Category: Daily Monitor

State Minister for Fisheries Robert Migadde has ordered the seizure of 402 illegal fishing nets found in a warehouse in Jinja City following a confrontation between his team and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officials on Thursday.

Mr Migadde had travelled to the Customs warehouse, reportedly operated by URA, after receiving information that illegal fishing gear, including monofilament nets, had been offloaded there.

The operation was temporarily halted at the warehouse gate after URA officials and the facility’s management questioned the minister’s team’s authority to access the premises.

A scuffle and exchange of words reportedly ensued between the minister’s security team and the warehouse management as the parties disagreed over the required procedures for accessing the facility.

After about 30 minutes of negotiations, the minister was asked to hold a meeting with URA officials. Following the meeting, he and his team were allowed to access the warehouse, although journalists were not permitted to enter.

After inspecting the facility, Mr Migadde told journalists that he had confirmed the presence of 402 illegal fishing nets, which he ordered to be impounded.

‘We came here on a sure deal after our informers witnessed the offloading of these illegal gears. We don’t want these nets to go to the market because when they go to the market, it will be hard for us to trace them,’ he said.

Mr Migadde said the operation was intended to intercept the illegal gear before it reached the market, where it would be harder for authorities to trace.

‘People have been complaining to us as to why we don’t act before these illegal gears come to the market, and here we are,’ he said.

He said the seized nets would remain under government control as the owner follows the required procedures.

Mr Migadde gave the owner 30 days to comply with the requirements, warning that failure to do so would result in the government taking further action, including destroying the nets.

He defended the decision to keep journalists outside the warehouse, saying other goods stored at the facility were involved in separate matters being handled by URA.

The minister appealed to dealers in fishing equipment to comply with the law and avoid buying prohibited fishing gear.

‘I appeal to people dealing in this sector to purchase things that are required by law because when they purchase illegal things, they will end up making losses,’ he said.

According to a URA official, who is not authorised to speak to the media, the warehouse is a customs-bonded facility operated under URA supervision.

The consignment the minister sought to inspect had already been seized after URA received an alert about it right from the border and was undergoing the mandatory customs procedures required by law.

‘It would be like the minister coming to arrest someone who had already been arrested. The consignment had already been seized after we received an alert from the border, and it was already under the customs legal procedures,’ the official said.

The official explained that the importer had already been advised to obtain the required permit from the fisheries authorities, adding that the law gives the importer 30 days to present the permit.

‘The consignment was still within the mandatory 30 days given by law. Customs management was waiting for the importer to present the required certificate,’ he said.

He further clarified that the minister was not blocked, as earlier perceived, but was delayed while management sought the necessary authorisation to break the URA seal placed on the warehouse containing the consignment.

‘The minister was not blocked. Management was only seeking the right procedures that must be followed before a URA seal is broken,’ the official said.

He explained that the warehouse contains goods belonging to many people and is therefore heavily guarded, making authorisation necessary before the seal could be broken.

‘The minister was supposed to first park outside the facility premises, but they just came in. That was the first mistake,’ the official added.

Uganda has intensified the crackdown on illegal fishing gear as authorities seek to address declining fish stocks and protect immature fish from being harvested.

Some of the prohibited gear, including monofilament and undersized nets, have very small mesh sizes that indiscriminately catch immature fish, preventing them from growing and reproducing.

Fisheries officials say the continued use of such gear undermines the sustainability of the country’s fisheries.

The government has, over the years, introduced measures to curb illegal fishing, including banning prohibited fishing gear and strengthening enforcement on the country’s lakes.

In 2017, President Museveni directed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to deploy on the lakes to combat illegal fishing practices and protect fish stocks that were under threat of depletion.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2023, also makes it an offence to use, manufacture, stock or sell prohibited fishing gear, including nets with prohibited mesh sizes. Those convicted of manufacturing, stocking or selling such gear can face a fine of up to 5,000 currency points or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.

The government has also strengthened market surveillance and enforcement to intercept illegal fishing gear before it reaches fishermen.

African journalists now have a continental reporting guide to help them navigate one of the most complex stories shaping the future of the continent- the transition to cleaner and more sustainable economies.

The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) this week launched A Practical Guide to Reporting Just Transition in Africa, described as the first continental guide specifically designed to strengthen journalism on the just transition.

The idea of Just Transition is a brain child of labour unions and environmental justice groups that recognised that many industries were simultaneously harming workers, communities, and the environment, and saw the need to phase out the industries while also providing just pathways for workers into new livelihoods.

The new guide seeks to help journalists report on issues ranging from climate change and climate finance to workers’ rights, renewable energy, climate justice and sustainable development, while placing African experiences and perspectives at the centre of the conversation.

It was launched on August 7 and released publicly on August 11, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya, during a conference on African workers’ contribution to energy sovereignty, green industrialisation and a common African position ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31).

The tool focuses on the role of journalism in helping the public understand what the shift to cleaner economies means for workers, businesses, governments and communities.

The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) President Omar Faruk Osman said the just transition should increasingly become a priority for public interest journalism because of its implications for jobs, livelihoods and economic development.

‘Just transition is one of the most important public interest journalism issues of our time because it profoundly affects people’s jobs, livelihoods, workers’ rights and the future of our economies,’ Mr Osman said.

He said that journalists have a responsibility to explain the opportunities and challenges created by the transition while ensuring that workers and communities affected by climate policies are heard.

‘Africa and its people are among those hardest hit by a climate crisis they did not create, making a just transition an important pathway towards a fairer and more sustainable future,’ he said.

Bridging the climate reporting gap

The guide was launched by Mr Osman alongside International Trade Union Confederation-Africa (ITUC-Africa) General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie, ITUC-Africa Deputy President Rose Omamo, FAJ Working Group on Climate Change chairperson Ahmed Sahid Nasralla and Gambia Press Union president Isatou Keita.

Mr Nasralla said the publication was informed by FAJ’s engagement with journalists and trade unions in different parts of Africa.

‘From Côte d’Ivoire to Kenya and Ethiopia, we have seen growing interest among journalists in reporting on the just transition, but we have also recognised the need for practical guidance,’ he said.

He said climate change is increasingly becoming a high-stakes public interest issue, yet journalists often struggle to access specialised knowledge and reliable reporting tools.

The guide therefore provides practical reporting techniques, case studies and ethical guidance intended to help journalists produce evidence-based stories that reflect African realities.

It covers climate justice, climate finance, renewable energy, workers’ rights and information integrity, among other areas.

Giving workers a voice

For workers and trade unions, the publication is also expected to help bring greater public attention to the consequences of the transition.

Mr Odigie said trade unions were doing important work on the just transition, but their concerns were not always receiving adequate media attention.

‘Trade unions are doing remarkable work, but too often their stories go untold,’ he said.

He said stronger cooperation between journalists and trade unions could help ensure workers’ concerns are reflected in public debate and policy decisions.

‘Better media coverage will strengthen public understanding, encourage governments to adopt policies that protect workers and affected communities and contribute to a fairer transition,’ Mr Odigie said.

Ms Omamo said workers, including journalists, are increasingly asking what the transition to greener economies means for their livelihoods.

‘We must ensure that workers have opportunities to reskill and upskill and that no one is left behind,’ she said.

Africa’s energy balance

The just transition concept has gained prominence as African countries seek to respond to climate change while also addressing energy poverty, unemployment, industrialisation and economic development.

For many African countries, the debate is particularly complicated because economies remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels and other natural resources. At the same time, millions of people still lack reliable access to modern energy.

This has created a difficult policy balance between reducing emissions and ensuring that efforts to tackle climate change do not worsen poverty, unemployment or inequality.

Journalists therefore have an important role in interrogating how climate and energy policies affect ordinary people, including workers in industries facing disruption, communities hosting energy projects and households expected to adopt cleaner technologies.

A resource for African newsrooms

Ms Keita said the new publication would also serve as a professional development resource for journalists’ unions across Africa.

‘Across Africa, journalists are increasingly reporting on climate change and its impact on people’s lives, but many need accessible guidance to cover these complex issues with confidence and accuracy,’ she said.

She said journalists’ unions could use the guide for training, mentoring and professional development.

The publication is available in English, French and Portuguese and will be distributed through FAJ-affiliated journalists’ unions and media organisations across Africa.

Digital editions will also be made freely available to widen access among journalists and newsrooms.

Its production was funded by Mondiaal FNV, the international solidarity organisation of the Dutch trade union movement, in support of efforts to strengthen trade union engagement on climate justice, decent work and the just transition.

FAJ said the guide forms part of its wider programme to strengthen public interest journalism on climate change, the just transition and information integrity.

The federation is working with ITUC-Africa, global union federations in Africa, journalists’ unions, media organisations and development partners to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report on the economic, social and environmental dimensions of climate change.

For African newsrooms, the challenge now is to move the guide from the bookshelf into the newsroom, and translate an increasingly technical climate debate into stories that show audiences how the transition will affect their jobs, incomes, energy costs, communities and future.

The High Court in Kampala has sentenced Lujja Bbosa Tabula and Noah Lugya, alias Fake, to death for their roles in the February 2024 assassination of former Ndiga Clan leader, Engineer Daniel Bbosa.

The duo was convicted after pleading guilty to the murder charge and confirming the facts presented by the prosecution.

In handing down the maximum sentence, Justice David Matovu ruled that the premeditated and brutal nature of the murder demanded the harshest punishment under Ugandan law.

‘Given the motive and the various groups involved, this is one of the cases where a maximum sentence has to be passed,’ Justice Matovu stated.

The judge acknowledged that while both convicts were first-time offenders who demonstrated remorse and saved court time by admitting guilt, these mitigating factors were heavily outweighed by the gravity and calculated nature of the crime.

Prosecution evidence showed that Tabula supplied the firearm used in the execution and tracked Eng Bbosa to Katosi prior to the attack. Ballistic examinations later matched the weapon to spent cartridges recovered at the crime scene.

Eng Bbosa was shot dead on February 25, 2024, at Kikandwa village in Lungujja, Rubaga Division, as he returned home from presiding over a clan function in Katosi. Armed assailants riding a motorcycle intercepted his Toyota Prado near his residence, opening fire while he was traveling with his wife, Gladys, and their domestic helper.

Condemning the violence, Justice Matovu warned the public against taking the law into their own hands to settle rivalries or disputes.

The judge also cautioned against mob justice, citing the fate of Enock Sserunkuma, alias Munaku, an alleged co-conspirator who was beaten to death by angry boda-boda riders during a chase shortly after the shooting. Lugya was narrowly rescued from the same mob by security agencies and rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital for emergency treatment.

Justice Matovu observed that the mob attack almost derailed justice, noting that if Lugya had died on the spot, crucial evidence regarding the assassination plot might have been lost forever. According to state prosecutors, the contract-style killing was fueled by a long-standing chieftaincy dispute within Buganda Kingdom’s Ndiga Clan. Tabula fiercely contested Eng Bbosa’s leadership, claiming the clan seat was his rightful birthright.

The court heard that the plotters disguised the registration plates of the motorcycle used in the hit and had been holding clandestine planning meetings since late 2023, where various execution methods were evaluated.

Emphasizing the national impact of the crime, Justice Matovu remarked that the assassination affected not only the victim’s immediate family, but also the broader Ndiga Clan, the Buganda Kingdom, and the country as a whole, given Eng Bbosa’s prominent professional and cultural status.

Tabula and Lugya were remanded to await execution as prescribed by law.

Meanwhile, three co-accused persons-Harriet Nakiguli, Joseph Nakabake, and Ezra Mayanja-maintained their innocence and denied the charges. The High Court has fixed September 8 for the commencement of their trial.

The government is finalising the process of cancelling 50 freehold titles which were erroneously issued in 50 plots that were illegally created on Mabira Central Forests Reserves (CFR)’s part that is located on Block 238 in Mukono District.

These titles are part of the 294 freehold titles that were issued on eight different CFRs in Mukono that are currently undergoing cancellation.

The other 244 freehold titles are located on Block 535 (Namyoya, Kifu and Nabugalo CFRs), Block 561 (Kolo CFR), and Block 558 (Bwebereza, Kitambwa and Namagombe CFRs).

Ms Judith Nabakooba, the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, informed leaders from the Greater Mukono region that the government will soon complete the process in an effort aimed at restoring the forest reserves and protecting the environment.

‘We caveated this land and stopped any activity from being undertaken on it, and as the ministry, we don’t expect to see any activity going on it,’ she said.

Mabira Central Forest Reserve (CFR) is a 29,974 Hectares, situated in the Districts of Buikwe, Kayunga and Mukono.

Relatedly, the Namyoya Central Forest Reserve is a protected 389-hectare area in Mukono District, Uganda, managed by the National Forestry Authority, but faces severe threats from human encroachment, illegal construction, and land disputes. Prior to encroachment, the Forest Reserve, which stretches in the sub-counties of Kyampisi, Nama and Goma Division, initially measured 900 hectares.

Ms Nabakooba, who was shocked to hear that some officials from Mukono District Physical Infrastructure office were approving building plans in these plots on this forest, warned officials to stop what she described as ‘complicating’ the already ‘complicated’ situation.

‘The government is spending heavily to win back its land that has been encroached on by people, and now that we have already issued caveats on the land, you as the district planners, why would you go on and approve development plans in this land?’ he wondered, warning that heads will roll.

Ms Nabakooba, who was officiating at the Greater Mukono Regional stakeholder workshop on the development of the comprehensive government land inventory, informed the leaders that the speed of urbanisation has created pressure, forcing people to encroach on government land and other reserved areas like wetlands, forest reserves, among others.

Ms Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka, the Resident District Commissioner of Mukono District, revealed that a section of unscrupulous individuals is in total disregard of the law, going ahead to put up structures in the forest reserves even after being aware that the land is caveated.

‘We are wondering why a physical planner would go ahead to approve plans, yet the system clearly shows that the land has been caveated and we need to act professionally in service delivery,’ she said.

Caveating the land

The list of the 294 plots created in the eight central forest reserves was presented to the lands ministry top management on June 4, last year.

After this meeting, Ms Nabakooba told officials yesterday that they then mooted plans of rescuing it by initiating the process of cancelling the freehold titles that had been issued on them.

The Registrar of Titles, invoking the powers and duties conferred on them under Section 170(a) of the Registration of Titles Act, issued the caveats on the plots, thereby banning any dealings on the affected land.

The Registrar of Titles was moved to act after Ms Doreen Tumushabe, the then Principal Assistant Secretary and Zonal Lands Officer for the Mukono Ministry Zonal Office, forwarded the list of the certificates of the affected plots to the Ministry Permanent Secretary and Commissioner Land Registration in the August 12, 2025 internal memo.

She added that the erroneously issued freeholds were likely to affect unsuspecting members of the public who would be defrauded by people holding such irregularly created titles.

‘Following that, top management resolved that the certificates of title issued in the forest reserves be caveated pending cancellation. This serves to forward to you the list of the certificates of title in the mentioned forests for lodgment of the commissioners’ caveat,’ the letter reads in part.

Ms Nabakooba told the Monitor yesterday that her ministry will continue cancelling various titles on the land to ensure that the land register is cleaned systematically.

‘In Mukono alone, over the last five years on block 503 we cancelled over,1000 titles and that shows the extent of the problem we are tackling and remember in Mukono municipality we have a number of plots meaning that we have to handle and clean our register systematically to remove the over lapse and also double titling,’ she said.

In Masaka

In a related development, officials from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, in collaboration with the police Criminal Investigations Directorate, yesterday arrested a senior lands officer at the Masaka Ministry of Lands zonal office, over alleged illegal issuing of 265 land titles on government central forest reserves and private land.

Mr Colbert Zziwa Tamale was nabbed following complaints from various residents from the districts of Sembabule, Masaka, Rakai, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Kalungu, Bukomansimbi and Masaka City to SHACU.

SHACU spokesperson, Ms Mariam Natasha, said that: ‘Zziwa is facing multiple allegations related to land issues, including the issuance of over 265 illegal titles in greater Masaka on Central Forest Reserve land, Private land and connivance with Sembabule land officials before court.’

She added: ‘Additionally, he [Zziwa] has been involved in a scheme of extorting money from more than 400 residents of Sembabule District under the false pretense of facilitating the titling process despite the fact that the Lands Ministry has been providing free titles to selected residents, especially those threatened with eviction due to land disputes.’

Notably, Natasha said Zziwa, together with other people she did not mention, created a fraudulent title for land owned by former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.

Investigators established that the suspects illegally reduced Mr Ssekandi’s 83-acre estate located in Kyanamukaaka, Masaka District, down to 34 acres before creating a fraudulent title and partitioning the seized land into separate plots for sale.

A Bank of Uganda official has told the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court that she returned to work after a weekend break to find offices ransacked, doors obstructed and laptops missing, as the prosecution continued presenting evidence against eight security personnel accused of neglecting to prevent a felony.

Tracy Murungi Amugine, 26, a banking officer in-charge of licensing and regulation at the Central Bank, was the second prosecution witness to testify in the case.

While giving her evidence, Murungi told court that she arrived at Plot 45 at about 6:45am on May 4, only to notice signs that the building had been broken into.

“I realized there were some changes. There were mud footsteps, I saw window louvres pulled out and put down,” Ms Murungi told Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Rehema Nsumba Kidaso yesterday.

She said she also found a grey laptop bag and a laptop lying in the corridor on the third floor where her office is located.

Ms Murungi said she had last been at the office on April 30, when she left at about 3pm. She had not left anyone behind when she departed, and her laptop was left on a desk in an office occupied by a colleague, who was away.

She testified further that on the morning of the incident, she collected keys to a store room and keys from the ground-floor desk and proceeded to the third floor using a lift.

She said she found the cabins in the office open and discovered that her laptop and that of her manager were missing.

“When I attempted to enter my office, I couldn’t enter directly from the door because a chair had been placed behind the door. When I entered the cabins open… I saw what appeared to be a foot-print on my desk which, in my view, could have been used to jump from open,” Ms Murungi narrated.

Murungi said she immediately alerted the administrative officer, Ms Agnes Nanyanzi, who went to inspect the scene and contacted security personnel.

Identifying laptops

She further told court that she could identify her laptop, describing it as a grey Lenovo ThinkPad. She explained that staff who joined the bank in 2024 were issued Lenovo ThinkPad computers, while employees who had joined earlier were given HP laptops.

During the proceedings, Chief State Attorney Joan Keko brought seven laptops to court and submitted them for identification, asking Ms Murungi to identify the computers they recovered.

Ms Keko, who is leading the prosecution, said the laptops were being tendered as part of the evidence in the case.

However, when Ms Murungi was asked to identify her stolen laptop from those presented, she was unable to pick it out.

She told court that she believed she could identify her computer based on its appearance and identifying details, although she acknowledged that the number she expected to see was not visible on the laptops presented in court.

Under cross-examination, Ms Murungi confirmed that security personnel were deployed at the bank and that there were CCTV cameras in the corridors. When asked whether she had retrieved the footage, she said she had not, but that investigators had access to it.

She also confirmed that staff use their card key to access the building.

Earlier, the court heard from Assistant Inspector of Police George Wamala, a 43-year-old police officer attached to the Counter Terrorism Directorate, Tactical Department and deployed at the Bank of Uganda.

Mr Wamala said on May 4, he reported for duty at about 6am. About half an hour later, his colleague, Henry Zziwa, informed him that there had been a break-in on Plot 45, Level Three.

He rushed to the scene and found the area cordoned off. Inside, he observed muddy brown footsteps, scattered laptop bags, what appeared to be glasses, and a laptop in the corridor.

He was instructed by the bank’s director of security, Innocent Mubangizi, to report the matter to police. He subsequently reported a case of office breaking and theft at Central Police Station before returning to the bank with officers from the Kampala CID team for further investigations.

During cross-examination, Mr Wamala said he did not know which gadgets had been stolen at the time he first arrived. He also said he did not know who had been guarding the premises when the break-in occurred or exactly when the offices were entered.

Prosecution case

The prosecution alleges that the eight accused security personnel failed to take reasonable means to prevent the commission of office breaking and theft at the central bank.

Ms Keko asked the court to issue summons for additional witnesses and adjourn the matter.

Chief Magistrate Kidaso adjourned the case to September 1 for further hearing.

According to the prosecution, the accused and others still at large on May 4, at Bank of Uganda headquarters in Kampala Central Division, allegedly failed to use reasonable means to prevent the commission of the felonies of office breaking and theft by unknown persons.

About the Suspects

The suspects include Sgt. Joseph Amone and police constables Wilson Ouma, Thomas Omach, Shafic Mungusho, and Brian Oryono, all officers deployed at the Bank of Uganda under the Counter Terrorism Tactical Unit.

Others charged are Alex Onduri and Sulaiman Orachi, both security guards attached to Ultimate Security Ltd, and Morish Ocen, a guard employed by Surazen Uganda Limited.

They are jointly charged with Boaz Michael Kule, a casual worker; Ramathan Kabuye, alias Rama, a bus conductor; Isaac Rubangakene, alias Izoo, a mobile phone accessories dealer; and Joram Jude Oado, a computer technician.

The suspects are accused of office breaking, while the security personnel face charges of neglecting to prevent a felony, contrary to Section 362 of the Penal Code Act.

After winning four of the last five Uganda Aquatics National Championships, there is no doubt that Gators are the standard bearers for swimming in the country.

We have mostly witnessed those standards in how they competed to win the Nationals from 2022 to 2025 and also stayed on the podium this year.

But from August 15-16, the most successful club in the recent past will also share how they organize when they bring the fraternity together for the inaugural Gators Invitational Gala at Kampala Parents School, Naguru.

“We wanted to do some thing less replicated,” coach Muzafaru Muwanguzi told Daily Monitor.

Most clubs have been organizing sprint galas which attract numbers especially for younger swimmers but Gators seem focused on quality.

“Initially, we wanted to also have preliminaries and finals but due to limited time we excluded that part.

“Our gala’s difference lies in the nature of events picked. It has sprint and middle distance events but also restricts in form of age categories. We start from 10 years, excluding swimmers that are nine years and below.”

Usually, Uganda Aquatics has run with the 10 and Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, plus the 17 and Over age groups. Most clubs run the same but break down the 10 and Under to 9-10, 7-8, plus 6 and Under during junior competitions.

However, Gators will have 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, plus 18 and Over. It means those that have been top of their age groups in other galas could face steep competition yet again.

Nothing is obvious yet but Muwanguzi hopes that “the way the age groups are set up brings more competition.”

Dates: August 15-16

Day One: 200m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, 100m individual medley, 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 200m breaststroke, 4x50m medley relay

Day Two: 200m butterfly, 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x50m freestyle relay

The government has urged young Ugandans to embrace available economic opportunities, reject poverty and corruption, and take a leading role in driving inclusive growth.

The call was made as Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Youth Day on August 12. The annual celebrations were held virtually from the Office of the Vice President in Kampala under the theme ‘Empowering Young People for Inclusive Growth.’

Representing President Museveni at the event, Vice President Jessica Alupo stated that young people no longer have a reason to tolerate poverty, pointing to the government’s investments in infrastructure and market expansion to spur economic activity.

‘The youth and all Ugandans have no more excuses to tolerate poverty in their homes, now that infrastructure and markets are in place,’ Ms Alupo said.

Ms Alupo highlighted that the NRM government has systematically addressed historical development bottlenecks-such as ideological disorientation, a weak state, inadequate human capital, poor infrastructure, and limited market access. She congratulated the youth on their day and commended them for selecting a theme aligned with the NRM government’s ‘No More Sleep’ agenda for the current term.

Speaking at the same event, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen Henry Tumukunde, stressed that the commemoration should serve as a moment for national reflection on youth investments and challenges.

‘The day is also an opportunity for reconciliation-to assess whether young people have been given enough attention and whether sufficient investment has been made in them, considering their large population,’ Gen Tumukunde remarked, reminding young people of their critical role in national development.

Adding to the discussion, the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Dr Mercy Lakisa, noted that while the government has rolled out several empowerment initiatives, the real test lies in how effectively the youth utilize them.

Citing flagship initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM), Dr Lakisa questioned whether the intended beneficiaries were maximizing the opportunities.

‘Government has put in place programs, but we must ask whether young people are effectively benefiting from and utilizing them,’ she said.

Meanwhile, Sheillah Ainembabazi, President of the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA), revealed that the government plans to take youth leaders to the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi for mindset-change training aimed at fostering innovation and job creation.

However, youth representatives raised concerns regarding the tangible outcomes of these interventions. Hon Jonathan Tayebwa, a National Youth Leader, pointed out that despite substantial allocations to interventions such as the PDM and the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), their ground-level impact remains minimal.

‘We have advised the government to bring these youth programs under one umbrella so that they can be better coordinated and have a greater impact,’ Mr Tayebwa noted.

Youth leaders concluded with a collective call for increased investment in the country’s young demographic, better utilization of existing government resources, and streamlined coordination among implementing agencies.

The ambition to fully include women in the money economy could be derailed unless the government, cultural institutions and other stakeholders fix the cultural hindrances to women’s land access, the State Minister for Culture in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Mary Kamuli Kuteesa, has said.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Women Economic Empowerment for Green Transformation Project under the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (WEEG-UWEP) in Kampala on Thursday, Ms Kuteesa said cultural norms that prevent women from owning and inheriting land have left women, who are a large section of the population, unable to make meaningful investments, widen their enterprises and other land-based economic activities.

She explained that the lack of secure land rights discourages women from investing in permanent enterprise projects because they fear losing their investments if relationships break down or landowners reclaim the land.

‘For most women in this country, if they’re going to plant coffee for example, they’re on their husband’s land. They’ll tell them, ‘No, no, no, that’s my land, don’t plant your coffee there.’ Or if she plants it, the husband will take it over anyway,’ she said.

The minister added that women face similar restrictions in their parental homes, where cultural practices often prevent daughters from inheriting land.

‘On the women’s fathers’ side, the same story; you got married on the other side, so you can’t come here to plant on the land. The land is for the male clan members only,’ she said.

She said while government financing through projects like WEEG-UWEP can help women establish formalised enterprises, insecure access to land can prevent them from scaling up.

The minister also highlighted the importance of opening up economic opportunities for women beyond agriculture, including employment and leadership opportunities in institutions such as churches.

‘The other area is the church. The church is sustained by women generally. If you go to church on any Sunday, it’s the women that are in church, but when you look at the fraction of jobs that go to women in the church, women are left behind,’ she said.

The call came as women beneficiaries of the two- year WEEG-UWEP Programme showcased how it has enabled them to move from informal village activities into registered women-led enterprises.

Ms Stella Kaygi, a beneficiary from Bulambuli District, said a Shs6.5 million UWEP grant enabled their five-woman group to establish a sunflower cooking oil-processing business.

‘UWEP got us dealing in sunflower oil in Bulambuli District. We were working as just women in the village, but because of UWEP, we formed a group called Ungali Women Sunflower Cooking Oil Processors,’ she said.

Similarly, Ms Annet Oreta Redempter, a member of Kitagwenda Women Network, said WEEG-UWEP funding helped their group transform from an informal group making wine into a formalised women-led enterprise.

‘We were in a position to get formalised and our products certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS). However, our capital is still minimal; we don’t have enough machinery, and we appeal to the government to help us with this machinery,’ she said.

To address such structural barriers, Mr Bernard Mujuni, the Commissioner for Equity and Rights, said the government is working towards linking women to other bigger programs like the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project to enable women to invest more confidently.

‘GROW is for lead entrepreneurs who have a certain level of capital, and these women have gotten there, and so connecting them to programs like the GROW project, we are ensuring they scale up, thus have continued access to market and opportunities,’ he said.

Launched in August 2024 under the theme, “Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation in Africa,’ the UWEP project supported over 600 women’s groups to expand enterprises in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, waste management, and eco-tourism.

According to Uganda Bureau of Standards (UBOS), the region remains a dominant producer of matooke in the country, but farmers are still grappling with low prices and post-harvest losses to the extent that a bunch of matooke goes for as low as Shs 3000.

The introduction of the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development /Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre (PIBID/BIRDC) at Nyaruzinga in Bushenyi District in 2005 to transform the matooke sector in the region from subsistence farming into a competitive commercialised industry through research and value addition had raised hopes, but 20 years down the road, farmers and leaders have not seen tangible impact on the ground.

The government has continued to fund this project to date at a tune of over Shs 200 billion.

Mr Aaron Turahi, the Isingiro District chairperson, said no matooke farmer in his area has ever benefited from this project.

‘Isingiro is the leading producer of matooke in the whole country, but if you find that as leaders we don’t know anything about this project, then there is a big problem. There is no lorry of matooke that has ever gone to that factory or any farmer who knows about its operations. I think there is a gap between the administration of the project and other stakeholders, he said during an interview on August 10.

He added that instead of the government continuing to inject lots of money into a project that cannot be delivered, it should support other areas to start their own value addition facilities.

‘If the government gave us our own value addition factory, I think farmers would have benefited so much. Farmers here continue to suffer with low prices; let us be supported to have our own value-added technologies instead of raising false hopes in a project that has remained a shadow,’ Mr Turahi said.

The Mbarara District Chairperson, Mr Hygiene Twongyirwe, said they read about the project in the newspapers because it has not created any significant impact in regard to banana production and value chain.

‘As leaders, we do not know what is happening at that place. We hear it was established to create a matooke value chain, but our farmers here continue suffering with low prices, as low as between Shs 2000 to 3000 during bumper harvests. They need to engage us, and we know what they are doing,’ Mr Twongyeirwe said.

The Member of Parliament for Bunyaruguru constituency Mr Cadet Benjamin, said PIBID is a good research and value addition project.

“At a scientific level, it’s a potential project and may be a potential one to solve the challenge of fluctuating prices of matooke, but I think like many other government projects, its managers lack entrepreneurial and marketing skills,” he said.

He added: “The products they claim to produce can attract high demand even on international markets, but where are they? Their outlets are most times closed and have the worst customer care. This is partly the reason they have not exploited the project’s full potential”.

Mr Cadet added that PBID prices are far below the market price and farmers prefer to sell matooke to other players in the market.

Mr Asaph Mugizi, the chairperson of Uganda Banana Producers Cooperative Union, also the Vice Chairperson of Mbarara District Farmers Association (MBADIFA) said the factory has not yet had any positive impact on supporting banana farmers.

‘For sure, matooke farmers are still facing the same challenges they have been facing over the years, mainly the low prices. A group of farmers around the factory might be benefiting but not the bigger Ankole region. Apart from lorries of matooke being seen heading to Kampala, you cannot see any heading to Bushenyi from some of the most banana-producing districts like Isingiro, Rwampara and Ntungamo,’ Mr Mugizi said.

He, however, said that the fact that they see on market some Tooke-branded products on the market, like cakes, flour and bread, remains optimistic that the challenges the factory faces will be addressed and farmers benefit.

Mr Robert Twesigye, a farmer from Kyangyenyi Matooke Growers Association in Sheema District, had hopes when the project was introduced in the area, but nothing much they have gained.

‘They came when the project was introduced. They sensitised us on improving production and skilled us on better matooke farming practices. Our production improved; some of us got loans to expand our acreage with the view of an already existing market. But they never came back; when we inquired, they told us the factory is still producing below capacity; it’s now almost twenty years old. At times we sell a bunch of matooke at Shs 2000,’ he said.

Mr Eldard Karakore, another farmer from Kyabugimbi, in Igara, Bushenyi District, appealed to the government to support their cooperative societies on value addition instead of continuing to invest in a project they believe will not help them.

‘We have strong banana cooperatives, and let the government support us with value-added technologies like making banana wine and banana flour instead of putting resources on one project that has failed to pay off,’ he said.

Ms Esther Atwiine, the Ntungamo District agriculture officer PIBID only raised farmers’ hopes to increase production, but they have not been assisted at all.

‘They mobilised farmers to form matooke associations and registered with the view that they would be supported, but it ended at that, and they are still grappling with low prices,’ Ms Atwiine.

But Mr Prosper Twebaze, the district chairperson of Bushenyi, said the project has registered some success.

‘This Factory has helped farmers in Greater Bushenyi through buying matooke from their plantations; it even employs so many people who work there as casual labourers. We are hopeful that in the future somehow it will bring more development because there is much innovation being done there’, Mr Twebaze said.

But Prof Florence Muranga, the executive director of PIBID, said the project is on track.

‘Since the project started, we have been able to improve the livelihoods of farmers; it has provided employment opportunities to the local people, and we have been able to develop the ‘Tooke’ brand,’ she said, though she could not provide us with some statistics, for example on the employment opportunities created.

Before adding, ‘The challenge is that when you are being funded by the government it at times what you are doing is turned into a political game, but we know that this project is a scientific project, not a political project. If you are doing nothing, people will not get concerned, but if you are handling a big project, everybody will want to poke an eye on it. With all the noise that has come around this project, the negative publicity you hear, we are on track’.

‘A lot has been done here; people are only looking at commercialisation. We have been undertaking research; we are now moving to the industrialisation phase, and we have started commercialisation but not yet on a full scale; this is an expensive venture where most of the critics have not laboured to understand what this project is engaged in,’ Prof Muranga added.

She said they already have some Tooke products like Tooke flour, Tooke biscuits and cookies, Tooke bread and cakes before explaining that a reason why some farmers are not benefiting from the project is that they at times demand higher prices for matooke.

Prof Muranga said another challenge they want the government to address is low banana production in the sub-region, which might not sustain the factory when it reaches full production.

‘When we get to full production, we will have no matooke; production of matooke is still low compared to what we will require. We are now telling the government to invest in supporting farmers engaged in commercial banana production. If the factory is to produce to its full capacity, it should supply farmers with irrigation facilities, fertilisers and extension services, to produce throughout the year and in larger quantities,’ she said.

The project has gone without accountability and transparency questions; for example, the Audit query report 2021/2022 raised issues of poor accountability, poor project management, and significant unverified expenditures.

But Prof Muranga said all they have been doing has been transparent and that some of the reports are intended to just frustrate the project and tarnish their image.

‘But we have nothing to hide; all that has been done here is public. We have a booklet detailing all this, and everybody can access it; you can get it if you want figures on what has been invested in and what it has done. Because we are a viable registered company. We are audited. All our figures are online. You can get it. So if you go online, other means of finance, you find all those figures you are talking about,’ Prof Muranga said.

Despite the same queries raised by different stakeholders, President Yoweri Museveni has always promised to support the project, for example during the recent Tooke run on June 20, 2026 in Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality, said the project remains key in ensuring food security and transforming livelihoods.

‘Government is committed to continuing to support PIBID because its initiatives will transform communities and ensure food security. I thank Professor Muranga for matooke value addition strategies and research,’ the President said in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Thomas Tayebwa.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Masindi District for allegedly attempting to bribe Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers during the ongoing recruitment exercise.

Emmanuel Kyakabaale Tayebwa, a resident of Kimengo Sub-county, was arrested on Tuesday at the Masindi District headquarters, where the UPDF recruitment team was conducting screening.

According to the recruitment team, Kyakabaale was initially disqualified after failing to produce his Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) certificate. He had presented only a Primary Seven certificate and a Senior Four pass slip.

He later presented a scanned copy of an Ordinary Level certificate on his mobile phone, but the verification team reportedly detected discrepancies between the names on his academic documents and those on his National Identity Card.

His National ID reportedly bears the name Emmanuel Kyakaale Tatwebwa, while his academic documents carry the name Kyakabaale Emmanuel.

Brigadier Rogers Kitwala, the Deputy Commandant of the Field Artillery Division in Masindi and leader of the recruitment team, said Kyakabaale allegedly offered Shs20,000 to four officers who were verifying applicants’ documents.

Kitwala said the applicant claimed the money was intended to buy the officers water.

The recruitment team arrested Kyakabaale and handed him over to Masindi Central Police Station for further investigations.

Kitwala warned recruitment applicants against presenting forged, altered or questionable documents, saying those found doing so would be arrested and prosecuted.

The arrest came amid a wider screening exercise in which dozens of applicants were discontinued over documentation, identification and medical concerns.

In Masindi, 120 professional candidates and 89 regular candidates had initially been shortlisted for recruitment. However, only 55 professional and 76 regular candidates turned up for the exercise.

Of the 55 professional candidates who appeared, 22 were discontinued, mainly for failing to present original academic certificates or because of discrepancies between their names and identification documents. Among the 76 regular candidates who appeared, 31 were also discontinued for various reasons, including suspected forgery.

More than 40 applicants were therefore eliminated during the exercise, with medical grounds also cited among the reasons for disqualification.

The UPDF plans to recruit 23 professional and 50 regular officers from Masindi District.

The recruitment exercise is being conducted across the Bunyoro sub-region, covering Masindi, Hoima, Kiryandongo, Buliisa, Kibaale, Kagadi, Kakumiro and Kikuube districts.

According to the UPDF, 599 people are expected to be recruited from the eight districts. The recruitment team has urged applicants to present genuine academic and identification documents and warned that attempts to influence officers through bribery or other means will attract criminal action.