Category: Daily Monitor

On Saturday at about 3pm, celebrations to launch imbalu (male circumcision) at Mutoto Cultural Ground in Mbale City were disrupted by ugly scenes.

This after a group of traditional circumcision dancers escorting candidates to face the knife tore through a VIP section.

They shortly charged towards the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Jacob Oboth-Oboth, moments after he had started reading President Museveni’s speech as guest of honour, forcing him to leave prematurely on Saturday afternoon.

The Speaker’s escorts and other security operatives on the ground faced a hard moment restraining the locals who had charged directly to the platform on which the Speaker was standing to address the thousands of revellers who had turned up for the ceremony.

Unlike the previous circumcision ceremony, which was organised by a cultural institution, this year’s was spearheaded by the district chairpersons due to wrangles among the parallel cultural heads over who is the rightful leader to preside over the ceremony.

The launch attracted several dignitaries, including the cultural leader of Lango, Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune, and a delegation led by the High Commissioner of the Republic of Kenya to Uganda, Mr Ababu Namwamba, accompanied by leaders from Trans Nzoia, Busia and Bungoma counties.

‘The ceremony turned ugly after a group of traditional circumcision dancers escorting candidates to face the knife tore through a VIP section and charged towards the Speaker. His security rescued him,’ Mr Joshua Mafabi, a father to one of the candidates, said.

It is alleged that the candidates and dancers lost the spiritual pathway meant for Imbalu candidates going to perform a ritual known as Khuwakha Litosi (mudding) from the nearby swamp.

The Khuwakha Litosi ritual involves smearing traditional circumcision candidates with mud before the circumcision itself happens.

It’s a symbolic rite that puts imbalu candidates in fellowship with the ancestral powers.

Mbale Industrial City Division Mayor Abdallah Madoi said the platform where the Speaker stood had been erected along the traditional pathway for imbalu candidates.

‘By that time, speeches were still going on, yet it was already time for the initiates to proceed for circumcision,” he said.

Mr Emma Bwayo, the secretary of the organising committee and chairperson of Namisindwa District, attributed the situation to delays and late arrival of the chief guest.

‘The Speaker’s speech time came at a time when the candidates were supposed to be taken to the swamp for mudding, but besides that, the function was successful,’ Mr Bwayo said.

However, some locals told this Monitor Publication that the presence of government officials, who are not circumcised, angers the ancestral gods.

‘And traditionally, by around 3pm, the candidates proceed for circumcision rituals, and culturally they cannot be stopped,’ one of the locals said.

Background

In 2022, the celebrations at the same ground were also disrupted after a group of traditional circumcision dancers escorting candidates to face the knife tore through a VIP section.

The tent had been reportedly erected along a spiritual pathway meant for Imbalu candidates returning from a ritual known as Khuwakha Litosi (mudding) from the nearby swamp.

Every even year, the Bamasaba living around the slopes of Mount Elgon and parts of western Kenya observe Imbalu, a tradition passed down from their grandfathers.

The ritual signifies the initiation of boys into manhood among the Bagisu (Bamasaba), particularly those aged 16 years and above.

Records indicate that the Imbalu ceremony in Bugisu dates back to 1804, although it is believed that the practice began several years earlier.

Monitor Publication has learnt that this year’s circumcision is likely to attract over 10,000 boys. In 2024, about 6,024 boys were circumcised across the Bugisu Sub-region.

Many years ago, while we were chatting in the classroom with my desk-mate, Robert Ojok, a rattled Rev Laban Bombo (may the Lord keep him well) marched in wielding a bamboo cane. Without any introduction, a surprised Ojok received two lashes on the back. Mine followed in quick succession.

Then he turned to Ojok who by now was voting with his feet and gave him two more as he disappeared. I was cornered waiting for Reverend Bombo’s next move. By now the mathematics teacher and School Chaplain at King’s College, Budo had calmed down a bit, having let off some steam with the ferocious swing of his stick, landing painfully on our backs. He then read out our charges.

‘How do you see school property being destroyed and you just sit here as if nothing has happened? You take chairs to the field and leave them there overnight for the rain to destroy?’ It was common practice for students to pick chairs from nearby classrooms just behind Nigeria House. They would make themselves comfortable on the side of the pitch when the football game was on. After the game, the victors were elated beyond words while the losers were too crestfallen to remember the chairs. So, there was barely any effort to return the chairs to the classroom. It is only the students of the classroom who would endeavour to fetch them when they needed a seat the next day.

Rev Bombo did not wait for me to enter a plea. He started from where he stopped. Two more lashes sent me talking. My alibi which was a lie to save myself anyway, was that I was actually one of the people playing on the pitch so I could not have picked a chair from the classroom to watch myself play! (That lie aside, even God in heaven knows very well that on that day I did not pick a chair from a classroom.) This made him even angrier. ‘You mean if you find plates on the floor at home, you simply walk on them because you are not the one who put them there?’ By this time everyone in the classroom had hurriedly left for the pitch leaving me to face the fuming Rev Bombo and his bamboo cane. I joined them in a matter of seconds after receiving a few more lashes. As is the wont with students, Ojok and I were the recipients of jokes by those who had not met with Rev Bombo’s cane that day.

I remember we vowed to revenge for the gross injustice and humiliation we had suffered at the hands of Rev Bombo that morning. When the chairs were cleared and cleaned a much calmer Rev Bombo then gave a sermon about the individual and responsibility toward society. ‘Public property is your property,’ he said. ‘You lose when it is damaged…. you fall sick when you live in a dirty environment. It is your responsibility to see to it that the place is clean and orderly even if you did not make it dirty…’ When Uganda announced that every last Saturday of the month everyone would have to clean their surroundings between 7am and 10am, I remembered Rev Bombo with nostalgia.

Some people denounced the exercise because they pay taxes and the fees of municipal authorities. Others just saw it as an opportunity to disobey a government they don’t like. You don’t get a better society by simply sitting and wishing for it. Or in certain circumstances even contributing to what makes it what you don’t like, say by littering. A reasonable person has to make an effort to correct what is wrong and not simply watch as things go wrong. Order and cleanliness benefit everyone. Similarly disorder and lack of hygiene affect even those innocent ones who do not contribute to it. I have been to very clean and orderly cities, especially in Europe, yet they don’t have national cleaning days enforced by the police and army. They have achieved it by making it very costly for those who litter.

The law is enforced to the letter, with stringent punishments for those who err. One time a friend Francis Bwette (RIP) lent me a jacket when it got too cold. The pockets were full of papers and all manner of litter. He just did not toss them on the ground. He kept the litter there, to be disposed off at the next available bin. But secondly, they have made it convenient for societies to be clean. There are bins at almost every corner to dispose of rubbish. The rubbish is segregated into plastics, organic material and metals etc. They hit two birds with one stone by making the bins, spaces for adverts. Companies that need visibility contribute to the collection of refuse and benefit from it.

They also collect the refuse regularly and take it to recycling centres which makes refuse collection valuable and beneficial for business and environmental protection. In some cases, empty containers like reusable glass bottles are bought back by manufactures of beverages like beer. A refundable deposit is left at the point of sale to be utilised when the container is returned for reuse. This shows the significance of packing in reusable containers unlike the current rampant practice of relying on plastic bags and bottles.

Clean societies are those where individuals have cultivated a culture that teaches them to understand communal purpose and the role they have to play towards the prosperity of the collective. They are enabled to be clean by facilitating the process of disposal and beating in line those who take it lightly. Everyone has a responsibility to keep the society clean even when no one is watching and it should become second nature. That way everyday should be a national cleaning day without the need for official announcements and all manner of conditions.

Ms Edinansi Katungwesi, the mother of missing political activist and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) mobiliser Sam Mugumya, has formally written to the Uganda Law Society (ULS) seeking its direct intervention to locate her son.

In an August 3 letter addressed to ULS President Isaac Ssemakadde through Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, Ms Katungwesi pleaded for help following months of fruitless searches and unanswered reports to the police.

‘My son Sam Mugumya was abducted on August 26, 2025, in Mbarara… from that day I had never seen him until recently when I saw a video and photo of him struggling to get up, which gave me hope that he is still alive,’ the letter reads in part.

‘When he disappeared, I reported the case to the police, but I have never received assistance to date. I do not know where he is, and I have never heard from him. That is why I am pleading with the Uganda Law Society to help me find him,’ she added.

Ms Katungwesi handed over the petition to Mr Asiimwe on Monday, August 3, during a visit by a ULS delegation to her home in Rukungiri District.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Asiimwe assured the family that the law society would launch formal inquiries with relevant government bodies, security agencies, and the courts to establish Mugumya’s whereabouts and legal status.

‘His mother has reached out to us to help find where Sam Mugumya is, and as ULS, we will do our best to help Mama find her son-dead or alive,’ Asiimwe said.

He further urged security forces to uphold constitutional rights: ‘We call upon whoever is responsible to respect human dignity and the rule of law, and to release Sam Mugumya. If he committed any offences, let him be produced in court because he has rights. Keeping him in this condition is unacceptable.’

A history of detention

Mr Mugumya, a former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) mobiliser, was reportedly abducted on August 26, 2025, while having breakfast at NIM Hotel in Nyamitanga, Mbarara City. Witnesses reported that armed men, believed to be state security operatives, forced him into a unmarked van (commonly known as a “drone”) and sped off.

Despite habeas corpus applications filed by his family, authorities have neither produced him in court nor formally acknowledged holding him in custody.

His disappearance occurred less than three years after his return from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he spent over eight years in detention following a 2014 arrest on allegations of plotting a rebellion. He was released in October 2022 without ever being formally tried.

Leaked video and torture allegations

Concerns over Mugumya’s safety intensified on July 31 when National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) depicting an individual resembling the missing activist.

‘Here is a leaked video of comrade Sam Mugumya, who remains missing since his abduction in August last year. The video was apparently leaked from an unknown detention facility where he is held incommunicado,’ Kyagulanyi stated.

‘He appears crippled, unable to walk without a walking frame-evidence of the torture he has suffered. Meanwhile, the regime continues to deny knowledge of his whereabouts,’ he added.

President Museveni reacts

Following the video’s release and a subsequent demand for action sent by ULS President Ssemakadde to Security Minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, President Yoweri Museveni issued a statement addressing torture allegations within security ranks.

Writing in response to comments by journalist Andrew Mwenda, President Museveni denied ever authorizing the abuse of political opponents, placing the blame on rogue elements within the security forces.

‘Coming back to torture, let alone maiming, these are immoral, counter-revolutionary, not strategic, and not necessary for us as freedom fighters,’ Museveni wrote in his Monday statement. ‘In the last 56 years I have been fighting, I have never tortured, or ordered anybody to torture, an opponent.’

He warned that security personnel must abide by the law while carrying out their duties. ‘The UPDF and other security forces, in fighting impunity, should not commit their own crimes, such as torture or extra-judicial killings. Those mistakes are neither morally nor ideologically correct.’

Demands for action

Despite the President’s assurances, human rights defenders and political figures are demanding concrete results.

‘I condemn the way security operatives abduct citizens and hold them in undisclosed locations. I urge the government, through the ULS, to ensure Sam Mugumya is produced immediately,’ said Mr Mugyeni Gashom, the PFF Electoral Commissioner for Rukungiri District.

Mr Asiimwe added that the ULS will continue to push for the release or trial of all political detainees currently being held incommunicado across the country

On July 25, Ugandans from all works of life participated in the inaugural National Cleaning Day. The National Cleaning Day will be held on the last Saturday of the month. The cleaning activities conducted countrywide are scheduled to take place from 7am to 10am.

We commend the government for this initiative because cleanliness is next to godliness, and we call upon everybody to embrace it because it is for the public good. A clean environment and observing personal hygiene keeps diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery at bay.

A healthy population is able to contribute better towards the social and economic development of the nation. When citizens are constantly falling sick because of preventable sanitation-related diseases, money that should have been spent on other pressing issues is diverted, leading to stagnation of individual and community growth. Cleanliness must always be observed at a personal and community level. The government must use all communication channels to constantly sensitise the populace about the National Cleaning Day and the importance of cleanliness.

To maintain a clean environment, we call upon residents of urban areas to stop dumping garbage in drainage canals. Littering, which is rampant in urban towns and cities across the country, must also stop henceforth. Garbage must be placed in waste bins, and the authorities in urban areas must ensure that these are placed in strategic places that can easily be accessed by the public.

Those who litter should be penalised to deter others from engaging in this vice. The government must also diligently implement the law that compels operators of public transport vehicles to equip them with waste bins. Passengers on buses and taxis are key contributors to littering, throwing rubbish out of vehicles because there is nowhere to put waste in the vehicles.

Buses and taxis without waste bins should be stopped from transporting passengers. When filled up, the authorities must ensure that the garbage bins are emptied without delay, and the garbage is disposed of in a manner that does not endanger the health of the public and does not degrade the environment. The government must also ensure that cities and towns have enough garbage trucks to enable the authorities in these areas to manage waste properly. Furthermore, the authorities in urban areas must build enough public toilets and ensure that the cost of using them is affordable to stop the habit of open urination and defecation.

From the launch of the National Cleaning Day campaign to strengthen disease prevention efforts, to the Minister of Health declaring Uganda Ebola virus-free after months of surveillance and response, the month was marked by key milestones in the health sector.

National Cleaning Day launched

The government launched the National Cleaning Day Programme on July 25, a fresh initiative which has attracted praise for cleaner streets in several areas while exposing deep systemic gaps in urban garbage collection and management.

While launching the initiative in Kampala last week, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said this would be essential in preventing common diseases and ensuring a productive population.

Around 75 percent of diseases in the country are preventable, according to statistics from the government. ‘A clean Uganda cannot be achieved by the government alone,’ Ms Nabbanja noted, adding, ‘it requires commitment of every citizen.’

The Prime Minister said: ‘Let us embrace this initiative and make responsible waste management a national culture. Together, let us build a cleaner, healthier and more productive Uganda.’

Ms Nabbanja also announced that the National Cleaning Day will be observed every last Saturday of each month, with the activity running from 7am to 10am across the country.

All movement and non-essential activities in the country, except emergencies, are stopped, and this is enforced by security (Police).

But leaders of the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) say the government should reconsider the earmarking of Saturday because it’s their day of worship.

The leaders say the scriptures do not permit them to engage in such activities, yet they also wish to participate in the cleaning event.

‘I wish to assure you (SDA members) that the Church leadership is actively engaging the government in a spirit of mutual respect to seek an amicable solution that upholds both the national objective and our constitutional freedom of worship,’ Pr Samuel Kajoba, the president of Uganda Union Mission, SDA, said in a July 24 statement.

‘Among the proposals presented is that Seventh Day Adventist members participate in the cleaning exercise on either Friday or Sunday, as may be agreed upon by both parties,’ he added.

But the government has not yet issued any formal statement to indicate an adjustment.

The government says on cleaning days, the members of the public are encouraged to take part in the cleaning exercise and resume normal activities at 10am.

The cleaning can be done around homes, on roads (unblocking drainage channels and sweeping the roads), clearing overgrown grass, cleaning markets and places of worship, among others.

Logistically, the government seemed ill-prepared for the event as heaps of cabbage were abandoned after the exercise was concluded, with some blocking roads and disrupting traffic in many parts of Kampala.

Uganda declared Ebola-free

On July 28, Health minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi declared Uganda Ebola free. The minister explained that the declaration was made after the mandated 42 days elapsed without registering any new infection from the time of the last discharge of a Ugandan Ebola patient from hospital on June 16.

The country had for the past over three months faced several international travel bans due to the deadly virus.

Information from the Ministry of Health indicated that a total of 20 Ebola cases were registered in Uganda since the outbreak in May.

Fifteen of the cases were imported into the country from the neighbouring DRC, according to the Ministry. Of the 20 cases, there were two deaths, while 18 of the patients recovered after successful treatment.

Health experts say the 10 percent case fatality rate is an indication of advancement in quality of treatment when compared to the previous two outbreaks of the Ebola Bundibugyo strain in Uganda and DRC.

In the previous outbreaks, death rates were between 30 and 50 percent among infected people.

Field visits

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Local Government started conducting unannounced visits to public health facilities and other infrastructure sites.

These visits, which are often accompanied by altercations between the Ministry officials and the health workers and videos being shared on social media platforms by State minister of Local Government Justine Nameere, have attracted mixed reactions in the general public and among health professionals.

Members of the public on social media said the initiative will address critical gaps in the sector like staff absenteeism and corruption, especially in health facilities, which increase waiting times and affect access to care.

Drug shops licensing row

A bitter regulatory battle between the Ministry of Health and the Allied Health Professionals Council (AHPC) over the legal mandate to license drug shops operated by dispensers.

The row stems from a ministry directive requiring AHPC to stop licensing drug shops, arguing that the National Drug and Health Products Authority Act, 2026, gives the National Drug Authority (NDA) exclusive powers to license premises dealing in medicines.

‘AHPC must cease and desist from licensing drug shops or premises dealing in drugs. Any allied health professional intending to operate a drug shop must first obtain approval from NDA,’ The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, stated in a June 11 letter.

The ministry further warned that facilities found stocking medicines without NDA approval would be considered to be operating illegally. However, AHPC rejected the directive.

In its response by the chairperson, Prof John Charles Okiria, the council said it did not seek guidance from the ministry and insisted that its legal mandate to license dispensers’ health units remains intact.

AHPC argued that the Allied Health Professionals Act, Cap 296, and the National Drug and Health Products Authority Act 6, 2026, should not be interpreted as competing laws but as complementary legislation that assigns different responsibilities to different regulators.

‘Section 28(a) and other sections of the founding law remain operational because Parliament did not repeal them when enacting the new drug law,’ said Prof Okiria.

Masaka District is on verge of losing the opportunity to host a regional industrial hub due to failure to provide suitable piece of land for the project.

According to Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives officials, the piece of land identified at Mazigo Village in Bukakkata Sub-county where President Museveni laid a foundation stone in 2015 was found to be waterlogged and unfit for the project.

“There is no reason why Masaka should be excluded. Let leaders do their part by identifying a suitable site as we requested them then other steps will follow,”

Mr Deogratious Masagazi, the undersecretary at the Trade ministry said last week. This was while he addressed a trade symposium in Masaka City to sensitise stakeholders from the 10 districts of the sub-region about the ministry’s responsibilities and available business opportunities.

This followed complaints raised by leaders led by Mr Vincent Kasumba, the chairperson of Masaka City Development Forum, that the government has sidelined Masaka in many development projects.

‘For long, we have been wondered why this sub-region was left out on the issue of industrial parks yet the site was launched by the President? How then will we fight unemployment in the area?” Kasumba noted

Mr Andrew Musoke, a senior planner at the ministry explained that since the ministry wrote back to the district over queries about the land at Mazigo, no response has been given.

‘Shifting the blame to us [government] is unfair. We responded with clear issues that make the proposed site unfit but since then they have fallen silent. It’s the leadership that has not played its part,’ he added.

Mr Kasumba insisted that the only hurdle is lack of proper coordination, not failure to get appropriate land. ‘It’s really absurd that leaders haven’t accorded this issue maximum attention yet the area is grappling with high rates of youth unemployment. The project can be a game-changer and I believe it’s high time to resurrect it,’ he said.

In 2023, government resurrected this idea during President Museveni’s wealth creation tour in the sub-region.

Later, the then state minister for Investment, Ms Evelyn Anite, during a public rally at Masaka Liberation Square in Masaka City, said the President had instructed them to relocate the project to Sango-Bay estate land in neigbouring Kyotera District. But since then, no extra steps were taken to actualise this idea.

Save the foundation stone laid by President Museveni on June 18, 2015, the piece of land at Mazigo Village has remained idle for 11 years.

Proposed terms The grand project was initially spearheaded by Chinese investors through China African Friendship Association Uganda in partnership with Chinese Schuan Province who were expected to inject $300m with an anticipation to benefit over 40,000 locals.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Masaka District and the Chinese under the above consortium, the former was required to provide free land for the industrial park.

Mr John Kakande, the Masaka District chairperson, pledged to revisit this proposal, saying they can get another public land in the district or partner with private people with large chunks of land.

‘The industrial park is one of the key items on my agenda being one of the major opportunities for curbing rampant unemployment,’ he said during a phone interview.

In the same meeting, business operators led by Mr Edrisah Mugerwa, a manager at Kabonera Coffee Growers’ Cooperative Society asked the ministry to support them to access value addition equipment to enable them export processed goods.

Mr Masagazi urged business operators and cooperatives’ leadership to always approach the ministry so as to benefit from the wide range of services ranging from affordable capital and support to access both local and international markets, among others.

Greater Masaka previously hosted several factories and processing plants, predominantly established by the Asians. However, the old factories depreciated and eventually collapsed following the Asians’ expulsion in 1972.

The political insurgencies that followed led to the collapse of even the few that had remained. Some of these include Victoria Tea Factory (Mukungwe Sub-county), Cannery Bottling Plant (Kimaanya/Kyabakuza Division) plus a tea factory and coffee processing plants (Bukomansimbi and Kalungu districts, respectively).

The Bunyala Cultural Institution in Kayunga District has dismissed as “mere drama” a recent move by a section of Ssabanyala Maj (Rtd) Baker Kimeze’s family members to elect another cultural leader.

Last month, some offspring of the late Nathan Mpagi, the first Ssabanyala and father of the reigning Ssabanyala Baker Kimeze Byarufu II, convened a meeting in Kyerima Village, Kitimbwa sub-county, during which they elected Fred Sseruzi, Kimeze’s elder brother, as the “new Ssabanyala”.

The election marked the peak of a long-standing land dispute between Ssabanyala Kimeze and some family members, who claim he illegally sold off about 570 acres of family land in Bbaale.

Mr Kimeze has dismissed the claims. He says the land had been used by his late father for grazing but did not belong to the family.

“The land was entrusted to our father by a friend who remained with a title deed,” Ssabanyala Kimeze said during an interview in June. The land was later sold by Ms Sarah Nanyonga to a sugar cane growing company.

A fortnight ago, some of Mpagi’s family members announced they had passed a vote of no confidence against Ssabanyala Kimeze and subsequently appointed Mr Fred Sseruzi as the “new Ssabanyala”.

But Bunyala Cultural Institution spokesperson Samuel Bukenya said the alleged election had no basis in the institution’s constitution.

“They [family members] are just acting and we are treating their acts as mere drama. None of the clan leaders was involved in the alleged election of the cultural leader as the Bunyala constitution stipulates,” Mr Bukenya told journalists last week.

He added: “One is free to call himself any title or name. In the 1990s many football players used to call themselves Maradona or Pele the football legends, but they were not the ones.”

Mr Bukenya stressed that family grievances should be taken to court instead of confusing the Banyala community.

“As far as I know the Ssabanyala is still Maj Baker Kimeze Byarufu II and we are in preparations of his 16th coronation anniversary which will take place this August,” Mr Bukenya said.

However, Livingstone Miya, mobiliser for the breakaway Ssabanyala faction and former minister of lands in the Bunyala cabinet, dismissed claims that the Ssabanyala is elected by all Banyala clan heads.

“Kayunga is a multi-ethnicity area and people of all the tribes are involved in the election of the cultural leader. At an appropriate time the Ssabanyala Sseruzi would be shown to the public,” Mr Miya said.

Mr Bukenya called on Ssabanyala’s subjects to remain calm, noting that Kimeze was still on the throne.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that some of Mpagi’s family members opposed to the Ssabanyala had sought in vain to meet President Museveni.

Background of tensions The ethnic Banyala have been at loggerheads with Buganda Kingdom since Baker Kimeze took over the throne from his late father, Nathan Mpagi, in 2008.

Kimeze has undermined the authority of the Kabaka, claiming that Kayunga is not part of Buganda and that the Kabaka has no authority over his subjects in Kayunga – a claim Mengo has always dismissed.

In 2009, this dispute led to riots in Buganda after the Banyala protested Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II’s planned visit to Kayunga District, demanding he first seek permission from the Ssabanyala, which Mengo refused to do.

The Banyala constitute only 2.7 per cent of the population in Kayunga District against Baganda who stand at 32 per cent. Bunyala, also known as Bugerere or Kayunga District, is constitutionally part of Buganda and therefore under the Kabaka’s control.

In 2010, Kimeze’s mother told the Daily Monitor that she is a Muganda and related to the Kabaka.

‘My grandmother lies buried in the Kasubi tombs. Therefore, my family harbours no ill will for Buganda and Mengo. This whole mess with Mengo is unfortunate. We would want nothing more than co-operation and respectful recognition from them.’

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has warned residents against dumping garbage along roadsides and in public spaces, saying the practice is erasing gains made during the inaugural National Cleaning Day campaign.

Speaking to the media on Monday, KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuwabine said the exercise registered significant success, with thousands of residents participating in clean-ups across the city.

“The National Cleaning Day launch was a very great success in Kampala. We had garbage evacuated from people’s homes and compounds, and it was taken to a waste management facility in Buyala,” Mr Nuwabine said.

According to him, the collected garbage was transported to the Kiteezi replacement waste management facility in Wiyala for proper disposal, helping restore cleanliness in several parts of the city.

However, Mr Nuwabine expressed concern that some residents have returned to the cleared collection points to dump fresh waste.

“As the days have gone by and as we clear the waste from the communities, we have had some individuals and homesteads bringing back garbage to the points where we had already cleared. This paints a picture as though nothing has been done, yet most of this rubbish had already been collected from the communities,” he said.

He urged households to embrace proper waste management instead of using roadsides and drainage channels as dumping grounds.

“If it is not a National Cleaning Day, you should hold onto your waste and hand it over to the garbage truck on the designated days it is scheduled to pass through your area,” he said. He added that collection is done once or twice a week depending on the programme in each area.

Mr Nuwabine also warned that indiscriminate dumping is a punishable offence. “Bringing rubbish onto our roads is not acceptable, and whoever continues doing that is orchestrating a nuisance that is punishable under the law,” he said.

KCCA Director for Health Dr Sarah Zalwango said maintaining cleanliness requires continuous cooperation between the authority and residents.

“We appeal to Local Council leaders, market vendors, landlords and community members to mobilise residents to participate in routine clean-up activities and ensure garbage is disposed of through authorised collection systems,” she said.

Dr Zalwango noted that illegal dumping not only degrades the city’s appearance but also blocks drainage channels. “It increases the risk of flooding during heavy rains and creates breeding grounds for disease-causing organisms,” she said.

“As KCCA we pledge to intensify enforcement against offenders while continuing public sensitisation campaigns aimed at changing attitudes towards waste management,” she added.

She urged residents to take personal responsibility. “We consistently urge residents to separate waste at source, use licensed garbage collectors and avoid dumping rubbish in drainage channels and along roads,” she said.

Dr Zalwango warned that offenders will face prosecution under the city’s public health and environmental laws.

About national cleaning day

The National Cleaning Day campaign was introduced by Government as part of efforts to improve sanitation, promote environmental conservation and encourage every Ugandan to take responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.

For generations, uniforms have been a powerful symbol of identity, discipline and tradition of school. Across Uganda, many schools have maintained the same uniforms since their founding days, while other institutions have altered theirs to reflect changing times, rebranding efforts or educational philosophies.

When students at some schools loosen their ties, fail to tuck in their shirts, roll up their sleeves or ignore parts of the prescribed school uniform, it is often viewed as indiscipline.

But could it also be a sign of something else; a disconnect between learners and the uniforms they are required to wear, regularly?

As schools seek to balance identity, tradition and learners’ welfare, a debate is emerging over whether students should be given a choice to determine the kind of uniform they wear.

Ms Teddy Mellisa Mutyaba, a teacher at St. Maria Goretti SS, Katende and an educationist, shares that school uniforms are part of a colonial system.

She believes that just like changes in the education system, students should have a view in this matter. ‘That is why some students think that they have to do things uniformly, like other people do them,’ Ms Mutyaba said.

‘If you want to believe that school uniforms have nothing to do with instilling decency, watch the way students dress when given a chance to do it their way.’

School uniforms have long been a defining feature of Uganda’s education system. Most schools in Uganda if not all, both private and public schools from Kindergarten to secondary wear school uniforms, mandatory, standardized dress code.

The uniforms mostly range from dresses, skirts and blouses, pinafores, blazers, neckties, shorts or trousers for boys, which are designed to create a sense of belonging.

The uniforms also promote equality among learners regardless of social background and enable easy identification of students.

Some uniforms have become inseparable from the schools they represent. One of Uganda’s most distinctive examples is Nyakasura School in Fort Portal City.

Founded in 1926 by Scottish missionary educator Ernest Ebohard Calwell and influenced by Scottish traditions, the school has retained one of the country’s most recognizable uniforms.

Male students wear traditional Scottish kilts instead of trousers or shorts, a practice that has survived for nearly a century and continues to symbolise the institution’s heritage.

Similarly, many other schools adopted uniforms inspired by the traditions and values of their founders. Over time, these uniforms became part of the institutions’ identities, often surviving changes in leadership, curriculum and generations of learners.

However, for some students, wearing school uniform is less about pride and identification but more about complying with school rules and regulations.

The question has become increasingly relevant as schools seek ways to improve student participation and create learner-centred environments.

While students are encouraged to express their views on school governance through prefect bodies and student councils, the extent to which they can influence decisions on uniforms remains limited.

More than just clothing

Several school administrators insist that a uniform is much more than an outfit. It is often a reflection of a school’s history, values and identity, highlighting that changing a school uniform is not a simple matter of altering colours or designs, it can be seen as a changing part of the school’s heritage.

According to Mr Hasadu Kirabira, the Chairperson of the National Private Education Institutions Association (NPEIA) learners should not influence decisions to change a school uniform.

‘A uniform is a uniform and it is informed by so many considerations. It isn’t prudent that the school uniform be changed because a school uniform is the school identity.

The moment you get away with it, the school loses identity,’ Mr Kirabira said.

Mr Kirabira explained that schools administrators and the board consider factors such as durability or materials, schools colours, appropriateness of the design and values the institution wants to instill in students before settling on a type of uniform to settle with. ‘While choosing a school uniform, we look at decency not for fashion wear purposes.

The fashion that brings out the picture of a learner in terms of dressing, not in terms of figure or fitting,’ Mr Kirabira said.

‘In some schools, neckties are compulsory and are often associated with discipline, professionalism and proper grooming.’

Mr Kirabira emphasized that if a student is uncomfortable with the school uniform, they should try another school where they will be comfortable.

‘Unless something is partial, maybe health issues, a student is sick, then you say, okay, we can pardon you for a given period of time later,’ Mr Kirabira pointed out.

‘But a uniform is a uniform. If you feel you are not comfortable with the uniform, you go and look for a school where you are comfortable.’

Influence on school uniform

Mr Edson Baluku, the headteacher of Birere Secondary School in Isingiro District also noted that although students are encouraged to express their views on school governance, they should not have influence on changing a school uniform.

He explained that a school uniform is a profound symbol of a school’s unique identity and the challenge is finding a balance between preserving school traditions and responding to the needs of modern learners.

‘It’s not advisable to change the school uniform, a school is known for its uniform, when you change it may come with some challenges,’ Mr Baluku explained.

‘Some clients are customized to the situation so when you change it you may lose them.’

However, he noted that if students are not respecting the school uniform and are always shabby because they aren’t comfortable, the school should take a responsibility to counselling them and guiding them how the uniform is important.

‘We can motivate them through guidance and counselling but not through changing a uniform. Some of these cases are indiscipline, but when they are talked to, some of them will change their attitude,’ Mr Baluku said.

‘At times uniforms are arrived at out of managerial meetings and the management and administrators are the ones who determine the uniform, for a reason.’

Mr Baluku emphasised that the school can only change their identity when they are not achieving what they intended to achieve and are rebranding.

‘When the school is achieving its goals and objectives, a uniform may not a big issue,’ he said.

He emphasised that learners and parents must always do due diligence of the school they want to join including the kind of school uniform learners wear and in case they aren’t comfortable with it, they can try another school.

Mr Nasur Mugerwa, an old student of Kololo Secondary School also believes that students shouldn’t have the choice of changing the school uniform, as it identifies a given school.

He cites Kololo Secondary School, where he believes that white trousers and white shirts for boys makes the institution stand out, from others.

‘The school identity has been built for decades and has become part of the heritage and culture, therefore changing it means you are erasing a piece of the school’s history,’ Mr Mugerwa said.

He added; ‘Every male student who has gone through the gates of Kololo SS for O-level, has worn the same uniform. It reminds us of where we came from the values of cleanliness the school instilled in us.’

According to Mr Mugerwa, while students may have concerns about the comfort. The school uniform is not designed to follow trends but rather it is meant to build identity, discipline and equality.

He explains that if every generation changes the school uniform to fit its preferences, schools will lose the traditions that make them distinct, noting that students come and go after four or six years but institutions remain.

School identity

Ms Daphine Nimusiima an old girl of Kashaka Girls’ School in Sheema district also noted that a uniform is part of a school identity and students shouldn’t have any influence on them.

She explained that the preferences and choices of students in 2026 may not be the same for students that will come a year after them, which could result in frequent changes that gradually erode a school’s identity.

‘A school uniform is not a fashion trend, whoever is not happy with the uniform they can choose a school whose uniform they are comfortable with,’ Ms Nimusiima said.

However, a section of the public argue that although students should not have a final say, the school administration and students should have a voice in matter as they views matter in many aspects of school life.

Some state that students’ perspectives can expose concerns that administrators may underlook like the quality and comfort that would require not necessarily changing the uniform colour but the design

Police said at least 78 suspects were charged in court following election-related offences recorded during the recently concluded Local Council 1 (LC1) elections across the Kampala Metropolitan Area.

Addressing journalists on Monday, August 3, Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson SP Racheal Kawala revealed that security forces arrested a total of 150 suspects over incidents linked to the polls held on July 29 and August 1.

Despite the arrests, Kawala described the exercise as largely peaceful, save for isolated cases of violence and disorder.

“Out of the 150 suspects that were arrested in the Kampala Metropolitan Area, a total of 78 suspects have so far been arraigned before the court of law. Some of the arrested suspects were cautioned, others were released on police bond, while several cases remain under active investigation,” Kawala said.

The suspects face various charges, including assault, interference with the electoral process, attempted murder, forgery, incitement to violence, and malicious damage to property.

Among the most serious incidents under active investigation is an attempted murder case registered at Mpigi Central Police Station.

According to police, the incident occurred on July 28 in Rwonga Village, Namasa County, Mpigi District, where two suspects-identified as Moses Chiwani and Mohamed Mutebi-allegedly stabbed a voter while he was standing in line to cast his ballot.

“The incident occurred while the victim had lined up to cast his vote. Investigations into the matter are ongoing,” Kawala stated.

Police are also probing a case of malicious poisoning of livestock reported on August 2 in Karagala Village, Ssunga Town Council, Mpigi District. Unknown persons allegedly poisoned goats belonging to a local resident. Preliminary investigations indicate the victim was targeted due to her perceived support for a rival LC1 candidate.

In Wakiso District, police on July 31 foiled an unlawful demonstration in Masajja, Ssabagabo Municipality. A group of youth reportedly blocked a road in Chibirabi by setting up charcoal stoves to cook and eat on the carriageway, severely disrupting traffic.

“We found several exhibits, including the food they were cooking, saucepans, and charcoal stoves,” Kawala said. “It is alleged that the group was expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome of the recent elections in their area.”

While commending the generally peaceful conduct of the LC1 polls, police issued a stern warning against violence ahead of the upcoming Local Council 2 (LC2) parish elections scheduled for later this month.

Kawala emphasized that security agencies would maintain heavy deployments across the Kampala Metropolitan Policing Area to ensure the next phase of elections remains orderly.

“The Uganda Police Force strongly condemns all acts of election-related violence. We wish to categorically state that we shall not tolerate any form of violence, disorder, or disruption of public peace,” she warned.

She urged dissatisfied candidates and their supporters to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and instead seek legal redress.

“We call upon all those dissatisfied with the election results to seek lawful redress through the court of law rather than resorting to violence,” Kawala added. “Security agencies will take firm action against anyone who attempts to disrupt the elections or undermine public order.”