Category: Daily Monitor

The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has called for the adoption of Kiswahili in public institutions as part of efforts to strengthen ethical leadership and curb corruption in Uganda.

The IGG says the widely spoken East African language can help promote shared values of integrity, accountability and unity in public service.

Speaking at the unveiling of the 3rd edition of the Twende Zetu Butiama Pilgrimage Safari, Deputy Inspector General of Government Dr Patricia Achan Okiria said Uganda’s corruption problem is partly rooted in the erosion of moral and ethical values.

She said restoring integrity in governance requires both institutional reform and a cultural shift anchored in public ethics.

‘To achieve meaningful development, we must be decisively able to confront corruption. In Uganda, corruption is happening because of the degeneration of values of integrity and accountability,’ she said.

Dr Okiria also urged leaders to embrace governance principles associated with Tanzania’s founding president Julius Nyerere, including honesty, humility and servant leadership.

Corruption remains one of Uganda’s most persistent governance challenges, with the IGG estimating that the country loses about Shs10 trillion annually through bribery, embezzlement, procurement fraud and abuse of office.

Dr Ronex Kisembo Tendo, secretary general of the African Academy of Languages Kiswahili Commission, also backed regional integration, saying Uganda’s economy depends heavily on trade with Kenya and Tanzania.

He questioned Uganda’s continued reliance on English despite Kiswahili being widely used across East Africa.

Mr Kisembo said Uganda has been selected to host the headquarters of the African Union Kiswahili Commission, describing it as a continental initiative aimed at promoting linguistic unity.

On June 9, he said preparations are ongoing with government agencies to secure office space for the institution.

Efforts to establish Kiswahili as one of Uganda’s national languages have in the past faced delays despite repeated policy discussions.

Pilgrimage itinerary

The Twende Zetu Butiama Pilgrimage in October will include visits to key historical and political sites across Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

The programme includes stops at Dr Apollo Milton Obote’s home in Akokoro, Uganda’s Parliament, and Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, before proceeding to Kenya and Tanzania.

Pilgrims will visit Butiama, the ancestral home of Tanzania’s founding president Julius Nyerere, and Jomo Kenyatta’s gravesite in Nairobi.

The cross-border tour will feature commemorative activities and cultural visits linked to East Africa’s independence history.

Lawyers under the umbrella of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) have urged government agencies responsible for environmental protection to clearly demarcate wetlands across the country, arguing that the absence of visible boundaries is fuelling disputes and controversial evictions.

Mr Arthur Isiko, the ULS treasurer, said the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Ministry of Water and Environment should install permanent boundary markers in protected wetlands to help residents identify restricted areas.

“The government should come out and clearly mark where the wetlands fall. Just as roads have markstones showing where road reserves begin and end, wetlands should also be clearly demarcated,” Mr Isiko said on Saturday.

His remarks followed a visit to residents displaced by recent demolitions in Buggu Village, Busabala, in Wakiso District, where houses were destroyed during a wetland restoration exercise.

Mr Isiko argued that simply marking structures for demolition was insufficient and that authorities should provide clear guidance to communities, including owners of undeveloped plots within protected wetlands.

He also questioned why authorities had allowed settlements to grow in some wetlands before launching enforcement operations.

“The 1995 National Environment Act found some of these people already settled in these areas. If they are to vacate, compensation has to be considered,” he said.

NEMA says more than 100 homes occupying about 10.3 hectares of the protected Kaliddubi Wetland were removed during a restoration exercise conducted between June 2 and June 4.

A separate operation in Kawaala II Zone in Kampala’s Rubaga Division led to the removal of 58 illegal structures and the restoration of 25 acres of degraded wetland, according to the agency.

Some affected residents have questioned the criteria used during the demolitions.

Mr Polycarp Ssekweyama, a resident of Buggu Village, said NEMA officials had previously assessed the area and displayed names of people earmarked for eviction, but his name was not among them.

“To my surprise, my house was demolished. We are no longer crying over the houses that were destroyed. What we need is an explanation,” he said.

On June 11, officials from Wakiso District and NEMA destroyed crops on more than 20 acres in Gobero along the Kampala-Hoima Road, citing encroachment on the River Mayanja wetland. Residents said they were not given prior notice to harvest their crops.

NEMA recently announced a temporary suspension of enforcement operations in Kampala to allow voluntary vacation of wetlands but warned that restoration exercises would continue in other parts of the country until all encroachers are removed.

The Fufa Women Cup is set to have its biggest final yet after rivals Kampala Queens and Kawempe Muslim took advantage in their respective semifinals on Saturday.

The Finance Trust Bank Fufa Women Super League (FTBFWSL) champions Kawempe lost last year’s Cup final to Amus College in Lugogo.

They have earned a bit of revenge by beating the same side 3-0 in the first leg of the semis in Kachumbala. But that will count for nought if they do not complete the double.

Amus is a feisty side so Kawempe coach Ayub Khalifah chose to bring more steel into his midfield by fielding the combative Zainah Nambozo ahead of the sleeky but diminutive Dorcus Kisakye.

The plan to give nothing away on the road worked even better after Jovia Nakagolo opened the scoring for the visitors in the sixth minute. In the 32nd minute, Latifah Nakasi doubled Kawempe’s lead then tripled it in the 67th minute to give Amus a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Later in the day, Kampala Queens (KQ) made home advantage count by beating Lady Doves 2-0 at MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.

A 43rd minute opener by Kamiyati Naigaga was quickly added onto after the restart by Joanitah Ainembabazi in the 46th minute.

Lady Doves will hope to overturn the deficit at home but KQ players have seemed to relish operating under little pressure for months now.

Since it became increasingly clear that they were out of the 2025/26 league title race in March, KQ have quietly rebuilt their confidence and grinded out results. A 2-0 lead will give them further comfort when they travel to Masindi to chase a first appearance in the Cup final.

Biggest final

A less expectant KQ is a dangerous opponent and they could do with some underdog status to save their season after failing to defend their 2024/25 league title. That status helped them draw 1-1 with Kawempe in the league title run-in.

Should both Kawempe and Kampala Queens make the final, it will be the first time direct rivals at the epitome of the women’s game lock horns in the final game of the season.

In the 2017 final, Olila High School – then a rising but unknown quantity beat Asubo Ladies in Busia.

In 2018, Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Cardinals beat She Corporate in Sheema. Both sides were competitive then, in an era dominated by Kawempe, but later went on to also win the league in 2019 and 2022 respectively.

In 2019 in Lugogo, mid-table league side Makerere University stunned Lady Doves, which was building a star-studded squad.

In 2023, Uganda Martyrs as expected at the time defeated She Maroons in Kumi while She Corporate defeated Rines SS in the 2024 final in Ndejje.

FUFA WOMEN CUP

SEMIFINAL RESULTS – FIRST LEG

Amus College 0-3 Kawempe Muslim

Kampala Queens 2-0 Lady Doves

Justice Stephen Mubiru, may it please you, my Lord! Thy humble Officer of Court doth seek thine indulgence on a small matter herein disclosed.

Recently, I, in typical idle mode, was closing the day’s proceedings with a lazy perusal of social media when I fell upon two little stories.

In story one, a judicial officer in criminal court asks the accused why he keeps turning up in his court, from year to year.

The accused wryly replies, ‘Your honour, it isn’t my fault that you’re not getting promoted!’ In football, that would be a solid 1-0 scoreline!

Story two was a cartoon in which an angry, frustrated parent is accusing one of his children, called Salary, of remaining a dwarf when all his siblings – Fuel, Taxes, Food Prices, et al, are growing tall and big, becoming giants.

He asks, ‘Why can’t you be like your brothers?’ The two stories sounded oddly familiar. Very close to home. They reminded me of someone, who was it? I scratched my grey head for a while, and then it hit me: ‘Hey, it’s Stevo!’ Then I corrected myself: ‘Er… Justice Mubiru.’

My Lord, I haven’t quite seen you since that very sad afternoon in Rubaga Cathedral a few years ago, about which I daresay no more.

But this is one of the times I should have liked to meet you in private, during after-court hours, when we’ve thrown off all those robes and whatever other courtroom regalia.

Then we sit down in a cafe, just the two of us; I call you Stevo, you call me Tom, and we order good ol’ fashioned coffee and muffins. We ditch English and switch to Luganda. We strike out the ‘My Lord’ stuff, I address you as ‘Mwana Wattu’. Building castles in the air!

Anyway, I read many of your judicial decisions – and shake my head. Too much English. Too much research – this is not Harvard University.

Too many pages. Too much law. Too many legal principles. Too much justice. My Lord, too much of anything is bad! Now look at you: even Johnny-come-latelys who found you at High Court level have left you there. Have you no ambition? People are going places! People are building mansions!

Were you once an altar boy? Anti, I see you carry yourself with the suspicious innocence of a man who once rang the bell at Mass. You write judgments as though you’re still holding a candle before the altar.

You approach the Constitution as though it were Scripture. You treat precedent as though it were Church doctrine, and injustice as absolute sacrilege. Very touching, my Lord, but it takes you nowhere. You might have missed your true vocation.

Why didn’t you ‘take the Holy Orders’ instead – become a priest? Or lecture at Harvard? The Judiciary is not a church; it is a Kampala street corner with robes. Be sharp! You must learn the sacred art of survival.

Know when to genuflect before power. Know when to sprinkle holy water on a bad argument and declare it persuasive. Know when to turn legal darkness into constitutional light. Mwana Wattu, you seem to confuse being wise with being clever. Kakati, let me mentor you: A wise judge asks, ‘What is the right thing to do?’ A clever judge asks, ‘What is the useful thing to do?’ A wise judge worries about principle.

A clever judge worries about promotion. A wise judge masters jurisprudence. A clever judge masters promotion architecture and the byzantine ecology of advancement.

A man is abducted by security agencies, tortured, then dumped in your court? The fool is guilty! Remand him immediately.

Deny him bail! Engineer the trial! Your godfather sues a media house for defamation, teach them a lesson – slap some really good millions in damages upon the idiots so that they close shop. An election petition against a ruling party member is before you -dismiss it with costs!

Cut down on everything. The English, cut! The research, cut! The pages, cut, cut! The ethics and integrity, cut, cut, cut! Don’t be Manchester United – playing the best football and coming third in the 2025/26 English Premier League season.

Be Arsenal: playing rough and ugly but getting the 2025/26 Premier League season trophy. Beera mu klass, Mwana Wattu!

Dr Lawrence Muganga (PhD), the Vice Chancellor of Victoria University, and his friend, Frank Gashumba, have been trending on social media over a sympathy stunt that is as absurd as it is manipulative.

Dr Muganga was nominated by President Museveni for the position of State minister for Internal Affairs when he has multiple citizenships: Uganda, Rwanda and Canada. He probably did not know that his citizenship status was a deal breaker.

And Mr Museveni, it seems, did not carry out any background checks on his nominees, which is surprising.

When the Cabinet list was released, Dr Muganga and Mr Gashumba celebrated on social media.

Mr Gashumba has since been fighting tooth and nail to ensure his friend’s nomination does not come to grief.

But there was already a debate on WhatsApp groups and other social platforms that several nominees would not be vetted by Parliament’s appointments committee because of having dual citizenship.

Nonetheless, the committee went ahead and approved veteran diplomat Adonia Ayebare, Calvin Echodu and Shartsi Musherure [who too are said to be US citizens] but rejected Dr Muganga.

He reportedly told the committee he had launched the process of renouncing his citizenship in the two countries.

He is also said to have made a distinctly bizarre claim: That the passport for one of the countries had expired, so he was – by implication – no longer a citizen. The committee’s decision was unfair but still legal.

It prompted Dr Muganga and Mr Gashumba to embark on Plan B: sympathy stunt. In pursuing this option, the two men completely ignored the fact that the Citizenship and Immigration Control (Amendment) Act, 2009, precludes individuals with dual/multiple citizenships from holding offices such as President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Cabinet minister and other ministers. In all, there are 12 offices that Ugandans like Dr Muganga just cannot hold.

In their social media appearances, Dr Muganga and Mr Gashumba barely mentioned the law, largely because it was a very inconvenient truth.

They pushed the narrative that the appointments committee discriminated against Dr Muganga on the grounds that he is Rwandan.

Mr Gashumba singled out Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, claiming that he had influenced the committee’s decision to reject Dr Muganga.

Some people will argue that why would Dr Muganga and Mr Gashumba accept the committee’s decision yet it approved the nominations of the other candidates who have dual citizenship?

It is a valid question, but if a man commits murder and is not jailed, it does not mean the next person who murders someone will walk free.

The stunt led to a visit to Seeta, where Dr Muganga’s parents are buried. Journalists and content creators filmed every moment of the drama. Dr Muganga wept bitterly.

Many have asked why the vice chancellor of a university is dying to serve as a minister. My answer is that it is a cushy job. It is not as demanding as the job of a chancellor at a private university.

A university sets high-performance targets, complete with key performance indicators. There is the annual performance review. The pressure to deliver can force you to lay awake in the wee hours of the night, yet you have to get up early in the morning.

By contrast, a Cabinet position in a country like Uganda, where government officials and civil servants generally take a laid-back attitude to work, is a walk in the park. Mr Museveni appoints ministers, but he does not supervise them closely.

Even when they underperform, they still get paid. And their remuneration and perks are enviable. Many Ugandans can only dream of the allowances a minister, even a junior one, is paid – to say nothing of the SUV for which the taxpayer buys fuel.

Whether Dr Muganga will be appointed remains to be seen. But he and Mr Gashumba owe it to Ugandans to face the truth, however bitter it may be.

Vendors in Wakiso District who have for long complained of lack of workspace can breathe a sigh of relief after the government launched construction of two modern markets worth Shs37 billion.

Construction of the two market projects, Wakiso Central Daily Market and Kawuku Market, will be undertaken by Techno Three (U) Limited and Scaffold Construction Company at a cost of Shs20.3 billion and Shs16.7 billion respectively.

‘When it rains, we don’t work because customers fear the bad access routes within the market that turn muddy,’ Ms Rehema Nakamya, a food vendor in Wakiso Market, said on Saturday.

The market projects are being implemented under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP), with funding from the World Bank.

Construction of both projects was launched by the State Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Mr Joseph Kabuye Kyofatogabye, with the help of his Undersecretary, Ms Monica Edemachu.

For many years, vendors at the two markets operated from temporary open stalls, regularly battered by rain and sometimes harsh sunshine.

For mothers, it has been worse. Ms Nakamya said they have been keeping their children under wooden lockers to prevent them from loitering in the markets.

Vegetable vendors are also affected by scorching sunshine, with their produce often spoiling before reaching the market, causing them huge losses.

They are now hopeful that the modern structures will boost sales and increase their profits.

According to the Wakiso District Engineer, Ms Lillian Namutebi, the modern market facilities will have stalls, lockups, freezer rooms, a day care centre, a skilling centre, restaurant facilities, sanitation facilities, parking areas, garbage management facilities, office space, and banking services.

She said Wakiso Central Daily Market, which has been accommodating 400 vendors, will now accommodate up to 800 vendors. Similarly, Kawuku Market will grow from about 370 vendors to over 700 vendors.

‘This means even those affected by ongoing trade order evictions will also get workspace,’ she said.

Mr Henry Magala, the general secretary of Wakiso Market Committee, said sections, especially slaughter areas, have been rotting, producing a malodorous stench.

The condition, he claims, would sometimes scare away clients, especially on rainy days. ‘We are now confident that a person will be able to walk into the market any time,’ he said.

Mr David Mugumya, the chairperson of Kawuku Market, also recounted a similar sorry state of the old market, noting that high-end individuals could not buy from them.

He said they now hope for a better client base since the market is located along the busy highway leading to Entebbe International Airport.

Addressing market vendors in Kawuku on Thursday, Mr Kyofatogabye said he had received reports of vendors dragging politics into the project, with some refusing to register because they subscribe to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).

He warned that vendors who refuse to register will be kicked out of the market, encouraging all those who wish to be in the new market to follow the right procedures.

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee.

Artan was interrogated for 11 hours by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport on Monday before being told he would not be allowed into the country after his diplomatic passport and single entry US visa were rejected.

A US government official said Artan had not been allowed to enter the country because of an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations”.

Artan said he had been questioned by border officials over his links to Somali militant group Al Shabab and had told them he knew nothing about the organisation.

“I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” said Artan.

“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”

After being put back on a plane to Turkey, Artan received assistance from Fifa officials in Istanbul before boarding a flight to the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Sources said that even though Artan will take no part in the World Cup, Fifa has committed to paying his salary.

Referees do not know the actual fee they will receive for officiating at the World Cup, which is paid after the tournament is over.

Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (Caf) men’s referee of the year, has since been invited to officiate the Uefa Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria on 12 August.

The 34-year-old, who thanked “my people and my country” after being welcomed in his homeland, has vowed to officiate at the 2030 World Cup.

Artan had a year to remember in 2025, becoming the first Somali to take charge of a continental final.

In June 2025, he officiated the second leg of Pyramids FC’s African Champions League final victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.

Fifa appointed Artan to the U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he took charge of three matches including the third-place play-off.

At the end of the year he refereed two group games at the Africa Cup of Nations, having also officiated at the tournament in 2024.

The Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Jinja City, Mr Salim Komakech, has directed police officers to stop granting police bond to suspects accused of defilement, saying the offence is too serious to warrant release before appearing in court.

Mr Komakech made the directive following complaints from residents and local leaders on Kisima I and Kisima II islands over rising cases of defilement, child abuse, and alleged abortion-related deaths.

Residents also reported the death of a pupil in an alleged abortion-related incident that they said was never officially reported to authorities.

He made the remarks during his maiden visit to the islands on Friday, where he inspected government projects and met residents to assess challenges facing the fishing communities.

‘Anyone accused of defilement should not be granted police bond. Their case files should be processed expeditiously and they should be produced before court without delay,’ Mr Komakech said.

He further directed that no suspect in defilement cases should be released on police bond without the knowledge of his office and guidance from the Resident State Attorney.

The RCC also expressed concern over allegations that some police officers were mishandling defilement cases by granting bond instead of ensuring suspects are prosecuted.

‘I have received reports that some officers are handling defilement cases unprofessionally by granting bond instead of ensuring suspects are produced before court. I will not tolerate such practices because defilement is a serious offence,’ he said.

Under Ugandan law, defilement attracts life imprisonment upon conviction, with penalties varying depending on the age of the victim, and mandatory protection provisions under the Penal Code Act.

Mr Peter Mutumba, the Secretary General of Kisima II Cell, said several defilement cases reported in the area had not been adequately followed up due to weak enforcement.

He noted that the island geography makes policing difficult, with suspects often fleeing to other landing sites to evade arrest.

Residents also raised concerns about child protection failures, including a case of an eight-year-old girl allegedly forced into domestic labour and suffering physical abuse under her caretaker.

‘We are concerned about how this child is being treated. She is frequently locked indoors and denied interaction with others,’ said Ms Rose Muduwa, a resident of Kisima I Island.

Following the complaint, Mr Komakech directed the Officer in Charge of Masese Police Post, Mr Tony Bongo, to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

Residents further called for the reinstatement of a police post on the islands, saying insecurity has increased since its removal.

Mr George Namurumba, a resident, said weak awareness of children’s rights and limited government presence had worsened abuse cases.

He urged stronger sensitisation and more frequent visits by education, health and community development officials to island communities.

Residents appealed for improved access to justice and stronger enforcement of child protection laws in the islands.

Police bond in Uganda

Police bond in Uganda is a discretionary release granted during investigations and may be denied in serious cases such as defilement where there is risk of interference with investigations or absconding, though suspects remain entitled to apply for bail in court.

As the continent celebrated 63 years of the African Union recently with spectacular speeches from different leaders, the clarion call centred on Africa’s unity, solidarity and integration in the age of globalisation.

Against the backdrop of calls for unity and solidarity, however, is a continent divided along national lines, geopolitical intrigues, foreign ideologies, race and ethnicity.

For instance, in Nigeria, there are divisions between Muslims and Christians, while in South Sudan, there is civil unrest occasioned by differences between the Nuer and Dinka tribes.

However, the most disappointing and shocking divisions on the continent are in South Africa, where nations are up in arms against fellow Africans.

Since the beginning of the year, a group of anti-immigration activists has led street demonstrations in business centres and residences in the low-cost communities of KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, and Soweto in ‘Operation Dudula’ to send foreigners back to their countries of birth by June 30.

The operation is targeting fellow Blacks from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, citing a lack of proper documentation, crimes, jobs and opportunities being occupied by foreigners.

There is a possibility that a few Black foreign nations are guilty as charged, but the practice of exercising mob action is so wrong.

South Africa prides itself on being a ‘Rainbow Nation’ because it is a diverse and multicultural society.

In my view, it’s disingenuous for the Operation Dudula leaders to target only Blacks who are part of the migrants who comprise about five percent of South Africa’s total population.

Amid the anti-immigration demonstrations, one prominent member of the National Assembly of South Africa and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party, Mr Julius Malema, has strongly come out to condemn the unfortunate events.

In a recent interview with Sky News, Mr Malema boldly stated: ‘There is no xenophobia, but rather Afrophobia.’ Malema referred to the Operation Dudula leaders and demonstrators as clownish, charlatans and disruptors extorting Black foreigners, because they are an easy target compared to other races of foreigners.

Mr Malema has consistently vowed never to be part of a parochial group haunting and taunting other Africans, just because they crossed to South Africa in search of greener pastures and an African dream.

As Martin Luther King Jnr stated: ‘The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at the times of challenges and controversy.’

Mr Malema has taken a stand at a very difficult time for any politician in South Africa right now to confront the anti-immigrant demonstrators and risks losing votes in the upcoming elections.

Lest we forget, South Africa is still living with racial, social and economic disparities because, as much as political power changed in 1994, the economic power did not change hands nor did it redistribute land and capital equally.

Has South Africa abandoned our common struggle of the United States of Africa, free from divisions, hatred, visa restrictions, trade embargos, foreign influence and dependency? The persecution of fellow Africans erodes all the historical efforts of Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Thomas Sankara and Nelson Mandela, who struggled to unite Africa.

Dear Operation Dudula leaders and misled demonstrators, we still have a bigger struggle of ending raw materials and minerals depletion, brain drain and decolonising Africa from foreign debt that has kept our continent under imperialism.

Professional golf is one of most lucrative spaces in global individual sport, with the sector’s overall value estimated at about $83 billion dollars.

Ugandans have only earned pennies from global pro golf at the regional and global front. With just about 18 courses in the country, it is relatively understandable.

But, as well, the standards to play on the global DP World Tour, PGA Tour or LIV Golf circuits are so high.

New Uganda Professional Golfers Association (UPGA) chairman Davis Kato is seeking to create some change and thereby push more Ugandan pro players onto the different tours.

It begins by expanding the calendar with more activity. A dearth of tournaments hasn’t made it easy for local professionals but by launching the Pro-Tee Series at Entebbe Club sponsored by MTN, the strides are towards the right direction.

‘Entebbe Club and MTN, a long-term partner, a friend forever, the best network in the country, is launching what we call the MTN Pro-Tee Series,’ Entebbe Club captain Serwano Walusimbi remarked at the weekend.

‘Of course, this will get them (professionals) ready for even probably on the international stage. So with MTN and Entebbe Club, we are very, very glad and happy that we have launched this,’ added Walusimbi.

This Series will happen every quarter of the year, in the week leading up to the MTN Quarterly Tee. It begins Tuesday when a field of 42 players lines-up for a 72-hole competition over four days at the par-71 course.

The second leg will be played in September with the final leg of the year in December. The Series is helping to create a stronger pathway for Ugandan golfers to compete successfully on bigger stages.

‘For the last two years, I’ve been promising the golfers that something big is coming, something big is coming. And for sure, something big has arrived,’ remarked UPGA trustee Innocent Kihika.

‘What has been missing is a structured platform that gives players consistent opportunities to compete, earn and develop,’ said Kato, who leads UPGA that has grown from 29 members in 2022.

‘Through the MTN Pro-Tee Series, MTN Uganda is helping to raise the standard of professional golf by introducing an international-standard competition format, an Order of Merit and meaningful prize purses that motivate players to perform throughout the season,’ he added.

Sponsors MTN are offering Shs15m for the first leg this week, Shs20m for the next and Shs30m at the end of the year, according to Walusimbi.

‘We are elevating the game, we are freeing our fire. For the last three years MTN has been a proud partner of Entebbe club. We’ve watched the community grow and we’ve supported incredible amateur talent,’ said MTN business enterprise segment manager Justina Icabala Ziraba.

‘So by creating a season-long order of merit point system we ensure that every single swing counts towards crowning a true grand champion and we can’t wait to see who that will be,’ Icabala said of the Free Your Fire MTN campaign.

The two latest professionals expected to compete are Ibrahim Bagalana and Ibrahim Ssemakula. The field on the par-71 course will comprise female pros like Evah Magala and UPGA board member Irene Nakalembe.

ENTEBBE MTN PRO-TEE

Inaugural Edition: 2026

Venue: Entebbe Club

Stance: Professional Golfers

Sponsor: MTN

Package: Shs15m (Leg 1), Shs20m (Leg 2), Shs40m (Leg 3)

First Leg Dates: June 16-19

Expected Field: 42 Players

UPGA Size: 62 Members