Category: Daily Monitor

Police in Jinja District have launched an investigation into the murder of a boda boda rider whose body was discovered Monday morning in a sugarcane plantation in Mutai Village, Buwenge Sub-county.

The deceased, identified as Yosia Kayima, was a resident of Namulesa Ward in Jinja City. Preliminary findings indicate that unknown assailants killed Kayima before fleeing with his motorcycle.

Local residents discovered the body early Monday morning and alerted local leaders, who subsequently notified the police. Officers documented the crime scene before transferring the body to a mortuary for a postmortem examination.

Rising wave of crime

The Vice Chairperson of Mutai Central, Mr. Lazaro Isabirye, said he alerted the authorities immediately after receiving news of the incident. He noted that violent attacks by unidentified assailants have become alarmingly frequent in the area.

“This is not an isolated incident. We have lost at least five people in similar attacks in recent months. The situation has created widespread fear, especially among boda boda riders who operate at night,” Mr. Isabirye said.

He urged security agencies to intensify both daytime and nighttime patrols and strengthen intelligence operations to restore public confidence.

Ms. Namaganda Katwaalo, the Woman Representative for Mutai Busibe, condemned the killing and called for urgent, collaborative security measures.

“These repeated murders are deeply worrying. Security agencies must work closely with local communities to identify those behind these attacks before more innocent lives are lost,” Ms. Katwaalo said.

Leaders demand CCTV surveillance

Highlighting the growing danger, Jinja District LCV Chairperson Mr. Moses Bataala categorized the area as a hotspot for violent crime. He urged the government to intervene by installing surveillance cameras along the main road passing through Mutai.

“Security cameras would not only deter criminals but also provide crucial evidence to help investigators identify suspects and improve public safety,” Mr. Bataala noted.

Confirming the incident, the Acting Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Jinja District, Mr. George Wilson Bameka, assured the public that security agencies are actively pursuing the perpetrators.

“We are aware of the increasing insecurity in the area, and investigations are underway,” Mr. Bameka said. “We appeal to members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with investigators by providing any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.”

By press time, the deceased’s motorcycle had not yet been recovered, and police investigations into murder and aggravated robbery remain ongoing.

Vulnerable elderly residents and child-headed families in Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit districts have begun receiving direct cash transfers of Shs250,000 alongside emergency relief food to combat a worsening famine and associated health complications in the Karamoja sub-region.

The financial intervention, spearheaded by international humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger (AAH) as part of a UGX 276,000-per-beneficiary rapid drought emergency response, targets over 500 destitute individuals who lack family support systems.

According to Mr. Ben Lokiru, the LC5 Chairperson for Nabilatuk District, recent community death reports linked to the ongoing food crisis have predominantly impacted the elderly and households headed by children.

‘The current situation that the elders find themselves in is worrying. As a district, we didn’t have this budget, but now that humanitarian agencies have come to our rescue, these elders and child-headed families will have a sense of respite,’ Mr. Lokiru said.

He noted that widespread climate shocks-characterized by prolonged dry spells-left hundreds of acres of gardens scorched across the sub-region.

Alongside the cash payouts meant for food purchases and urgent medical care, the central government has dispatched direct relief food to the affected communities.

Nabilatuk Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Linos Lotem Tumkori, confirmed that beneficiary households are receiving an initial ration of 20 kilograms of maize flour (posho) and 10 kilograms of beans, with additional relief supplies currently being budgeted.

‘The current situation is not the best, but we are happy to have a government that cares for its people and has created a peaceful environment for humanitarian organizations to operate,’ Mr. Tumkori said. ‘As civil servants, we expect those taking care of the elders to use this money strictly for their welfare and to seek urgent medical attention where needed.’

For many recipients, the relief comes at a critical moment. Ms. Grace Sagal, a 78-year-old resident of Kakomongole Sub-county in Nakapiripirit District, shared that she had gone four consecutive days without a proper meal prior to receiving the funds.

‘This year, we had countable days of rainfall, which destroyed our crops,’ Ms. Sagal explained. ‘I am confident this money and the government food will push me and my grandchildren through the coming days. We are now fairly cushioned from the severe crisis for a while.’

Widespread crisis across Karamoja

The interventions in Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit reflect a broader humanitarian crisis affecting all nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region.

According to a recent analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)-of which the Government of Uganda is a partner-an estimated 473,000 people in Karamoja are currently experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse).

Consecutive seasons of failed rainfall, rising food prices, and localized insecurity have severely depleted household food reserves, pushing acute malnutrition rates among children and vulnerable adults to alarming levels across the region. Humanitarian agencies and local government leaders continue to call for sustained, long-term interventions to build community resilience against recurring climate shocks.

Mention Adam Smith, and most people immediately think of capitalism, self-interest, and the pursuit of profit. He is routinely presented as the intellectual father of the modern economic system, the man who taught the world that individuals seeking their own advantage would ultimately benefit society.

Yet after watching a recent documentary on his life and work, I was struck by a different Adam Smith altogether. Before writing The Wealth of Nations in 1776, Smith wrote another book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. In it, he argued that human beings possess a natural capacity for sympathy – the ability to imagine ourselves in the position of others and to care about their wellbeing.

Far from depicting people as isolated profit-seeking machines, Smith saw them as social beings whose actions are shaped by conscience, empathy, and moral obligation. This raises an uncomfortable question. If Adam Smith understood the importance of human relationships, how did his name become associated with a world that often appears to reward individual gain over collective wellbeing? Perhaps the modern world remembered Adam Smith’s economics but forgot his morality. As I listened to the documentary, I found myself thinking about Ubuntu, or Obuntu, as it is known in many parts of East Africa. Ubuntu is often summarised as, ‘I am because we are.’ It is the idea that our humanity is realised through our relationships with others. A person is not merely an individual but a member of a family, a community, and a wider moral universe.

The similarities are striking. Smith spoke of sympathy. Ubuntu speaks of interconnectedness. Smith argued that human beings naturally care about one another. Ubuntu goes further and suggests that we become fully human through one another. Neither philosophy celebrates selfishness as a virtue. This matters because Africa today stands at an important crossroads. Across the continent, governments are pursuing economic growth, attracting investment and encouraging entrepreneurship. These are necessary goals. Poverty is not a cultural value, and wealth creation remains essential to development. Yet many Africans increasingly sense that something is being lost.

As cities expand and economies modernise, traditional networks of support are weakening. Extended families are under strain. Community obligations are often portrayed as obstacles to success. The language of competition frequently drowns out the language of solidarity. The result is a paradox. Societies may become wealthier while individuals feel more isolated. Economic growth may increase even as social trust declines. Adam Smith himself might have recognised the danger. He understood that markets do not operate in a moral vacuum.

They depend on trust, honesty, restraint, and cooperation. Remove these foundations and markets cease to serve society; instead, society begins to serve markets. Africa’s challenge, therefore, is not to choose between Adam Smith and Ubuntu. It is to recognise that both point towards an important truth: prosperity and humanity must grow together. The future may not belong to societies that generate the greatest wealth, but to those that successfully balance wealth creation with human dignity, social responsibility, and community wellbeing. In that sense, the most important lesson from Adam Smith is not economic at all. It is that a healthy society requires more than successful markets. It requires people who still care about one another.

During the Nation Media Group-Uganda shutdown for a month, a lot transpired in the education sector, ranging from the suspension of school study tour trips to Uneb closing the registration of candidates intending to sit for their final examinations starting this October. We bring you the highlights

Arts teachers’ pay enhanced.

In July, the government started implementing the long-awaited 25 percent salary increment for primary and secondary arts teachers as well as BTVET instructors, funded by a Shs568 billion allocation in the Financial Year (FY) 2026/2027 budget.

This marked the beginning of a broader push to harmonise pay with science teachers. According to the new salary scale, Education Assistants (Grade III teachers) in primary schools now earn about Shs700,000 per month, up from about Shs500,000.

Salaries for head teachers increased from about Shs1 million to about Shs1.5 million, while deputy head teachers now earn about Shs1.4 million, up from about Shs750,000.

For the FY2026/2027, the Ministry of Public Service allocated Shs9.78 trillion for the public service wage bill to facilitate such increments.

The Public Service Minister, Gen Katumba Wamala, said wage bill discipline remains a government priority. While the pay increase is a step toward harmonising public service pay, some teaching unions like the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) have said the 25 percent adjustment falls short of the 300 percent raise science teachers received in 2022, leading to dialogue over future phased increases.

Science teachers continue to earn substantially more than their arts counterparts under the government’s differentiated salary policy. A graduate Science teacher currently earns Shs4 million while a diploma holder earns over Shs2million.

A science head teacher earns Shs6.5m up from Shs2.3m, while a deputy headteacher (science) earns Shs4.5.m

24 pupils perish in Kapchorwa

On July 16, families were grief-stricken after a school bus crash claimed the lives of at least 24 pupils of King David Junior School, Ndejje, and their director, Mr Tadeo Ssekade, among other occupants, as they returned from a study tour at Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa District.

The incident occurred at around 8pm at Chekwatit Hill, a renowned accident black spot in Kapchorwa . Over 60 other pupils sustained serious injuries. Preliminary investigations by the police indicated that the school bus developed a mechanical failure.

The driver lost control on the steep hill, causing the vehicle to veer off the road. The bus thereafter hit a large stone, and overturned. The survivors were rushed to health facilities in Kapchorwa and Mbale.

Govt suspends school study trips

Following the tragic accident, Education ministry officials immediately convened an inter-ministerial meeting to come up with immediate and long-term interventions to prevent the recurrence of such incidents involving learners.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the ministries of Education, Gender, ICT and National Guidance, Works at Uganda Media Centre on July 17, Acting Education Minister Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo announced the suspension of study trips for learners travelling in groups within and outside Uganda until further notice.

Last call for late registration for 2026 candidates

On July 27, 2026, the management of the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) made the final call for the heads of examination centres to register the remaining candidates for the 2026 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) under the late registration phase.

Uneb’s spokesperson Jennifer Kalule Musamba, in a statement issued on July 27, said July 31 would be the last chance for candidates to register for the 2026 national examinations that are expected to commence in two months.

The grace period for normal registration of 2026 candidates ended on June 30. The registration fees for the normal phase stood at Shs34,000 for PLE, Shs164,000 for UCE, and Shs186,000 for UACE.

Normal registration was followed by the late registration phase that commenced on July 1 and ended on July 31.

Ms Kalule said the late registration phase attracted a surcharge of 100 percent for PLE candidates and 50 percent for UCE and UACE candidates.

The current registration fees now stand at Shs68,000 for PLE, Shs246,000 for UCE candidates, and Shs279,000 for UACE candidates.

Ms Kalule tasked all concerned parties to ensure the learners in candidate classes are all duly registered. By June 30, over1.5 million candidates had registered for the three national examinations.

Makerere College renovation kicks off

The government commenced the renovation works for Makerere College, one of the country’s traditional schools.

This is part of the government’s efforts to eliminate hazardous asbestos roofing from public institutions.

The project, worth Shs461 million, is funded through the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and implemented by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces Engineering Brigade for one year. Makerere College was founded in 1945 by Makerere University.

Its main O-Level campus is located on the prestigious Makerere Hill, in Kampala, a few metres from Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest premier university that was founded in 1922.

The A-Level campus is found in Mulawa, Kira Town Council, Wakiso District. Several Ugandan traditional schools built during the colonial era were roofed with asbestos sheets, given that they are durable and fire-resistant.

However, these roofs are being replaced by normal iron sheets given the health hazard that they expose occupants to.

Health experts warn that weathered or broken asbestos fibres can cause cancer when inhaled and or swallowed.

Competence-based education taskforce inaugurated

The government inaugurated a task force that is going to oversee the implementation of competence-based education in Education institutions of Uganda.

The launch was presided over by the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda (represented).

The taskforce comprises officials from universities, the Ministry of Education and Sports, associations of small-scale industries, and Private Sector Foundation.

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has officially deregistered 90,000 companies that failed to file their annual returns for five consecutive years and missed the statutory deadline to restore their status.

In a notice released on Monday, August 3, 2026, the Registrar of Companies confirmed that the drastic action was taken pursuant to Section 130(6) of the Companies Act, Cap. 106.

The affected entities were initially struck off the register following public notices published on July 20, August 14, and August 30, 2023. At the time, affected firms were granted a 12-month grace period to apply for administrative restoration and regularize their affairs.

With that statutory window now closed without response from the affected businesses, the Registrar moved to remove them permanently from the official database.

Why the crackdown happened

Under Ugandan law, every registered company is required to file annual returns with URSB. These filings serve two key purposes: confirming that the business is actively operating and verifying that vital records-such as directorship, shareholding, and registered address-remain accurate.

Speaking on the enforcement exercise, Dennis Nabende, Principal Communication Officer at URSB, emphasized that the move is aimed at maintaining a clean, credible, and functional business register.

“Annual returns are not just paperwork. They tell us and the public whether a company is still active and whether its details are current,” Nabende said. “When companies fail to file for five years, the law requires us to strike them off. We gave them one year to restore, and those who did not have now been deregistered.’

While being struck off serves as an initial warning phase allowing companies to clear outstanding returns and penalties, complete deregistration marks the end of administrative leniency.

Severe consequences for business owners

The legal implications for the affected 90,000 companies are immediate and severe:

Loss of legal personality: A deregistered company legally ceases to exist. It can no longer execute contracts, open bank accounts, sue, be sued, or conduct business in its registered name.

Loss of name protection: The company’s name immediately returns to the public domain. Any third party can now reserve and register a new company using the exact same name, putting long-established brand identities at risk.

“When your company is deregistered, you lose the legal protection of that name. Anyone can now take it,” Nabende warned. “The only way to get it back is through a court process, and that is expensive.”

URSB confirmed that the complete list of all 90,000 deregistered entities has been published on its official portal (https://ursb.go.ug/) to provide clear guidance to banks, suppliers, government agencies, and the general public.

Officials advised business directors checking the list to verify both exact company names and registration numbers. URSB noted that many firms were struck off due to sheer compliance neglect rather than official closure-particularly entrepreneurs who register companies but never trade, or those operating informally while ignoring statutory duties.

What happens next?

For former business owners seeking recovery, the administrative route is now closed:

Court Reinstatement: Former directors or stakeholders who still hold active assets, property, or pending contracts under a deregistered company must apply directly to the High Court. The applicant must convince the court why the company failed to comply and why it should be reinstated.

New Ventures: Entrepreneurs whose former business names are now vacant-and have not been claimed by others-may apply to reserve and register them afresh to launch new entities.

URSB has urged all currently active companies across the country to file their annual returns promptly and keep their contact information updated to avoid a similar fate.

This exercise marks the largest compliance clean-up by the bureau in recent years, signaling a strict stance on statutory corporate reporting in Uganda.

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.”

The Buganda Kingdom has revised the official rendition of its anthem after nearly 90 years, citing widespread mispronunciation of words, incorrect musical tones, and inconsistent performances that had distorted the intended meaning of the historic song.

The revision, announced last week at Bulange, Mengo by Buganda Kingdom Katikkiro (Prime Minister) Charles Peter Mayiga, aims to restore the original meaning of the anthem, standardize its performance, and ensure its message is clearly communicated to current and future generations.

Composed by the late Rev. Polycarp Kakooza in 1939, the anthem has over the years been performed differently by various choirs and groups, leading to the mispronunciation of key words and stanzas.

Addressing the media, Mr. Mayiga emphasized that the anthem remains a vital symbol of Buganda’s identity, values, aspirations, and patriotism, and should not be treated as ordinary entertainment.

“When you listen carefully to all the stanzas, you realize that they focus on our daily life and speak to the current and coming generations, yet the anthem was composed about 90 years ago,” Mr. Mayiga said. “The Buganda anthem should be sung with its purpose coming out clearly. This song is not for fun because it is very crucial and should not be misused. It should bring out what we believe in, what we want, and our prayers for our country.”

According to the Katikkiro, the urge to revise the anthem arose partly from the inconsistent versions that emerged following the return of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, as various choirs performed the song based on unstandardized renditions.

He noted that some stanzas were being sung incorrectly or too slowly, rendering the anthem weak rather than conveying the strength and patriotism embedded in its message.

To fix the discrepancies, the Kingdom appointed a team of music experts, composers, trainers, and performers to examine how the anthem was being sung across various platforms. Spearheaded by the Minister in the Office of the Katikkiro, Mr. Noah Kiyimba, the review process spanned approximately five years.

Following an extensive review, the team selected the St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church Choir of Lubaga Cathedral to record the official revised audio rendition.

Mr. Mayiga clarified that the exercise was not meant to rewrite the anthem or alter the composer’s original message, but rather to preserve its intended integrity.

He further noted that Kabaka Mutebi II directed specific protocols for how the anthem should be performed going forward. All five stanzas must be sung at the opening and closing of major state functions, such as the Coronation, the Kabaka’s birthday, and the Lukiiko (Parliament). For other official events attended by the Kabaka, three stanzas will be performed in accordance with established procedure.

Mr. Kizito Mayambala, who led the technical review team alongside six music experts, affirmed that the core objective was addressing tonal and pronunciation errors.

“We have made some changes in the way the Buganda anthem is supposed to be sung, but we have not changed the purpose and meaning intended by the composer, the late Rev. Polycarp Kakooza,” Mr. Mayambala said. “We have come up with the correct audio rendition, with the right pronunciation and musical notation, to ensure that the message of the anthem is clearly communicated.”

Among the corrected words are Lyamanyibwanyo (previously mispronounced as Lyamanyiibwanyo), along with structural adjustments to phrases such as Okwetorola Ensi, Balwaana nyoo Muntalo, and Naffe Tulyagalenga.

Buganda Minister for Youth Joseph Kawuki added that the revised edition will resolve long-standing oversight by the public and serve as an educational tool to standardize the anthem’s tonation and protocol across all official functions.

Amber Court Market, a decades-old trading hub that supports thousands of traders and supplies fresh produce across eastern and central Uganda, has become the centre of a growing dispute after the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) ordered Jinja City Council to relocate the market from airfield land.

The market was established in early 1970s before it was relocated from Faraday Road to the current UPDF land in 2004, but UCCA argues that its presence it poses a threat to aviation safety.

UCCA also highlights the need for the upgrading and full utilisation of the airfield. The standoff has sparked a difficult debate over balancing public infrastructure development with the livelihoods of about 3,800 traders and thousands of people who depend on the market.

In a June 30 letter to Jinja City Council, signed by Eng Ayub Sooma, the Director of Airports and Aviation Security at UCAA, the authority directed the immediate relocation of Amber Court Farmers’ Market, saying the land it occupies has been reserved for the planned upgrade and full operationalisation of Jinja Airfield.

According to UCAA, the area is required for the expansion of the runway, taxiway and apron. The authority also argued that market activities generate waste that attracts birds, domestic animals and other wildlife, creating a significant risk of bird strikes and other aviation hazards.

UCAA further said the market contravenes the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2022, warning that failure to relocate it within three months could jeopardise the licensing of the aerodrome.

Unrealistic demands However, Jinja City Council says while it supports the expansion of the airfield, the relocation timeline is unrealistic and ignores the livelihoods of thousands of traders.

Jinja City Council Speaker Mr Juma Ssozi said the council has formally written to the relevant government authorities seeking an amicable solution.

“We have officially written to the relevant authorities after receiving UCAA’s directive. Before this, there had only been verbal communication about relocating the market,” Mr Ssozi said. He said the market has operated on the site for many years with the knowledge of government authorities.

“The land belongs to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), not the airport, and UPDF allowed traders to operate there legally. The issue of relocation has only arisen because of the planned expansion of the airfield,” he said.

Mr Ssozi said the council is not opposed to the redevelopment of Jinja Airfield but believes the government should first secure a suitable alternative site before relocating the traders.

“We appreciate the importance of expanding the airfield, but the government should not simply chase people away without providing an alternative. These are people whose livelihoods depend on this market,” he said.

He added that Amber Court also generates revenue for Jinja City Council and accommodates many traders who were previously removed from the streets during the city’s enforcement of trade orders.

“These traders were relocated here by the government. It would be unfair to evict them again without a clear plan,” he said.

Mr Ssozi revealed that the city had intended to modernise Amber Court Market rather than relocate it.

He added that although land in Budondo has been proposed as a possible relocation site, no final decision has been reached.

A WhatsApp group that was started as a means of social networking among peers, has become a game changer in transforming the livelihoods of communities in Nyakishenyi Sub-county in Rukungiri District.

According to Mr Moses Tukesiga, the coordinator of the Nyakishenyi at Heart group, it was established in 2021 by a group of 20 youth. Its membership has since grown to 1,200.

He says that as years progressed, they realised they had to use the group to empower communities. The group has embarked on massive fundraising where they have mobilised and spent over Shs200m on community development activities.

These include holding medical camps, supporting school- going children with scholastic materials and constructing homes for the needy families.

Members also raised Shs3m within days after a video exposed the severe poverty in Kakonde village.

‘One of our members posted a video clip showing the living conditions of the people, it depicted extreme poverty, in the village of 500 residents there are only two iron sheet roofed homes, the rest are grass thatched, no roads, health facilities,’ he said.

Mr Tukesiga said after seeing the video in a few days members mobilised Shs3m and sent a team to assess the poverty situation on ground and donated some household items that included soap, food stuff and beddings.

‘We realised our communities back home were in dire poverty. We noted that if our colleagues had a chance to visit this community, we would be ashamed by the visible poverty indicators, such as the many grass thatched homes,’ he added.

On Wednesday, June 23, the group members visited Kakonde village in Nyakishenyi, one of the areas where residents live in extreme poverty.

‘We were there mainly to assess the situation, report to members and then mobilise resources to come and assist these people.

But we could not go empty handed, hence going with a few donations,’ Mr Tukesiga said The residents urged leaders to provide better social services to the area.

Mr Moses Byaruhanga, 49, a resident, said the nearest health facility and school are about 15 kilometres away.

‘Our children do not go to school because of the long distances, the sick get healed at the mercy of God. Even those that engage in farming cannot access the market because of the poor road network,’ he said.

Ms Musiimenta Munda, 76, another resident, said: ‘People live in extreme poverty and we do not have any income generating activity here. We appeal to government and other well-wishers to come and economically empower our community,’ he said.

How it started.

I hatched a plan of forming a WhatsApp group of people born and raised in Nyakishenyi Sub-county purposely for networking. I sold the idea to a few friends and we started the group but it was mainly for networking. It is where we would share information on weddings, burials and social outings,”- Mr Moses Tukesiga, coordinator, Nyakishenyi at Heart group