Category: Daily Monitor

A report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has shown that the Uganda component of the Multinational Lake Victoria Maritime Communications and Transport (MLVMCT) Project continues to demonstrate strong progress toward its development objective of enhancing maritime safety, strengthening regulatory oversight, and promoting safer, more efficient lake transport operations.

The report reveals that outcome data from the previous supervision mission showed a dramatic reduction in lives lost on Lake Victoria from a baseline of 5,000 to 226 deaths per year. This exceeds the 2024 target of 330, indicating over 102 percent progress. Experts attribute the improvement to improved emergency response systems, enhanced communication networks, and awareness raising among lake users.

‘Licensed cargo and passenger vessels increased from 4,000 to 4,450 against a target of 4,800 (56.25 percent progress), reflecting greater regulatory compliance and confidence in inland water transport, while the more qualitative indicator on indicative pipeline transport projects remained at zero, with foundational institutional and planning work expected to bear fruit beyond the current project’s lifetime,’ the report states. Findings from the December 2025 desk supervision mission confirm that the project remains fully aligned with its development objectives and is well positioned to consolidate these gains before closing on March 31, 2026.

The report also indicates that most Bank-financed infrastructure critical to outcome achievement are either completed or in the final stages. This includes the fully commissioned SAR centres at Zengebe, Kaiso, and Panyimur. The Kaazi SAR centre is now, the report further discloses, 100 percent complete and handed over. The Masese SAR centre is at 94 percent completion, and the Entebbe MRCC at 84 percent completion. It adds that disbursement has risen to 85.42 percent.

Dr Ally Said Matano,the executive secretary of Lake Victoria Basin Commission, says the implementation progress of the Uganda component of the MLVMCT Project remains satisfactory, with most Bank-financed activities now in their final phase and key milestones either completed or nearing completion.

He adds that the mission highlighted the need to shift emphasis from construction to operational readiness ensuring that staffing, standard operating procedures, and interagency coordination are fully in place before project closure on March 31.

President Museveni has consistently articulated a clear vision of wealth creation as the foundation for Uganda’s socio-economic transformation. Across public engagements, he has urged Ugandans to move from subsistence to active participation in the money economy, a message reinforced through sustained civic education and policy direction.

To support this vision, the government has rolled out several poverty-alleviation initiatives, including Bonna Bagaggawale, the Four-Acre Model, Emyooga, Operation Wealth Creation, the Parish Development Model, and the Youth Livelihood Programme, among others. These interventions have enabled many Ugandans-especially in rural areas-to invest in agriculture, diversify incomes, and gradually integrate into the formal economy. There is visible evidence that livelihoods are improving and that growth dividends are reaching communities that were previously left behind.

Yet, despite these efforts, a critical bottleneck threatens to undermine progress: the persistent theft of animals and crops. This is no longer a peripheral criminal issue but a direct economic threat to wealth creation. For many rural households, crime has become the weakest link in an otherwise well-intentioned development framework. Across the country, farmers recount similar experiences of losing livestock and produce to theft, often repeatedly. Some have resorted to hiring private guards to watch over their farms at night-an option that is expensive and unsustainable for smallholders. Others have abandoned livestock keeping altogether, particularly goats, pigs, and poultry, which are easy targets. High-value crops such as coffee and vanilla are increasingly neglected, as farmers feel they are labouring for thieves rather than for their families.

These frustrations have not gone unheard. In response to public outcry, President Museveni directed the Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba, to deploy 18 police officers per sub-county, equipped with transport and communication tools, to work closely with village-level leaders in curbing crime, especially theft targeting livelihoods. ‘Fighting crime in Uganda is very simple now,’ the President said while presiding over the 35th Heroes’ Day celebrations on June 9, 2024, in Gomba District. ‘When the IGP puts the 18 policemen per sub-county with transport, and you have telephones all over the place, it is very easy to control this crime.’

While the police have begun implementing this directive, its impact is yet to be felt consistently across the country. This highlights the need for coordinated institutional action. Effective crime control cannot rest with the police alone; it requires active collaboration from local government structures and a responsive justice system. Local council leaders occupy a critical position in community security. However, their role is often complicated by social and political pressures, as offenders are frequently members of the same communities. While these realities are understandable, leadership demands that public duty takes precedence over electoral considerations. Failure to act decisively against crime ultimately harms the very communities leaders are meant to serve.

The Judiciary also plays a pivotal role. Under the leadership of the new Chief Justice, Dr Flavian Zeija (PhD), the justice system continues to grapple with case backlogs, understaffing, and prolonged pre-trial detention, with a significant proportion of criminal cases still pending. These systemic challenges are real, but crimes that directly strip citizens of their livelihoods must be prioritised. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to protect productive citizens.

There is growing public frustration when suspects accused of stealing livestock or crops are arrested, only to secure bail within days and return to intimidate their victims. Such outcomes weaken confidence in the justice system and discourage further investment in productive activities. What is needed is not excessive punishment, but swift, consistent, and predictable enforcement of the law.

The cost of theft goes far beyond the immediate loss of property. It demoralises families, disrupts livelihoods, erodes trust in public institutions, and in many cases results in permanent economic setbacks. For the poor and vulnerable, losing hard-earned assets can erase years of effort in a single incident.

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.

As global travellers demand more meaningful, ethical, and immersive experiences, one Ugandan academic and cultural entrepreneur is reshaping how tourism is taught, practised, and lived. From lecture halls to village courtyards, Dr Celestine Katongole believes Uganda’s greatest tourism asset is not just what visitors see, but who they meet. On any given day, Dr Katongole can be found in two very different spaces.

In one, he stands before students at Makerere University Business School (Mubs), dissecting policy frameworks, visitor trends, and the economics of destinations. In the other, he is on packed earth, listening to drums rise into the air as visitors share food, stories, and laughter.

To Dr Katongole, these worlds are not separate. They are deeply connected. ‘Tourism today is no longer about watching,’ he says. ‘It is about participating, learning, engaging, and leaving a place better than you found it.’ As senior lecturer and head of the Department of Tourism Management at Mubs, Dr Katongole trains the next generation of tourism planners, managers, and entrepreneurs. But as founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Africa Sights and coordinator of Entanda Cultural Adventure, he also lives out the theories he teaches-on the ground, with communities, visitors, and cultural custodians.

What tourists want

The academic is clear-eyed about how visitor expectations are shifting, and fast. He describes two distinct but equally influential markets shaping Uganda’s tourism future. He observes that the international traveller is increasingly short on time but rich in curiosity. He says: ‘They want to maximise every day. They are looking for experiences that allow them to learn, explore, and enjoy – all at once.’ These travellers no longer want to be passive tourists. They want to walk, cycle, cook, dance, talk, and understand. They want to eat local food, visit communities, and buy souvenirs made by the people they meet. They are environmentally conscious, technology-savvy, and expect professionalism, honesty, and value for money. Safety and security are not optional; they are fundamental. Then there is the domestic traveller who is largely young, urban, working-class Ugandans discovering travel for themselves.

‘They travel in groups,’ Mr Katongole notes. ‘They love music, food, alcohol and fun. They pay less, but they expect a lot.’ This growing market, he argues, deserves serious attention. It represents not just leisure, but pride, belonging, and a re-imagining of Uganda as a place worth exploring but by its own people. For him, the buzzwords that often dominate tourism conversations only matter if they translate into real action. Dr Katongole explains: ‘Responsible tourism is tourism that takes care of people, the planet, and the businesses connected to it-today and into the future.’ It is not a one-off project or a checkbox exercise. It is a system and a long process, one that requires alignment across government, private sector, communities, and travellers themselves.

He argues that Uganda’s path to responsible tourism must begin with consensus and a shared understanding of how the destination should grow. From that consensus must come laws, regulations, and policies that protect natural and cultural resources, guide investment, and ensure benefits are fairly shared along the value chain. He also notes: ‘When leaders set the right example, the industry follows.’

Mindset change

But beyond policy, Dr Katongole believes Uganda must cultivate a culture of responsibility-a mindset where everyone, from the airport official to the boda boda rider, understands their role in shaping a visitor’s experience. If wildlife has long been Uganda’s headline attraction, the tourism enthusiast believes culture may be its most underused strength. ‘Culture is one of the few things that truly sets destinations apart,’ he says. At Entanda, visitors are immersed in living traditions with food, music, dance, storytelling, language as shared experiences. Some international guests, he notes, have ranked their time at Entanda above gorilla and chimpanzee tracking.

That surprises many. Globally, cultural tourism is valued higher than wildlife tourism. Uganda, with more than 50 ethnic groups, dozens of languages, rich heritage sites, and deep traditions, holds an enormous competitive advantage – if it chooses to invest wisely. ‘Our culture is the foundation of our hospitality,’ Dr Katongole says.’It is why Ugandans are warm, why we welcome, [and] why visitors feel at home.’ As climate change, environmental pressure, and illegal activities threaten natural resources, the seasoned tourism player argues that authentic cultural tourism offers both resilience and opportunity-economically, socially, and environmentally. He does not shy away from critiques. Tourism interventions, he insists, must be evidence-based, backed by strong monitoring and evaluation.

Government supervision needs strengthening, with clear rewards for performance and consequences for failure.

Other changes

Private sector and community initiatives require affordable financing, training, quality assurance, and access to markets. Infrastructure like roads, water, ICT, air transport, all remains critical. So does harmonising taxes and fees to improve ease of doing business. Perhaps most importantly, Uganda must invest in human capital. He also notes: ‘Tourism is a people industry. Without trained, professional workers at policy, managerial, and operational levels, we cannot compete.’

Training institutions need tools, facilities, and support to produce graduates who are not only employable, but innovative and ethical. Asked who he looks up to in Uganda’s tourism sector, Mr Katongole pauses. ‘I do not look up to anyone in tourism,’ he says carefully.

But he acknowledges the role of steady leadership, particularly within government, noting how institutional stability has contributed to the sector’s growth.

It is a telling response, one that mirrors his broader worldview. Tourism, to him, is not about personalities but about systems, values, and long-term thinking.

Dr Katongole is firm that Uganda’s tourism story is still being written, in classrooms and communities, policies and performances, boardrooms and village squares.

It is written every time a visitor feels respected, culture is presented with dignity and nature is protected rather than exploited.

Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, 28 years old going on to 29, is struggling under the weight of multiple interconnected challenges. Schools across the country face collapsing infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate funding. Teacher shortages remain chronic, worsened by low pay and recurring strikes that disrupt learning. In many parishes, the limited number of government schools forces children to walk long distances, further straining attendance and performance. Together, these issues have created an environment where learning outcomes are severely compromised. Pupils often leave primary school without mastering basic literacy and numeracy, undermining the very goal of UPE-to provide every Ugandan child with a meaningful education.

Sunday Monitor learnt that in many districts, classrooms are in a sorry state-cracked walls, leaking roofs, broken desks, and unsafe learning environments. Some pupils study under trees or in makeshift structures that barely offer protection from harsh weather. The poor infrastructure has made it difficult for children to learn effectively, worsening performance and increasing absenteeism. Dr Juma Kakuba Sultan, a political scientist at Kyambogo University, noted that the UPE programme is a good initiative. However, it was implemented on a weak foundation.

LIST: PLE 2025 National School Ranking based on Division One

‘The government failed to establish proper checks and balances to ensure that the products of UPE would be competitive both locally and internationally. As a senior lecturer, I observe that the quality of students entering university is worrying. Many struggle to write coherently, and others find it difficult to express themselves effectively. This communication gap highlights the urgent need to address quality within UPE,’ observed Dr Kakuba

He said in the long term, the country will have many students accessing education, but that education will not have a meaningful impact on their lives.

‘It is critical that the government introduces policy strategies to improve quality. Despite being in power for over 40 years, many schools still lack basic infrastructure-pupils sit on the floor without desks, which is quite challenging. Yet, day after day, the government continues to establish new schools. Why should new schools be built without ensuring that what is being added truly adds value? We have not yet improved the quality of existing schools, but we keep expanding,’ said Dr Kakuba.

According to the political scientist, this challenge is not limited to primary schools; it extends to secondary schools and even universities, many of which are politically established. ‘At the higher education level, we are receiving the products of UPE, and the task before us is enormous. The foundation determines the outcome at the top. Leaders must prioritise quality. A child who sits on the floor and studies under a tree cannot be expected to perform well,’ he said. Mr Ismail Monday, an educationist, said teachers in these schools are equally strained. ‘Most UPE institutions are severely understaffed, leaving the few available teachers overwhelmed by large numbers of pupils. It is not unusual to find one teacher handling more than one class at a time, or managing a classroom of over 100 pupils. This has compromised lesson delivery, reduced individual attention, and created immense pressure on teachers.’

The educationist also noted that the teaching workforce is also discouraged by persistent issues of low pay. Teachers frequently resort to strikes to push for better salaries and improved working conditions, disrupting the learning calendar and affecting pupils’ performance. Despite their efforts, many teachers continue to earn wages that do not match the rising cost of living, leaving them demoralised. ‘In many parishes across the country, government schools are still too few to meet the educational needs of the growing population. This forces thousands of children to trek long distances-sometimes several kilometres-just to reach the nearest school. Some arrive late, tired, or even drop out altogether due to the exhausting journey and safety risks along the way,’ he said.

LIST: PLE 2025 District Ranking based on Division One and Two

Mr Steven Masiga, the coordinator of the Makerere University Mbale Centre, said hunger further complicates the situation. ‘Many children study on empty stomachs because their families cannot afford meals, and most schools do not provide lunch. The lack of food leaves learners weak, unfocused, and unable to fully participate in lessons. Teachers face the same challenge; they also teach on empty stomachs because many schools have no meal provisions for staff.’

Mr Masiga said in most rural schools, teachers’ houses are either unavailable or in poor condition. ‘This forces educators to walk long distances to their workplaces every day, often arriving late, tired, and less productive. The absence of proper housing also discourages teachers from staying in remote areas, contributing to high turnover and further weakening rural education systems.’

Reforms needed

Despite the government’s efforts to improve primary education, these challenges continue to undermine the quality of learning in UPE schools. Communities, teachers, and education advocates argue that meaningful reform is urgently needed. They recommend increased funding for school infrastructure, better remuneration for teachers, construction of more government schools in underserved areas, and introduction of feeding programs to support both learners and teachers. Mr David Wakabi, an education expert, explained that UPE schools in Uganda face deep-rooted and interconnected challenges that undermine the programme’s effectiveness.

‘The shortage of teachers-currently estimated at 26,028-has created an overwhelming teacher-to-pupil ratio of 1:75, far above the recommended 1:53, compounded by severe infrastructure deficiencies. Many schools operate with dilapidated classrooms, overcrowded learning spaces averaging 101 pupils per room, and inadequate sanitation facilities, with pit latrine-to-pupil ratios as high as 1:80,’ said Mr Wakabi. He said these conditions directly compromise the quality of education.

‘Overcrowded classrooms, insufficient learning materials, and poorly resourced environments hinder both teaching and learning. The situation is worsened by limited parental involvement, which is essential for supporting children’s academic progress but remains difficult to achieve in many communities. As a result, the quality of teaching suffers, with educators struggling to adapt to large class sizes and inadequate resources,’ he said.

While UPE has succeeded in expanding access to primary education, the persistent challenges of poor infrastructure, teacher shortages, weak parental engagement, and compromised teaching quality continue to affect academic performance. ‘These issues also spill over into secondary schools, where resource constraints and adaptation difficulties remain evident,’ he said. Mr Wakabi stressed that these intertwined challenges highlight the urgent need for reforms and sustained investment to strengthen the foundation of UPE and ensure its long-term success in Uganda.

Steady progress?

In his 2025 State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Museveni disclosed that as a result of the government continuing to implement the UPE programme, as many as 8,824,923 learners across 12,433 government-aided primary schools have been reached. This has come at a sum of Shs184.49 billion. ‘The government, through the School Facility Grant, constructed 413 new classrooms, for primary schools and renovated 181 classrooms. Government procured and distributed 334 sets of mini laboratory equipment to 334 primary government schools to enhance practical science learning and foster early scientific curiosity among young learners,’Mr Museveni said in the Sona.

LIST: PLE 2025 Distribution of Aggregate 4 by School

He also said a total of 593 teachers were recruited to facilitate operationalisation of the newly grant-aided secondary schools in sub-counties. ‘The government has successfully completed the construction of an additional 50 Seed Secondary Schools under the Uganda Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers (UgIFT) Programme, bringing the cumulative total to 161 Seed Schools, out of the 259 planned. The majority of the remaining schools are progressing well and are on schedule for completion by June, 2025. The total number of Government aided Primary Schools in the country is now 12,550,’ he said.

The President said the total number of government-aided Secondary Schools is 1,416. The technical and vocational schools are 189 and government degree awarding universities are 12. ‘The government has introduced reforms, in the Education sector, which are aimed at re-orienting the curriculum towards a competency-based approach. This involves equipping learners with practical skills and competences that are required in the private sector. This will help to reduce unemployment among school graduates,’ he said.

However, some education experts say most children are in school but not learning. This is demonstrated annually through assessments conducted by Uwezo Uganda. According to Uwezo Uganda findings from a learning assessment carried out in 2021, the overall proportion of children in primary grades three to seven who could not read or sound out letters of the alphabet almost doubled from 6.2 percent in 2018 to 11.6 percent in 2021. Put another way: one in every 10 children in Uganda are non-readers.

While the assessment findings show some improvement in 2018 where full literacy and numeracy competence for the whole set of students in grades P3 to P7 rose, the proportion of children in P3 who are still at the ‘non-reader’, ‘letter/syllable’ and ‘non-numerate’ stages remain very large. As indicated in the previous assessments, it is evident that most children are learning the basics of reading in the upper primary grades, whereas they should have mastered them in the lower primary grades so as to benefit fully from other elements in the curriculum.

Previous Uwezo assessments have revealed that a significant proportion of children delay acquiring the foundational skills even after being in school for years. The result is a large proportion of learners who are likely to leave primary schools without acquiring the basic competencies or being able to read or count.

In some cases, some of them may never learn these basic skills at all-a phenomenon we refer to as ‘learning poverty.’ This exacerbates school dropout rates as overage children lose the motivation to continue with schooling situations that deny them a chance to value education.

When the Africa Amateur Championships was introduced two years ago, it offered a new platform for the continent’s best players.

The championship organized by RandA attracted the best players at Leopard Creek in Mpumalanga, South Africa for both 2024 and 2025 editions.

At both, Uganda’s best player was Joseph Cwinya-ai, tying in 36th place last year, an improvement by two places from the year before.

At this year’s edition, switched to the Royal Johannesburg Golf Course, Cwinya-ai, also carrying the captain’s duties, will hope to improve when Uganda features again beginning with a practice round on Monday.

‘I want to have a better finish,’ said Cwinya-ai before the team’s departure at the weekend.

The reigning Uganda Amateur Open champion will play the 72-hole stroke-play championship in the company of Joseph Reagan Akena, Joseph Kasozi, Titus Okwong, Abdallah Kakooza, Elton Thembo and Lawrence Walakira.

‘My target is to work hard to finish in the top 15. But I also want to be the top performer in the East Africans who will be competing,’ added Cwinya-ai.

After 36 holes, the tournament will have a cut and in the inaugural edition, only Cwinya-ai survived.

Last year, he had the company of Okwong and Michael Alunga who finished 38th and 39th respectively out of 41 competitors who played all four rounds.

‘As the Union, we have a feeling that our SA-bound golfers will give pride to our flag,’ stated Uganda Golf Union (UGU) president Jackson.

Unlike the men, only two ladies Peace Kabasweka and Meron Kyomugisha will feature in the 54-hole stroke-play competition, and they were selected based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), as of October 29, 2025.

There are 19 other ladies from other countries and they won’t have a cut. Victory for either Kabasweka or Kyomugisha will earn an entry into the Johannesburg Ladies Open.

The male champion will be entered to compete at the South African Open Championship, the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions and the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

South African Bryan Newman won last year’s edition by two shots with an aggregate score of eight-under 280 gross.

In 2024, Altin van der Merwe held off fellow South Africans Christiaan Maas and Ivan Verster via a sudden-death play-off after they had all tied on 13-under 275 gross.

AFRICA AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Edition: 3

Organizers: The RandA

Dates: February 3-7

Venue: Royal Johannesburg Golf Course

Location: Linksfield North, Johannesburg, South Africa

Par: 72

Format: Stroke play

Current Champion: Bryan Newman (RSA) | 280 (-8, won by 2 strokes)

TEAM UGANDA CONTINGENT

Male Players: Joseph Cwinya-ai, Joseph Reagan Akena, Joseph Kasozi, Titus Okwong, Abdallah Kakooza, Elton Thembo, Lawrence Walakira

To be sure, a dictator’s panic is part of biblical prophecy, too. It’s linked to increased social chaos, war and political unrest as preludes to the ‘last days’.

The story of the Tower of Babel, found in the Bible’s Book of Genesis 11:1-9, explains why humanity speaks different languages and is scattered across the world.

You know that. I know that. Hence, we know that. Right? Wrong. According to scripture, which seemingly got lost on the way to the printery when the Bible was first published, the story of the Tower of Babel was given the Epstein treatment and thereby heavily redacted.

This is the story of the missing scriptures. It refers to discrepancies between older Bible translations (like the King James Version) and modern ones, where certain verses, such as the “Woman Caught in Adultery” (John 7:53-8:11), appear in older texts but are absent or footnoted in newer Bibles due to textual criticism revealing scribal additions in later manuscripts. With that said, what really happened 4,200 to 4,300 years ago, around 2200-2300 BCE, at the Towel of Babel?

Google will tell you what was up all those years ago because Google was there even 5,000 years ago, and that’s ‘googleable’.

Anyway, the story of the Tower of Babel goes: Humanity, speaking one tongue in Shinar, united to build a city and a tower reaching the heavens to make a name for themselves and avoid scattering. God, seeing their pride and unity as a threat, confused their speech, making them unable to understand each other, which halted construction and scattered them across the Earth, creating different languages and cultures, with “Babel” meaning “confusion.” However, because of humankind’s vanity, God created dictators to mirror that conceit (at the Tower of Babel).

This rare breed of half-men, dictators, would only find completion when united with their better halves: power. They were condemned to turning politics into a zero-sum game, one they must win at all costs. And they would win but, after their efforts, they will be so poor that all they will have is power. No love, no identity outside of office, no exit strategy to save their legacy. However, there was a catch. God decided that while the rest of us spoke unintelligibly to one another, dictators would speak the same language. Consequently, dictators would have similar fates.

For language is destiny, so our words, inner narratives, and even the structure of our native tongue profoundly shape our reality, choices and life path. Accordingly, the twilight years of different dictators can be cross-pollinated to deflower a composite sketch of where every dictator is sure to end up. For instance, you are all familiar with that dictator who was overthrown by a revolution sparked by protests in one part of the country that spread to other parts of the country leading to mass demonstrations and the military’s defection to the revolutionaries’ side. After fleeing, the dictator was subjected to a swift, unfair trial by a provisional government, and executed.

Many of you will assume that I am writing about Muammar Gaddafi (Libya, 2011), or possibly Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines, People Power Revolution), and what about Omar al-Bashir (Sudan, 2019)? Well, the dictator in my story is Nicolae Ceau?escu. He was overthrown by the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, executed along with his wife Elena. In eerily similar fashion to how Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were executed by Italian communist partisans on April 28, 1945, during the final days of World War II in Europe.

Subsequently, due to their aforesaid condemnation, dictators are said to have viewed the Tower of Babel as the Tower of Babble. That’s why they babble so much.

Before his ouster, Ceau?escu met about 100,000 workers bused in and provided with placards to chant pro-regime slogans like “Ceau?escu and the People”.

A few minutes into his address, the crowd began to boo and chant “Timisoara!” Protests to his misrule began in Timisoara and spread to Bucharest. As the protests were visible on live television, Ceau?escu’s expression shifted from confidence to confusion and panic.

To be sure, a dictator’s panic is part of biblical prophecy, too. It’s linked to increased social chaos, war and political unrest as preludes to the “last days” when first becomes last and last becomes first, reflecting Babel’s story arc.

A senior US senator has warned Ugandan General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, had crossed a red line which would negatively affect diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Republican chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch, said General Muhoozi did not follow diplomatic protocol to apologise to the US over human rights violations during Uganda’s disputed 2026 General Election.

‘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,’ Senator Risch said in his X account.

The Electoral Commission declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the January 15 elections, granting him a seventh term and extending his rule beyond 40 years.

Senator Risch dismissed the vote as illegitimate, saying it served only to entrench Museveni’s hold on power. He described the election as a hollow exercise, staged to legitimise President Yoweri Museveni’s seventh term and four decades in power.

The senator compared Uganda’s election to Tanzania’s recent vote, but said Uganda’s situation raised greater concern because of its close security ties with the United States.

Shortly after Senator Risch’s announcement, General Muhoozi announced taking a social media break after being active for more than 11 years.

‘Let it be known that after almost 11 years on Twitter/X and after amassing over 1.2 million followers, I intend to reduce my interactions here. I’m going back to fasting and praying for my country. With God’s help I hope to write my autobiography,’ said General Muhoozi on X.

General Muhoozi sparked international outrage in his socials after the election, including the announcement of the suspension of all cooperation between the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and the United States of America embassy in Kampala.

He also made a series of posts, which he has since retracted, where he claimed, among others, that security forces had killed 22 opposition ‘terrorists’ and suggested Bobi Wine should be next.

‘We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I’m praying the 23rd is Kabobi,’ he wrote using a derogatory nickname for the opposition leader.

In another post, he gave Bobi Wine a 48-hour ultimatum to surrender to police, warning that failure to do so would see him treated as an ‘outlaw/rebel.’

General Muhoozi also vowed to eliminate the National Unity Platform (NUP) from Uganda’s political landscape, claiming divine authority for the threat.

He later issued an apology and reaffirmed that bilateral ties remain intact, claiming he had been misinformed when he accused the United States of supporting opposition leader Mr Kyagulanyi, who has remained in hiding since the disputed January 15 presidential election.

‘I want to apologise to our great friends, the United States, for my earlier tweets that I have now deleted [and] I was being fed with wrong information,’ Muhoozi wrote.

‘I have spoken with the US Ambassador to our country, and everything is okay. We are going to continue our military cooperation as usual.’

Despite a reported slight increase in the number of candidates obtaining first grades in last year’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), the drop in the number of candidates scoring Aggregate 4 will push top-performing schools to maintain or relax cut-off points for Senior One entrants, Sunday Monitor has established.

Traditional well-performing schools like Kings College Budo, Kibuli SS, Gayaza High School, Kawempe Muslim SS, Mt St Mary’s Namagunga, St Mary’s College Kisubi, Ntare School and Namilyango College are expected to set their cut-off points between Aggregate 4 for boys and 7 for girls. Yet, according to the 2025 PLE results released on Friday by the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb), only 338 candidates managed to score Aggregate 4 across the country.

LIST: PLE 2025 National School Ranking based on Division One

Most top schools had fewer candidates with Aggregate 4 while others did not get at all. Of the 338 candidates who got Aggregate 4, a total of 220 are from schools in Wakiso, Mukono and Kampala. The three districts have many of the top schools. In the 2024 cohort, 400 candidates attained Aggregate 4 compared to more than 700 who got the same score in 2023.

Stuck in a rut?

Available statistics from Uneb show that of the 807,313 candidates who sat for the exams from 15,388 examination centres, 91,990 (11.39 percent) passed with first grade compared to 84,301 in 2024. Worth noting is that the number of candidates increased by 20,332 over the last year. Of the total number of candidates (807,313) who sat the exams, 730,233 (90.45 percent) passed and can proceed to Senior One. Amongst the 2024 cohort, 722,730 (91.8 percent) candidates gave them themselves a chance of proceeding to secondary school after securing the requisite grades.

Another 388,293 candidates passed in Division Two from the 2025 cohort compared to 397,589 who wrote their final papers in 2024. A total of 165,226 candidates were in Division Three, while 84,724 passed in Division Four. A total of 77,080 (9.55 percent) candidates completely failed the exams, compared to 64,252 (8.2 percent) in the previous year, indicating an increase of 12,829. This means that all these candidates who failed the exams do not qualify for government sponsorship under the free secondary education scheme, which is in its 19th year of implementation. Although more candidates passed in Division One in 2025 than in 2024, indicating an increase of 7,689, many of these didn’t score Aggregate 4 and Aggregate 5 to be able to join top secondary schools, according to Mr George Bamuleseyo, a veteran educationist.

LIST: PLE 2025 District Ranking based on Division One and Two

‘When the number of candidates who have scored Aggregate 4 is low, the top schools are usually forced to take even those with Aggregates 5 and 6, but they don’t exceed their admission capacities. This means the excess [candidates who put their first choices there] are ‘sold’ to other schools,’ said Mr Bamuleseyo, who also doubles as director of Harmony High School, Semuto. ‘But other schools like mine that performed well, but don’t fall in the top 50 category, will relax their entry points, absorbing more candidates even those with second grade,’ he added.

A Primary Seven candidate is deemed to have passed the exams if he/she garners between Aggregate 4 and 28. Usually, government schools implementing free education programmes take all candidates with aggregates between 4 and 28. ‘Academic excellence is not all about getting Aggregate 4 or 5. For a child to excel in this competitive world, he [or she] must have different competences which even those who scored second grades could be having but need to be nurtured to reach their full potential,’ Mr Ishaka Mbalirwa, head teacher of Madinah Islamic SS, Nsangi.

State minister for Primary Education Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu said the performance generally increased due to various inventions and initiatives. However, on the issue of dropping number of candidates scoring Aggregate 4, Minister Kaducu said the technical team at the ministry will conduct a research study to establish the reasons behind this. ‘No changes in curriculum were made and the papers were set according to the curriculum the country has been following,’ she said.

Ms Kaducu added: ‘We can’t rush to make conclusions, but our technical team will analyse the performance to find out what really caused this. I also urge the schools’ administrators to study critically the setting trend of Uneb because no changes in curriculum were made and the papers were set according to the existing curriculum.’

LIST: PLE 2025 Distribution of Aggregate 4 by School

Cut-off points for any given school are determined by the Ministry of Education and Sports based on the number of candidates who sat for the exams. The ministry sets the cut-off points using an automatic computerised system that allocates students according to general performance and first choice preference of pupils.