Category: Daily Monitor

The Indian High Commission in Kampala has warned that the Indian government will take firm action against Indian employers abroad who confiscate their workers’ passports or deny them employment contracts.

Speaking at celebrations marking India’s 77th Republic Day in Kampala last week, Indian High Commissioner to Uganda Upender Singh Rawat said New Delhi had instructed all its missions overseas to crack down on labour abuses involving Indian nationals.

Mr Rawat said while passport confiscation is most prevalent in the Middle East, where Indian employers operate in large numbers, the High Commission has also received reports of similar practices involving Indian employers in Uganda and Burundi.

‘The Government of India has directed all missions abroad to take stringent action against Indian employers who indulge in contract substitution and confiscation of passports of Indian employees working overseas,’ Mr Rawat said. ‘Although these cases are more common in the Middle East, we are aware of incidents here in Uganda and Burundi where Indian nationals have had their passports withheld and have been denied employment contracts,’ he added. The High Commissioner described passport confiscation as illegal and exploitative, adding that it exposes workers to abuse and restricts their freedom of movement. He further reminded Indian nationals working in Uganda that all foreign workers, including those on short-term visas, are required to possess valid work permits in compliance with Ugandan law.

Mr Rawat said the Indian government had recently reformed its overseas registration systems to better protect citizens working abroad, particularly during emergencies. ‘All Indians working overseas can now register through their local Indian missions. This helps us assist them during emergencies and also informs policy initiatives back home,’ he said. He added that the Indian mission in Kampala has enhanced its consular services to ease access to passport renewals and visa-related services. According to Mr Rawat, India’s Ministry of External Affairs continues to upgrade digital platforms to improve efficiency and service delivery.

‘Last year, we rolled out electronic passport issuance for new applicants as a pilot project. These system upgrades are aimed at making services more accessible and secure,’ he said.

Concerns over labour exploitation have also been raised in Kampala, with allegations that some foreign investors bring in nationals from their home countries and employ them as casual labourers under questionable conditions. According to accounts circulating among workers and labour rights advocates, some employees have their passports confiscated immediately upon arrival at Entebbe airport, leaving them vulnerable to poor working conditions that fall short of international and local labour standards.

Government will spend the pound 641.1m (about Shs2.747 trillion) loan from Standard Chartered Bank on three large-scale infrastructure projects that seek to accelerate the tenfold growth strategy.

The loan agreement, signed last Friday, targets priority investments in power transmission, strategic oil roads, and water supply, sectors government says are critical to unlocking productivity and long-term development.

Significant gaps remain in a number of infrastructure projects, particularly in electricity transmission, transport connectivity, and access to clean water.

These projects are designed to address those gaps while delivering tangible economic and social benefits.

Power transmission

The largest share of the financing, pound 342.5m (Shs1.4 trillion), will go toward construction of the 400kV Karuma-Tororo double-circuit transmission line and the Ntinda substation.

The project will strengthen evacuation of power from Karuma Hydropower Plant to key load centres, including Tororo Industrial Park, and support regional power trade.

Government says this will reduce losses from unutilised electricity, improve reliability for industries and urban areas, and create jobs.

The financing was arranged with support from the Swedish Export Credit Agency and the Swedish Export Credit Corporation, marking EKN’s first transaction in Uganda and enabling favourable pricing and long repayment tenors.

Oil roads

Standard Chartered will also provide pound 115.8m (Shs486b) to finance the construction of critical oil-related roads in the Albertine region, which include Karugutu-Ntoroko road (56.5km), Rwebisengo link road (8.2km), and Ntoroko town roads (3.3km).

The roads will support oil and gas development, improve access to tourism sites around Lake Albert, and strengthen trade links with DR Congo. The financing was arranged with support from the Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit.

Water supply

A separate pound 182.8m (Shs754.5b) loan will fund Phase II of the Strategic Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project, covering Nakasongola and clusters in Kamuli, Mayuge, Bugweri, and Alebtong districts.

By 2030, the project is expected to serve about 740,000 people through construction of water treatment plants and sanitation facilities. The financing is supported by the Chinese Export Credit Agency, Sinosure.

Aligning infrastructure with growth

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija said the three projects directly support government’s goal of growing the economy tenfold, from about $53b to $500b by 2040.

Standard Chartered Uganda chief executive officer Sanjay Rughani said the projects to be funded will enhance resilience and promote inclusive growth.

The transaction also reflects Standard Chartered’s strategic shift away from mass retail banking toward institutional, corporate and sovereign financing across key African markets, including Uganda.

This is the second major single-arranged loan the bank has extended to the government of Uganda in less than three years, underscoring its growing role as a lead financier of large public-sector infrastructure projects.

Mr Dalu Ajene, the Standard Chartered Bank Africa chief executive officer and head of coverage, said the bank would leverage its on-the-ground presence in Uganda to support and help drive Uganda’s tenfold growth strategy.

‘This partnership demonstrates how governments and international financial institutions can work together to structure complex, long-tenor financing and deliver projects with lasting economic and social impact,’ he said.

This aligns well with Standard Chartered’s repositioning as a cross-border corporate and public-sector bank.

Works Minister Edward Katumba Wamala said timely project delivery remains a priority, noting that delays, often caused by land acquisition challenges, have previously led to cost overruns and reduced returns on public investment.

‘This is our last oil road. The rest are completed or ongoing. There is no reason for delays,’ he said, urging contractors to deliver projects on schedule.

Government says strict oversight will be applied to ensure the projects are completed on time and deliver value for money, as Uganda seeks to turn large infrastructure investments into real economic and social gains.

Every January 26, Uganda marks Liberation Day to commemorate a decisive historical moment. The symbolism matters. Nations need memory, and they need to honour sacrifice. But memory does not operate outside time. When and how a society remembers can either bind it together or quietly strain it. For much of Uganda’s post-1986 history, Liberation Day has fallen soon after national elections, often following intense campaigns and contested outcomes. In such moments, the country is rarely emotionally settled. Winners are relieved and celebratory; losers are processing disappointment, grievance, or exclusion. It is into this fragile national space that a victory ritual is inserted.

The intention is understandable: to reaffirm continuity, stability, and national origin. But intention does not cancel effect. When liberation celebrations follow closely after elections, memory risks being heard not as shared inheritance but as validation of present power. Over time, liberation rhetoric can slip into something else: the celebration of conquest itself, look at me, I am the victor; I control the state. At that point, the focus quietly shifts from collective sacrifice to personality power. The unanswered question becomes: victory at whose cost, and remembrance for whom? Uganda’s own history offers sobering lessons about victory-based memory.

On January 25, 1971, the military takeover that brought Idi Amin to power was initially welcomed by many Ugandans as a liberation from the excesses of Milton Obote. For a brief period, that date functioned as a moment of relief and hope. Yet it did not endure. As Amin’s rule descended into mass violence, fear, and economic collapse, the ‘liberation’ narrative collapsed with it. Today, no one argues that January 25 should be celebrated. The ritual could not survive moral scrutiny. The same pattern appears elsewhere in Uganda’s history. Moments tied closely to regime consolidation, such as the Republic milestone of 1963 or the constitutional rupture of 1966, never settled into durable national rituals.

By contrast, Independence Day, rooted in a people-centred transition rather than a personal victory, endured. History is clear: rituals tied to power expire; rituals tied to shared experience last. This is why many societies, over time, adjust how they remember. Britain, once an imperial power, offers a useful comparison, not because it is innocent, but because it learned to separate memory from domination. In 1902, Britain introduced Empire Day to celebrate imperial conquest and loyalty. As the empire receded and Britain became a more diverse, multipolar society, the celebration grew increasingly uncomfortable. It was gradually abandoned and later reframed as Commonwealth Day, reflecting partnership rather than conquest.

More enduring still is ‘Remembrance Day,’ defined by silence, restraint, and honouring the fallen. Governments change, parties rotate, but remembrance is institution-centred rather than leader-centred. This was not moral purity; it was political wisdom. Celebrating domination indefinitely fractures cohesion, especially in plural societies. Uganda’s history is different, but the lesson travels. As calls grow for a national dialogue, about a forged national marriage whose partners have taken different trajectories, it may be time to ask whether our rituals still serve unity in their current form. This is not an argument to abolish Liberation Day.

It is an invitation to interrogate its effect, especially when it follows elections. It is also a case for imagining a national remembrance day, one that honours all Ugandans who have fallen for this country across regimes, regions, and generations without validating any single political moment. Liberation secures the State. Remembrance secures the nation. A country that only celebrates victories risks repeating them. A country that remembers its dead learns restraint. If Uganda is to build a future that belongs to all its citizens, our memory practices must evolve alongside our politics. That conversation, perhaps, is where genuine national dialogue should begin.

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Bank of Uganda (BoU) to halt threats and directives aimed at forcing Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (Saccos) to apply for licences, arguing that the Central Bank should limit its role to oversight rather than direct control.

The directive followed a high-level meeting between the President and the leadership of the Uganda Co-operative Savings and Credit Union Ltd (UCSCU) and the Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA), which was also attended by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. According to a January 30 circular issued by the UCSCU chief executive officer, Dr Sylivester Ndiraramukama, the meeting yielded resolutions that could significantly reshape the regulation of the Sacco sub-sector.

In the notice addressed to Sacco chairpersons and managers countrywide, Dr Ndiraramukama said Mr Museveni agreed that Saccos, as cooperative institutions, should not be subjected to regulatory frameworks designed for commercial financial institutions. ‘The President guided that the Bank of Uganda should only oversee the flow of money in Saccos and not take over control through regulations that do not consider the unique nature of cooperatives,’ the notice reads in part. Dr Ndiraramukama also disclosed that the President agreed to extend the current income tax exemption for Saccos, which is due to expire on June 30, 2027. ‘The President agreed that Saccos should not be taxed.

The income tax exemption for Saccos will be extended,’ he said, describing the decision as a boost to financial inclusion efforts. Saccos fall under Tier 4 Microfinance Institutions and are regulated and licensed by the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA), a statutory body established under the Tier 4 Microfinance Institutions and Money Lenders Act, 2016. Section 36 of the Act provides that a Sacco shall not conduct financial services unless licensed by UMRA, a provision that has, in recent months, triggered warnings to unlicensed Saccos to halt operations or regularise their status. However, UMRA officials yesterday said they would align their actions with both the law and the President’s guidance.

UMRA executive director Edith Tusubira said the Authority would make necessary adjustments aimed at improving the Sacco sub-sector while maintaining regulatory oversight. ‘We shall continue following the law, but we also recognise that the President’s word is law. Adjustments will be made, with the ultimate goal of making the Sacco sub-sector better,’ Ms Tusubira said. In his 2021 audit report, former Auditor General John Muwanga revealed that 6,326 Emyooga Saccos were operating without licences but had nonetheless received government funding through the Microfinance Support Centre. He warned that operating without licences exposed members to risks of poor governance and loss of savings, adding that UMRA could not enforce compliance in such cases.

More recently, Auditor General Edward Akol reported that by December 2022, government had released Shs3.2 trillion to 10,589 Saccos under the Parish Development Model. Of this amount, Shs2.7 trillion had been disbursed. However, only Shs9.3 billion had been recovered by the time of the audit, despite the programme being designed as a revolving fund, with beneficiaries expected to start repayment within two years. Last week, President Museveni urged all Ugandans to join their parish Saccos to benefit directly from the PDM, which is the government’s flagship poverty alleviation programme.

The President also revealed plans to increase PDM funding to between Shs300 million and Shs400 million per parish in urban areas, citing the higher population density in towns. ‘In the towns, we may have to put up to Shs300m or Shs400m per parish because homes are many. But even in rural areas, we can finish all homes in three years if everyone joins the Saccos,’ Mr Museveni said, warning that parish chiefs who frustrate the programme would face arrest and prosecution. Dr Ndiraramukama said a stakeholders’ meeting bringing together Sacco leaders would be convened by Speaker Among to harmonise a fair and enabling regulatory framework for the sector. ‘These outcomes reaffirm government’s commitment to strengthening financial inclusion and protecting community-based cooperative institutions,’ he said.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) yesterday again stirred the diplomatic spat between Uganda and the United States, with its acting spokesperson pouring fuel on the issue Sunday morning.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Commander of Defence Forces, had moved to calm the tension when he apologised for threatening to sever security cooperation between the two countries over allegations that the US had helped the National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, to escape from his home.

But the UPDF acting director of public Information, Col Chris Magezi, in a social media post, attacked the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, Senator Jim Risch (Republican, Idaho), whom he described as a wayward and loose cannon.

‘The UPDF pays allegiance to the President of the Republic of Uganda and the sovereign decisions made by the people. Therefore, threats and intimidation by a foreign power in our country’s internal affairs is an outdated colonial tactic that will be vigorously resisted, especially coming from a so-called senator,’ he said. Col Magezi added: ‘Uganda and the US have a strong history of cooperation across many fields, including in defence and security, health and education, and so on. The beneficial relationship between our two countries will not change because of one wayward and loose cannon senator.’

Sen Risch, while commenting on Daily Monitor story on X, formerly Twitter, about Gen Muhoozi’s threats to suspend security cooperation with the US, had condemned the remarks and asked for a re-evaluation of the partnership between the two countries. Sen Risch wrote: ‘Commander @mkainerugaba has crossed a red line, and now the US must re-evaluate its security partnership, which includes sanctions and military cooperation with Uganda. The president’s son, and likely successor, cannot just delete tweets and issue hollow apologies. The US will not tolerate this level of instability and recklessness when American personnel, US interests, and innocent lives in the region are at stake,’ Sen Risch said on Saturday.

Gen Muhoozi had on Friday night, posted on his X platform, accusing the US of helping Opposition leader Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, escape a military raid on his home. Gen Muhoozi then declared he had suspended security cooperation between the two countries. Bobi Wine was a presidential candidate in the January 15 elections, whose results he dismissed as a sham. But a day after the polls, soldiers raided his home at Magere in Wakiso District on the outskirts of Kampala City to arrest him over unknown offences. He escaped, and he is currently in hiding. In the succession of events, Gen Muhoozi described US Embassy officials as unimaginative bureaucrats who have been undermining the relationship between the two countries.

But hours later, in a climb down, Gen Muhoozi deleted the posts saying he had talked to the US Ambassador, and discovered that he (the CDF) had been fed with wrong information. ‘I want to apologise to our great friends, the United States, for my earlier tweets that I have now deleted. I was being fed wrong information. I have spoken with the US Ambassador to our country, and everything is okay. We are going to continue our military cooperation as usual,’ Gen Muhoozi posted. In a quick follow up, Mr Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s ambassador to the United Nations, sought to de-escalate the tensions and insisted the relationship between the two countries is still strong.

‘Thank you, General, for this clarification. Our relationship with the US is mutually beneficial and resilient,’ he said. The US administration under President Donald Trump is known for taking any informal or formal statements made about the US and his government seriously, especially those that are considered negative. In July 2019, President Trump declined to work with the United Kingdom Ambassador to the US, Sir Kim Darroch, after a leaked cable published in the media in which the diplomat allegedly called his administration inept, insecure, and uniquely dysfunctional. Sir Darroch resigned his post. On Saturday, while on Capital Gang radio talk show, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Information, ICT and National Guidance, said Gen Muhoozi’s statements did not represent the position of the government.

‘The CDF doesn’t speak for the government of Uganda. but he likes Twitter (now X) communication. And he likes tweets. Sometimes, I don’t read them. Then, shortly, he deletes them. I am sure Ugandans have formed an opinion on his tweets. I don’t think, other than politicking, I don’t think they take them as the authentic position from the government of Uganda,’ Dr Baryomunsi said. He said he treats Gen Muhoozi’s comments as casual, which no right-thinking member of society would take seriously. But he admitted that Gen Muhoozi’s remarks were making his job difficult. ‘For the record, as the government spokesperson, I treat them as casual comments he makes on Twitter.

I have discussed this issue with the appointing authority and with the President. Admittedly, his tweets make my work a bit difficult,’ he said. But on Sunday, Col Magezi and several supporters of Gen Muhoozi took to social media to continue the attacks on the US, its senator, and anyone condemning the CDF’s remarks. Mr Andrew Mwenda, an open Gen Muhoozi’s confidant, posted that Gen Muhoozi doesn’t mind the US sanctions. ‘First, the CDF doesn’t mind USA sanctions. The USA has sanctioned Nelson Mandela, bugged Martin Luther King Jr, killed Patrice Lumumba, overthrown Kwame Nkrumah, and much worse. Progressive Africa does not expect any gifts from Washington.

What is nauseating is this constant use of threats as if we are children supposed to be managed by some white overlord as was in the colonial period,’ Mr Mwenda posted on his social media account. Col Magezi reposted Mr Mwenda’s remarks. Similarly, Mr David Kabanda, the secretary general of Patriotic League of Uganda, a political pressure group pushing to have Gen Muhoozi as Uganda”s next leader after President Museveni, also told Sen Risch to stop ‘ranting over deleted personal opinions on X’. ‘You have bigger issues/scandals to deal with in your backyard (Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Epstein files, etc.) than ranting over deleted personal opinions on X… Uganda’s future is well secured by its freedom fighters, not imperialists,’ said Mr Kabanda, the Member of Parliament for Kasambya County.

Police on Monday arrested two activists over holding an unlawful protest challenging recent opposition abductions and alleged electoral fraud in January elections.

The arrested include Benjamin Akiso, 27, a former Kyambogo University Guild President, and Ismael Mayanja, 28. Both are being held at Wandegeya Police Station pending charges.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire said the arrests occurred along Wandegeya Street as the protest began.

‘The Wandegeya Police arrested two suspects; we are investigating their case of public incitement of violence to commit an offence. We are yet to align them before court by the end of 48 hours,’ Mr Owoyesigire said.

He condemned the protest as unlawful, stressing it threatened national security, and urged citizens to follow proper procedures for demonstrations.

‘There are proper ways of having peaceful police-supervised protests. We urge them to always inform the police officers or the IGP to work together ensuring that the protests are regulated,’ he added.

The arrests come amid heightened tension for the National Unity Platform (NUP) after several party leaders were either detained or went missing.

Among them are NUP deputy presidents for Western and Northern Uganda, Ms Jolly Jacklyn Tukamushaba and Dr Lina Zedriga Waru, who have not been seen since January 15, the party says.

Before his arrest, Akiso called for the release of all political prisoners and accountability for human rights violations, urging scrutiny of the electoral process.

‘To the security forces, civil servants, and electoral officials. Your allegiance is to the Constitution and to the people of Uganda, not to individuals or illegal orders. History will judge those who chose to uphold the law, and those who chose to violate it,’ Akiso said.

He also appealed to international actors saying: ‘We as well appeal to the international community, the African Union, the East African Community, the United Nations, and all defenders of democracy: silence in the face of injustice is complicity.

‘We call upon you to stand firmly with the people of Uganda through principled action, accountability mechanisms, and diplomatic pressure,’ he added.

Since President Museveni secured a seventh term on January 15 with 71.65% of votes, opposition figures, including NUP candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, have faced arrests or threats, fueling concerns over the post-election cycle.

Bobi Wine fled his home in Magere, Wakiso District, amid escalating security pressures and his whereabouts remain unknown.

The High Court Family Division has dissolved a 33-year Christian marriage, finding that the union had irretrievably broken down after years of violence, humiliation, and the forced expulsion of one spouse from the matrimonial home.

In her Monday judgment, Justice Celia Nagawa granted a decree nisi dissolving the marriage between Hope Kyomugisha and Friday Herbert Mugisha, which was solemnized on May 2, 1992 at St James Cathedral, Ruharo, Mbarara, and ordered the division of several high-value properties in Kampala, while declining to award alimony.

Ms Kyomugisha told court that what began as a Christian marriage blessed with four children gradually descended into years of fear and instability.

She alleged that soon after the wedding, Mr Mugisha became violent, developed a habit of drunkenness, and repeatedly abused her both at home and in public.

Among the most serious incidents cited was a May 2005 assault at Gabiro, where Mr Mugisha allegedly pushed her out of a vehicle and beat her in a roadside trench, causing injuries that damaged her kidney and required multiple surgeries in Uganda, Kenya, and India.

In assessing the claim of cruelty, Justice Nagawa relied on established matrimonial law principles.

‘No conduct can amount to cruelty unless it has the effect of producing actual or apprehended injury to the petitioner’s physical or mental health,’ the judge stated.

Mr Mugisha denied the allegations and maintained that he was a loving husband.

He told court that his Christian faith did not permit divorce and claimed it was the petitioner (Ms Kyomugisha) who deserted the matrimonial home.

However, the court found the petitioner’s account consistent and detailed, noting that she had lived separately for 14 years and had previously filed a divorce petition in 2012.

‘The petitioner’s account presents a consistent narrative of violence, humiliation and eventual expulsion from the matrimonial home. The defence consisted largely of bare denials without coherent alternative explanation,’ Justice Nagawa ruled.

On the allegation of adultery, the court found the evidence insufficient. Applying the standard set in Ayiko Mawa Solomon Vs Lekuru Annet Ayiko, the judge held that adultery must be proved to a level producing near moral certainty.

‘Mere allegations without supporting evidence cannot suffice,’ the court held.

Nevertheless, the judge found that cruelty alone was sufficient to dissolve the marriage under section 4(1)(e) of the Divorce Act.

She also held that the respondent’s conduct amounted to constructive desertion, having made it impossible for the petitioner to continue living in the matrimonial home.

‘Where one spouse’s behaviour is so unreasonable that it forces the other spouse to leave, the law deems the spouse whose conduct caused the departure to have deserted,’ the judge stated.

Property distribution

On property distribution, the court relied on Article 31(1) of the Constitution and the Court of Appeal decision in Kabuye Robert Vs Nanyonga Teopista, which recognizes both financial and non-financial contributions to a marriage.

The court noted that the petitioner single-handedly raised the children after separation and contributed through homemaking and running a family restaurant.

‘No property was bought before 1992,’ the respondent admitted under cross-examination, placing most of the disputed assets within the marriage period.

Justice Nagawa awarded the petitioner the residential house in Kirombe, Luzira, and a commercial and residential property in Kitintale, Luzira, while the respondent retained the Mbuya residence, the Bugolobi flat, and a farm in Kazo District, whose ownership was contested and therefore left undistributed.

The court declined to grant alimony, finding no evidence that the petitioner lacked the capacity for self-support.

Alimony refers to financial support that a court orders one spouse to pay to the other during separation or after divorce.

‘The evidence before court does not demonstrate that the petitioner lacks the capacity for self-support,’ the judge ruled.

Each party was ordered to bear their own costs, with the court observing that the case arose from a long and painful marriage in which both parties have undoubtedly suffered.’

The marriage will be formally dissolved after six months, following the issuance of a decree nisi under Section 36 of the Divorce Act.

A continental network of Catholic scholars, leaders, and advocates of pastoral ministry and church studies has asked the government to immediately release detained Masaka priest, the Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira. The pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) in a statement on Saturday also warned that the detention of Fr Ssekabira reflects a worrying trend of suppressing civil society, peaceful protesters, and members of the clergy.

Today marks two months since the Catholic priest from Bumangi Catholic Parish in Masaka Diocese was abducted and held incommunicado for several weeks before being presented and charged in Masaka High Court. But the continental Catholic network said the arrest and detention raises serious questions about the State’s commitment to constitutional rights, freedom of expression, and protection of peaceful assembly.

‘Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest are inalienable human rights. From our Christian conviction, they are also God-given gifts rooted in human dignity,’ the statement read. ‘The strength of a nation is shown not by the silencing of its citizens, but by its capacity to listen, to dialogue, and to protect the dignity of all,’ they added. The Catholic body called for the immediate release of all individuals detained in connection with peaceful civic action, an end to intimidation of clergy and activists, and the opening of a genuine national dialogue involving religious leaders, civil society, and political actors on the protection of civic space and democratic freedoms.

Accusations

Fr Ssekabira, 47, was charged on December 14 in Masaka High Court, with the prosecution alleging that between 2023 and 2025, at Centenary Bank Masaka Branch in Masaka City, the priest and others still at large, concealed property internationally believed to be proceeds of crime. Subsequently, President Museveni during a thanksgiving for his reelection, in Kiruhura District, said Fr Ssekabira was reportedly involved with opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party leader Robert Kyagulanyi. President Museveni said religious leaders had appealed for the priest’s release, but he declined, and said the release would only be possible if those involved told the truth and stopped their activities.

‘Some of the Opposition are wrong, but not terrorists. Some are wrong, but terrorists. The other day, when I had a meeting with the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, I told them if they could find a way with these misled people so that we don’t have to use a strong arm on them, it would be better,’ he said. ‘. When I met (Masaka Catholic) Bishop Jjumba here a few days ago, we had arrested a priest in Masaka because he was involved with Kyagulanyi. They wanted me to release him, but I said no. We can’t release him. We can release him if they tell the truth and stop, because our interest is not to punish but to stop and never do it again.’

Accountability

But the pan-African Catholic network said: ‘On July 23, 2024, more than 45 Ugandans were arrested while peacefully demanding accountability from elected leaders. Similarly, on August 1, 2025, a group of 12 youth environmental and climate justice defenders was detained while advocating responsible governance. These incidents highlight a pattern of targeting peaceful voices rather than addressing their concerns.’ The Catholic body has warned that the continued suppression of dissent risks deepening public mistrust in State institutions and undermining social cohesion.

‘We remind the police and the military of their sworn duty to protect all Ugandans, regardless of political affiliation, opinion, or social position,’ the statement read. The network also called on President Museveni to uphold his responsibility as the leader of all Ugandans, including critics and peaceful dissenters. It reminded the President of his 1986 pledge that democratic governance is a right, not a favour granted by those in power. ‘What we witnessed today appears to be a painful departure from that promise,’ the network said. ‘Protest is not a crime. Their struggle is part of a broader effort to secure a future grounded in justice, accountability, and hope,’ they added.

Tension has escalated within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Mukono District after party members accused the district party leadership of corruption and mismanagement of campaign funds.

The accusations stem from the party’s poor performance in the recent parliamentary and local government elections, in which NUP swept all parliamentary seats in the district.

Speaking at a meeting held at Buyuki Village in Nama sub-county on Sunday, disgruntled members, including several NRM flag bearers who lost in the elections, accused Mukono District NRM Chairperson, Hajj. Harunah Ssemakula, of abandoning candidates at the grassroots during the campaign period and weakening party mobilisation efforts.

“He used to get vehicles to transport people at NRM rallies, and he would fail to clear them in time. They cited an example at Kiyunga primary school where they held Buganda Ku Museveni rally, and people got stuck till night after delayed payments,” the members said.

Joseph Wamala Maseruka, a former NRM flag bearer, alleged that corruption within the party leadership denied candidates access to vital campaign resources.

“Money was released to support campaigns, but it never reached the grassroots,” Maseruka said. “Some of us did not receive any support at all.”

Several members demanded Ssemakula’s resignation and said they plan to petition the NRM secretariat to investigate the alleged misuse of funds.

Umar Ssebuyungo, the NRM flag bearer for Chairperson of Mukono Central Division, said the party’s performance in the district contradicted national calls for strong grassroots mobilisation.

“In Mukono, we failed to win even a single parliamentary seat,” Ssebuyungo said.

In response, Mr. Ssemakula dismissed the allegations, saying funds from the party secretariat were allocated only to specific categories of candidates. “I received only Shs 63 million and equally distributed it to all villages in Mukono for mobilisation,” Ssemakula said.

The only position claimed by NRM is the disputed LC5 chairperson seat, after the returning officer, Emily Amongin, declared two winners for the same position, Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga of NUP and Lukooya Mukoome of the NRM.

The High Court Commercial Division in Kampala has ordered businessman Andrew Kananura to pay over Shs140 million Vehicle and Equipment Leasing (U) Ltd after resolving a long-running dispute over the sale of motor vehicles and unpaid parking fees.

In his Monday judgment, Justice Stephen Mubiru found that while both parties owed each other money arising from related transactions, the final balance after set-off was in favour of the vehicle leasing company.

The dispute arose from a commercial relationship that began in April 2019, when Vehicle and Equipment Leasing (U) Ltd leased premises at Plot 20-30 Sadler Way, Naguru in Kampala, from Kananura, who was operating Panamera Bar and Restaurant at the time.

Part of the premises was used by the company as a parking yard for imported vehicles awaiting sale.

Court records show that between 2019 and 2020, the defendant (Kananura) acquired five motor vehicles from the plaintiff (Vehicle and Equipment Leasing (U) Ltd) under various arrangements, some formal and others disputed.

The vehicles included a Toyota Hilux, a Nissan Hard Body pick-up, two Toyota Land Cruiser station wagons and a Volkswagen Amarok.

The plaintiff claimed Kananura defaulted on payments totaling Shs255 million, while the defendant denied liability and instead counterclaimed Shs284.3 million in accumulated parking fees, arguing that the plaintiff failed to pay agreed daily charges for vehicles parked at his premises.

In determining the case, Justice Mubiru examined whether the alleged debts were liquidated sums capable of set-off and whether the parties had proved their respective claims.

On the purchase of the vehicles, the court found that three of the transactions were supported by written sale agreements, which the defendant admitted.

However, two vehicles, the Toyota Land Cruiser UAZ 468 E and the Volkswagen Amarok UAW 554 F were acquired under disputed circumstances, with no signed agreements on price.

The judge noted significant inconsistencies in the defendant’s testimony.

‘By the defendant in his examination in chief denying having purchased the two vehicles, and yet under cross-examination admitting that he did, he significantly undermined his credibility,’ Justice Mubiru held.

Relying on valuation reports and the doctrine of quasi-contract, the court ruled that the defendant had unjustly benefited from taking possession of the vehicles without full payment.

‘When a quasi-contract is found, the court typically awards the plaintiff the ‘reasonable value’ of the goods provided,’ the judge stated.

Based on market valuations, the court accepted the plaintiff’s prices of Shs125 million for the Toyota Land Cruiser and Shs65 million for the Volkswagen Amarok.

After accounting for partial payments already made, the court found that Kananura owed the plaintiff Shs255 million for the vehicles.

On the counterclaim for parking fees, the court held that the defendant had proved part of his claim, particularly in relation to yard sale events and parking charges.

However, the judge faulted the plaintiff for failing to produce complete parking records, drawing an adverse inference against the company.

‘The rule of spoliation of evidence permits courts to impose sanctions, such as adverse inference, against the party responsible for the withholding or destruction of evidence,’ the judge said.

As a result, the court found that the plaintiff owed the defendant Shs114,113,000 in parking fees.

When the two sums were set off against each other, the court arrived at a net balance of Shs140,887,000 payable by the defendant to the plaintiff.

Justice Mubiru further awarded interest at 20 percent per annum from 14 October 2020, the date the suit was filed, until payment in full, citing the prolonged nature of the litigation.

‘I consider the award of interest at the rate of 20% per annum. adequate compensation for the plaintiff’s having been deprived of the use of this money,’ the judge ruled.

The defendant was also ordered to pay the costs of the suit.