Category: Daily Monitor

In the 2024/25 financial year, Uganda Airlines, which trades as Uganda National Airlines Company Limited, demonstrated early signs of financial stabilisation, marked by a slim reduction in losses and growth in revenue.

However, these gains were significantly weighed down by rising operating costs, fleet challenges, and persistent control and governance weaknesses, which continue to constrain the airline’s turnaround.

The airline reduced its net loss from Shs231.58b in the 2023/24 financial year to Shs230.81b in the 2024/25 financial year, reflecting a Shs768m (0.33 percent) improvement.

Although modest, this reduction is notable given the airline’s capital-intensive expansion phase and signals that losses may be beginning to stabilise rather than escalate.

Uganda Airlines registered a Shs102b loss in its first year of operation in 2020, before expanding to Shs265.91b in June 2022, and further to Shs325b in June 2023. However, the loss narrowed by Shs87b to Shs231.58b in June 2024.

Thus, the slight improvement, the Auditor General noted in a report released last Thursday, was largely supported by revenue growth of 19.2 percent, driven by expanded route operations and increased international presence, including long-haul services such as the London route.

The growth in traffic and market reach indicates increasing demand and validates the strategic intent behind network expansion.

However, the airline’s cost base, the Auditor General noted, continued to surge at a pace that largely offset revenue gains, with trade and other payables increasing sharply to Shs235.7b as of June 2025, up from Shs171.68b in June 2024.

This signals growing pressure from unpaid supplier obligations and short-term liabilities, reflecting liquidity stress and rising operating costs, particularly in areas such as fuel, leasing, maintenance, and handling services.

Fleet-related challenges further compounded these cost pressures, with the airline experiencing delays in the post-lease closure of an A320 wet lease agreement, leaving a $930,000 (Shs3.3b) security deposit outstanding and subject to recovery through legal action.

In addition, physical inspection of the CRJ900 fleet revealed that aircraft 5X-KNP had been grounded since September 2025 due to the unavailability of a critical spare part, which reduced fleet availability, increasing the risk of flight disruptions and exposing the airline to customer dissatisfaction and revenue leakage.

Fuel procurement emerged as a major risk area, with the Auditor General noting that aviation fuel supplier penalties amounting to $1.78m (Shs6.3b) from MixJet were imposed without adequate supporting documentation, increasing the risk of unsupported expenditure.

More critically, aviation fuel was uplifted, and payments totalling $17.38m (Shs61.8b) were made without a valid fuel supply contract, of which $9.29m (Shs33b) related to the 2024/25 financial year fuel supplied by Vivo Energy.

Operational control weaknesses were also evident in cash management, with cash collections amounting to $103,491.7 (Shs368.2m) at the Juba country office not banked as required and remained under criminal and legal investigation, which exposes the airline to potential financial loss.

Equity investment

Despite the scale of government support, amounting to Shs1.98 trillion invested in the airline since revival over five years ago, only Shs200m has been recognised as share capital, with the balance recorded as share application funds and government capitalisation, pending formal conversion.

The airline also registered performance lags, achieving Shs424.16b (68.49 percent) out of the approved target.

On the output side, out of 29 outputs covering 34 activities valued at Shs33.046 trillion, only one was fully implemented, 20 were partially implemented, and eight were not implemented at all, pointing to execution capacity weaknesses and constraints.

Further compounding the airline’s financial position, the Auditor General indicated that a separate verification of domestic arrears amounting to $78.56m (Shs282b) is ongoing, signalling potentially significant additional liabilities that could further strain the airline’s finances once confirmed.

The Auditor General also noted that, whereas there has been an improvement in revenues, rising payables, fuel cost exposures, fleet constraints, weak contract management, and governance lapses continue to erode these gains.

Thus, until costs are brought under tighter control, fleet availability improves, and financial discipline is strengthened, revenue growth alone will not be sufficient to deliver a sustainable turnaround.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija has said the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) 2025-30 Strategic Plan is critical in expanding retirement savings and strengthening social security, at a time when 85 percent of Ugandans are not saving for old age.

Citing a previous URBRA report, Mr Kasaija noted that low sector coverage remains a major challenge, largely because the current retirement benefits system excludes most informal sector workers.

‘The URBRA Strategic Plan sets forth a clear path to enhance the efficiency, governance, and growth of the retirement benefits sector to provide social security in old age,’ he said, explaining that the plan seeks to increase domestic savings to 35 percent of GDP by 2040, primarily by promoting good governance and stability within the retirement benefits sector.

Mr Kasaija noted that this goal aligns with government’s broader objective of raising household incomes, expanding employment, and achieving sustainable socio-economic transformation, which he said, when effectively harnessed, retirement benefits savings can play a transformative role in the economy.

‘Higher savings lead to higher investment, which in turn boosts economic development and prosperity for our citizens,’ he said.

A previous URBRA report indicates that while the constitution guarantees all citizens access to pension and retirement benefits under the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, structural limitations have left the majority of workers uncovered.

Government is now considering reforms aimed at making the sector more inclusive, particularly for informal sector workers, as part of efforts to reduce old-age poverty and improve social welfare.

URBRA acting chief executive officer Rita Nansasi said the Authority has drawn key lessons from the outgoing 2020-25 Strategic Plan, including the use of the Electronic Risk-Based Supervision System to identify and manage sector risks.

Over the next five years, she said, URBRA will focus on strengthening stability, security, and governance, while enforcing prudential standards to ensure better outcomes for members.

The Strategic Plan is aligned with National Development Plan IV and recognises the central role of retirement savings in Uganda’s long-term socio-economic transformation.

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.

Researchers from Makerere University School of Public Health (Mak-SPH) have launched a four-year study to assess the impact of government interventions on wetlands restoration and management.

The study, dubbed “Win-Win in the Wetlands for Climate Resilience: Consolidating and Scaling Health, Social, and Economic Impacts of Wetlands Conservation and Restoration in rural as well as urban Uganda,” aims to evaluate the Building Resilience Communities Project, implemented by the government since 2017.

Speaking at the project launch, Dr. Rawlance Ndeijjo, Principal Investigator and lecturer at Mak-SPH, said the study is intended to inform policy and guide on the good practices required to ensure that wetland restoration benefits the masses.

“We have seen projects that are implemented to restore and conserve wetlands, but many times we don’t go ahead to try to evaluate the health impact of those projects. So our proposition in this project is to look at the project which the government has been implementing since 2017, and that is the Building Resilience Communities Project,” he said.

Dr. Ndeijjo added, “We want to try and document the health impact of this project, in addition to the social and economic impact, and also be able to come out with clear evidence on the contribution of this project to climate mitigation, how much these wetlands absorb carbon, we want to look at this as a holistic picture.”

The study will focus on four thematic areas, including: measuring climate, health, social, and economic outcomes of wetland restoration across Uganda; co-designing, piloting, and evaluating evidence-based interventions for urban conservation; training district and city teams to implement and sustain effective conservation actions; and updating national frameworks and strategies to support long-term, community-centered wetland protection.

“We want to see how we can advance the understanding of the benefit of climate mitigation strategies, beyond just their contribution to the environment,” said Dr. John Bosco Isunju, Project co-investigator.

Mr. Deo Kabaalu, the Principal Wetlands Officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, said the study is timely and will guide the government on the implementation of similar projects aimed at restoring the wetlands to at least 3,900 hectares.

The project will assess the impact of wetland restoration in rural and urban areas, including the effects on diarrhea cases, bilharzia, and mental health.

“We shall learn from implementing this project and want the local person to see the value of wetland restoration, that’s why we shall go to the communities and see the number of children under five who have had diarrhea within the past two weeks to compare the areas that have been restored and those that haven’t. We shall also look at aspects like bilharzia, and mental health and well-being,” Dr. Ndeijjo said.

Universities in Uganda have been urged to fully adopt competence-based learning to equip graduates with practical skills needed in the job market.

This call comes amid concerns over rising unemployment among degree holders. The government introduced the competence-based curriculum in 2020 and has given institutions until the 2027/2028 academic year to align their programs.

Speaking at the 2026 Philip C. Jessop International Law Moot Court Competition at Kampala International University (KIU), Prof. Muhammed Ngoma, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, emphasised the shift from exam-centered teaching to skills acquisition.

“One of the challenges we face is that many students focus on passing exams. Training happens in class, but the practice of law happens in courts and in society. Students should pick these concepts not just to pass exams, but to apply them in real-life situations,” he said.

He added that the Jessop competition tests students’ ability to apply what they’ve learned, demonstrating competence-based education. ”

The Jessop competition is important to law students globally because it tests their ability to apply what they have learnt. This is a clear demonstration of competence-based education,” Dr. Ngoma said.

Education experts attribute unemployment challenges to exam-oriented training and limited practical exposure. The Philip C. Jessop International Law Moot Court Competition, the world’s largest moot court contest, aims to cultivate essential skills like public speaking, legal research, and writing.

Brian Alex Kiira, National Administrator of the competition, said the winning university will represent Uganda in Washington, competing against 100 universities globally.

“The structure of the Jessup Competition is as follows: we begin with national rounds, like the ones happening here, which are held in countries all over the world. From these rounds, a national champion is crowned and will go on to represent Uganda at the international advanced rounds, which this year will take place in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., later in March,” Mr. Kiira said.

He added, “The Jessup Competition is designed to cultivate essential skills for the practice of law, skills that are valuable whether or not you plan to practice in a courtroom. These include public speaking, oratory, confidence, legal research, and legal writing.”

Dr. Ngoma advised law students to focus on acquiring skills and competences for effective practice after graduation.

“This particular event shows whether the law students we train in this country can practically apply legal concepts. Ideally, students should learn in courts of law, but we do not have enough courts to accommodate all law students. These competitions therefore act as laboratories where students practise the law,” he said.

The competition is being held simultaneously in other countries, providing a global platform for law students to showcase their skills. Universities that win at the national level will represent their countries internationally, offering a valuable opportunity for students to gain experience and recognition.

Masaka Chief Magistrate, Abert Asiimwe has declared the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Justine Nameere as Masaka City Woman MP-elect after a contentious four-day vote recount, overturning the Electoral Commission’s earlier declaration of Ms Rose Nalubowa as the winner.

According to the chief magistrate, Ms Nameere, who ran to court for a recount, polled 25, 502 votes, beating three other contenders, despite some ballot boxes having been found tampered with.

The magistrate indicated that National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Nalubowa, who had earlier been declared the winner by Masaka City returning officer, garnered 23,176 votes while Democratic Front (DF)’s Juliet Nakakande, who is the incumbent MP, polled 6,136 votes as Ms Sauya Nanyonga, who contested as an Independent candidate, trailed with 5,921 votes.

Complaints

When Mr Asiimwe on Friday, January 30, ruled in favour of Ms Nameere’s application for a vote recount, 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 Mr 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 the winner of the Masaka City Woman MP seat by the Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Ms 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.

Fear and uncertainty have gripped supporters of Uganda’s main opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party in Luuka District following the alleged abduction of their candidate, Salim Isabirye, who is contesting for LC3 chairperson of Bukanga Sub-county.

Family members and party supporters say Isabirye was allegedly abducted last Thursday under unclear circumstances while returning from a political meeting.

His whereabouts remain unknown, raising tension among supporters and residents just days before the LC3 elections scheduled for Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Abusaali Alamanzani, a brother of the missing candidate, narrated the incident with visible emotion.

He said Salim was travelling on a motorcycle shortly after leaving a meeting when a pickup truck intercepted them.

‘My brother was returning from a meeting when a pickup truck blocked the motorcycle he was riding,’ he said on Monday, adding:

‘He was arrested and forcefully thrown into the vehicle. They first drove in the direction of Bukanga Police Station, but later diverted towards Iganga. Since that time, we do not know his whereabouts or the motive behind his arrest.’

Another NUP supporter, Mr Alex Odele, who attended the same meeting, said the abduction occurred shortly after participants dispersed.

‘We were together in a meeting, and shortly after dispersing, that is when our brother was taken. Since then, we have tried consulting the police, the army, and even checked different police stations and detention centres, but all efforts have been in vain,’ Mr Odele said.

Residents of Bukanga Sub-county say the incident has left the community in shock. Mr Kagoolo Martine, a neighbour to the family, described Isabirye as a disciplined and trustworthy young man, saying the manner in which he was taken has traumatized both the family and the neighbourhood.

‘Salim is a university student and a disciplined person. The way he was arrested and taken has left the family and neighbours in total shock. We have never seen anything like this before,’ Mr Kagoolo said.

With the LC3 elections approaching, concerns are growing over how Isabirye’s disappearance could affect the electoral process. As of now, government authorities have not issued any official statement explaining his arrest or confirming whether he is in lawful custody.

Salim’s mother, Ms Fatina Tibiita, told Monitor she is living in fear and anguish following her son’s disappearance. Fighting back tears, she appealed to government authorities to clarify his situation.

‘My son is missing, and we have not heard anything about him. I appeal to the government to come out clearly and tell us what is happening to my son,’ she said.

Despite the tense situation, NUP supporters say campaign activities are continuing, though fear and anxiety dominate the ground.

‘We hope our candidate will be found safe. But if that does not happen, we wait to know whether he will be found dead or alive,’ Mr Odeke emphasized.

Meanwhile, Mr Samson Lubega, the Public Relations Officer for Busoga North Police, said security agencies are aware of the matter.

‘We have information regarding the disappearance of Salim Isabirye, and investigations are ongoing,’ Mr Lubega said, without giving further details.

From January 15 to February 4, Ugandans voted for the president, Members of Parliament, LC5 and LC4 officials, with the electoral process set to conclude with LC3 elections on Wednesday.

Masaka Chief Magistrate, Abert Asiimwe has declared the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Justine Nameere as Masaka City Woman MP-elect after a contentious four-day vote recount, overturning the Electoral Commission’s earlier declaration of Ms Rose Nalubowa as the winner.

According to the chief magistrate, Ms Nameere, who ran to court for a recount, polled 25, 502 votes, beating three other contenders, despite some ballot boxes having been found tampered with.

The magistrate indicated that National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Nalubowa, who had earlier been declared the winner by Masaka City returning officer, garnered 23,176 votes while Democratic Front (DF)’s Juliet Nakakande, who is the incumbent MP, polled 6,136 votes as Ms Sauya Nanyonga, who contested as an Independent candidate, trailed with 5,921 votes.

Complaints

When Mr Asiimwe on Friday, January 30, ruled in favour of Ms Nameere’s application for a vote recount, 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 Mr 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 the winner of the Masaka City Woman MP seat by the Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Ms 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.

Ugandan Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, reportedly told several media houses that he went into hiding after a military raid on his home following a disputed election that he claims he won, but President Museveni was declared the victor. Uganda’s election on January 15 ended with another term for Mr Museveni.

Bobi says the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Mr Museveni’s son, threatened him, leaving Bobi fearing for his safety. Bobi Wine says he has no faith in Uganda’s courts and is instead urging Ugandans to pursue non-violent resistance. As an Opposition leader in a country where corruption is etiquette, Bobi can only become more popular when persecuted or supposedly so. It’s called the “forbidden fruit effect”.

This is the psychological phenomenon where something becomes more desirable and attractive precisely because it’s unavailable, restricted, or deemed off-limits, often stemming from a desire for freedom, curiosity about the unknown, or defiance against rules, as famously illustrated by the biblical story of Adam and Eve.

Bobi Wine can weaponise the forbidden fruit effect by continuing to be defiant against a government caught in a state of permanent presidential emergency powers. If going in hiding is a ‘stunt’, as some government types would have you believe, then Bobi should become a stuntman. It has worked for actors Jackie Chan, Tom Cruise and the late South African president Nelson Mandela. You might protest my lumping Mandela with two actors. However, life often imitates art.

Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, a viral conspiracy theory emerged linking his death to the 1998 Nicolas Cage movie thriller Snake Eyes.

Among other parallels, in the film, the victim is US Secretary of Defence Charles Kirkland. Charlie Kirk’s full legal name is Charles James Kirk. Snake Eyes also occurs on September 10; the same date Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University. Both the fictional Kirkland and the real-life Kirk were reportedly shot in the neck.

Nelson Mandela was famously nicknamed the “Black Pimpernel” in 1961 by the South African press due to his uncanny ability to evade the apartheid-era police. The name is a direct reference to the fictional hero of Baroness Orczy’s 1905 novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel, who operated undercover to rescue French aristocrats from execution during the French Revolution.

The Scarlet Pimpernel significantly influenced Batman movies, the long-running franchise based on the DC Comics superhero, establishing the wealthy, aristocratic secret identity and dual-life vigilante archetype. Nelson Mandela was considered extremely dangerous by the South African apartheid regime when he went into hiding as the “Black Pimpernel” (roughly 1961-1962), as he was actively transforming from a non-violent protest leader into the commander-in-chief of an armed resistance movement.

By Bobi going into hiding, he might also be announcing a new phase in the anti-Museveni struggle. One that actually involves struggle, as Mr Museveni has become accustomed to using the word. Even if he is not planning a violent protest, his having gone doggo is sure to vivify his mystique. He thereby becomes seductively unavailable, almost akin to a love interest one can see but cannot touch. That’s how obsessions are born.

Former president Milton Obote became so obsessed with bringing Museveni to heel that he often seemed to be chasing a feline instead of a man. Bobi can become larger than life, too. The words from the Batman franchise may help him: “If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can’t stop you, then you become something else entirely… A legend.’

The ongoing vote recount in the disputed Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament elections has revealed significant discrepancies between the number of ballot papers delivered and the votes cast for candidates.

The Masaka Chief Magistrate, Abert Asiimwe, initiated the recount process on Friday evening, following an application by Justine Nameere, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, who contested the victory of her National Unity Platform (NUP) rival, Rose Nalubowa.

The recount has uncovered glaring variations in the number of ballot papers counted at various polling stations and the numbers captured on the declaration of results forms and the Electoral Commission’s tally sheet.

In some instances, Nameere was allocated more votes on the tally sheet than what was actually recovered from the ballot boxes, while in others, her votes were reduced.

At Kimwanyi P.7 polling station, the tally sheet showed Nameere with 97 votes and Nalubowa with 62 votes, but the ballot box contained 49 ballots, all in favour of Nameere.

The Chief Magistrate resolved to disregard results from this polling station due to the inconsistency. So far, the ballot boxes with issues are five.

Similar discrepancies were found at Binyonyi A (NAMBU-Z) polling station, where Nameere was allocated 339 votes, but only 41 were recovered from the ballot box.

At Market Triangle (Open Space) polling station, Nameere’s votes were reduced from 200 on the tally sheet to 21 in the ballot box.

In some polling stations, Nameere’s votes were indeed reduced, as claimed.

At Block B A polling station, Nameere had 39 votes on the tally sheet, but the ballot box contained 188 votes.

The court has examined 104 ballot boxes, representing 33.2% of the completed work, and will re-examine a total of 59,499 ballot papers cast in the Masaka City Woman MP election.

The recount was conducted in the absence of the declared winner, Rose Nalubowa, who walked away on Friday in protest of the Chief Magistrate’s decision to proceed with the exercise despite finding a ballot box with a broken seal.

“I am not surprised by the discrepancies,” said a source close to the court. “The electoral process was flawed from the start, and it’s no surprise that the results are being contested.”

The Chief Magistrate has vowed to ensure a thorough and transparent recount process.