. ‘My strength was in tax litigation. It was not necessarily in tax advisory.’

So, he built the Uganda Tax Bureau around a strict division of labour: audit firms would prepare objections and advisory work, and Kambona would step in only once a dispute reached the tribunal, using the accountants who had built the case as his expert witnesses.

He struck exactly this arrangement with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), litigating the firm’s contested cases while their in-house team handled everything upstream.

It is, in management terms, an early and instinctive form of ‘stick to your lane and build alliances at the seams’, the same logic that underlies the modern fascination with comparative advantage, except Kambona arrived at it from a courtroom, not an economics textbook.

The arrangement produced an odd subplot: the PwC tax director he partnered with, a Swedish expatriate named Annebritt Aslund, was later appointed URA’s Commissioner General, meaning Kambona was suddenly asked to act for the very authority he had spent years suing.

He took on select cases, including the landmark Rabbo Enterprises versus URA, arguing, against the loud objection of fellow lawyers furious about a 30 percent prepayment rule, that tax disputes had to start at the tribunal, not the High Court.

The Court of Appeal disagreed with him. The Supreme Court eventually didn’t. Tax litigation now runs through the tribunal first because Kambona was willing to be unpopular long enough to be proven right.

‘I don’t care,’ he says, of taking the unpopular position. ‘Believe in your case … no matter the consequences.’

No names on the door

In 2001, a senior politician preparing to leave government for private practice, Bart Katureebe, later Chief Justice, called Kambona with an idea: a single law firm where a client with a tax problem, a land dispute, or a government matter could all be handled under one roof, without juggling specialists scattered across town.

Four lawyers, Katureebe, Kambona, Elly Karuhanga, and Sam Mayanja, debated what to call it. Law firms at the time were named after their founders.

The four men chose something generic, Kampala Associated Advocates, built to outlast any one partner’s name on the door.

The Uganda Law Council objected. The founders’ counter-argument was that you cannot keep naming a firm after individuals once it has 20 partners. KAA now has dozens.

What Kambona built inside it was less a tax department than an apprenticeship machine. He picked Bruce Musinguzi as a student at LDC, brought him in as an associate before he had even enrolled as an advocate, personally walked him through early appeals, and watched him become KAA’s tax partner.

‘He delegates,’ Kambona says of Musinguzi now, with evident pride, the same way a coach talks about a player who has taken over the position.

The lesson he draws from it is that lawyers don’t stay for money; they stay because they can see a route to partnership. Firms that can’t show that route lose their best people to firms of one.

Leader without a title

Underneath the case law and the firm-building sits a man who, late in a litigation career most lawyers would consider already accomplished enough, went back to school for a PhD, not on taxation alone, but on the relationship between tax enforcement and human rights.

This focuses on whether mistreating a taxpayer makes that taxpayer less likely to comply.

It is the kind of question only someone who has spent decades inside disputes would think to ask, because it isn’t really a legal question. It’s a question about trust.

He frames the decision through three self-chosen values: excellence, impact, and growth, and insists, carefully, that excellence is not perfection. ‘Perfection is in someone’s judgment,’ he says. ‘Excellence is striving to do the best you can.’

Kambona is of the view that you should master ‘first things first, get the job before you dream of the firm, and then let excellence, not the hunt for an unattainable flawlessness, be what keeps you in the room once you are in it.’

He describes himself as ‘a leader without a title.’ It is an odd thing for a senior partner with a PhD, a named seat at one of Uganda’s most prominent law firms, and three decades of jurisprudence behind him to insist on.

But it is consistent with everything else about him: the value was never the title. It was the seam in the law nobody else had noticed, the student nobody else thought worth teaching, the case nobody else believed could be won.

Kambona built a career by being the second person in the room, the third person in the class, the one undervalued subject nobody else wanted, and turning each into the thing he was known for.

‘Are you prepared?’ he asks, closing out the evening. ‘The opportunity is going to come. But are you prepared for it?’

It is, in the end, the same question a customs commissioner once put to a curious teenager in 1991, who happened to be listening.

Kikuube District stands to benefit more from government programs under National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has told residents as campaigns close for Thursday’s LC5 by-election.

Speaking at a campaign rally at Kaseeta Primary School in Kabwoya Sub-county on Tuesday, Nabbanja urged voters to elect NRM flag bearer Paddy Kisembo, saying his victory would strengthen service delivery and ensure continuity of government projects.

‘If women want to benefit from funds from the Office of the Prime Minister, they should vote for the NRM flag bearer. If you want improved health services and more administrative units, then support Paddy Kisembo,’ she said.

The by-election is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2026, and pits Kisembo against Fenekansi Timanyire of the National Unity Platform. According to the Electoral Commission, Kikuube has 330 polling stations and 140,999 registered voters.

Nabbanja praised NRM’s record in the Albertine region, citing road construction, infrastructure development and the creation of Kikuube District as key gains. She warned voters against handing leadership to the opposition.

‘The NRM has done many things in the Albertine region, including tarmacking roads and creating Kikuube District. I want to urge voters not to vote for the opposition candidate. Do not risk giving the district to people who may not continue the development path,’ Nabbanja said.

She also encouraged residents to turn up in large numbers, saying strong turnout would secure ongoing programs initiated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. ‘I encourage all voters to come out and vote for the NRM candidate so that ongoing government programs can continue benefiting the people of Kikuube,’ she added.

Agriculture and water top Kisembo’s agenda

For Kisembo, the campaign has focused on agriculture, which supports most households in the district. He said his background in farming places him in a good position to transform the sector.

‘My main focus will be ensuring that agriculture is boosted in Kikuube District. Most people in Kaseeta Parish and surrounding areas depend on farming, and I want to help farmers embrace technology to increase production,’ he said.

Kisembo noted that farmers still face challenges with limited irrigation, poor methods and inadequate markets, and pledged to work with government agencies and development partners to promote modern practices.

He also highlighted water shortages and poor roads as urgent issues. ‘The people of Kaseeta Parish face serious water shortages for both domestic use and irrigation. Some areas also have poor roads despite the existence of a district road unit. These are issues that require urgent attention,’ he said.

Grace Mary Mugasa echoed those concerns, saying land conflicts remain a major problem. ‘The people of Kikuube continue to face challenges such as land grabbing, poor roads and inadequate water sources. These are issues that need to be addressed to improve livelihoods,’ Mugasa said.

Land disputes have grown in the Albertine region as population and investment increase competition for land.

Local leaders in Kabwoya Sub-county also used the rally to call for more administrative units. LC3 Chairperson Francis Twesige Mukooto said some villages and parishes have become too large to manage effectively.

‘We have villages that are almost the size of parishes and parishes that are equally very large. Subdividing them would bring services closer to the people and improve administration,’ Mukooto said.

The absence of a sustainable school feeding programme at two Universal Primary Education schools on Lake Victoria’s islands is contributing to declining enrolment and poor attendance, with many pupils skipping afternoon classes due to hunger.

At Kisima I and Kisima II Primary Schools in Jinja Southern Division, Jinja City, pupils often leave during lunch hours to look for food at home but fail to return for afternoon lessons.

School authorities say enrolment at Kisima II has dropped from about 300 pupils to fewer than 200, while daily attendance has fallen to less than 70 learners a day from P.1 to P.7.

Teachers attribute the decline to lack of meals. They recall attendance was much higher years ago when a non-governmental organisation provided food.

‘When the programme ended, many children gradually lost interest in attending school because food was no longer available,’ a teacher said.

The concerns were raised during a visit by a security team led by Paul Balidawa, Assistant Resident City Commissioner for Jinja Southern Division, who toured the islands on Tuesday to assess challenges faced by pupils, parents and teachers.

Mr Balidawa expressed concern over the low turnout and the unusually quiet school environment, particularly during lunchtime.

Stephen Tabu, headteacher of Kisima II Primary School, said the administration has repeatedly engaged parents on providing adequate meals, but little progress has been made.

‘We have talked to parents about ensuring their children have enough food before and during school hours, but many have not taken the matter seriously,’ Mr Tabu said.

He noted that some parents send children to school expecting the institution to provide all necessities despite UPE schools not receiving funding for feeding programmes.

‘Most of the pupils go home expecting to find something to eat, but many households have no food available. As a result, they do not return for afternoon lessons,’ he added.

Mr Tabu observed that some UPE schools have successfully introduced feeding programmes through contributions agreed upon by School Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations, creating a more conducive learning environment.

A teacher at Kisima II who requested anonymity said attempts to encourage parents to contribute towards school meals are often met with resistance.

‘Many parents insist that education under UPE is completely free. They do not understand that feeding their children is their responsibility,’ the teacher said. The teacher added that low pupil attendance makes effective teaching difficult. ‘What can teachers do when fewer than 100 pupils are present and can be managed by less than three teachers?’ the teacher asked.

A lunchtime visit revealed fewer than half of learners return for afternoon classes. Some boys reportedly spend the rest of the day fishing on the lake instead of returning to school.

At Kisima I Primary School, headteacher Scovia Nabwire raised similar concerns, blaming parents for failing to provide basic scholastic materials, school uniforms and meals.

‘Many parents here neither have the means nor fully appreciate the value of education. Some never attended school themselves and expect their children to follow the same path, without realizing that times have changed,’ Ms Nabwire said.

She also raised concerns about sanitation, saying community members increasingly use school toilets, leading to rapid filling of facilities and fears of disease outbreaks. ‘Our sanitation facilities are under pressure, and if nothing is done, the risk of disease outbreaks will increase,’ she warned.

Teachers on the islands also complained they do not receive hardship or risk allowances they are entitled to for working in hard-to-reach areas. Ms Nabwire said many teachers fear speaking out because complaints can result in transfers.

School administrators are now appealing to parents, local leaders and development partners to support the establishment of a sustainable school feeding programme to improve attendance, retention and academic performance.

Meanwhile, Josephine Mirembe, a parent at Kisima II, said the economic situation of many families has worsened due to restrictions affecting fishing on Lake Victoria.

‘Many parents inherited fishing from their fathers and relatives and depended on it as their main source of income. They never expected the industry to become so difficult. Today, life has changed and many families are struggling to provide for their children,’ Ms Mirembe said.

She urged government and development partners to support vulnerable families and schools on the islands to ensure children remain in school and complete their education.

The wife of detained former Kampala Mayor and senior lawyer Erias Lukwago has petitioned the High Court in Kampala, seeking orders compelling security agencies to produce and release her husband, whom she says was unlawfully arrested and detained by military operatives.

Ms Zawedde Lukwago Lubwama filed the application on Wednesday, naming Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General as respondents.

In her application, Ms Lukwago asks the court to intervene and order the authorities to release her husband ‘dead or alive’, arguing that his continued detention is illegal, unconstitutional and in violation of his fundamental rights.

‘The Applicant remains in illegal, unconstitutional, incommunicado and arbitrary detention at a place unknown to his family, doctors and lawyers and is said to be in a military or security facility under the control of the respondents,’ she states in an affidavit supporting the application.

According to Ms Lukwago, armed men dressed in military uniform raided their home in Wakaliga, Rubaga Division in Kampala on Monday morning, scaled the perimeter wall and forcefully entered the bedroom before taking away her husband.

She says she watched as operatives bundled Mr Lukwago into a waiting vehicle, commonly known as a drone, and drove him to an unknown destination.

‘At the material time, the Applicant (Mr Lukwago) was preparing to effect service of court process in Miscellaneous Application No. 0227 of 2026 upon the first Respondent (Gen Muhoozi) in the matter where the Applicant represents Dr Kizza Besigye and others,’ she states.

Ms Lukwago further contends that Gen Muhoozi later claimed responsibility for the operation through posts on his social media platform X, where he allegedly published photographs of her husband in what she described as a frail and distressed condition.

‘The first respondent has publicly claimed responsibility for the operation, boasted of mistreating the Applicant, and published photographs depicting the Applicant in a frail and distressed condition,’ she states.

She also raises concerns about her husband’s health, saying he suffers from gastritis and is recovering from a herniated disc operation that was carried out at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, India.

According to her, Mr Lukwago requires prescribed meals and medication administered at specific intervals, which she fears may not be available under his current detention conditions.

‘I know that the torture and humiliation of my husband, including the release of his photographs in a despicable state, some in pampers, is unlawful, arbitrary and unconstitutional,’ she states.

Ms Lukwago argues that the military has no lawful mandate to arrest and detain civilians and that her husband’s detention violates constitutional guarantees on personal liberty and due process.

By press time, police had confirmed that Mr Lukwago was being held at Kira Divisional Police Headquarters and was expected to be arraigned before court on treason-related charges similar to those facing opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, his client.

Court records indicated that the application had been filed, but a hearing date had not yet been fixed by press time.

The latest development comes amid growing public concern over Mr Lukwago’s arrest, which his lawyers and political allies have described as politically motivated.

He was 27 years old, a father and a rising figure in Ugandan rugby. And on a night that should have been unremarkable, Sydney Gongodyo Gyabi was killed in a mob action incident, a fate that friends and family say stood in cruel contrast to the gentle nature they knew.

In the days since his death, tributes have poured in from teammates, fans, and relatives. They describe a young man of uncommon warmth, tactical brilliance on the pitch, and a quiet confidence that manifested in everything from his game to his famously short shorts. Those who loved him now carry two burdens; grief and a demand for justice. But in the testimonials gathered here, what emerges is a portrait of a life that touched many, and a loss that has left a void across Uganda’s rugby community and beyond.

Christine Muyama, an aunt who was only a year older than Gongodyo, recalled their first real connection at a family gathering in 2016.

“You had a gift for turning ordinary moments into unforgettable memories,” she wrote. “Whenever you called saying, ‘I am at Mary Stuart,’ I knew you were coming to raid my snacks. You never missed a chance to call me your ‘short aunty.’ Today, I would give anything to hear it one more time.”

She added: “Family gatherings will never be the same without you. But the joy you brought will never be forgotten.”

The heart of the team

To his teammates, Gongodyo was more than a player. Marvin Desire Akol said he “celebrated every victory, carried every loss, and always stood by those around him. With kindness, humility, and unwavering loyalty, he made everyone feel like family.”

Frank Kidega described meeting Gongodyo as a young man determined to become one of Uganda’s greatest rugby players.

“He was a pillar for us all at Pirates and on the national team,” Kidega said. “A good friend, brother, teammate, and father. He will be missed dearly both on and off the green.”

John Paul Atim called Gongodyo “the brilliant architect of our lineouts and an immovable fort in defense. His tactical mind and fearless grit anchored our team. Alongside that fierce competitive drive was a man who brought endless light to our camp, always jovial, carrying infectious energy, and a bright smile capable of lifting the entire team.”

Brian Olenge Ochan, the local council chairman of Naguru II parish, where the incident occurred, expressed sorrow that he had not been there to defend his friend in his time of need. Isaac Kimeze offered a simple epitaph: “He was a good man and lived a good life. We hope he continues winning wherever God has placed him.”

Mubarak Wandera said he would carry Gongodyo’s words forward: “Never be afraid of moving on; take opportunities and express yourself.”

A legacy beyond the pitch

Off the field, those who knew Gongodyo remembered a man of easy kindness and unexpected humour.

“Humanity failed you, but we shall edit that,” wrote Posha Aloyo. “Eat all the food in heaven and please wear some pants. I will love you forever.”

Mercy Mutonyi, who like Gongodyo came from the slopes of Mount Elgon, said: “I will forever remember your smile, your jokes about our village, speaking Lugisu together, and your constant updates about your progress. Though you are gone, I will always love you, my brother, and celebrate your life.”

Guma Amooti noted: “You gave your all for the Pirates and proudly served your country. Your passing leaves a void that can never be filled.”

Mangeni Joel observed that Gongodyo’s star was only beginning to rise; earning national team recognition, excelling with Black Pirates, and attracting international attention.

“Beyond rugby, he was a devoted young father,” Joel said. “Uganda has lost a remarkable talent and future leader.”

Bridget Bagonza struck a tone both grieving and affectionate: “I am sorry that the nation you served wholeheartedly let you down so badly. I hope heaven has a never-ending stock of Fanta. Sail high, my friend, till we meet again. For the love of everything holy, do not you dare wear those shorts up there.”

Conrad Wanyama, vice-captain of the national rugby team, reflected on Gongodyo’s bearing.

“Calm, decisive, and thoughtful, he pursued growth relentlessly and inspired others to do the same. On the pitch, he was speed and determination; off it, kindness and ease. Even his trademark short shorts reflected his confidence and character. Sydney set a standard many admired.”

Ceasar Chemutai, a magistrate, offered a broader assessment.

“His brilliance inspired an entire community,” Chemutai said. “More than a rising rugby star, he was a symbol of hope, pride, and limitless potential. Though his journey was cut tragically short, his impact was immense. Sydney united people through his passion and talent, leaving behind a legacy far greater than his years.”

Umar Duff, a teammate, said: “You inspired those around you. Though you have left us too soon, your legacy will live on in the memories we shared and in the game you loved. You will always be part of our team.”

Raphael Anyama, who played alongside Gongodyo after he joined Black Pirates in 2021, said: “You were far more than a teammate. You were a constant source of strength, laughter, and friendship. Your jersey may be gone, but your legacy lives on in our hearts.”

Rest in power, Gishu Sensation.