Category: Daily Monitor

Derrick Kauka was part of the group mobilised to support Lilian Nderaki’s wedding to another man. Heartbroken but faithful, he waited patiently, and today, God’s timing brought them together.

Derrick Kauka recalls meeting Lilian Nderaki at the Calvary Temple Worship Centre in Mbale, eastern Uganda, where both served as ministers in the church’s music department. At the time, neither of them had marriage on their minds. They were young, focused on serving God, and related to each other strictly as siblings in faith.

‘I joined the Church during my Senior Six vacation,’ Derrick narrates. ‘After joining the music team, I stayed for about a year before leaving Mbale for Gatuna in Rwanda.’ Around the same time, Lilian also left Mbale and relocated to Kenya. Derrick would occasionally return to Mbale, but Lilian remained away. In 2022, Derrick finally returned to Uganda from Gatuna and settled in Kampala for work, unaware that Lilian had also returned to Mbale around the same period.

One day, Derrick received a call from his close friend, who would later become his best man, inviting him to serve as the music director for a gospel concert called the Alive Concert in Mbale. Honoured by the request, Derrick asked for leave from work and returned to Mbale for rehearsals that lasted more than a month.

‘That is when I met her again. This time, everything felt different. Back then, I was not attracted to her at all,’ Derrick admits. ‘But when I saw her again, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.’ He was drawn not only by her beauty but also by her character. Lilian was calm, hardworking, deeply committed to serving God, close to his best friend’s family, and lived in the same compound. Above all, Derrick admired her caring nature and strong work ethic.

One moment, in particular, changed everything. ‘We had a small catch-up,’ he recalls. ‘She took care of me so naturally, like a wife would, without any intention. She prepared meals, organised things quickly, and made sure I was okay. It melted my heart.’

Encouraged, Derrick opened up to his best friend about his feelings and his intention to marry Lilian. The response shattered him. ‘He told me she was already taken and that marriage preparations were underway with a man from our church,’ Derrick says. Heartbroken, Derrick chose to accept the situation as a Christian, even though it was not easy, especially since Lilian was the treasurer and coordinator of the same concert he was directing.

‘I kept fighting my feelings until the event ended,’ he says. ‘Then I returned to Kampala, but my feelings never stopped.’ Soon after, Derrick was added to a WhatsApp group for Lilian’s wedding. ‘That felt like adding salt to a fresh wound,’ he says. He still contributed to the wedding preparations. However, two weeks later, he noticed people were being removed from the group. Curious, he made a call only to learn that the wedding had been called off.

Lilian later confirmed to him that she would not go ahead with the marriage, citing personal reasons. Inside Derrick’s heart, hope quietly returned. The following day, he opened up to Lilian about his feelings. She listened but told him she was not in the right emotional position to respond.

‘It took her three months,’ Derrick recalls. ‘I had even forgotten about it. But after three months, she got back to me, and that marked the beginning of our love story.’ Their relationship began with conditions; one being Derrick’s return to Mbale. Despite having built a life in Kampala, he agreed without hesitation.

Proposal

The proposal took place on Valentine’s Day last year. Derrick took Lilian to a hotel in Mbale City, where he expressed his intentions clearly.

‘I told her I was not dating for fun; I wanted marriage,’ he recalls. ‘She asked if I was serious, and I assured her I was ready to settle down.’

Later, in May 2025, they shared their decision with their pastor, proposing to hold their introduction ceremony in January 2026 and the wedding on February 14. However, their pastor surprised them by saying, ‘You are getting married in July 2025.’

Introduction and wedding

Trusting in God’s timing, the couple began their preparations immediately.

‘We did not even hold fundraising meetings,’ they say. ‘God provided everything. It was our season.’

Their introduction took place on November 15, 2025, followed by a wedding ceremony on December 20 the same year.

Through marriage counselling, Derrick learnt that marriage is both permanent and ordained by God.

‘No matter what you face, you stay,’ he says. Lilian emphasises the importance of communication and putting God first. The couple also faced challenges, including public criticism due to their past broken relationships.

‘People talked,’ they say. ‘But we stood together, and God helped us overcome.’

Memorable moments

Derrick’s most memorable moment was singing Lilian’s favourite song, See What the Lord Has Done, for her on their wedding day. ‘It symbolised victory,’ he says. For Lilian, watching her soulmate sing that song was deeply emotional. ‘It melted my heart,’ she shares.

Derrick encourages young men not to lose faith, saying: ‘God is faithful. He will bring the right person at the right time.’

Lilian urges young women to remain patient and trust God’s process.

Masaka Chief Magistrate, Abert Asiimwe, has dismissed a vote recount application filed by opposition National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Veronica Nanyondo, in which she challenged the victory of National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Ruth Katusabe.

Nanyondo, the incumbent Bukomansimbi District Woman MP, claims her opponent was declared winner on falsified results. Through her lawyers, led by Chrysostom Katumba, Nanyondo wanted the court to grant her a recount of votes at seven polling stations where results from the January 15 election were reportedly falsified.

Katusabe was declared the winner of the Bukomansimbi District Woman Member of Parliament seat after polling 23,481 votes, while Nanyondo, her closest challenger, got 23,275 votes, representing a margin of 206 votes.

Katumba told court that the returning officer erroneously declared Katusabe winner because the number of votes reflected on declaration forms is different from that on the final tally sheet. “Seven polling stations had queries, our client’s votes were reduced by 100 votes, and the respondent was added 203 votes. This is not reflected in DR forms, but only on the tally sheet, which is irregular, and a vote recount can help us settle these numerical errors if granted,” he said.

Geoffrey Kandebe, a lawyer for Katusabe, however, asked the court to dismiss the application, saying that the applicant did not provide any evidence to show numerical errors reportedly done by the returning officer. He said the tally sheet, which the applicant presented, was non-verifiable because it was handwritten, and its source is unknown since the applicant had earlier told the court that she did not access the tally sheet from EC despite several pleas.

“The arguments of the respondent do not clearly show that there was numerical error, and they have failed to make a case for a recount, but instead the claims are suitable for an election petition which can be handled by the High Court. We submit, therefore, that the court should be pleased to dismiss the application,” he said.

While delivering his ruling, Asiimwe told the court that, in his view, the best way would be to compel the returning officer to add the results as per the Declaration of Results (DR) forms and to generate the tally sheet that corresponds with the DR forms filled at different polling stations.

He, however, said the role of the chief magistrate’s court in a vote recount application does not include such a jurisdiction (i.e., ordering the returning officer to add results and produce a tally sheet with corresponding results), but such jurisdiction is in a High Court, which has unlimited jurisdiction as opposed to the chief magistrate’s court.

Asiimwe said the proper way an election matter can get to the High Court is through filing an election petition. “I, therefore, find that in this very application, there is no need for a recount. The best remedy is to petition the High Court for prerogative orders because if genuinely the DR forms presented by the applicant are the ones with the Electoral Commission, they should be reflected on the tally sheet. I, therefore, find this not a proper case for vote recount. In a nutshell, this application is dismissed,” he ruled.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the session, Nanyondo said she was not satisfied with the court’s decision, stating that she will seek remedies in the High Court. “We will do a follow-up on our victory because we have the evidence of the altered DR forms, and we are sure when gazettement of new MPs is done, we can make a good case in the High Court,” she added.

Katusabe, however, welcomed the ruling, asking the applicant to accept defeat as other contestants did. “We believe everyone who contests has good plans for the constituency. We ask them to bring them to us, who have people’s mandate to ensure that people can get good service delivery,” she said.

Katusabe was in the 10th Parliament representing Bukomansimbi North Constituency but lost to NUP’s Christine Ndiwalana. This time, she chose to contest for the district woman MP seat.

Judicial wellness will take centre stage next week as judges from across the country gather in Kampala for a week-long conference aimed at addressing work-related stress and improving the delivery of justice.

Justice Mike Chibita, the chairperson of the Governing Council of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), said the conference comes at a time when judges are operating under immense pressure arising from heavy case backlogs and heightened public scrutiny.

Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the conference, Justice Chibita said judges handle numerous cases, often under toxic and demanding conditions, making wellness a critical issue for the Judiciary.

“The Ugandan Judiciary is operating under a high case backlog and heightened scrutiny. These high figures suggest that a judge has to be healthy. Judicial wellness, therefore, comes in at this point,” Justice Chibita said.

He added that a healthy and supported mind enables judges to exercise sound judgment and withstand pressure, especially in high-stakes cases such as presidential election petitions.

“A healthy and supported mind exercises sound judgment and can withstand pressure. So the discussions will be about burnout,” he explained.

Justice Chibita noted that judges regularly handle distressing criminal cases, including rape and murder, which can have lasting psychological effects.

“Judicial wellness is not about slowing down justice but ensuring better delivery of justice,” he said, adding that a healthy judge is better positioned to hear cases attentively, write well-reasoned judgments, and dispose of matters more efficiently than a fatigued judicial officer.

Speaking at the same briefing, the Executive Director of the Judicial Training Institute, Justice Andrew Khaukha, said judges, like professionals in other fields, require wellness support to effectively serve the public.

“The stress that a judge gets when doing his or her work isn’t any different from that experienced by others,” Justice Khaukha said.

“Just like journalists who cover situations involving tear gas canisters and are left traumatised and in need of wellness support, judges too go through work-related stresses,” he added.

Justice Khaukha said the conference will also tackle several topical issues, including Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) vis-à-vis formal justice, the use of technology-particularly artificial intelligence-in legal processes, and the effective handling of election petitions.

“Regarding election petitions, we are in a season of handling them. Discussions will include how a judge manages crowds, time and emotions in the courtroom,” he said.

The forum will run from February 2 to 4 at Speke Resort Munyonyo under the theme “Judicial Wellness: A Tool for Effective Case Management.” It will be officially opened by President Museveni and will be preceded by the opening of the New Law Year on Friday.

As Uganda’s political temperature gradually cools and a new year begins to take shape, the timing could not be better for a collective return to work. Economies do not grow on rhetoric; they grow based on agile, functioning businesses. And amid the prevailing challenges, my message to Ugandan entrepreneurs is simple: adapt or perish. No great business leader or entrepreneur succeeds without the ability to change course, refocus, and respond to reality. For those in financial services sector, the writing is already on the wall.

The sector is over-crowded, profit margins have thinned, and although there is liquidity in the system (including government funds), access remains constrained and returns are shrinking. Diversification is no longer optional; it is inevitable. The same applies to many other sectors where competition has intensified but innovation has stalled. Consider small-scale traders in Kampala. Many are selling identical merchandise, competing purely on price, and struggling to survive. Or take fuel retailing: Why do we cluster 10 fuel stations within a five-kilometre stretch, each fighting for the same customers?

Similarly, when many Ugandans accumulate some capital, the default investment remains rental property-even though returns are often under 10 percent annually while tying up significant capital. Why not consider alternatives such as treasury bills, bonds, equity shares or unit trusts, which can offer better returns on investment with far less operational risk? Professional services tell a similar story: Uganda has more than 260 licensed CPA firms and over 1,000 law firms, yet many struggle to even make Shs200 million in annual revenues. Meanwhile, the bulk of large projects are awarded to fewer than 15 percent of these firms. This should prompt a difficult but necessary conversation: Mergers and acquisitions.

While many Ugandans are culturally resistant to selling or merging their businesses, consolidation may be the only path to scale, resilience, and competitiveness in a tight economy. One reason we struggle is our tendency to gravitate towards the same ideas. We rarely pause to think differently. Business, like football, rewards versatility. In football, the most successful coaches have multiple game plans and adjust tactics depending on the opponent and the situation on the pitch. When things are not working, they substitute, re-strategise, and adapt. Business leaders must do the same-know when to pivot, when to drop underperforming products, and when to deploy new strategies.

Listening to customers is another underutilised skill. Tastes change, needs evolve, and markets shift. Entrepreneurs who pay attention can detect dangers early and spot opportunities from afar. Several areas remain largely untapped in Uganda, including post-harvest handling and cold-chain services, waste-to-value enterprises, and healthcare support services such as medical consumables manufacturing, oxygen supply, and medical gases. These are not glamorous ventures, but they solve real problems and meet growing demand. Geography also matters. Kampala does not hold a monopoly on opportunities.

Over the past few years, significant development has taken place in cities such as Mbarara, Masaka, Gulu, Lira, Mbale, and Arua. Entrepreneurs willing to relocate, or at least expand beyond the capital, may find less competition and more responsive markets. Adaptation or reinvention, at its core, can be energising. A fresh start often sharpens the mind, renews purpose, and refocuses attention on customer value. It expands one’s understanding of what truly drives demand.

Finally, as a businessperson, reinvest in yourself. Reset your mindset. Know when to persevere and when to quit. If a business no longer serves your goals, despite years of effort, then walking away may be the wisest and most strategic decision.

The Ministry of Health has asked Parliament to appropriate at least Shs32.5 billion to enable the government to digitise processes of service provision in state-run health facilities, as a way of plugging gaps through which drugs and medical supplies are stolen.

The request was placed before the House Committee on Budget by the chairperson of the Committee on Health, Mr Joseph Ruyonga.

“Digitization of hospitals, we need Shs32.5 billion for hospital management systems,” Ruyonga told lawmakers on the budget committee.

His presentation was immediately interrupted by the Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Budget, Mr Remigio Achia, who directed that a detailed strategy for the planned digitization be shared to inform proper budget planning by Parliament before funds are appropriated.

“We need a strategy. The committee must interrogate that. What is the strategy and the rollout? Is it across the country? Is it selected regional hospitals?” Mr Achia asked Mr Ruyonga.

A similar call for a detailed digitalization plan from the Ministry of Health was equally demanded by the Otuke legislator, Mr Paul Omara, who reasoned that it is through such a plan that Parliament will understand how it feeds into the country’s digital systems, including salary payment systems installed across various entities.

“What is our overall strategy as a country on digitization of our systems? You know, we have been talking about payment systems only; we are talking about data; now, we are talking about using systems as a management tool because drugs are being stolen big time across the country,” Mr Omara said.

Although there was no commitment on whether the request for the detailed digitalization plan would be delivered to Parliament, a section of legislators, including the Gomba District Woman MP, Ms Sylvia Nayebare, spoke in support of the digitalisation proposal, reasoning that it would improve health service delivery in the country.

“I would personally support them because having a database and a system is the backbone, and when you have the drugs in the hospitals, because you cannot know how many patients got malaria this year, how many children need to be vaccinated or immunized, whatever the case you can’t demand for proper accountability,” Ms Nayebare told colleagues on the Budget Committee.

She added, “So, they need the database in place, whether they get in touch with these other mother institutions or not, they really need it as health.”

The digitalization plan for government-run health facilities comes at a time when the country continues to grapple with the loss of drugs and other medical supplies. The government regularly conducts operations to trace theft of drugs and medical supplies across the country.

At his swearing-in as President after the National Resistance Army troops had overrun Kampala, Yoweri Museveni, gave an address on the steps of Parliament on January 29, 1986, where he made the famous remark about theirs not being a mere change of guard, but a fundamental change.

Daily Monitor retrieves this speech from the archives and also profiles some of Mr Museveni’s famous quotes.

NO ONE should think that what is happening today is a mere change of guard: it is a fundamental change in the politics of our country. In Africa, we have seen so many changes that change, as such, is nothing short of mere turmoil. We have had one group getting rid of another one, only for it to turn out to be worse than the group it displaced. Please do not count us in that group of people: the National Resistance Movement is a clear-headed movement with clear objectives and a good membership.

Of course, we may have some bad elements amongst us – this is because we are part and parcel to Ugandan society as it is, and we may, therefore, not be able completely to guard against infiltration by wrong elements.

It is, however, our deliberate policy to ensure that we uplift the quality of politics in our country. We are quite different from the previous people in power who encouraged evil instead of trying to fight it.

You may not be familiar with our programme, since you did not have access to it while we were in the bush so I shall outline a few of its salient points;

The first point in our programme is the restoration of democracy. The people of Africa-the people of Uganda-are entitled to democratic government. It is not a favour from any government: it is the right of the people of Africa to have democratic government. The sovereign power in the land must be the population, not the government. The government should not be the master, but the servant of the people.

In our liberated zones, the first thing we started with was the election of village Resistance Committees. My mother, for instance, cannot go to parliament; but she can, surely, become a member of a committee so that she, too, can make her views heard. We have, therefore, set up village, muluka, gombolola and district committees.

Later we shall set up a national parliament directly elected by the people. This way we shall have both committee and parliamentary democracy. We don’t want to elect people who will change sides once they are in parliament. If you want to change sides, you must go back and seek the mandate of the people who elected you.

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Democracy

Some of these points are for the future, but right now I want to emphasise that the first point in our political programme is democracy for the people of Uganda. It is a birthright to which all the people of Uganda are entitled.

The committees we have set up in these zones have a lot of power. You cannot, for instance, join the army or the police without being cleared by the village committee.

You must get a recommendation from the people in your village to say that you are not a rogue.

Hence, the soldiers who are joining us from other armies will have to be referred back to their villages for recommendation. The same applies to the police.

Suppose, for instance, that we want to recruit some 500 soldiers from the District of Rakai and say 10,000 youths in the area apply to join. If 5,000 of those are cleared by their area committees as people of good character, the selecting military team will choose the most physically fit from among those, and we shall end up with an army that is both of good character and in good physical condition. This is an example of some of the work to be done by the village committees.

Another important aspect of the committees is that they should serve as a citizens’ intelligence system. If I go to address a rally in Semuto, Rape-ka or Nakaseke, I shall first meet the muluka (parish) and gombolola (sub-county) committees in the area. They will tell me whether the muluka chiefs are thieves, or the hospital personnel are selling drugs, or whether there are soldiers in the area who are misbehaving. They are thus able to act as watchdogs for the population and guard against the misuse of power.

The second point in our programme is the security of persons and property. Every person in Uganda must be absolutely secure to live wherever he or she wishes. Any individual or any group of persons who threatens the security of our people must be smashed without mercy.

Security

The people of Uganda should only die from natural causes that are beyond our control, but not at the hands of fellow citizens who continue to walk the length and breadth of our land freely.

When we were in Nairobi during the peace talks, it was a very painful experience sitting in a room with criminals across the table. 1 was advised that being a leader, you have to be diplomatic.

This prompted me to ask: ‘But does diplomacy apply to criminals as well?’ to which the answer was, ‘Yes’. I saw then that the whole process was a farce. We tried peacefully to push the case that the Amin elements, and people like Bazilio Okello, who had killed people in broad daylight, must be excluded from government.

Our voice, however, was a lonely one because there were so many pressures from the International community, which is interested only in trade. They do not care how many skeletons we have in Uganda: all they care about is for the road to be opened so that their goods can have free passage. We, therefore, made our position very clear: we were not going to take part in any government which included and Involved criminals. Unfortunately, these people believed they had tricked us. Tito Okello, for instance, came back saying that my signing the agreement showed that they had removed the teeth from the salambwa (poisonous snake).

Our position, however, has always been very clear. If you play tricks with us, we shall play tricks with you; if you are honest with us, we shall be honest with you; if you are violent against us, we shall be violent against you. We are people who pay others in their own currency and we never use cowardly tactics. When I was in the bush, I had a lot of pressure from people who said that we should assassinate people like Obote, Muwanga and Bazilio.

Against assassination

I disagreed because I argued that when you assassinate people like that, you turn them into martyrs and heroes. What you need is to develop enough strength to enable you to sweep that kind of garbage to where it belongs: on the dungheap of history. Why should anybody bother to kill small people like Bazilio? You may kill Bazilio Okello, but you will be left with many other Bazilios.

Therefore, the security of the people of Uganda is their right and not a favour bestowed by any regime. No regime has a right to kill any citizen of this country, or to beat any citizen at a road block. We make it clear to our soldiers that if they abuse any citizen, the punishment they will receive will teach them a lesson. As for killing people – if you kill a citizen, you yourself will be killed.

During our struggle, we executed five soldiers of the National Resistance Army for killing people in Bulemezi, Ngoma and Fort Portal. One of these soldiers had killed a doctor in order to steal his money.

What, on the other hand, has been happening in Kampala? Recently, people were massacred in Luwero and a high-powered delegation was sent there: you know these so-called high-powered delegations led by Excellencies and honourables, etc. Personally, I do not like being called ‘Excellency’.

People in Bulemezi call me Yoweri or Mzee wa Kazi. Now, these Excellencies, and honourable ministers and high-ranking military personnel, and what-have-you went to Luwero. Can you imagine what they did? We were told that they had transferred the person who had killed the people in Luwero to another station! Can you imagine? Someone kills 100, 50 or even two people and you say you have transferred him to another area? It was suggested that the solution to some of our problems would be for Kampala to be completely demilitarised.

Disciplining soldiers

So I asked: ‘Where are you going to take these criminal soldiers? Even if you take them to a national park they will kill the animals there!’ The solution, therefore, is to put criminal soldiers where they belong: in prison.

The third point in our programme is the question of the unity of our country. Past regimes have used sectarianism to divide people along religious and tribal lines. But why should religion be considered a political matter? Religious matters are between you and your god. Politics is about the provision of roads, water, drugs, in hospitals and schools for children.

Case for unity

Take the road from here, Parliament Buildings, to Republic House. This road is so bad that if a pregnant woman travels on it, I am sure she will have a miscarriage! Now, does that road harm only Catholics and spare Protestants? Is it a bad road only for Moslems and not for Christians, or for Acholis and not for Baganda? That road is bad and it is bad for everyone.

All the users of that road should have one common aspiration: to have it repaired. How do you become divided on the basis of religion or tribe if your interests, problems and aspirations are similar? Don’t you see that people who divide you are only using you for their own interests not connected with that road?

They are simply opportunists who have no programme and all they do is work on cheap platforms of division because they have nothing constructive to offer the people.

Our Movement is strong because it has solved the problem of division: we do not tolerate religious and tribal divisions in our Movement, or divisions along party lines such as UPC, DP, UPM and the like. Everyone is welcome on an equal basis. That is why you find that when our army goes to Buganda, the people there call it amagye gaffe, abaana baffe. When it goes to the West, it is amahe gaitu, abaana baitu: which means that wherever the NRA goes, it is called ‘our army, our children’. Recently, Buloba was captured by our army, and the commander in charge of the group was an officer called Okecho. He comes from Pakwach in West Nile.

Therefore, the so-called division between the north and south is only in people’s heads. Those who are still hoping to use it are going to be disappointed. They ought to dig a large grave for such aspirations and bury them. Ma-sindi was captured by our soldiers led by Peter Kerim: he, too, is from West Nile. Dr. Ronald Batta here, who is from Madi, has been our Director of Medical Services for all these years in the bush.

‘Angry’ Obote

Obote tried to propagate the idea that there was a division between the Bantus and the Nilotics and that if the Bantus took over, the Nilotics would be wiped out. We have, however, exposed him. Whenever we captured soldiers from Ac noli, Lango and elsewhere, we would treat them well and then release them.

Obote would be surprised, and he would ask: ‘Were you really captured? Did you see Museveni? Were you really not beaten?’ Once we captured the police commander of Masindi, a man called Gala.

I talked to him and another man called Epigo, also from Masindi. When we released them, and Epigo got back to Obote, Obote did not like what Epigo had to say: that the National Resistance Army was not a tribal army as the Obote government had been trying to make out. So Obote locked Epigo up in Luzira Maximum Security Prison because he did not want to hear the truth about our Movement and Army.

There is, in philosophy, something called obscurantism, a phenomenon where ideas are deliberately obscured so that what is false appears to be true and vice versa.

We in the NRM are not interested in the politics of obscurantism: we want to get to the heart of the matter and find out what the problem is. Being a leader is like being a medical doctor. A medical doctor must diagnose their patient’s disease before they can prescribe treatment.

Similarly, a political leader must diagnose correctly the ills of society. A doctor who does not diagnose his patient’s disease adequately is nothing but a quack.

In politics, we have also got quacks – and Uganda has had a lot of political quacks over the past two decades or so.

I also want to talk about co-operation with other countries, especially in our region. One of our weaknesses in Africa is a small market because we don’t have enough people to consume what we produce.

Regional cooperation

Originally we had an East African market but it was messed up by the Excellencies and Honorable ministers. It will be a cardinal point in our programme to ensure that we encourage co-operation in economic matters, especially in transport and communication within the East African region.

This will enable us to develop this area. We want our people to be able to afford shoes. The Honorable Excellency who is going to the United Nations in executive jets, but has a population at home of 90 per cent walking barefoot, is nothing but a pathetic spectacle.

Yet this Excellency may be busy trying to compete with Reagan and Gorbachev to show them that he, too, is an Excellency. These are some of the points in our political programme. As time goes on, we shall expand more on them.

Last appeal

To conclude, I am appealing to those people who are trying to resist us to come and join us because they will be integrated. They should not waste their time trying to fight us because they cannot defeat us.

If they could not defeat us when there were just 27 of us with 27 guns, how can they defeat this army which you saw here?

They cannot defeat us, first of all, because we have a correct line in politics which attracts everyone. Secondly, we have a correct line of organisation. Thirdly, our tactics are correct.

We have never made a mistake either in strategy or tactical calculation. I am, therefore, appealing to these people not to spill more blood, especially of the young men who are being misled by older people who should know better.

The Electoral Commission has declared 10 Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) officers elected, with Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Lt Gen Sam Okiding walking away with the lion’s share of votes. For the first time in decades, the Chief of Defence Forces will not be among the UPDF representatives in Parliament, a changing of the guard that raised eyebrows. In the election conducted yesterday at the Land Forces Headquarters in Bombo, Luweero District, Lt Gen Okiding topped the list with 340 votes. He was trailed by Lt Gen James Mugira, the managing director of the National Enterprise Corporation, with 303 votes, and Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, the deputy coordinator of Operations Wealth Creation, who secured 282 votes. Brig Gen David Gonyi, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, came in fourth with 266 votes. Maj Gen Henry Moses Matsiko, Joint Staff Political Commissar, followed with 251 votes, while Maj Gen James Kinalwa, Joint Staff of Human Resource Management, garnered 241 votes.

Maj Gen Joseph Ssemwanga, the deputy commander of Land Forces, received 198 votes. Col Night Ikiriza from the Special Forces Command, Col Sylvia Meeme from the Military Police, and Col Christine Nekesa from the Air Force were elected as female representatives. Only Lt Gen Mugira, Maj Gen Matsiko, and Maj Gen Kavuma had served in the 11th Parliament. Those who did not return include Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, Gen David Muhoozi, Lt Gen Wilson Mbadi, Lt Gen Peter Elweru (rtd), Col Dr Victor Nekesa, Lt Col Charity Bainababo, and Maj Dr Jennifer Alanyo. Col Chris Magezi, the acting spokesman of the Defence Public Information Office, said the Defence Forces Council meeting was chaired by President and Commander-in-Chief Gen Yoweri Museveni. ‘The members of the Defence Forces Council include Members of the UPDF High Command, persons who were senior officers of the army as at January 26, 1986, chiefs and directors of services, commandants of training institutions, brigade and battalion commanders, and officers commanding equivalent units of the Defence Forces,’ Col Magezi said.

During the Constitutional Assembly, some legislators opposed military representation in Parliament, but government ministers argued it would allow the armed forces to keep a finger on the pulse of national politics. On January 30, 2021, President Museveni told UPDF representatives that their role in Parliament was to act as a ‘conveyor belt of national issues and a listening post.’ The 10 UPDF representatives elected through the Army Council meeting are chosen in line with regulations guiding Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which also include workers, youth, and persons with disabilities.

List of UPDF MPs in the 12th Parliament:

Lt Gen. Sam Okiding – 346

Col. Sylvia Meeme – 314

Col. Night Ikiriza – 307

Lt. Gen. James Mugira – 303

Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma – 282

Brig. David Gonyi – 266

Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko – 261

Col. Victor Nekesa – 261

Maj. Gen. James Kinalwa – 241

Brig. Joseph Semwanga -198

My husband and I have been married for eight years and have three school-going children. In December, he insisted that we host several relatives from upcountry for the festive season. We slaughtered a goat, bought food and drinks, and even gave transport money to some visitors. I expressed concern about the cost, especially with school opening in January, but he brushed it off and said God would provide. Now schools are reopening, our savings are gone, and I am overwhelmed by stress. He says I am ungrateful and killing his joy, yet I feel generosity has turned into irresponsibility. The tension in our home is growing. How do we recover financially without blaming each other, and how do I raise my concerns without damaging our marriage? Ruth

Dear Ruth,

Take heart, what you are facing is common in many families; the financial challenges that come in December and January. I assure you that as long as you handle this situation with restraint and wisdom, you will all navigate this tricky patch fairly well.

Based on your description of the conflict, it seems we might be dealing with a structured individual (you, Ruth) versus a less structured husband. This dynamic is not uncommon in marriages.

One partner may be impulsive while the other is conscientious, meaning they consider the entire matter before making decisions. These contrasting traits can create friction until the couple learns to manage the decision-making process together.

Your stress, Ruth, arises from feeling disregarded and having your organised approach to important matters, such as school fees, disrupted. Was your husband right to ignore your suggestions? Likely not. However, this is a challenging moment you must navigate together, as it is essential to think about the future and the impact on your children.

Your letter also makes me wonder if your stress stems from a pattern where your past recommendations have been disregarded by your husband, leading to negative outcomes. If your advice continues to be ignored, and the consequences affect you, this can lead to resentment and eventually escalate.

If this is the case, you could be experiencing a form of emotional abuse through controlling behaviour. It is essential to address this, especially if you value being heard and if you possess an independent mindset.

This situation can remain a source of stress and potentially lead to more serious mental health issues. A qualified marriage counsellor can help you determine if you are facing coercive control and provide guidance on how to navigate these challenges.

You did not mention whether you share the burden of school fees with your husband. If you do not, I imagine you would not feel stressed, as it would be solely his responsibility. Your statement, ‘our savings are gone,’ indicates a shared responsibility, which may mean you bear a larger portion of the burden.

This can amplify one of the most significant areas of conflict in marriage: finances.

Do you notice a pattern in your husband’s behaviour regarding money, leaning towards impulsivity, even though you have a joint account? It may be necessary to discuss this together and establish clear guidelines for using the joint account.

Perhaps funds for specific expenses, such as school fees, should not be included in the general pool of expenditures. You might even consider taking a lead role in managing this aspect to reduce stress for both you and your husband, who may feel that you are taking away his enjoyment of money matters.

In summary, does what you shared indicate a pattern of impulsivity in your husband’s behaviour? If it is a recurring issue and goes unaddressed, it could become a significant source of stress for both of you.

If this was a one-off situation and he is typically more responsible, consider giving him the benefit of the doubt moving forward, but ensure he knows you disapproved of what happened.

If this behaviour is part of a control tactic, it is crucial to seek help to safeguard your mental health and navigate your situation. Lastly, if necessary, setting up a separate account for essential expenses such as school fees could help minimise future conflicts.

Reader Advice

Do a monthly check-in

Amina Nakiyemba. Consider setting up a ‘financial check-in’ each month with your husband. Make it informal but consistent; review expenses, discuss priorities, and celebrate small savings wins. This way, you both stay aware of your situation, and generosity can be balanced with realistic planning.

Split responsibilities

John Bosco Mwesige. Sometimes it helps to frame finances in terms of shared dreams. Talk about what you both want for your children and family. Suggest splitting responsibilities: he can host occasionally, but you control the school and daily expenses. It turns conflict into collaboration.

Share a personal story

Grace Namirembe. Storytelling can soften hard truths. Share a personal example of when spending exceeded your budget and how it affected you. This creates empathy, not blame. Then brainstorm creative ways to celebrate with relatives without high costs, such as home-cooked meals instead of large gifts or lavish shopping.

Ask him for solutions

Samuel Byaruhanga. Money talk can be emotional, so introduce numbers visually. Use a simple chart or notebook to show income versus expenses. Ask him to suggest solutions too. Sometimes seeing the facts makes generosity easier to manage without feeling restricted.

Consider compromise

Esther Kansiime. Consider small compromises. For example, host fewer relatives or rotate visits so everyone is included but the cost is manageable. You can still honour family traditions without sacrificing savings. Highlight that reducing scale does not reduce love; it protects the family’s stability.

Introduce hosting fund

David Lule. Appeal to long-term goals. Remind your husband that your children’s education and health come first, but you both can plan future celebrations together. Suggest setting aside a fixed ‘hosting fund’ monthly, so generosity does not derail the budget.

Try humour

Sharon Nakitende. Try empathy and humour. Lightly say, ‘I love your generosity, but I also love my hair turning grey over fees!’ Then invite him to brainstorm cost-saving alternatives. Humour softens tension and opens space for joint problem-solving without creating defensiveness.

Take a break from him

Michael Kato. Sometimes distance helps. Take a day to individually reflect on finances, then meet and discuss calmly. Write down your concerns first so you do not get emotional. When you present them as facts with proposed solutions, your husband is more likely to listen.

Makerere University management has explained why the institution will graduate significantly fewer students during its forthcoming 76th graduation ceremony compared to previous years, saying the drop is a direct result of disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Next month, the university is set to graduate 8,432 students across various academic levels and disciplines, a sharp decline from the 13,658 students who graduated during the 75th graduation ceremony.

The difference of 5,226 graduands had sparked public concern and speculation about declining enrolment and academic output at Uganda’s oldest public university. The 76th graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place from February 24 to 27.

However, while addressing journalists on Wednesday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, clarified that the cohort scheduled to graduate next month consists mainly of students admitted during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, a period marked by unprecedented disruptions in the education sector.

‘People will be wondering why we are graduating fewer students in this cohort. These are the students who were admitted during Covid-19. We did not have A-level students at the time, so we had to admit those who were available.’ Prof Nawangwe said.

He explained that because national A-level examinations were delayed during the pandemic, Makerere was unable to admit students through the direct entry scheme, forcing the university to rely heavily on diploma holders, who traditionally form a smaller intake.

Despite the reduced numbers, university management insists the figures do not signal decline but rather reflect a strategic shift in academic focus.

The Academic Registrar, Prof Mukadasi Buyinza, said the university will confer degrees and award certificates to a total of 8,432 graduands, comprising 4,030 females and 4,402 males.

According to Prof Buyinza, the graduating class includes 185 PhD holders, 2,034 Master’s graduates, 6,043 Bachelor’s degree holders, 137 postgraduate certificate holders, and 33 postgraduate diploma graduates.

‘I am proud to announce that in comparison to the 75th graduation, we have registered a 30 per cent growth in graduate student output,’ Prof Buyinza said. ‘This is a result of our strategic decision to prioritise graduate education in line with our research-led agenda.’Prof Buyinza said.

Meanwhile, he said that the numbers will go back to the original numbers next year.

Prof Nawangwe noted that the university is recording its highest number of PhD graduates in a single graduation ceremony, which he described as a major milestone in Makerere’s long-term strategic plan.

‘This is the highest number of PhDs we have graduated,’ he said. ‘It shows that we are steadily moving towards our goal of becoming a research-led institution.’

He added that by 2030, Makerere University intends to admit and graduate more postgraduate students than undergraduate students.

‘By 2030, we shall be admitting and graduating more graduate students compared to undergraduate ones,’ Prof Nawangwe said.

Meanwhile, statistics released by the university indicate a shift in gender composition among graduates this year, with male students outnumbering females, reversing last year’s trend.

During the 75th graduation ceremony held in January last year, 7,297 of the 13,658 graduates were female, compared to 6,361 males, a difference of 936 in favour of women. This year, however, 4,402 males will graduate compared to 4,030 females, a difference of 372.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof Sarah Ssali, said the gender gap remains relatively small and reflects progress toward gender balance.

‘This year’s gender parity is not too big,’ Prof Ssali said. ‘It is good for an institution that has consistently advocated for gender equality.’

In a departure from previous years, Makerere University has also finalised and printed all academic transcripts ahead of the graduation ceremony.

Prof Nawangwe said graduates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the university can collect their transcripts immediately or wait until the graduation days.

‘I wish to announce that the transcripts have been finalised and are ready for pickup,’ he said. ‘They can be picked from respective colleges even before the graduation ceremony.’

Students from the School of Law, College of Education and External Studies, College of Computing and Information Sciences, and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will graduate on the first day.

Students from the College of Natural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, College of Health Sciences, and School of Public Health will graduate on day two.

Students from Makerere University Business School and College of Business and Management Sciences will graduate on day three.

Students from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, college of Humanities and Social Sciences, and students from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies and institute of Social Research will graduate on the last day.

The ceremony was initially slated for this month, but was postponed due to the general elections.

With the various elections held in 2026 and leading up to it, including the presidential and parliamentary as well as local government polls, there has been chaos, confusion, and public outcry over vote rigging. In many instances, polling officials are cited as part of the cartel robbing voters and candidates on polling day. Some of these instances have been reported in the media, and others recorded on camera. The Electoral Commission (EC) that superintended over these polls must, without further delay, swing into action to investigate, arrest, and prosecute the officials involved in the irregularities.

Voter turnout has declined with every successive election, with voters accusing the powers that be of altering election results, stuffing ballot boxes and in one instance at least, a returning officer in Mukono declaring two winners. As things stand in 2026, the reputation of what is supposed to be the independent EC is in tatters. We have seen various players appear to usurp the Commission’s powers, flout electoral laws, and issue countermands to the electoral law without consequences.

The Commission needs to pick itself up and do an audit once this exercise is done. If wrongdoers are allowed to walk off scot-free, it will only embolden the vote thieves and ballot box stuffing crews. Returning officers should know that they hold a sacred office and must be provided security equivalent to the serious mandate they hold. As it happens, with the Uganda Examinations Board, exam cheating is punished with exam centre cancellation and withholding of results; we should see the same measure of seriousness applied to vote rigging.

The cost of rigging should be so high that it discourages anyone from even considering it. Failure to act on the widespread dishonest practices makes the Commission complicit in the rigging at all levels. Worse, it discredits the voting exercise so badly that no leader who emerges from this flawed exercise will be trusted as the true people’s choice. It is incumbent on the EC to clean its house and not just to pay lip service to doing the right thing.

Those who came to office via election irregularities and those who aided them in these criminal acts must face the full force of the law. The vote manipulation that is being reported is possible in large part with the cooperation of the Commission personnel.