Category: Daily Monitor

Uganda’s opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, said on Tuesday that military forces had forcibly occupied his home in Magere, Wakiso District, the latest in a series of condemned post-election operations that have left the musician-turned-politician in hiding and prompted growing calls for international intervention.

‘Last night, the military surrounding our home in Magere once again forced themselves into the house. They’re now fully occupying our entire home – inside, outside, and around it,’ Bobi Wine wrote on X.

He added: ‘We are still unable to assess the extent of the destruction caused to the house when they first broke in and vandalised it on January 23.’

The Ugandan army and government have yet to comment on the latest claim, but in a similar incident late last month authorities denied reports of a military operation at Bobi Wine’s residence, a denial later contradicted when Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and Chief of Defence Forces, released a photograph last week showing Bobi Wine’s wife, Barbie, seated on the floor and appearing visibly threatened as an armed soldier stood next to her.

The image’s caption read: ‘This is when our soldiers captured and then released Kabobi’s wife Barbie.’

In recent days, Uganda’s information minister Chris Baryomunsi and pro-Muhoozi supporters have clashed over the military posture at Bobi Wine’s home, reflecting tensions within the ruling establishment over how the situation is being presented to the public.

Bobi Wine has largely remained in hiding since the January 15 General Election, in which President Museveni secured a seventh term. Reports of the detention of at least three top National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders and the arrests of over 2,000 other opposition supporters, along with claims of at least 30 killed, as reported by Gen Muhoozi, coupled with ongoing harassment of Bobi Wine’s family, have raised alarms among human rights observers and international legal advocates.

In a February 2 statement, Bobi Wine’s long-term counsel, Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam and Partners LLP, a London- and Washington-based law firm, warned that the continued military occupation and targeting of Bobi Wine constitute serious breaches of Uganda’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

‘Uganda is in open breach of the Harare Declaration and the Commonwealth Charter. When senior commanders publicly threaten an opposition leader and the government fails to repudiate those threats, responsibility attaches at the highest level,’ Amsterdam said.

Amsterdam and Partners LLP say they on Monday ‘formally submitted a dossier to the Commonwealth Secretariat, requesting the urgent referral of Uganda to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for serious and persistent violations of democratic norms, including the repression of political opposition, mass arrests, and threats to life.’

The law firm called for immediate CMAG engagement, fact-finding missions, public guarantees for the safety of Bobi Wine and his family, and coordinated international measures, including sanctions, until Uganda returns to compliance with rule-of-law standards and Commonwealth values.

Founded on principles including democracy, human rights, and good governance, the organization has suspended members in the past, most notably Zimbabwe in 2002, but such interventions remain rare.

Amsterdam warned that the failure of Commonwealth mechanisms to respond decisively could embolden further repression and undermine the organization’s credibility as a guardian of democratic norms.

‘The Commonwealth must act now through CMAG engagement, a fact-finding mission and clear consequences such as the indefinite suspension of Uganda from the Commonwealth. Anything less would indicate tolerance of violence, impunity and the further demise of any hope of even a semblance of democratic rule,’ Amsterdam said.

The Commonwealth, of which Uganda has been a member since regaining independence from Britain in 1962, has yet to comment on the request.

Soroti Regional Referral Hospital has received a major boost in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) following the acquisition of a mobile clinic van aimed at improving detection and treatment, especially in hard-to-reach communities.

The mobile clinic, valued at about $300,000 (approximately Shs1.2 billion), is expected to expand TB outreach services across Teso Sub-region, where health officials say many cases remain undetected due to limited access to health facilities.

The hospital’s principal administrator, Mr Bezy Omoya, said the mobile medical unit was delivered last week and will be deployed across all districts in the region to take TB services closer to the population.

‘We shall be moving into communities to look for TB patients who would not ordinarily come to the hospital. We plan to visit several health centres, markets, churches and other public places across the 10 districts in Teso,’ Mr Omoya said.

He revealed that the hospital diagnoses more than 400 TB cases every quarter, but noted that the figures likely represent only a fraction of the actual burden in the community.

‘These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many people with TB symptoms who have not yet been tested or diagnosed,’ he said, calling on communities to welcome the outreach initiative.

The National Coordinator for TB Mobile Van Services, Mr Didas Tusumusirize, said the mobile clinics have significantly improved TB detection nationwide.

‘On average, more than 1,000 TB patients are detected countrywide each year through the mobile van programme,’ he said.

Mr Tusumusirize added that the mobile clinic is equipped to conduct integrated screening for HIV, diabetes and hypertension, allowing patients to be tested and treated simultaneously.

The Regional TB and Leprosy Coordinator for Teso, Sr Ruth Frances Ajoket, said TB positivity rates remain a concern. ‘Out of every 100 people we test, at least two are found to have TB. At the regional hospital, about 20 cases are detected for every 1,000 people tested,’ she said.

Sr Ajoket urged residents to seek medical attention early once they notice symptoms such as persistent coughing, night sweats or general weakness.

‘People should take charge of their health. Once you notice signs and symptoms, do not wait. Visit the nearest health facility for testing and treatment,’ she said.

The Hospital Director, Dr Benedicto Watmon, said the facility is intensifying TB control efforts in response to the high case burden in the region. He called on district health officers to work closely with the hospital’s TB team to fully utilise the mobile clinic.

Kampalalawyer Male Mabirizi Kiwanuka has been charged and remanded to Luzira Prison on four counts under the Computer Misuse Act over alleged social media posts targeting Uganda’s new Chief Justice and a justice of the Court of Appeal.

On Tuesday, the 39-year-old Mabirizi appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa, where the State indicated the matter was coming up for plea-taking.

When the charges were read, Mabirizi declined to take plea.

‘I am unable to take plea. I object to your participation, jurisdiction; my rights are being violated, and until these matters are first dealt with,’ Mabirizi told court.

In response, Chief Magistrate Kidasa advised that any concerns regarding her recusal should be formally raised through written submissions.

‘You need to write to me if you have a concern of recusal. You can file submissions to that effect,’ she said.

Mabirizi protested that he was a detainee and argued that court could not lawfully remand him without first taking plea.

He further raised personal objections against the presiding magistrate, prompting a firm response from the bench.

‘It’s not a personal matter. I will not go back and forth with you. I ask that you respect me. Let’s respect each other and let your lawyers address court,’ Kidasa held.

Defence lawyer Anthony Asiimwe, who is also the Uganda Law Society vice president, requested a stand-over to consult with his client.

The request was opposed by chief state attorney Richard Birivumbuka, insisting there was no justification for a lengthy delay.

‘There is no justification for standing over because the matter is coming up for plea-taking, unless counsel is seeking instructions from the accused,’ Birivumbuka said, adding: ‘We implore Mabirizi to be courteous to court and that we proceed in a professional way.’

The magistrate allowed a brief two-minute consultation. When proceedings resumed and the charges were read again, Mabirizi maintained his objection, stating: ‘False and unconstitutional.’

According to the charge sheet, Mabirizi faces two counts of malicious information and two counts of hate speech, contrary to sections 28 and 26 of the Computer Misuse Act.

The State alleges that during January 2026, while using a TikTok account @male.mabirizi, he shared information accusing Chief Justice Flavian Zeija of being ‘a con man and fraudster,’ corrupt, and of selling property to pay a bribe for his appointment as Principal Judge.

Prosecution contends the information was false and likely to ridicule or demean the Chief Justice.

Similar allegations form the basis of the charges relating to Court of Appeal Justice Musa Ssekaana, whom Mabirizi is accused of describing as ‘a con man and fraudster.’

State Attorney Joan Keko informed court that investigations were near completion and sought an adjournment for mention.

The defence applied for bail, citing incomplete inquiries, but the court declined to hear the application after it emerged that the necessary documents had not been uploaded on the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS).

‘I advise you to do so,’ the magistrate said, before remanding Mabirizi to February 18, when his bail application will be considered.

On February 22, 2022 Mabirizi was arrested and taken to Kitalya prison to serve his 18months jail for contempt of court by Justice Ssekaana.

Uganda’s Police Force is taking significant steps to protect detainees from infectious diseases.

Arrangements are being made to screen all suspects for infections as they are booked into police cells.

The program, dubbed “Breaking the Barriers Initiative,” aims to control the spread of HIV, TB, and Malaria among inmates.

Dr. Bernard Ndiwalana, head of clinical services in the Uganda Police Force, explained that the screening is geared towards providing adequate information on the health well-being of suspects before detaining them.

“The data captured from the suspects enables us to detect those who are infected with HIV, so that arrangements are made for them to continue with their treatment, despite living under detention,” Ndiwalana said.

He added that suspects with malaria are quickly started on treatment to avoid escalation of the infection to either anaemia or death.

For TB, suspects are screened and those who test positive are isolated in special rooms, enabling timely treatment.

Ndiwalana noted that most police cells are small, affecting isolation protocols, but plans are underway to improvise isolation spaces at all police stations across the country.

“The isolation spaces will deter the spread of contagious diseases among suspects during detention,” Ndiwalana said.

He further explained that the police have designated special registers at different police stations where the medical data of suspects is captured and shared among the different institutions in the criminal justice system, easing access to healthcare services.

Barbara Masinde, chief state attorney and project coordinator, said the project was initiated in 2018 following a baseline survey that showed the criminal justice system was infringing on inmates’ right to health.

“The survey indicated that there was a need for improvement in medical screening facilities at detention facilities to ensure equitable health access for both suspects and inmates,” Masinde said.

She added that the project has led to significant improvements, with 91% of inmates now having access to quality healthcare services.

“These are Standard Operating Procedures-SOPs, which were signed by the Inspector General of Police, allowing compulsory screening of suspects for TB and other illnesses,” Masinde said. “This breaks the chain of new infections among suspects detained in the same cell and enables isolation before further prosecutions.”

Masinde emphasized that contagious diseases like TB spread quickly in small, congested cells with poor ventilation, making compulsory screening services essential to deter new infections among detainees.

The police are currently training officers who are the first responders and recipients of suspects after arrest to detect and screen early, aiming to further improve healthcare outcomes within the criminal justice system.

When the Masaka Chief Magistrate Court on Friday, January 30, ruled in favour of an application for a vote recount for the Masaka City Woman MP seat, earlier won by NUP’s Rose Nalubowa, the exhausting exercise, which dragged into its third day by yesterday, caught many stakeholders off guard.

As the recount unfolded, surprising twists and turns further fuelled debate among stakeholders, especially after NUP denounced the exercise as a sham when one ballot box was discovered with its original seal broken. A section of stakeholders questioned Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe’s decision to overrule the well-trodden path of precedent, where courts have previously halted recounts once a broken seal was detected.

‘Since the vast majority of the ballot boxes have been found still unopened, the process of recount should proceed and only exclude the box whose seal was broken,’ the Chief Magistrate ruled. This ruling ruffled feathers, upsetting respondent Rose Nalubowa (NUP) and her legal team, led by Samuel Muyizzi and Herbert Zikusooka, who stormed out in protest of what they called an unexpected and shocking decision.

‘The chief magistrate is deliberately bending the law in favour of NRM. This sets a very bad precedent and we are going to challenge the process in the High Court,’ Counsel Muyizzi said. Both Muyizzi and Nalubowa accused the Chief Magistrate of contradicting himself, pointing out that he had earlier stated the exercise would be discontinued if any ballot box was found tampered with. Nalubowa emphasised that Asiimwe had categorically ruled that the recount would not proceed under such circumstances.

Despite this, the Chief Magistrate maintained that since most ballot boxes were intact, only the tampered one should be excluded. By yesterday, unease was spreading among stakeholders, compounded by unusual developments outside the courtroom, including the sudden transfer of Masaka City Returning Officer Ahmed Nadduli Misisi, replaced by Gracious Aryaija from Sembabule District. This publication could not independently verify claims linking the transfer to the recount. Meanwhile, heavy security blanketed EC offices, with nearby roads sealed off, leaving motorists between a rock and a hard place.

After Nalubowa was declared winner of the Masaka City Woman MP seat by the Electoral Commission Returning Officer, NRM candidate Justine Nameere, through her lawyer Sam Ssekyewa, claimed results from 11 polling stations were omitted during tallying. She argued that the omission tilted the scales in Nalubowa’s favour. According to her application, she raised objections during tallying, but the Returning Officer advised her to seek remedies elsewhere.

‘Results from some polling stations were improperly tallied and others altered, entering false figures against what is on declaration of results forms which also affected the final results and this can properly be corrected through a recount,’ the applicant (Nameere) said. Polling stations allegedly omitted included Kasijjagirwa Playground, Kimaanya Centre Church Road, Gayaza Primary School, Former Bright Africa Primary School, Butego LC1, Molly and Paul Primary School, and Katanga Catholic Church, among others. By press time yesterday, the recount was still ongoing. Of 314 ballot boxes, 73 remained uncounted, though officials revealed the exercise would be wrapped up by day’s end.

Previous rulings

Court has previously ruled on separate election petitions that such an exercise becomes invalid once a single box is found to have been tampered with. In 2001, High Court Judge FV Kibuuka Musoke in a case at Mbarara High Court ruled that a recount cannot go on where ballot boxes were found to be open or unsealed, insisting that once the integrity of the ballot boxes is compromised, the results become incapable of verification through a recount.

Justice Kibuuka Musoke further warned that conducting a vote recount using unsecured ballot boxes amounted to a ‘false pretence’ and an abuse of court process, adding that the law on vote recount was never intended to create an illegitimate mechanism for second – guessing election results. The ruling in Nameere’s case appears to set a second precedent, leaving legal minds scratching their heads for answers.

The annual January fast is done. You can tell by the higher noise level in the workplace. A few weeks back, there were only barely audible monosyllabic responses from the faithful. Now, it is a Sino truck of words when all you need is a yes or no. It was headphones with gospel music all day long, with the occasional raising of a hand off the keyboard in agreement with the lyrics of a worship song; now it is TikTok videos on the loudspeaker. That is how you know that the year is now in session. People are done with fasting, and now it is back to business as usual.

Let me explain. Every beginning of the year, many churches usually make a call to their faithful to engage in a period of fasting and prayer. It usually ranges anywhere between 20 and 40 days. During this time, the fasting faithful skip meals and can be seen acting demurely, spirit-filled. And because fasting can be difficult, there is usually not enough energy or strength to engage in unnecessary arguments, talk loudly, walk up and down the workplace showing off new clothes, among others. It is a high-level energy conservation project. So, the fasting lot sit tight, wait, and pray.

The praying is usually in preparation for the New Year. Ask for God’s guidance, direction, favour, protection, and general welfare for the year ahead. For some, it was that they or their relatives would make it in the just-concluded polls. And for other people, it is that even this year, the employer will not notice that they are not really qualified for the job they have been doing for the past three years.

It is good practice. And to everyone who made it through that, we, the council of elders who do not quite know how to mind their own business, congratulate you. We hope that you keep up the practice throughout the year by having at least one fast and prayer day every week. If not for spiritual reasons, at least for dietary benefits. But also, how can you eat every single day of the year? What are you? A breastfeeding baby or an air fryer?

Anyway, now that the year’s spiritual preamble is out of the way, what is the plan for 2026? What risks are you taking this year? Or did last year do you in so much that you are planning to spend the better part of this year licking your wounds?

The other day, a friend took me to show me a new property she wants to rent for her business. It is much bigger, much fancier, and more attractive to clients than what she has at the moment. It is also five times more expensive. She wrestles with staying at the old, cheaper, basic place of almost no growth or risking it all by going for the new location. Question is to risk or not risk? What if it fails, but again, what if it does not fail?

At this juncture, allow me to share some famous quotes on risk.

‘The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, or love. Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom. Only the person who risks is truly free.’- Leo Buscaglia

‘So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?’ Hunter S. Thompson

‘You cannot swim for new horizons until you dare to lose sight of the shore.’ William Faulkner

And finally, ‘Did I die?’-Unknown

I hope that this year, you will be inspired to risk something. Have an ‘If I die, I die’ project, no matter how small in significance. Live a little. (Nalumansi, I am not talking about your drinking and spending sprees.)

Note to self: There is a thin line between risk and foolishness. As you spread your wings, be wary of the boundaries, some call them values. They are there for a reason. To paraphrase a certain verse in the Bible book of Ecclesiastes. Do not ignore ancient boundary lines; a snake might bite you.

Every start of the year rolls in with the usual sparkle, vision boards, gym subscriptions, business plans, ambitious applications and beautifully typed goals pinned on bedroom/ office walls. The energy is always electric, but somewhere between January 3 and December 31, reality walks in uninvited. Social media has since made a sport out of mocking ‘failed goals,’ especially posts suggesting people will start 2026 by reposting the same goals they never achieved in 2025. It’s funny until it isn’t. Because behind every unmet target is a human who dared to hope, plan, and try. And that deserves applause, not ridicule. The world celebrates outcomes but rarely honours process.

We post the body transformation photo but not the 5am mornings we lost to exhaustion. We celebrate funded businesses but not the grant proposals that were rejected 17 times. We clap for job appointments but ignore the 30 unanswered emails that preceded them. But here’s the truth, failing is not the opposite of success. Quitting is. Take Jack Ma, the Chinese business magnate and co-founder of Alibaba. Before his empire reshaped global e-commerce, he was rejected by Harvard 10 times. He once said, ‘If you don’t give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure.’ If Ma had stopped at rejection, there would be no Alibaba.

And then there is the everyday hustler, the market vendor who restocks tomatoes after every loss, the student who retakes exams, the mother who starts a business between school drop-offs, the executive who plans workouts but ends up answering emails at midnight. Their stories may not trend, but they are real. They are powerful. And they are the backbone of resilience. Goals fail for many reasons: a changing economy, shifting personal responsibilities, unpredictable work schedules, caregiving, health challenges, or simply underestimating the demands of a dream. But none of these reasons cancel the courage it took to start. A whole year of ‘failing’ at a goal doesn’t make you defeated.

It makes you educated. When something doesn’t work, you gain data, real lived experience. You learn why the business plan stalled. You discover the exercise routine that clashed with your calendar. You meet the version of yourself that needed rest before it needed reinvention. And that knowledge becomes your competitive edge for the next attempt. There is no shame in a restart. There is strength in it. 2026 is not the year to repost your ‘failed goals’ in embarrassment. It is the year to repost them with intention. With insight. With strategy. With maturity. Pick up those body goals again, not because the world demands it, but because you deserve to feel strong in your own skin.

Fill those application forms again; this time informed, focused, and refined. Enroll for school again. Start that business again. Ask again. Try again. Plan again. Life is not a one-shot race. It is a series of laps. As author CS Lewis once wrote, ‘Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.’ They point out; they don’t punish. They guide; they don’t gatekeep. So, if 2025 taught you anything, let it be this: persistence outlives setbacks, lessons birth strategy, wisdom fuels resilience, and courage is never wasted. 2026 is proof that you can begin again, and win, not by never falling, but by always rising.

The Supreme Court on January 12, commenced hearing an appeal by the Attorney General (AG) challenging orders of the Constitutional Court that halted several corruption prosecutions against Kazinda. However, through his lawyers, Kazinda argues that the appeal was lodged beyond the mandatory 60-day period provided under the Constitution, rendering it incompetent.

Kazinda contends that he remains in prison based on what he describes as an invalid appeal incapable of producing any legal consequences. He has urged the court to strike it out and order his immediate release. Proceedings took a dramatic turn when the Supreme Court, chaired by Justice Lillian Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza, revealed a critical omission in the Constitutional Court judgment that forms the basis of the appeal. Nearly six years after the judgment was delivered, the Supreme Court noted that one of the five justices who heard and determined Kazinda’s constitutional petition did not sign the decision. Justice Tibatemwa explained that the omission related to Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi, who had by then been elevated to the Supreme Court and did not append his signature to the judgment.

The court directed lawyers for both Kazinda and the Attorney General to address a key legal question: whether the failure by one judge to sign a judgment renders that decision invalid in law. The Supreme Court is expected to receive submissions from both sides and determine the legal effect of the omission, and the fate of the Attorney General’s appeal by February 12. Kazinda is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for corruption-related offences. He maintains that both his conviction and sentence are unlawful, arguing that the Constitutional Court had barred any prosecutions arising from the same investigations that led to his conviction.

Kazinda’s favour

In August 2020, the Constitutional Court, by a majority decision in Constitutional Petition No 30 of 2014 (Geoffrey Kazinda Vs Attorney General), ruled in his favour. The court ordered a permanent stay of proceedings in several pending criminal cases and barred the State from initiating or continuing any future prosecutions founded on the same facts arising from his tenure at the Office of the Prime Minister. Following the decision, the Anti-Corruption Court discontinued Criminal Case No 047 of 2013 and permanently stayed Criminal Case No 056 of 2018 after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) failed to justify continued prosecution.

However, Kazinda says the situation changed when the Attorney General filed Constitutional Application No 27 of 2020 in the Supreme Court seeking a stay of execution of the Constitutional Court judgment pending appeal. He claims the application was supported by affidavits that misrepresented his discontinued cases as merely ‘stalled.’ Although he raised a preliminary objection challenging the competence of the intended appeal, the Supreme Court, on February 12, 2021, granted a stay of execution and directed the Attorney General to file the appeal without delay. Kazinda now argues that the DPP relied on that stay to resume prosecutions in cases that had already been lawfully discontinued, a move he says violated the Constitutional Court’s orders.

In an affidavit supporting his application, Kazinda recounts a legal battle spanning more than a decade. He states that before his interdiction in August 2012, he served for 18 years as a civil servant under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and later spent five years as principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister. He says he faced multiple prosecutions before the Anti-Corruption Court between 2012 and 2018, resulting in convictions in some cases, while others remained pending.

During the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Switzerland, last week, I livestreamed several events on YouTube, but one caught my attention. It was about renewed push for Africa’s self economic determination. The room was overcrowded, security was a nightmare, and several dignitaries stood freezing outside for 20 minutes waiting to get in. This tells you everything you need to know about how seriously people took what was happening inside. I have sat through enough development conferences to know the difference between performance and intention. What unfolded at the convening of the Accra Reset Initiative in Davos was not another well-meaning declaration destined for a filing cabinet in Geneva.

It was, to use a now famous term, a ‘rupture’. A clean break. The moment African leaders stopped pretending the current system can be reformed and started building its replacement. And if you are sitting in a cushy office at WFP, the World Bank, or any of the alphabet soup of development agencies that have made careers managing African poverty, you should be deeply unsettled right now. I don’t think the message is that Africa is rejecting partnership. In my view, it is more like this: the partnership you have been selling has expired, the customers know it, and they are no longer willing to be polite about things. There was something like a gasp across the room when the boss of an African multilateral announced that the continent has $4 trillion in domestic capital pools.

Actual money, sitting right now in pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and development banks across the continent. For context, that is more than 50 times the total annual development assistance flowing into Africa from all sources combined. Meanwhile, African pension funds alone are sitting on half a trillion dollars, much of it invested in US Treasury bonds instead of African infrastructure. Simply because a lie has been allowed to take deep root. The lie that Africa cannot be trusted to manage its own money. That fiction died in that conference room. What made this one different from every other grand initiative was the specificity.

Nigerian pension reforms already require a portion of managed funds to go into infrastructure, private equity, and venture capital. It is working. It is generating domestic financing at scale. The regulatory frameworks exist. The capital exists. What has been missing is permission. And what happened at Davos is that African leaders stopped asking for it. Private sector participants seemed to have the most impatience. One pointed out that everyone in the room knows exactly what needs to be done. Skills development, continental integration, domestic investment, and regulatory clarity. Africa is not where it is because of lack of knowledge. Far from it.

Even more exasperating is the fact that the money haemorrhaging out of the continent already exceeds the money trickling in. According to a report published in collaboration with The Rockefeller Foundation this week, Africa is now paying China $22.1b (Shs78.3 trillion) on a net basis over the last five years. Between 1980 and 2009, Africa lost an estimated $597b to $1.4 trillion in net resource transfers. So the entire premise of the aid relationship is backwards. Africa does not have a resource problem. It has a governance problem, a negotiation problem, and a political will problem. And you know what? Some African countries are already doing some of this stuff.

Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe are implementing sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco while building social health insurance systems. They are governing. Present tense. Active voice. You cannot ask the aid industry to reform itself out of business. It will not happen. Which is why the Accra Reset matters. It is not trying to fix the old system. It is building around it. The Accra Reset is the alternative. Imperfect, ambitious, risky, but necessary. It is Africans telling the development industry: We are done being your project. If you want to be partners, come as equals, ready to respect our priorities. If not, step aside.

For many people affected by cancer, eating and drinking can become unexpectedly challenging. Once enjoyable foods may taste bland, metallic, overly sweet, or even unpleasant. These changes can occur before treatment starts, during therapy, or after treatment ends. Understanding the reasons behind these changes and how to manage them is essential for maintaining nutrition, strength, and quality of life throughout cancer care.

Understanding flavour

Flavour is more than just taste; it results from the combined effects of taste, smell, and touch. Taste is detected by the taste buds on the tongue, which recognise five basic flavours: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savoury).

Smell, sensed by olfactory receptors in the nose, works in conjunction with taste to provide the full perception of flavour. Touch, encompassing the texture, temperature, and mouthfeel of food, also influences how enjoyable eating can be. When you eat, signals from your mouth and nose travel to the brain, which combines them to create the complete flavour experience. If any part of this system is affected, food may taste different, feel unusual, or seem less appealing.

How cancer can affect taste and smell

In some cases, cancer itself can alter taste and smell even before treatment begins. Tumours may disrupt nerve pathways or interfere with normal metabolic processes, leading to subtle changes in appetite or flavour perception. Emotional factors such as stress, anxiety, and fatigue can also affect how food tastes.

However, most changes in taste and smell are caused by cancer treatments. Chemotherapy, which targets fast-growing cancer cells, can also impact healthy cells, including taste buds.

Common effects include a metallic or bitter taste, a reduced ability to taste food, heightened sensitivity to certain flavours, and changes in how hot or cold foods feel. These effects may vary daily and are often more noticeable in the first week after treatment.

Radiation therapy to the head or neck can damage taste buds and salivary glands. Saliva is essential for dissolving food so taste buds can detect flavour. A reduced saliva production can lead to a dry mouth, altered food smells, and changes in sensation in the mouth and throat. Some patients may experience long-lasting taste changes due to radiation.

Surgery involving the mouth, nose, or throat can also impact the tongue, nasal passages, or salivary glands, resulting in altered taste, smell, and texture perception. Nerve damage from surgery can affect flavour perception for weeks or even months after recovery.

Dry mouth and mouth sores

Many treatments reduce saliva production, leading to dry mouth (xerostomia). Without enough saliva, food may taste bland or unpleasant, chewing and swallowing can become difficult, and sensitivity to spicy, acidic, or salty foods may increase. Some patients also develop painful sores in the mouth, known as mucositis, which further reduces appetite.

Maintaining oral hygiene is vital during this time. Gentle brushing with a soft toothbrush, rinsing with warm salt water or a dentist-recommended mouthwash, staying hydrated, and visiting the dentist regularly can help preserve oral health and improve taste perception.

Flavour perception is influenced not only by the senses but also by context and emotions. Eating in a hospital, associating certain foods with treatment, or feeling anxious can reduce enjoyment of meals. Even familiar foods may taste unpleasant during or immediately after chemotherapy due to nausea or stress.

How long changes last

The duration of taste and smell changes varies depending on treatment type, cancer location, and individual factors. Taste often changes during chemotherapy cycles, but many patients regain normal taste within two months after the final cycle. Changes from radiation to the head or neck may persist longer, especially if saliva production is reduced. Recovery from surgery depends on the procedure’s extent and nerve involvement, sometimes taking weeks or months. Patients should discuss specific expectations with their healthcare provider.

Coping strategies

Understanding that taste and smell changes are common and usually temporary can provide reassurance. Keeping a food diary to track what tastes good or bad, experimenting with different foods, textures, and flavours, eating small, frequent meals, including high-protein foods such as eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, nuts, or fish, maintaining oral hygiene, and using straws for liquids to bypass sensitive taste buds can make a significant difference.

Consulting a dietitian may also help provide individualised advice and meal plans to ensure adequate nutrition.