Category: Daily Monitor

Uganda’s construction sector inflation slowed down to 0.2 per cent in December 2025, compared to 0.3 per cent in November 2025, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).

The decline was mainly attributed to specialized construction activities, which registered an inflation rate of 0.2 per cent in December, down from 0.5 per cent in November.

Speaking on the trends, Ms Irene Musitwa, Senior Statistician at UBOS, noted that the decrease was driven by demolition and site preparation, which saw inflation drop to 0.8 per cent in December from 1.7 percent in November.

“The main driver for specialized construction activities inflation was demolition and site preparation whose inflation was registered at 0.8 percent in December compared to 1.7 per cent in November same year,” UBOS reported.

Ms Musitwa added that electrical plumbing and other construction installation activities inflation remained steady at minus 0.1 per cent in December. Building completion and finishing inflation also remained unchanged at 0.1 per cent in December.

The construction sector inflation of civil engineering works was registered at 0.4 percent for the year ended December 2025, the same rate for the year ended November 2025.

“The construction sector inflation of civil engineering works was registered at 0.4 percent for the year ended December 2025, the same rate for the year ended November 2025,” Ms. Musitwa said.

This was mainly driven by construction of roads and railways, which registered an inflation rate of 0.6 percent in December, same as in November. According to Ms Musitwa, construction sector inflation for utility projects was at minus 0.5 percent in December, same as in November.

Ms. Musitwa also noted that construction sector inflation of construction of buildings was registered at 0.2 percent in December, same as in November.

Construction of non-residential buildings registered an inflation rate of 0.3 per cent in December, same as in November, while construction of residential buildings registered an inflation rate of 0.2 per cent in December, up from 0.1 per cent in November.

Overall, the construction input price index indicates a slowdown in inflation, reflecting changes in the cost of construction materials and services.

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.

After years of decline, new government estimates indicate that Uganda’s wetland coverage is recovering, but this restoration is slow and not happening in all affected areas. According to new data from the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), the wetland coverage has increased from 8.9 percent in 2019 to 13.9 percent in 2025. This is still below the 15.6 percent coverage in 1994. The wetlands are essential in buffering communities against floods, purifying water, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining livelihoods.

But rapid urbanisation, population growth, agricultural expansion, and even sanctioned developments have pushed these vital ecosystems in many areas to the brink. Conservationists and researchers believe that conservation and restoration should be approached differently to achieve more impact. They say the most effective path forward lies not solely in top-down enforcement but in prioritising community governance to combat wetland degradation. Degradation of wetlands in Uganda is driven by many factors, with some, especially in urban areas and for major projects, people get permits from the government to alter (degrade) wetlands as they do construction and other projects.

But in many rural communities, people are also degrading wetlands without first getting these permits. Many people have degraded wetlands for rice and vegetable farming, brick and sand mining, settlement, and over harvesting of wetland resources like papyrus for craft, among others. ‘You find that most of the communities are moving down to the wetlands because they believe their soil is probably moving down to the wetlands,’ Ms Anke Barahukwa, the senior programme manager at Nature Uganda, shares her field experience. She continues: ‘So we come in to educate them. What is the relevance of this wetland? What would happen in 10 years if they continue degrading it like that?’

The conservationist also says that many do not have an alternative livelihood. ‘People are failing on wetland conservation because these are vulnerable communities. You find that they don’t have land elsewhere,’ she says. ‘Probably some of them are not educated, so they cannot look for jobs elsewhere -the white-collar jobs, and you find that they have to depend directly on this ecosystem. The population has grown, but the land is not growing,’ she adds. Mr Deo Kabaalu, the principal wetland officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, explains the destruction of the environment by some of the influential and powerful businessmen in Uganda. ‘Wetland abuse is like any other criminal act.

People keep breaking the law. If you are to go to KCCA, for example, you’ll find people putting up structures and houses without approved plans,’ he says, when asked why this is happening. ‘So people are dumping soil into wetlands, which is a crime, and the authority, the ministry, is doing whatever it can to halt this.’ Mr Kabaalu admits they are also struggling to stop these criminals. ‘Criminality keeps changing. In 2010, we used to move to the wetland, and you just showed an identity card for the ministry, and people could run away, but now you have to move with guns, and even with guns, you find there is resistance,’ he reveals. But he says they have not given up. ‘We are responding.

But the rate at which these individuals do the degradation activities in the wetland is high,’ he says. ‘The second one, as a ministry, we have done a lot to bring this wetland awareness, and the President has been at the forefront. But you know, we need stakeholders involved. We need the people to join hands to say we put this on hold,’ he adds. Mr Kalaabu also explains that the President has directed them to stop giving permits for development in wetlands and that this move is behind the observed recovery in wetland coverage.

‘We know the law previously allowed individuals to request permits and conduct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and then they approved the whole process. But after 20 years, we realised that the community had turned this into something automatic, that whenever you conduct an EIA, it should be approved,’ he says. ‘That’s why His Excellency [President Museveni] directed that we stop issuing permits in wetlands, and that has happened for the last five years, and we can see the impact. ‘Now, it’s hard to find somebody with the EIA, claiming that, apart from those that happened, and they are about to expire. We need wetland infrastructure because it is very important in sewage treatment, flood control and so on,’ he adds.

Cultural, community leadership

However, Ms Mariam Nkalubo Mayanja, the minister of Lands and Environment for the Buganda Kingdom, believes the government will achieve more impact when they work with cultural and community leaders surrounding these ecosystems. ‘Unsustainable land use practices have weakened both our wetlands and the traditional knowledge system that once protected them,’ she says. ‘In some cases, cultural values have been dismissed as outdated while modern development has proceeded without regard for ecological limits.’

Ms Barahukwa sheds more light. Citing how community governance has proven successful in Musambwa Island, where people live with birds and snakes because of existing traditional knowledge or taboos that bar people from killing snakes, she says the ecosystem has been conserved. The conservationist says this has turned the island into one of the best tourism destinations in the country, earning the country foreign exchange and supporting livelihood in this community.

‘For example, at Musambwa Island, the people there are not allowed to eat the eggs, which ensures that when these birds, the grey-headed gulls, migrate to the island and they are breeding. It will ensure that the population of the birds continues to grow because the people are not eating the eggs. And you have more of the population continuing to exist,’ she adds. Ms Barahukwa says they are working with communities to find solutions that would reduce the degradation and promote conservation.

Government has recorded a nearly 40 percent increase in revenue collection, according to the Annual Auditor General Report.

However, the report noted that even with the increase, the country’s tax-to-gross domestic product ratio remains low compared to other developing countries.

The report shows that total revenue collection in the 2024/25 financial year stood at Shs32.357 trillion, up from Shs22.098 trillion, representing a rise of about Shs10 trillion over four years.

This was attributed to the upward trend, partly due to improvements in tax administration by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), through the ‘introduction of solutions such as Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS) and Digital Tax Stamps (DTS), which have increased compliance among taxpayers and contributed to the growth in revenue.

The report indicates that the growth was mainly driven by taxes on gains, profits, fees and licences, value added tax (VAT), as well as customs and excise duties.

Revenue from the petroleum sector recorded the highest growth, rising from Shs81b four years ago to Shs264b in the 2024/25 financial year, representing a 69 percent increase.

Taxes on gains, profits, fees, and licences increased from Shs7.578 trillion to Shs11.943 trillion, a 36 percent rise over the same period.

Customs and excise revenue also grew, reaching Shs9.6 trillion from Shs6.755 trillion four years earlier, an increase of 29 percent.

VAT collections rose by 26 percent, from Shs6.452 trillion in to Shs8.779 trillion in the 2024/2025 financial year, while non-tax revenue increased by more than 30 percent, from Shs1.229 trillion to Shs1.765 trillion.

However, the report indicates that the tax-to-GDP ratio remains below the International Monetary Fund recommendation of 15 percent for developing countries.

The tax-to-GDP ratio measures total tax revenue as a percentage of GDP and indicates the share of a country’s output collected by government through taxes.

The report notes that despite the growth in revenue collection, tax-to-GDP ratio remains stood at about 13.4 percent, which show a wide disparities, with the sub-Saharan Africa average of 18.6 percent, the world average of 23 percent.

‘From the analysis, Uganda continues to perform relatively poorly compared to other countries in the region and globally.

The tax base has not widened or deepened sufficiently, leading to increased reliance on debt to bridge the financing gap,’ Auditor General Edward Akol noted in the report.

The report highlights a structural imbalance between economic activity and tax revenue generation, noting that agriculture contributes significantly to GDP but relatively little to tax revenues, with tax revenue remaining heavily concentrated in trade and manufacturing and other services.

Jubilation swept through communities across Budaka District as government officials, local leaders and residents gathered to celebrate the completion of three newly built seed secondary schools worth Shs10b.

The investment marks one of the district’s most significant boosts to education infrastructure in recent years. This brings renewed hope to families that have long struggled to access affordable secondary school education.

The newly launched institutions are Nansanga Seed Secondary School, Mugiti Seed Secondary School and Kamonkoli Seed Secondary School. The schools were constructed under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UGIFT) programme, which aims to expand access to quality secondary education in underserved rural areas.

Each school is equipped with modern facilities, including fully furnished classrooms, a science laboratory, a library, staff houses, an administration block, reliable water supply and improved sanitation systems. The infrastructure is designed to support both day and boarding learners while meeting national education standards.

Budaka LC5 Chairperson, Mr Emmanuel Pajje, praised the government for prioritising education and deliberately working to bridge the long-standing rural-urban divide.

He noted that the new schools will drastically reduce the long walking distances that previously forced many learners, especially girls, to drop out of school.

‘This investment ensures that every child in these respective sub-counties has a fair chance at a bright future. It will automatically reduce the long distances learners have been enduring just to access education,’ Mr Pajje said.

Where the Shs 10b went

According to information from the district engineering department, Mugiti Seed Secondary School was constructed at a cost of Shs 2.9bn, Nansanga Seed Secondary School at Shs 3.2bn, while Kamonkoli Seed Secondary School cost Shs 1.9bn.

Construction works at Mugiti and Nansanga seed secondary schools were undertaken by MKN Pages Ltd, while Kamonkoli Seed Secondary School was built by Lab Plus Ltd.

‘As a government policy, each sub-county should have a secondary school. This is intended to make education accessible and reduce long distances,’ Mr Pajje explained.

He also challenged parents and community members to embrace and support the schools by protecting the infrastructure and ensuring proper maintenance. However, he cautioned them against mixing politics into school affairs, noting that a stable learning environment is essential for smooth management.

Parents and community members expressed gratitude, saying the schools bring relief and renewed hope to families that could not afford private secondary education.

The village chairperson of Bukaduka in Kamonkoli Sub-county, Mr Kepher Nibogere, described the development as a major milestone for learners and parents.

‘Most of our children previously had to walk very long distances to access education. This is a milestone we should be proud of as parents,’ Mr Nibogere said.

Teachers see promise

Teachers welcomed the development, noting that the improved facilities will enhance teaching conditions and boost academic performance in rural areas.

Kamonkoli Seed Secondary School head teacher, Mr Martin Ochan, applauded the government for providing affordable, accessible and relevant education through the construction of seed secondary schools across the country.

‘As Kamonkoli community, we deeply appreciate this facility. We are grateful to everyone who sacrificed resources to ensure these schools had a starting point,’ Mr Ochan said.

Enrolment surges strain facilities

However, he revealed that enrolment at the school has grown rapidly, from 250 students in 2022 to 1,001 in 2025, a surge that is now putting pressure on existing infrastructure.

He said the school urgently needs six additional classrooms to accommodate the growing student population and appealed for more computers to support modern teaching and learning technologies.

Relief for vulnerable learners

Mugiti Seed Secondary School head teacher, Mr Alex Masaba, said the school has already registered 264 students and sits on a six-acre piece of land.

He noted that the establishment of the school has brought immense relief to vulnerable learners who previously trekked long distances to attend secondary school.

Similarly, Nansanga Seed Secondary School head teacher, Ms Nisulka Sumbatala, commended the government for its timely intervention, saying the school has made secondary school education affordable and accessible to the community.

Focus on transition and literacy rates

Mr Peter Kaujju, a board member of Kamonkoli Seed Secondary School, thanked the government for extending secondary education to some of the most vulnerable communities.

‘The most critical impact is that these schools will reduce long distances and school dropout, especially the girl child,’ Mr Kaujju said.

The acting District Education Officer (DEO), Mr Richard Wako, highlighted that the schools will significantly improve literacy levels and transition rates from primary to secondary education.

He urged parents to enroll their children, noting that the government has already played its part by providing the necessary infrastructure.

Government pledges continued support

The Ministry of Education and Sports reaffirmed its commitment to deploying qualified teachers, supplying textbooks and supporting school management as part of its broader mission to expand secondary school coverage across Uganda.

Mr Anthony Egesa, deputy chief administrative officer, urged community members to safeguard the new schools and support administrators in maintaining the facilities as the district celebrates their completion.

‘With this Shs 10bn investment, Budaka District is stepping into a new era of educational opportunity-one expected to transform the future of thousands of learners for generations to come,’ Mr Egesa said.

He also encouraged newly posted teachers to remain patient as the government processes their salaries, noting reports that some have gone for a while without pay.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Monica Musenero, represented by Mr Sam Mulomi, said the project demonstrated clear value for money.

‘I am delighted by the quality of these structures. We must guard these facilities with great care,’ he said.

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.