Category: Daily Monitor

A hunger crisis is looming in eastern Uganda as farmers experience prolonged drought.

Crops across the region have failed, and families have started to feel the pinch of food shortages due to poor harvests.

Most families have started to sleep hungry and have a single meal in a day.

For years, farming has been the backbone of livelihood in Bukedi, providing food and income for thousands of households, but this season, the familiar rhythm of planting, growing and harvesting has been disrupted by prolonged dry conditions.

Across parts of Bukedi, farmers are watching their crops wither in the fields as the rains become increasingly unreliable.

Crops that had promised a good harvest are struggling to mature, while some farmers have already written off their investments.

In many farming communities, according to Mr David Kamwada, a notable farmer in Mugiti Sub-county, Budaka District, the effects of the dry spell are visible in gardens.

Maize, beans, cassava and other crops are showing signs of moisture stress, with some plants drying before reaching maturity.

“The dry conditions have left many families facing uncertain future after much of the expected harvest had been lost,” Mr Kamwada explained.

“We planted expecting the rains to continue but the rain stopped. Some of the crops dried before producing enough food,” he said.

Such experiences are becoming common among farming households, particularly those without irrigation or alternative sources of income.

Another farmer, Mr Moses Mwidu, a resident of Katiryo, Kibuku District, said in a good season, households store part of their harvest for consumption while selling the surplus to meet other needs.

But when harvests fail, the cycle is broken. Farmers who would normally depend on their granaries for several months may instead be forced to buy food from markets.

The Kibuku District production officer, Mr Michael Mbayo, said the continued dry spell has left a big mark on many families.

“Several acres of crops have been dried as a result of prolonged dry spell. This has created fears of looming hunger crisis,” Mr Mbayo explained.

“Although most families had made first harvest, the yields were too little. Most families don’t have food,” he said.

Mr Mohammed Nakeba, the Kibuku LC5 chairperson, said the district had earlier painted a gloomy picture that several families across the district are on the verge of starvation.

Mr Patrick Duchu, former Pallisa LC5 chairperson, said Bukedi is becoming prone to food insecurity.

“Bukedi region is yet another region that is prone to food insecurity after Karamoja. Bukedi was in the dark days the food basket of this country but it turned to be a food insecure region,” Mr Duchu said.

The Ministry of Water and Environment recently announced that the country is likely to experience heavy rains that will be characterized with floods.

Overall, only 31.3 percent of households in Bukedi Sub-region are food secure. Kibuku stands at 38.0 percent food secure, 31.9 percent in Budaka, 31.8 percent in Butebo and 19.9 percent in Pallisa are food secure.

With a population of 2.4 million people, Bukedi is a densely populated area, with a population density of 516, and thousands of its people have difficulties accessing sufficient food.

Dear Anonymous,

It would be very worrying if your husband hid his financial details and status from you, but as it is, you are not unhappy about how things are. He seems transparent with you and indeed cares for you and your children. So, from where you sit, there is little to worry about.

That you are concerned about his boundaries as far as his extended family and family resources are concerned says something about you. Your value system wants to extend the same transparency to his extended family. That is why his pretence has moved from amusement to concern because, in some way, it is giving your children a foundation for not telling the truth and is somewhat hypocritical.

Do you want him to reveal his true financial status to his family? That may satisfy your value system, yet will it, in fact, be advantageous to you and your family? How much of the true nature of his family do you know and their conduct towards your family’s prosperity? Or perhaps you want to understand why he behaves like this?

Let us try to understand why he behaves this way. First, this typically is not the way most men would behave towards their family. In fact, the reverse is true, and even in this column, we have had more issues arising from men giving resources to their extended family against their immediate families. So, there is evidently much more to this.

People usually behave like this out of insecurity, perceived or real, emerging from their family history. Maybe he was mistreated when growing up; maybe he harbours anger or resentment towards his family. Something in the past explains this.

Otherwise, if it was his dominant character, you and your children would equally experience it.

Some people grew up in families with meagre resources and thus very competitive environments. This leads some to be protective of their possessions. Some families are very controlling and will treat adult sons or daughters as extensions of the family, where you cannot say no. This would mean that how your status is perceived determines how much you give for any cause as decided by the family. You have no control.

How do you align his behaviour, which is realistically in your favour, with your value system, which is sensitive to his dishonesty, going by your reference to ‘living a double life’?

It requires that you appreciate where he comes from. Have a conversation with him to understand why he feels strongly about revealing his financial status to his family. This will help you approach the matter from a point of knowledge and insight. There may be no wisdom in using a judgemental approach, as it may get him defensive and be counterproductive to your efforts.

If you choose to continue to engage, it might be insightful to highlight how what he does will impact the moral upbringing of your children in terms of providing a good example to them. Adding a spiritual angle to your reasoning may be helpful, assuming your family is given to the fear of God.

This is more sensitive than meets the eye, and you have got to be patient and reasonable so that it does not become a destabiliser to your marriage, which appears, beyond this issue, to be moving on well. If you pray together, you can add the subject to your prayers.

You could also take the children aside and teach them tactfully on the subject of telling the truth, not as an attack on their father but as a general moral principle, so they can see for themselves why telling the truth is a good thing.

Your careful, loving way of handling this issue with patience may help your husband find a way to deal with the challenge with his family without necessarily being deceitful. Take some time to think of a different way to circumvent deception and yet still preserve the boundaries he seeks to achieve. Your moral sense of being truthful is a good thing, but sometimes imparting the same requires insight and wisdom, particularly with those closest to us.

Reader advice

Success attracts envy

Madiina Nyakato. Sometimes, when a person starts doing well, it attracts unnecessary attention from relatives and other people. He may simply be trying to avoid witchcraft, jealousy and bad energy. Let him lay low and protect his family in the way he understands best.

His family, his call

Blessing Agaba. You may see his behaviour as strange or even embarrassing, but he may have reasons you do not fully understand. Family dynamics can be complicated, and sometimes keeping certain things private is necessary to maintain peace.

Choose who gets access

Aggrey Wakabi. I regret how much I entertained certain people in my life because it eventually became a matter of survival. What initially looked harmless turned into something life-changing. Sometimes we learn the hard way that not everyone deserves access to our lives, success or personal affairs, especially when family and money are involved.

Privacy protects family

Patricia Oyella. If something happened to him, relatives who believe you have nothing might not see you as a threat or target. By keeping his success private, he could be making sure that his family does not start fighting over what belongs to you and your children.

No need for drama

Sarah Sarita. If he is not hiding another woman or living a double life, perhaps what he is doing is simply protecting his finances. Forget the drama and enjoy the peace .

He has bad manners

Mary Lamunu. He may simply have bad manners. If someone watches the television, how exactly does that increase your expenses? You can refuse to give someone money without changing your entire personality. I understand protecting your finances, but deliberately becoming rude or unfriendly is something I would not support.

He is protecting you

Elvans Omole. If his family eventually discovers what he has been doing, they may blame you for influencing him. They could assume that you were the reason he stopped helping them and wait for an opportunity to retaliate. Sometimes relatives can become very hostile when they feel they have lost access to someone’s money. That is why he may be careful.

Appreciate the lesson

Fredy Breezy. Wait until he starts spending freely around his family again. You might come back to social media and complain that his relatives have started demanding money, asking for favours and interfering in your affairs. Sometimes people do not appreciate the lesson until they experience the consequences. If he has a reason for being careful, let him be.

Tooro Kingdom subjects continue to throng the Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal City to mourn Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who passed on last Thursday.

Now a week after his death, attention has turned to the traditional norms expected to guide the kingdom through mourning, burial and the selection of the king’s successor.

Yesterday, Mr Kato Rwakatale, the assistant Musuuga of Tooro Kingdom, announced that the body would be in the country on Friday.

In line with the declaration, the kingdom has issued protocols to guide the official nine days of mourning and funeral rites that will commence on Friday (tomorrow) and run up to September 12 before the burial.

At the centre of these traditional protocols and customs is the Office of Omujwera Musuuga, headed by Mr Charles Kamurasi, who is also the head of the Babiito royal clan, and plays a central role in matters concerning the royal family and succession.

According to a press statement issued by the communications committee and presented by Fr Charles Oyo, all the protocols were agreed upon during a formal kingdom meeting held at Karuzika Palace and chaired by the Omujwera Musuuga on August 28.

Mourning

Mr Kamurasi explained that the official nine-day mourning period for the Omukama begins when his body returns to the kingdom, particularly when it arrives at the royal palace, Karuzika.

‘The king died outside his kingdom, and the day the body arrives at the Karuzika Palace, will be when we start counting the nine days. What we are doing now is just preparations,’ he said.

Mr Kamurasi, however, clarified that the days that have elapsed since the announcement of the king’s death are still days of mourning for the people of Tooro, although they do not constitute the traditional official nine-day mourning period.

Royal regalia turned upside down

Mr Kamurasi said despite the official nine days not having started, once the king’s death was announced, all the royal regalia inside the Karuzika Palace were turned upside down as a cultural expression that the reigning Omukama is no longer on the throne.

The regalia includes the royal drum, royal stool and spears, which are important symbols of kingship and authority in Tooro.

He explained that the regalia will remain in that position throughout the mourning period and will only be restored upright after a new Omukama has been enthroned.

The ritual was performed by members of the Basiita clan, who, according to Mr Kamurasi, traditionally have the responsibility of keeping the royal drum.

The ritual symbolises the transition between the reign of the deceased King and the eventual installation of his successor.

Mr Kamurasi also said members of the royal family will observe traditional mourning practices, including refraining from shaving during the mourning period.

The practice, he said, reflects the period of grief and respect for the deceased monarch.

Kingdom flags lowered

The Tooro Kingdom flags across the territory have also been lowered to half-mast as a public expression of mourning following the death of King Oyo.

Another visible change is the suspension of the singing of the Tooro Kingdom anthem.

Mr Kamurasi said the anthem contains verses that praise and celebrate the Omukama. Since the king has died, he said, it would be culturally inappropriate to continue singing the anthem in praise of a monarch who is no longer reigning.

The singing of the anthem will resume when a new Omukama is enthroned.

Lion statues covered

Another symbolic ritual has been the covering with barkcloth of lion statues around the royal palace and at the Fort Portal roundabout and palace entrance.

Mr Kamurasi explained that the lion is closely associated with the Omukama and represents strength, authority and power of the king.

Covering the lions is, therefore, a visual expression of mourning for the deceased monarch and reflects the temporary suspension of the king’s authority following his death.

The statues will be uncovered following the installation of the new Omukama.

Karuzika palace remains closed

The main royal palace at Karuzika also remains closed to the public because King Oyo died outside the Tooro Kingdom.

Mr Kamurasi said traditionally, when an Omukama dies within the kingdom, his body is brought to the palace, which is opened to subjects who come to pay their last respects.

‘But when King Oyo’s body arrives, the main entrance will be reopened, and the body will be taken into the king’s sitting room for public viewing and to enable mourners pay their last respects,’ he said.

The royal parlour

The Royal Palour immediately in front of the main entrance of Karuzika, is an important space that has also been restricted to the public and cordoned off.

Mr Kamurasi explained that the area has a specific role in the funeral because it is where the king’s coffin will first rest when his body arrives at the palace. It is also the space where the royal stool is placed during the coronation to enable the people see that the king is on the throne.

Arrival of King Oyo’s body

Mr Kamurasi said the body will arrive in a coffin and will first be viewed by members of the royal family upon reaching inside the palace, who will confirm that it is indeed the body of the late king before other subjects are allowed to view it.

The coffin will traditionally be covered with barkcloth, which is deeply associated with Bunyoro and Tooro cultural ceremonies, and the Tooro Kingdom flag will also be placed on it.

Church service

Bishop Reuben Kisembo of the Ruwenzori Diocese said during an interview on Wednesday that the funeral service will take place at the cathedral because the kingdom has a big relationship with the church.

He said the land that the diocese cathedral sits on was donated by the late Omukama Kasagama Kyebambe IV, who also mobilised resources for its construction, and it was commissioned in 1937 by George Kamurasi Rukidi III, then king of Tooro.

‘We have been informed that the church service for the burial of our king will take place here. The king has been a Christian and a member of our church; he used to pray here and inside the church,’ Bishop Kisembo said.

He added that the burial service for King Oyo will largely follow the same order of service used for other Christian burials, although some elements will be modified to reflect the king’s unique status.

Rituals at Karambi Royal Tombs

At the royal tombs, traditionally known as Amagasani in Tooro, more traditional rituals will be performed.

Mr Kamurasi said the Karambi Royal Tombs are administered by an official from the Bagahi clan, which traditionally oversees key rituals at the royal tombs.

Mr Kamurasi said since all ritual rites for Oyo’s funeral are vested in him, he has already directed different ritualists from the responsible clans to begin preparing the tomb.

He said ritualists from different clans will wear barkcloth during the ceremonies, although ordinary members of the public will not be required to do so.

‘Not all the people will be dressed in barkcloth, but only ritualists from different clans because we have a different administration that manages the tombs with its head. At the royal tomb, we have a gate through which those who will perform the rituals will pass, but no one else,’ he said.

Mr Kamurasi said the burial itself has an important ritual involving nine coffee beans. He said in Tooro culture, the number nine carries cultural significance and that placing nine coffee beans inside the grave signifies that the king has been buried.

Traditionally, if the deceased king had left behind a son, the son would perform this ritual as a sign of burying his father.

Unlike an ordinary grave, the king’s grave will be covered with barkcloth. He added that certain people, including the queen mother are traditionally not permitted to approach the grave during the ritual.

Mr Kamurasi said a special animal skin will also be placed inside the grave as part of the traditional burial rites.

With Oyo’s burial, four Tooro kings will have been buried at Karambi. They are David Kyebambe Kasagama, Sir George David Kamurasi Rukidi III, Matthew Patrick Kaboyo II, and now Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV.

After the burial, Mr Kamurasi said there will be another important ceremony to close the royal tomb. He explained that the deceased king’s successor would be expected to participate in the final closing ceremony and would not return to the tomb after it is sealed.

He said in the absence of the king’s son, he will be the one to close it.

Announcing a new king

Mr Kamurasi said after Oyo’s burial the Babiito, the royal clan, will identify the new king, after which the process of formally installing him will begin.

Mr Kamurasi added that he as the Omujwera Musuuga, is traditionally responsible for announcing the new king, with the installation process beginning by bringing the identified king from his residence to the royal palace, a ceremony that starts at midnight.

Mr Kamurasi explained that the new king cannot enter the palace before the burial of the previous king because tradition does not permit two kings to occupy the palace, even if one is deceased.

He said the procession will move through Fort Portal, with people carrying emuri (torches), which will serve as cultural symbols similar to fireworks, as they accompany the new king.

The king will eventually approach Mugabate, the main gate through which the king enters the palace.

Traditionally, a cow is slaughtered at the gate, and the new king faces a symbolic cultural resistance before being allowed to enter. The resistance represents the traditional belief that a king must fight to gain entry to and claim the palace.

Mr Kamurasi said the ritual is performed by Omupanyarwa, a ritualist responsible for resisting the king at the main gate.

Once the resistance is overcome, the traditional enthronement rituals proceed.

The installation of a new king will also mark the beginning of a new administration in the kingdom.

Mr Kamurasi said the new king will have the authority to appoint a new prime minister and ministers to form an administration to work with him.

The role of the queen mother, he added, is tied to the reign of the deceased king and, therefore, ends with his death.

The succession process will consequently not only mark the end of Oyo’s 31-year reign, but also the beginning of a new chapter in the cultural and administrative life of the Tooro Kingdom.

Post Oyo burial

After Oyo’s burial the Babiito, the royal clan, will identify the new king, after which the process of formally installing him will begin. The Omujwera Musuuga, is traditionally responsible for announcing the new king, with the installation process beginning by bringing the identified king from his residence to the royal palace.

On the morning of August 28, the news arrived in two hemispheres almost simultaneously. In Oslo, they announced that King Harald V had died at the National Hospital, aged 89. In Tooro Kingdom, western Uganda, they announced that King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV had died, aged 34.

The two monarchs had never met, shared no language, no court and no colonial lineage. Yet they died on the same day, within hours of each other, as if some cosmic ledger had decided to balance the accounts of royalty in a single stroke: Europe’s oldest reigning monarch and one of the world’s youngest.

I have been thinking about what it means to be three years old and already claimed by history.

Harald was three when the Nazis occupied Norway in 1940, when his mother fled with him to the United States while his father and grandfather went into exile in Britain. He was three when he learnt that a country could disappear, that survival required crossing an ocean.

Forty-six years later, a different three-year-old in a different hemisphere was told that his father was dead and that he was now king. Oyo ascended the throne of Tooro in 1995, crowned ruler of a kingdom founded in the early 19th Century.

Both were three when their fates were fixed.

Harald modernised the royal house but refused to abdicate. He sailed in the Olympics. He married his school sweetheart, a commoner, after holding out against nine years of noble prospects.

Oyo, too, understood what it meant to be royal but chose to remain close to his people. By the time he was crowned at 18, he had already been king for 15 years and had started his reign promoting empowerment, education, climate conservation and HIV awareness.

But this is where the similarity ends.

Harald lived long enough to become the institution. He reigned for 35 years. He became Europe’s oldest monarch and died at 89, full of years, his son already waiting as Haakon VIII. His death was a punctuation mark at the end of a long sentence.

‘A whole nation is in mourning,’ the prime minister said. While not to be underestimated, the grief was manageable, almost anticipated.

Oyo died at 34, in what a government minister called ‘the prime of his life’. His death was sudden and tragic, leaving a kingdom struggling to process its loss. An observer noted: ‘You cannot see anyone smiling.’

The kingdom had lost its king before his reign ever truly begun. We like to believe that the death of kings means something. That it closes a chapter, or teaches us about mortality. But these deaths teach us something simpler.

A crown is heavy, whether it sits on an old man or a child.

Yet the silence of an empty throne is also an invitation. If the throne can be empty, then the throne was never the point.

Harald spent 35 years learning that a crown does not create a man; it only exposes him. In the end, a life is measured not by the length of a reign, but by what was planted during it, and whether anything green remains after the palace players have left.

They will plant a million trees in Tooro in honour of their beloved king, while in Norway flowers will be laid in Palace Square in honour of Harald.

The rest of us will go back to work, make dinner, scroll through our phones and fall asleep because that is what we do when the big moment passes.

The empty throne is a mirror that reflects the enduring power of life, and it should stir us to honour the present, a gift that those who have passed on before can no longer claim.

The High Court in Jinja has ordered a deceased woman and her son to pay Shs20 million in general damages to her eldest son, a sitting magistrate, after finding them liable for publishing defamatory allegations against him during a bitter family land dispute.

In a judgment delivered on September 1, 2026, Justice Joanita Bushara ruled that the late Lovisa Ayazika and her son, Andrew Balondemu, jointly and severally defamed Magistrate Steven Johnson Waidhuuba. The defaming remarks were circulated through petition letters addressed to public authorities, as well as subsequent publications across news media, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms.

The long-running dispute stemmed from a six-acre piece of family land located at Kasolo, Bwanalira Village in Iganga District, which formed part of the estate of the magistrate’s late father, A.Y.A. Baatakana Ayazika.

Starting in 2021, the defendants publicly accused Waidhuuba-who was a Grade II Magistrate at Mukono at the time and has since been transferred to Kawempe-of forging a Will and Powers of Attorney to unlawfully acquire family land, abusing his judicial office to intimidate relatives, and misusing his late father’s pension funds.

Highlighting an April 19, 2022 letter written by Ayazika to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Justice Bushara noted that the mother specifically accused her son of taking control of his late father’s bank account and withdrawing pension money for personal use instead of covering medical bills.

Although the JSC eventually cleared Waidhuuba of all wrongdoing, Justice Bushara emphasized that the widespread publication caused lasting reputational damage. She noted that the false claims were particularly grave because they directly attacked the integrity of a judicial officer.

“An allegation that a judicial officer has abused judicial powers for personal gain attacks the very foundation upon which public confidence in judicial office rests,” Justice Bushara held, adding that the plain, ordinary, and natural meaning of the accusations imputed severe moral turpitude and criminal liability.

The court received evidence from clan head Daudi Ruth Waidhuuba Isendabaguzi Mpamuleyi, who testified that during a 2022 family mediation, Balondemu threatened to petition the magistrate’s superiors to have him removed from office. Jackson Wakayinja, a Judiciary employee, also testified that he overheard registry staff in Kampala discussing the criminal allegations against the magistrate.

Because the defendants failed to file a defence, the case proceeded ex-parte. Justice Bushara ruled that the publications were driven by actual malice, which negated any defence of qualified privilege.

Consequently, the court ordered the defendants to pay Waidhuuba Shs20 million in general damages alongside six per cent interest per annum from the date of judgment until full payment. Justice Bushara also issued a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from making further defamatory statements, ordered them to pay the suit’s costs, and directed them to publish a written retraction and apology across the same media channels used to spread the claims.

When contacted for comment, Balondemu declined to discuss the specifics of the verdict. “The matter is before court and there is little I can say at this stage. The court process should be allowed to take its course,” he said.

The judgment comes shortly after the death of Ayazika, who passed away on August 25, 2026, following a battle with hypertension. Ayazika, who is survived by nine children-with Magistrate Waidhuuba being her second-born-was laid to rest in Budhuuba Village, Ikumbya Sub-county, Luuka District.

Pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to officially recognise the Bagwere cultural leader, with elders and opinion leaders warning that the prolonged delay has created a leadership vacuum that is threatening unity and cultural identity.

For years, the Bagwere community, majority in the districts of Budaka, Butebo, Kibuku and Pallisa, have remained without an officially gazetted cultural leadership since the demise of His Highness, John Chrysostom Wayabire, a situation that many leaders say has fuelled disagreement over succession, weakened traditional governance and left the community without a unified voice on matters affecting its cultural heritage.

The Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere has three factions, all claiming to be the rightful and elected cultural leaders of Bagwere.

These include Mr Samuku Pangholi Kintu Mubbala, Johua Musimami and Geoffrey Wayabire.

The High Court in Mbale had declared Mr Samuku Balamu Pangholi Kintu Mubbala as the rightful, elected cultural leader.

Mr Mubbala secured an order from the High Court which he presented to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in order to be gazetted as the Bagwere cultural leader, popularly known as Ikumbania.

Mr Mubbala was on April 24, 2009, culturally inaugurated as the Ikumbania, the Bagwere Cultural Institution’s head.

Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi made a ruling on Novevember 7, 2008, and a judgment was made on June 4, 2010, in which he dismissed the suit in favour of Mubbala and since then till to date is the cultural leader of the Bagwere.

Efforts by the Inter-Religious Council to mediate the situation also reached a common ground that out of six, four were in support to have Mr Mubbala remain as the cultural leader of Bagwere.

Mr Mubbala told the Monitor that all the due process were done and documentation submitted to the Ministry of Gender pending gazettement but unfortunately they haven’t done so up to date.

“The court order that also declared that I am the rightful cultural leader was also submitted to the mother ministry. I find no reason as to why I should not be gazetted despite fulfilling all the requirements,” Mr Mubbala said.

According to a petition letter dated July 13, 2026, addressed to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere declared by consent judgment and court order dated Jan 27, 2022, in Mbale High Court, No 43 of 2021, humbly petitioned the ministry over the failure to cause the petitioner be published in the Uganda Gazette as the lawful and rightful cultural leader of the cultural institution of the Obwa Ikumbania.

He further stated in the letter that the petitioner is informed and believes that under Section 6 of the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act 2011, the ministry has powers to cause the declaration of the petitioner to be published in the gazette.

Mr Mubbala noted with great concern that the prolonged delay to recognise the cultural leaders has made the community and institution miss development programs from the government.

For instance, the Bagwere cultural institution missed two official vehicles and financial support towards projects because of the leadership vacuum.

“The leadership vacuum is being created by self-seekers and also being disorganised. The situation is being fuelled by few people who have hidden agenda to satisfy their interest but not for the entire Bugwere,” Mr Mubbala explained.

He added: “Without a cultural leader to act as a unifier, the subjects will remain disunited and sabotage development. There is no direction at the moment because of lack of a cultural leader.”

Hello Ronald, in order to understand what happens when a thermostat gets stuck open, it is useful to appreciate the role of a thermostat in your car engine.

A thermostat is a thermistor or heat-activated gate valve which regulates the flow of coolant between the engine and radiator. This helps to keep the engine running at an acceptable or normal operating temperature.

When a thermostat is stuck open, engine coolant will flow through the radiator continuously. This will delay engine warm-up and prevent it from reaching the efficient normal operating temperature. The temperature gauge will remain low.

A thermostat stuck open can reduce fuel economy. A constantly cold-running engine will cause the ECU to enrich the fuel mixture, assuming that the engine is cold and needs warming up. This is what causes higher fuel consumption. This situation is similar to when some mechanics decide to remove and eliminate an old or damaged thermostat instead of replacing it with a new one.

There are other engine problems associated with a thermostat stuck-open condition, such as increased emissions, reduced engine performance and premature engine wear when the engine runs below the normal operating temperature.

An engine is less likely to quickly get damaged when the thermostat is stuck open. Damage to the engine happens over time due to the increased emissions and inefficient running.

On the other hand, when the thermostat is stuck closed, the engine is likely to experience instantaneous damage due to severe overheating. Therefore, prolonged driving with the thermostat stuck closed should be avoided.

A visit to a garage to establish if the thermostat is faulty should be your next move, and getting it checked sooner rather than later will help you avoid more costly repairs while restoring your engine’s efficiency and performance.

When Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe, announced that Nairobi would facilitate the importation of up to 25 million bags of maize to close a looming food gap, the news was met with cautious optimism across the border in Uganda.

For Uganda, East Africa’s traditional grain basket, every drought in Kenya has historically meant brisk business for farmers, aggregators, and cross-border traders. This season, however, the scramble has come faster, deeper, and with a more painful domestic aftershock: a sharp rise in the prices of maize, flour, and animal feed on the local market.

Kenya, which consumes between 70 million and 75 million 90-kilogramme bags of maize annually, is staring at a major deficit following a prolonged drought in its core maize belts. Officials say crop failure in the North Rift, Laikipia, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, and Trans Nzoia has wiped out thousands of hectares. In Trans Nzoia alone, about 20,000 hectares were destroyed-roughly 20 percent of the county’s production-while Uasin Gishu is projecting a 60 percent drop.

The shortfall of about 25 million bags represents more than a third of Kenya’s annual consumption.

“It is the private sector that will purchase the maize. The money does not come from the government exchequer,” CS Kagwe told The Nation, stressing that the government itself will not be importing, but will instead open normal commercial channels for private traders while continuing to buy through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to top up strategic reserves.

The Kenyan government targeted two million bags for its National Strategic Food Reserve but received just 180,000 bags because farmers preferred private millers, who offered KSh 5,400 per bag against the Board’s KSh 4,000. That domestic price war is now being exported to Uganda.

The Uganda rush

Within days of the announcement, Kenyan buyers intensified incursions into eastern Uganda-Bugiri, Iganga, Mbale, and Kapchorwa-as well as central regions including Mubende, Mityana, and Nakaseke. Unlike previous seasons, where trade flowed through licensed aggregators in Busia and Malaba, buyers are now driving trucks deep into villages with cash in hand.

That purchasing model is worrying established Ugandan dealers.

Mr. Henry Musisi, Managing Director of the Grain Council of Uganda (GCU), welcomed the concept of an organized arrangement to address Kenya’s drought-induced deficit. However, he expressed concern over current practices: “If only this could be followed to allow Ugandan entities like the GCU to supply the grain, rather than having Kenyan traders buy directly from farmers deep in the villages. This bypasses the established value chain and compromises quality.”

According to the Council, when Kenyan traders buy directly from smallholders, they bypass drying, cleaning, grading, and aflatoxin-testing facilities that local members have invested in. The result is grain that may meet weight criteria but fails quality standards, undermining Uganda’s long-term competitiveness and exposing consumers in both countries to health risks.

GCU estimates that Uganda has an exportable surplus of over one million metric tonnes of maize this season-enough to contribute significantly to Kenya’s deficit if trade is properly structured.

For now, the trade remains informal and frenzied, driving up domestic prices.

Traders in Kampala’s Kisenyi and Nakawa markets reported that a 100kg bag of dry maize grain, which traded at Shs 105,000 to Shs 125,000 in January, now costs Shs 135,000 to Shs 150,000. In Mbale and Busia, farm-gate prices have jumped from Shs 900 to Shs 1,400 per kilogramme. Posho (maize flour), which averaged Shs 2,200 per kilogramme in December, now retails at Shs 2,800 to Shs 3,200 across most Kampala suburbs.

Ripple effect on feed millers

Poultry and livestock feed millers are feeling the pressure even more acutely, as maize makes up 60 percent of feed formulations. Representatives from the poultry sector note that feed prices have risen by 18 percent over the past month, forcing smallholder farmers to reduce flock sizes.

Why Ugandans are paying more

Analysts say Uganda’s price hike stems not just from the volume of grain leaving the country, but from who is buying and at what rate.

Aga Sekalala Jr., an industry leader representing feed millers and poultry breeders, noted: “Kenyan millers have deeper pockets and are willing to pay above local market prices to secure supplies, which in turn sets a higher price floor for Ugandan millers.”

Furthermore, Kenya’s import strategy extends beyond East Africa. Official data shows maize imports into Kenya rose 51.4 percent in 2025 to 468,109 metric tonnes, driven by a duty-free window for yellow maize destined for feed manufacturers. Much of that volume originated from Zambia-which committed up to one million 90kg bags to Kenya-and international markets.

Regional experts note that Kenyan millers often buy affordable Ugandan and Tanzanian grain at harvest, pushing up local prices. However, if regional prices climb too high, millers lobby Nairobi to allow duty-free imports from global markets where maize is cheaper, leaving Ugandan sellers holding higher-priced stock.

Tanzania remains Kenya’s largest regional supplier, accounting for 152,880 metric tonnes (57 percent of regional trade) in the last quarter, followed by Uganda with 117,390 metric tonnes, according to trade data. These volumes were supported by seasonal Tanzanian exports entering the market amid heightened Kenyan demand.

For Uganda, this creates multi-directional pressure. In Busia, traders report that Tanzanian trucks are transiting through Uganda to reach Kenya, further tightening logistics and raising truck rental costs.

An organised alternative

GCU’s Musisi maintains that the solution lies in replacing informal open-border buying with structured trade.

Under the Council’s proposal, Kenya would publish the exact specifications and volumes required for its strategic reserves, allowing certified East African suppliers to bid. Uganda would then aggregate grain through its 40 certified warehouses, ensure strict quality control, and export through a single streamlined window.

“An organized arrangement would protect farmers, safeguard consumers, and maintain quality,” Musisi said. “What we have right now is an unregulated rush that primarily benefits middlemen.”

Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has defended the decision to keep information about the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s deteriorating health private, saying public statements indicating the monarch was abroad for studies were made in accordance with the King’s explicit directions.

In a statement issued Thursday via his X handle as Tooro prepares to receive the body of the 34-year-old monarch on Friday, Mr Rwomiire stated that he had a responsibility to respect King Oyo’s privacy and protect him from unnecessary public alarm.

‘The information communicated to the public that His Majesty was abroad studying, and subsequently that he was well, was communicated in accordance with His Majesty’s express wishes and direction,’ Mr Rwomiire said. ‘As someone serving him, it was my responsibility to respect his wishes and protect his privacy. I did so faithfully and respectfully.’

The clarification comes days after the King’s death triggered questions within sections of the royal family and the wider Tooro community regarding what officials knew about his health and his prolonged stay abroad. King Oyo died at approximately 10:00 PM on August 27, 2026, while receiving medical treatment in the United States.

His death was announced by Mr Rwomiire via X shortly after the Kingdom had confirmed earlier in the day that the monarch was in critical condition. The development followed weeks of public uncertainty. On August 3, Mr Rwomiire dismissed reports that King Oyo was battling cancer in the US, maintaining that the monarch was abroad purely for academic pursuits.

However, on August 27, following widespread social media reports, the Kingdom altered its public position, confirming the King was critically ill and appealing for public prayers. The sequence of contradictory public statements generated criticism among Batooro.

Mr Rwomiire insisted the initial stance was not meant to deceive subjects, noting that King Oyo believed he would recover and return home for the 31st Empango (coronation anniversary) celebrations.

‘I am also confident that His Majesty acted in good faith,’ Mr Rwomiire explained. ‘He was confident in his recovery and was looking forward to returning home and reuniting with his people for the 31st Empango. He did not want to cause unnecessary alarm among his people.’

The Prime Minister’s remarks follow emerging friction over the handling of royal information. Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal clan and Chief Prince, disclosed that he was not informed about the King’s illness and only learned of his death during a meeting with the Bishop of Fort Portal Diocese. Mr Kamurasi questioned why senior traditional leaders were kept in the dark.

The controversy coincides with broader tensions regarding succession. While announcing King Oyo’s death, Mr Rwomiire stated the monarch left behind a Prince to succeed him. President Yoweri Museveni similarly indicated an heir exists. However, Mr Kamurasi disputed these assertions, stating the Babiito clan has not been formally notified of any biological child of the late King.

Addressing the mounting disputes, Mr Rwomiire appealed to the royal family, cultural leaders, public officials, and media users to avoid turning the mourning period into a political or personal contest.

‘There will be a proper time and forum, after His Majesty has been laid to rest, to address any matters that require clarification. For now, everything else is secondary,’ Mr Rwomiire said. ‘Moments like these require leadership, not posturing. They require less talking and more organising.’

Religious leaders have echoed calls for calm. The Tooro Inter-Religious Council urged the Kingdom to remain unified as traditional processes to determine the succession move forward.

King Oyo ascended the Tooro throne on September 12, 1995, at age three following the death of his father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s youngest reigning monarch, he assumed full operational control of the Kingdom upon turning 18 in 2010, leading Tooro for three decades. His reign prioritized youth empowerment, environmental conservation, and tourism. Parliament praised his environmental advocacy, notably his ascent of Margherita Peak.

President Museveni, who directed that King Oyo receive an official burial with national flags flown at half-mast for three days, disclosed that the government supported the King’s medical treatment in Germany and the United States after he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer.

The King’s body is scheduled to arrive in Uganda on Friday, September 4, traveling through Kyegegwa District before being driven to the Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal for final mourning and funeral rites.

Calling for unity, Mr Rwomiire stated: ‘Our duty now is simple: to receive our King with honour, lay him to rest with dignity, and stand together as one people.’

The Catholic Diocese of Soroti has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of Rev. Fr. Romanus Etwap, who succumbed to injuries following a night-time road crash along the Soroti-Mbale highway.

According to preliminary reports, the collision occurred on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at approximately 11:00 PM in the Ajip area, located in Soroti East Division.

Fr. Etwap was traveling from Busia back to Soroti, where he served as the provost of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish, when his vehicle-a Toyota regius registered under UAP 806S-collided with a Fuso truck bearing registration number UBE 545G.

Passersby and emergency responders rushed the critically injured priest to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital. However, medical personnel pronounced him dead upon arrival due to the severity of the impact. Police investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.

The news of Fr. Etwap’s sudden passing has sent shockwaves across Teso Sub-region and the broader Catholic community, coming shortly after the loss of another priest in the diocese.

In an official statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Gonzaga Ongereny Waziwazi, formally communicated the demise on behalf of the Bishop Ordinary of Soroti Catholic Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Eciru Oliach.

“The Bishop Ordinary of Soroti Catholic Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Eciru Oliach, with profound shock announces the devastating news of the death of Rev. Fr. Romanus Etwap,” Fr. Waziwazi stated. “The demise of Fr. Romanus is terrible news to all of us, bearing in mind that we recently buried another priest and a classmate of the deceased.”

Fr. Waziwazi urged the faithful to remain steadfast amidst the sudden loss. “Burial arrangements will be communicated in due course.

Meanwhile, we keep calm and pray for the clergy and indeed the entire diocese during these trying moments. May the soul of Fr. Romanus Etwap find perfect peace and heavenly rewards from the Lord he served diligently with dedication,” he added.

Diocesan officials and the bereaved family are currently finalizing burial arrangements.