Category: Daily Monitor

The electricity generation subsector is positioning itself for a new phase of growth.

Marked by regional integration, private investment, and stronger accountability, the power sector is looking for markets to supply surplus electricity as well as use it as leverage for expanding capacity and modernising the power market.

George Tusingwire Mutetweka, the chief operations officer of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), says they have outlined the sector’s progress and future direction while representing.

The evolution of Uganda’s power sector has moved from Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) to the current unbundled structure, which Mutetweka highlights as a major milestone in power generation.

From the commissioning of Kiira and Isimba dams to the development of Karuma and smaller hydropower plants such as Nyagak, Uganda has steadily expanded its generation capacity. ‘These projects have strengthened domestic supply and enhanced cross-border power trade,’ Mutetweka says, pointing to regions such as West Nile, where communities straddle Uganda and DR Congo.

Demand imbalance

Despite increasing capacity, Mutetweka says Uganda’s electricity demand profile still reflects a developing economy.

Power consumption peaks sharply between 6pm and 10pm, largely driven by household use rather than industrial activity.

‘That difference tells you we are still a developing country. In advanced economies, factories run 24/7, keeping demand steady. Here, our capacity planning is driven almost entirely by evening demand,’ Mutetweka says.

To address this imbalance, Uganda is exploring innovative investment models to stimulate industrial consumption.

Mutetweka cites examples from US, where Public District Utilities allow farmers and cooperatives to finance power plants by securing long-term industrial off-takers such as aluminium smelters or data centres.

He says similar approaches could enable Ugandan communities and private investors to participate directly in generation, particularly as demand grows for energy-intensive infrastructure such as data centres, electric vehicles, and manufacturing hubs.

Regional opportunities

Uganda is also preparing to join the East African Power Pool, a regional electricity market that will enable countries stretching from DR Congo to Egypt to trade power as a commodity.

‘Power is becoming like sugar or fuel; it is no longer just a service,’ Mutetweka says. ‘Anyone who understands the market can invest and participate.’

He urges stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the emerging market structures, noting that regional integration could significantly enhance Uganda’s role as a power exporter.

Accountability and safety

Beyond capacity expansion, Mutetweka emphasizes accountability, safety, and transparency as central to the sector’s sustainability.

He credits media engagement for keeping the industry responsive to public concerns and praises UEGCL for maintaining high safety standards.

‘In 2025, we recorded zero fatalities among staff and contractors,’ he says.

Surplus electricity

Uganda’s power generation drive has already resulted in a significant supply surplus. According to Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), installed capacity reached 2,048 megawatts by December 2024, while peak demand stood at just 985 megawatts, leaving a surplus of 1,063 megawatts.

This has largely been driven by the completion of the 600 megawatt Karuma Hydropower Dam, which became fully operational in September 2024 after years of delays.

The project is Uganda’s largest hydropower investment to date and positions the country as a potential regional energy exporter.

However, analysts warn that the surplus may be short-lived. Energy sales are growing at an estimated 17 percent annually, and industrial consumers continue to face challenges linked to transmission and distribution bottlenecks.

Electrification gap persists

Despite progress, access to electricity remains uneven. Uganda still has one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa, with heavy reliance on biomass and limited off-grid solutions.

While 76.4 percent of urban households have access to electricity, rural access stands at 42.4 percent, bringing the national average to 51.5 percent.

Transmission expansion has exceeded targets, with 4,962 kilometres of power lines in place by December 2024, surpassing the 2025 goal of 4,354 kilometres.

Nonetheless, infrastructure constraints mean that some generated power cannot be fully delivered to consumers, while system losses stood at 17 percent in 2024.

Ambitious targets ahead

Looking ahead, Uganda’s energy sector aims to scale installed capacity from the current 2,000 megawatts to about 52,000 megawatts by 2040.

Mutetweka says the target, while ambitious, is grounded in global benchmarks for per capita electricity consumption.

‘Ugandans deserve the same access to power as people anywhere else,’ he says. ‘This is not a dream, it’s a goal.’

As the sector evolves, future growth will depend not only on government investment but also on private participation, regional cooperation, and sustained accountability.

For businesses, communities, and investors, the opportunities are significant, provided they are ready to seize them.

Banks posted record profits and strong capital buffers in 2025, supported by tougher capital rules that have quietly reshaped the industry over two years.

The banking sector is experiencing one of its strongest periods in recent history, delivering record profits, robust capital buffers, and increasing public confidence.

Yet, the regulatory environment has quietly reshaped the industry’s structure, reducing the number of top-tier banks.

The Bank of Uganda Annual Supervision Report 2025 paints a picture of a sector that has emerged resilient from a challenging global environment marked by tightening financial conditions, elevated interest rates, and persistent geopolitical uncertainty.

Instead of belt-tightening, the bank sector expanded earnings, strengthened balance sheets, and continued lending. This underscores what the central bank describes as a stable and sound financial system.

Profits surge

At the centre of the strong performance was a 36 percent jump in net after-tax profits, which surged to Shs1.9 trillion in the year ended June 2025. The profit surge represents one of the fastest growth rates recorded by the sector in recent years, reflecting both favourable market conditions and improved internal risk management.

Banks benefited significantly from higher interest income, particularly from government securities (debt), loans, and placements.

As interest rates remained elevated, lenders were able to widen margins while carefully managing funding costs.

At the same time, provisions for bad debts declined by more than 20 percent, signalling improved loan performance and stronger credit underwriting standards.

These trends fed directly into profitability metrics, while the industry’s return on average assets, which evaluates how well assets are used to produce profits, rose to 3.3 percent, up from 2.9 percent the previous year.

Returns on equity, a measure of the sector’s ability to generate profits from every shilling of shareholders’ investments, also strengthened.

These numbers suggest that banks are not merely expanding balance sheets but are doing so with greater efficiency and discipline.

Capital and liquidity

Beyond profitability, Bank of Uganda highlights what it considers the sector’s greatest strength: capital resilience.

By June 2025, the banking system’s core capital to risk-weighted assets ratio, which measures the sector’s financial stability, stood at 25 percent, comfortably above the statutory minimum of 12.5 percent.

All supervised financial institutions complied with leverage ratio requirements and systemic risk buffers, providing a robust shield against unexpected shocks.

Such capital levels, the central bank argues, give banks the capacity not only to absorb losses but also to attract additional investment and continue supporting economic growth.

In a region where banking crises have historically imposed high monetary costs, this resilience carries particular significance.

Liquidity conditions were equally strong, with customer deposits rising sharply to Shs41.6 trillion, up from Shs36.4 trillion a year earlier.

Deposits accounted for more than 83 percent of total bank funding, confirming their role as the sector’s primary and most stable source of finance.

Bank of Uganda notes that the growth in deposits reflects sustained public confidence in the banking system, supported by a relatively favourable macroeconomic environment and the absence of major bank failures.

Credit position

Despite global tightening, banks continued to lend, with total loans, according to Bank of Uganda, growing by 9.2 percent, reaching Shs23.9 trillion, an acceleration from the previous year’s growth rate.

The expansion was complemented by alternative lending channels, including government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, which have broadened access to credit for households, small businesses, and targeted sectors.

When these programmes are included, private sector credit growth remained in double digits, rising to 13.3 percent. This combination of formal bank lending and state-backed financing has helped cushion the economy against external shocks while advancing financial inclusion goals.

Tougher rules

Yet, while the overall picture is one of strength, the report also documents a quiet but consequential shift in the banking sector’s structure.

Following the increase in the minimum capital requirement for commercial banks from Shs25b to Shs150b, three tier one lenders, ABC Capital Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, and Opportunity Bank, were downgraded to tier two credit institutions.

The decision reduced the number of licensed commercial banks from 25 to 22, effective July 2024. Tier two institutions operate under a different regulatory framework, focusing primarily on savings and time deposits and facing lower capital thresholds than full commercial banks.

Bank of Uganda, however, noted that the downgrades were not driven by financial distress, but strategic choices by shareholders to align their business models with regulatory expectations and capital realities.

Consolidation without crisis

Unlike past episodes of banking sector contraction, often marked by failures, forced mergers, or depositor losses, the adjustment unfolded without disruption, with no depositor losses, while the system remained stable throughout the transition.

This validated the central bank’s policy approach that emphasises preventive strength over reactive rescue.

By raising capital requirements early, Bank of Uganda sought to ensure that only institutions with sufficient scale, governance capacity, and risk-management sophistication operate at the highest tier.

This approach mirrors trends across emerging and developed markets, where regulators increasingly favour fewer but stronger banks capable of withstanding volatility, technological disruption, and climate-related risks.

However, consolidation carries trade-offs, where fewer commercial banks could mean reduced competition in some market segments, potentially affecting pricing and access to services.

Bank of Uganda acknowledges these concerns but argues that the long-term benefits, financial stability, depositor protection, and reduced systemic risk, outweigh the costs, such as the likelihood of taxpayer-funded bailouts and economic disruption.

A sector entering a new phase

Details in the Bank of Uganda report suggest that the banking sector has entered a new phase of maturity.

Profitability is strong, capital buffers are deep, and public confidence remains high. At the same time, regulation is becoming more demanding, pushing banks to make strategic choices about scale, scope, and sustainability.

For investors, the numbers signal stability and opportunity, while for smaller players, however, the regulatory environment suggests that the era of low entry barriers and light capital requirements is firmly over.

Bank of Uganda is moving ahead with further reforms, including digital supervision systems, enhanced risk-based oversight, and alignment with global prudential standards.

The sector is likely to become leaner, more disciplined, and more resilient.

This is highlighted throughout the report, emphasising that the banking story in 2025 was no longer about survival, but about strength, structure, and the hard choices that come with progress.

President-elect Yoweri Museveni has petitioned the Supreme Court to throw out a challenge to his re-election, insisting that the January 15 presidential polls were conducted strictly by the book.

Mr Museveni’s victory is being contested by Mr Robert Kasibante of National Peasants’ Party, a former presidential candidate, who seeks to have the win overturned, citing alleged widespread irregularities, violence, and misuse of state resources, among other grievances.

At the heart of his defence, filed yesterday through his lawyers despite the public holiday, Mr Museveni maintains that he was duly elected in line with the country’s laws. He argues that even if there had been any minor breaches, which he flatly denies, they were not significant enough to upset the apple cart or warrant annulment by the court.

‘I was validly elected in accordance with the principles laid down in the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Commission Act, and the Presidential Elections Act,’ Mr Museveni asserts before the apex court.

Contention

In his January 17 petition, Mr Kasibante contends that the entire electoral process, from voter registration to tallying and declaration of results, was riddled with illegalities and blatant violations of the Constitution, the Electoral Commission Act, and the Presidential Elections Act.

‘The petitioner (Mr Kasibante), dissatisfied and aggrieved by the conduct of the elections held on January 15, challenges the validity of the election. The election was neither free nor fair and was characterised by non-compliance with electoral laws,’ Mr Kasibante states in his petition. The respondents are President-elect Museveni, the Electoral Commission, and the Attorney General. Mr Museveni is represented by KandK Advocates and KandK Chambers.

Allegations of violence

Mr Kasibante accuses Mr Museveni and state security agencies of orchestrating widespread violence, intimidation, and harassment of Opposition candidates and supporters. But Mr Museveni, in his defence filed yesterday on NRM Liberation Day, denies the accusations.

‘The 1st Respondent (Museveni) denies acting through the armed forces to inflict violence upon the candidates as alleged or at all, and avers that there was no violence inflicted on the candidates by the armed forces with his knowledge and consent or approval,’ he insists.

Mr Kasibante alleges that the UPDF and police disrupted Opposition rallies, assaulted candidates, and issued unlawful directives forcing voters to leave polling stations immediately after casting their ballots. He cites incidents such as the Gulu episode, where security personnel reportedly beat NUP supporters, leaving them bleeding profusely.

Misuse of state resources

Mr Kasibante further claims Mr Museveni used government resources during his campaign, including vehicles, security forces, public institutions, and state media, to tilt the playing field. ‘Notably, the New Vision newspaper consistently featured the first Respondent on the front page, displaying full-page coverage with images of the campaign activities throughout the entire election period,’ the petitioner said. Mr Museveni, however, rubbishes the claims.

‘The 1st Respondent (Mr Museveni) shall state that government facilities used during the campaign were restricted to only those ordinarily attached to and utilised by the President in accordance with the Presidential Elections Act, Cap 179. The 1st Respondent further avers that no such illegal use of government resources, which is denied, took place with his knowledge and consent or approval,’ he avers. Mr Kasibante also alleges that police and UPDF vehicles were used to ferry Museveni’s supporters to rallies across the country.

Voter bribery allegations

Mr Kasibante accuses Museveni’s agents, including musician Moses Ssali, alias Bebe Cool, under the ‘Unstoppable Campaign Team,’ of bribing voters in Kampala, Jinja, Mbale, and Soroti with more than Shs100m. He also claims Museveni knew of the alleged irregular giving of Shs3 billion to a group of mechanics in Kampala.

Mr Museveni denies these allegations, saying: ‘The 1st Respondent (Mr Museveni) shall aver that neither Moses Ssali Alias Bebe Cool nor the Unstoppable Campaign Team bribed or induced voters, as alleged or at all, with his knowledge and consent or approval.’ He adds: ‘In specific answer to paragraph 4(a) (29) of the petition, the 1st Respondent denies knowledge of the 2nd Respondent extending Shs3b to some mechanics group in Kampala, and states that no such acts, which are denied, took place with his knowledge and consent, or approval.’

Failure of biometric machines Mr Kasibante also challenges the use of Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVKs), claiming they failed miserably during the polls, were unreliable, and lacked a proper legal framework. Sources suggest the failures were likely due to the Internet shutdown, causing voting delays of up to four hours at thousands of polling stations. The EC extended voting by an hour and reverted to manual rolls. Mr Museveni counters that the hiccups did not disadvantage voters, as the voters’ roll was used.

‘I know that the election was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the provisions of the law. he persons appearing on the National Voters’ Register/Voters’ Roll and could be identified, were allowed to vote, and it is not true that there was any disenfranchisement that operated to my advantage as alleged or at all,’ he said.

Mr Museveni also defends the counting, tallying, and transmission of results, insisting the process was done transparently, in full view of candidates and their agents. With Mr Museveni’s response filed, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Flavian Zeija is expected to lay down the law and issue guidelines to ensure the petition is disposed of within 30 days, as required.

Polling opened late across Busia Municipality on Tuesday after low voter turnout delayed the start of voting at dozens of polling stations, election officials said.

Busia Municipality has 80 polling stations, 38 in the Western Division and 42 in the Eastern, with 20,016 and 22,917 registered voters respectively.

Nationwide, voting was scheduled to begin at 7:00 a.m. but was delayed as officials in Busia struggled to gather the legally required minimum of 10 voters to witness the opening of ballot boxes.

By 9:00 a.m., polling had yet to begin at Church of God polling centre in the Western Division.

‘By law, polling cannot open unless 10 voters are present to witness the opening of the ballot boxes, so we are waiting until that number is reached,’ presiding officer Morris Barasa told Monitor.

Six candidates are contesting the Busia mayoral seat, including Aisha Kalombo (IND), Iddi Muhammad Kibaki (NUP), Sadiki Amin Agele (FDC), incumbent mayor Haji Ali Mande (NRM), Siraji Wabwire Omunyu (PFF) and Iddi Ouma (IND).

Presiding officer Humphrey Taabu said his team waited nearly three hours to register the first 10 voters.

‘We collected the voting materials before 7:00 a.m. and set up the station, but we are still waiting for the 10 voters required to witness the opening,’ he said.

Voters in eastern Uganda blamed low turnout on poor mobilization, voter apathy and lack of incentives. Alexander Waswa, a resident of Madibira, said mayoral elections attract less interest.

‘As voters, we feel candidates have to bribe us because after the elections they disappear for four years. It’s tit for tat.no money, no vote,’ he said.

Another voter, Yusuf Salim, warned that disengagement harms communities.

‘Municipal leaders manage service delivery. Electing the wrong leaders or skipping voting because of bribes only harms us,’ he said.

Election officials said biometric voter verification kits (BVVKs), which malfunctioned during earlier elections, were working properly.

In Busia and neighbouring districts, operators verified voters successfully, with officials’ IDs recognised by the machines.

An IT technician, who asked not to be named, said delays were not due to equipment failure but the internet shutdown.

In Iganga District, police were deployed after confusion broke out at some polling centres.

‘From previous elections, Iganga has been known for rowdy supporters, so as police we ensured heavy deployment to prevent chaos,’ said Busoga East police spokesperson Michael Kasadha.

In Jinja City, voters praised BVVKs for speeding up the process.

‘My voter slip was scanned, my thumbprint verified, and I voted quickly,’ said Francis Ssempa, adding it took less than three minutes.

At least 3,000 direct jobs will be created for Ugandans as Itracom Fertilizers Uganda SMC Ltd, a subsidiary of Itracom Fertilizer, as the Burundian firm starts the construction of the multi-million dollar organic fertilizer producing factory in Kampiringisa, Mpigi District.

The ground levelling of the $180 million (Shs631.3 billion) project which sits on part of the 133-acre-land, is underway, with officials saying the final completion of the construction shall be done in 18 months.

Upon completion, the project will employ up to 1,000 technical staff and as well create more than 100,000 indirect jobs to thousands of locals especially farmers in the cattle corridor.

‘We expect to produce one million tons of organic and orga-mineral fertilisers every year which shall need at least 500,000 metric tons of cow-dung that shall be supplied by local farmers from the cattle corridor,’ Mr Jeanluc Bigirimana, the country representative of Intracom Fertilizers Uganda -SMC Ltd told reporters during a guided media tour around the facility.

This literally implies that the fertiliser firm which is extending its leg in Uganda after having been established in Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania, will need a minimum of 1,300 tons of cow-dung per day.

Data from the 2021 National Livestock Census indicated that there are 1.6 million cattle in Buganda Sub-region, 1.8 million in Ankole, and 2.4 million in Karamoja Sub-region. The report further indicated that 6.8 million households were at least keeping cattle.

‘We shall train farmers on how to handle the cow dung before supplying to us,’ Mr Bigirimana said

Officials from Intracom Fertilizers Uganda -SMC Ltd, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in the presence of the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, in August last year, signed the offtake agreement which activated the project.

The initiative, which was backed by a presidential directive, resulted in the establishment of a $180m (Shs631.3b) state-of-the-art organic fertilizer factory in Kampiringisa that will enhance agricultural productivity through sustainable practices.

The new factory that will be constructed on 133 acres of land provided by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MOGLSD) in Kampiringisa, will produce organic fertilizer using cow dung and additional minerals.

Ms Nabbanja said, ‘With an investment of $180 million, Intracom Fertilizer Uganda aims to complete the project within 18 months. The facility will have a production capacity of 250,000 metric tons annually, with an offtake agreement guaranteeing purchase, provided the fertilizer is manufactured in Uganda.’

Mr Adrian Ntigacika, the proprietor of Intracom Fertilizer who attended the signing ceremony said that the firm’s broader plan is to establish several facilities, including an Agricultural bank, an Agricultural Insurance company, and logistics business for transporting fertilizer, and a factory making plastic packaging materials for the fertilizers.

Mr Museveni in the letter that was read by Ms Nabbanja chest-thumped on how the company will save Ugandans millions of dollars spent on importing fertilisers, which are later sold expensively to farmers.

‘Fertilizer use in the country is no longer an option. We have used our land for ages with little or no replacement of nutrients, which is aggravated by bad practices, deforestation, bush burning, etc. Production of key crops like tea, coffee, oil palm, maize, and Irish potato is therefore no longer profitable without fertilizer application. We are currently spending about $300m,’ the letter read in part

He added, ‘Our national fertilizer application is 15kg per acre compared to the required 50kg per acre. We are currently spending $300m annually on fertilizer imports. During January to June 2023, the country imported 150 metric tons of fertilizers giving a projected annual import of $300 million.’

Mr Bijirimana told reporters on Saturday that the factory is beginning to manifest following this paper work.

‘Right now, power has been extended to the site as it was agreed, we have also developed our own water as we wait for what the government promised but all I can say is that we are on course,’ he said.

A demonstration farm where Irish potatoes, beans, maize and other plants have been planted was established on part of this land where they are using the fertiliser being produced by similar firms in Tanzania.

Musa Majid Marjan the Farm manager at Itracom Fertilizers Uganda -SMC Ltd said that the success of the fertiliser on the crops they have grown is a ray hope that it will be useful to Ugandans who are suffering from expensive fake fertilisers.

The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Tororo District has dismissed an application filed by Ms Sarah Opendi, contesting the outcome of the January 15, 2026, polls for the District Woman Member of Parliament race in which she lost.

Ms Opendi, who was the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer in the race, ran to the court seeking orders to recount the ballots, citing irregularities such as ballot stuffing and falsification of numerical figures marked in her favour at 11 polling stations.

The Electoral Commission on January 16, 2026, declared Ms Angella Akoth [Independent] the winner of the race after she polled 78,542 votes, beating Ms Opendi with a margin of only 35 votes.

On January 23, the chief magistrate’s court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Irene Nantebya, granted the application for a vote recount and subsequently ordered the electoral commission to produce ballot boxes from the alleged polling stations before the court to have the recount conducted on January 24.

Following the court order on January 24, all the ballot boxes were transported from the Electoral Commission to the court premises under tight security.

However, upon the court’s inspection, it was discovered that two ballot boxes had broken seals hence raising suspicion that they may have been tampered with.

The dispute over the conditions of the ballot boxes became a main legal challenge to Ms. Opendi and the court. After hearing submissions from either side, the magistrate deferred his ruling to today (January 27).

In her ruling, Ms Nantebya dismissed the application on the grounds that some of the ballot boxes presented before the court had been tampered with which compromised the integrity of the recount and subsequently upheld Ms Akoth’s win as the duly elected Tororo District Woman MP.

“This court has no jurisdiction to go ahead to conduct a vote recount when electoral materials have been tampered with, and if I do so, I would have compromised the integrity of the court. Therefore, I rule that the petition has been dismissed and order that the Electoral Commission uphold the victory of Akoth,” the Chief Magistrate said.

She also ordered the return of the presented election materials to the electoral commission for further safety and management.

Addressing journalists after the court ruling, Ms Opendi said she was satisfied with the court ruling and said she was still going to seek guidance from her lawyers.

“I don’t think this was what I had come for. However, I am going to seek guidance from my lawyers before I can pronounce my next course of action,” she said.

She said the outcome of the court didn’t only affect her as an individual but the entire people of Tororo District who voted for her.

Ms Opendi said she had all the grounds and evidence to take another course of action.

Ms Akoth lauded the magistrate’s ruling for ‘maintaining the people’s will,’ before promising to lobby for her constituents once she’s sworn in.

The aftermath of the January 15 General Election has left several defeated incumbent Members of Parliament weighing their next moves, with choices ranging from court battles and political comebacks to quiet exits into private life. For some, defeat has triggered legal action.

A number of incumbents who lost their seats have petitioned courts, alleging electoral malpractice and vote rigging. They argue that the announced results do not reflect what transpired at polling stations and insist their victories were unlawfully taken. One such case is Dr Emmanuel Otaala, the incumbent MP for West Budama South, who lost to Mr George Oketcho of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Dr Otaala said the election was riddled with irregularities and has vowed to challenge the outcome in court, accusing the district returning officer of announcing results that contradict figures from polling stations.

‘My next step is going to court; I have a problem with the district returning officer, Mr Robert Twirize, and I want him to show me where he sourced his results,’ he said. Dr Otaala said he managed to deploy polling agents in all polling stations who handed him all the declaration forms and his tallying showed that he had obtained the highest number of votes.

The Kagoma County NRM flag bearer, Mr Fredrick Munirwa, blamed security operatives for his defeat, alleging they sided with Independent candidate, Mr Moses Walyomu.

He said his agents were arrested while vote tallying continued, adding that he was consulting his team to seek legal redress. Mr Charles Matovu, the Busiro South MP and the NUP flag bearer in the recently concluded parliamentary elections, said his next move is demanding for his ‘victory.’ Mr Matovu lost to NRM’s Kenan Opio.

According to him, what was announced by Mr Tolbert Musinguzi, the Wakiso District Electoral Commission returning officer, is totally different from what he had on his Declaration of Results forms.

‘I am on ground mobilising my supporters to demand for my victory. What I witnessed at the tally centre was broad day robbery and I condemn it,’ said Mr Matovu. However, not all defeated candidates are pursuing legal action. Some have opted to focus on their businesses, disillusioned with the political process.

The incumbent Woman MP for Mbale City, Ms Connie Galiwango, said it’s her time to move on.

‘I congratulate Lydia Wanyoto and also thank the people of Mbale for electing me three times as their Woman MP,’ she said.

Ms Wanyoto, who contested for the third time for the Mbale City Woman MP seat, was declared winner after polling 26,698 votes against Ms Galiwango’s 8,014 votes.

The latter ran as an independent. Ms Galiwango is not alone. The incumbent MP for Koboko County, Mr James Baba (NRM), said he has decided to retire from active politics to concentrate on his personal businesses. Mr Baba, 80, joined politics in 2006 and served as MP until 2011.

In 2011, he lost the NRM flag to Mr Ahmed Awongo in the primaries and did not contest in the General Election. He was then subsequently appointed as State minister for Internal Affairs in May 2011.

In 2016, he was re-elected Member of Parliament representing Koboko County. And in 2021, he won the seat on an NRM ticket. To date, he is serving on the Committee on East African Community Affairs. However, in 2026, he did not contest, paving the way for Mr Emmanuel Banya (NRM) to sail through unopposed in the parliamentary race.

Arua Central

The incumbent MP for Arua Central Division in Arua City, Mr Jackson Atima (NRM), lost the seat to Mr Muzaid Khemis of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). He said he was still contemplating his next course of action. In Maracha East Constituency, Ms Ruth Molly Ondoru, did not contest as she retired from politics.

‘I am going to concentrate on my personal work because I have many things to do. One of the things that I am going to concentrate on is a church project,’ she said.

Ms Ondoru will be succeeded by Mr Tom Aliti (NRM), a former commissioner of health services in the Ministry of Health. Mr Nathan Nabeta Igeme, the incumbent Independent MP for Jinja Southeast Constituency who lost the seat to Mr Paul Mwiru of the National Unity Platform (NUP), has conceded defeat. He said he is stepping down from active politics to focus on development projects generated through his investments.

‘I plan to construct low-cost housing units for residents of the Danida, Soweto, and Masese communities to improve living conditions and promote a better environment,’ said Mr Nabeta.

He further stated that he is ready to work with all newly elected Members of Parliament, regardless of their political affiliation. The Jinja City Incumbent Woman Member of Parliament (NUP), Ms Manjeri Kyebakutika, said she will remain active in politics despite her defeat in the recent elections.

‘I was defeated because I was betrayed by my party. I was denied the party card, so I will decide later whether to continue participating in politics as an independent,’ she said. Ms Kyebakutika was the only NUP Member of Parliament from the Busoga Sub-region in the 11th Parliament.

She was defeated by Ms Sarah Lwansasula, the NUP flag bearer, who garnered 21,665 votes, while Ms Kyebakutika finished fifth with 9,411 votes.

Mr Medard Lubega Sseggona, the outgoing MP for Busiro East Constituency, said he is already back in office for legal service, which he is going to be doing alongside farming. ‘I am not an idle person; I have a lot of work to do outside Parliament. I also apportion part of the time I have now for the family, which I have not given much time in the past years,’ he said.

As technology reshapes economies and societies, women remain largely absent from the spaces where digital systems are designed, built, and governed.

Globally, women account for just 28.4 percent of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), according to UNESCO’s Gender Gap in Science report. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the figure stands at about 30 percent, an imbalance with consequences that extend far beyond representation.

This disparity shapes how technology works and who it works for. UNESCO has shown that artificial intelligence systems, for example, are less effective at recognising women’s voices, a flaw linked to biased data sets and development teams that lack diversity.

Without deliberate action to equip women and girls with information and communication technology (ICT) skills and access, the gender digital divide risks widening further, locking half the population out of the digital economy.

Mentorship as a bridge

For Mark Kawooya, Team Lead at the InterVarsity Mentorship Forum, this reality inspired the creation of mentorship programmes that support women transitioning from university into the workplace.

While women have contributed to landmark scientific breakthroughs, from DNA research to modern computing, Kawooya notes that their presence in STEM careers remains the exception rather than the norm.

He points to a persistent barrier: mathematics, from which many women, he says, disengage early after perceiving the subject as intimidating or uninteresting, cutting off pathways into STEM careers.

Yet, he argues, this is not a question of ability. ‘With the right teaching approaches and encouragement, women excel,’ he says, describing them as natural problem-solvers and designers whose creativity is critical to innovation.

Structural barriers persist

While attitudes and education matter, Michael Niyitegeka, Executive Director of Refactory, argues that structural barriers are equally limiting. Chief among them is access to devices.

In Uganda, affordable financing options for laptops and computers remain scarce, placing digital participation out of reach for many women.

Internet connectivity poses another challenge. Fibre infrastructure is heavily concentrated in Kampala, leaving much of the country reliant on costly mobile broadband.

For developers and digital workers, whose work requires constant, high-volume data usage, this becomes a significant constraint.

Why practice matters

Even when women acquire technical skills, opportunities to apply them are limited. Niyitegeka emphasises that hands-on experience, regardless of project size, is essential for building confidence and competitive portfolios.

He calls on government and the private sector to create entry-level and support roles that allow women to practise and grow.

Investing in local talent, he adds, delivers broader economic benefits than outsourcing work abroad. ‘Building local capacity creates jobs, retains revenue, and strengthens long-term growth,’ he says.

The future of work

Looking ahead, Kawooya warns that coding is no longer optional. As artificial intelligence reshapes the labour market, workers without programming skills face a higher risk of displacement.

He urges education systems to update curricula and teaching methods to reflect technological realities, warning that failure to do so will entrench global inequalities in digital jobs.

Niyitegeka agrees, noting that digital roles, such as web development and design, remain among the most accessible entry points into the STEM ecosystem.

However, as automation accelerates, women must deepen their skills to remain competitive.

Increasingly, employers value professionals who can blend domain knowledge with digital competence, from finance specialists who build simple applications to HR managers who automate workflows.

A matter of inclusion

Ultimately, both experts emphasise mindset, opportunity, and access. Women are not lacking in capability, they argue, but in exposure, support, and infrastructure.

Augmenting existing qualifications with digital skills significantly improves employability and resilience in a rapidly changing economy.

As Africa pushes toward digital transformation, closing the gender gap in ICT is no longer a social imperative alone; it is an economic one.

The continent’s digital future will be shaped not just by technology, but by who gets to build it.

An independent candidate in Uganda’s eastern district of Soroti said he was consulting lawyers to challenge the outcome of the district chairperson (LC5) election, disputing results that handed victory to the ruling party’s candidate.

Vincent Enomu, who finished second in the Soroti LC5 race, said he rejected the results announced by the district electoral commission, citing alleged irregularities during polling.

On January 22, Soroti District returning officer Joseph Mukwaya declared Bob Owiny of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) the winner with 28,224 votes, defeating Enomu, who polled 20,504 votes, from 247 polling stations across 12 sub-counties.

‘I am not happy with the results that were announced and I disassociate myself from the results that were announced by the electoral commission of Soroti because of the irregularities,’ Enomu told Monitor in a Tuesday interview.

He alleged that violence marred voting in Awaliwali Sub-county, claiming that goons armed with sticks, pangas and bricks invaded polling stations and chased away his agents and supervisors tasked with guarding his votes.

Enomu also said his wife was attacked while delivering food to his polling agents.

‘I sent my wife to take food to my agents, but she was almost beaten to death,’ he noted.

He urged individuals with personal grudges to resolve them outside the electoral process, saying elections should not be turned into battlegrounds.

Enomu revealed that he was compiling evidence to challenge the election outcome in court and warned of political consequences if he failed to secure justice.

‘We are on the ground. We are gathering this evidence to challenge this election legally in the courts of law and if they manipulate the court it’s well and good,’ he said, adding that he would mobilize his supporters to disassociate from the NRM if his efforts failed.

Owiny, however, dismissed the allegations, saying he had won fairly.

‘I am now the LC5 that the people of Soroti have chosen and I thank God and all the people who supported me,’ Owiny said.

He added that disputes were common after elections, noting: ‘If I had lost, I would also not have accepted defeat.’

Owiny said his opponent’s reaction was understandable given the pain of losing but insisted he had won ‘fair and square,’ including in earlier party primaries.

Calling for unity, Owiny urged Enomu to accept the outcome and work together, saying the district’s challenges required collective effort.

Other candidates included John Calvin Elenyu of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), who polled 5,036 votes, and independents John Michael Osege, who garnered 5,242 votes.

If a stranger knew everything your phone knows about you, would you sleep peacefully? It is an uncomfortable question, but it is one we cannot avoid.

Every time we register a SIM card, apply for a job, or download an app, we leave behind digital traces of ourselves.

Names, phone numbers, national ID details, photographs, and even biometric data quietly move from our hands into systems we do not control.

A phone number here. A photocopy of an ID there. A quick selfie for verification. We give away pieces of ourselves every day, often without a second thought.

This year’s Data Privacy Day theme for Uganda, ‘Personal data: guard it like it’s your own,’ challenges us to confront a simple truth.

Personal data has become one of the most valuable and vulnerable assets in Uganda’s digital economy, validating Meglena Kuneva’s observation, former European Union Consumer Commissioner, that personal data is the new oil of the internet and the new currency of the digital world.

Personal data fuels mobile money, social media, online shopping, job applications, and healthcare systems, among others.

Yet while we guard our phones, wallets, and homes with fierce attention, we often treat our personal data like it’s disposable. It isn’t.

Important to note is that personal data is personal power. In the wrong hands, it can empty bank accounts, ruin reputations, enable surveillance, or expose people to real-world harm. Once lost or misused, it is rarely recovered.

Digital convenience has trained us to click ‘accept’ without reading, to share without asking questions, to trust without verifying.

We post birthdays, locations, workplaces, family photos, and daily routines online, unaware of how easily these details can be stitched together. But this convenience comes at a cost. Every click, tap, or share can quietly put your personal data at risk.

For many Ugandans, the risks feel distant until they are not. In July 2025, the Standards, Utilities, and Wildlife court in Uganda convicted a mobile lending app operator under the Data Protection and Privacy Act Cap. 97, when he was found guilty of illegally collecting and misusing personal data.

Recent reports show that cybercrime cases in Uganda are rising. In 2024, police recorded 474 cybercrime cases with financial losses of about Shs72.1 billion. These incidents show how everyday information can be weaponized.

But who should be protecting our data?

Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, Cap. 97 recognizes that personal data deserves protection and that misuse has consequences.

Organizations are required to collect only what they need, secure it properly, and respect the rights of individuals, or what the Act refers to as ‘data subject rights.’ But laws do not enforce themselves.

Data protection fails when organizations treat personal information casually, for example, when it is stored on unsecured devices, shared over WhatsApp, or accessed by people with no real authority.

When institutions fail to guard data like it’s their own, the public pays the price. Still, it would be dishonest to place all the blame elsewhere. We are often our own weakest link. Why?

We overshare, we reuse passwords, we hand over personal details simply because someone asks, we click accept without reading the terms and conditions, etc.

Guarding personal data like it’s your own means slowing down. Asking why information is needed. Questioning who will access it.

Thinking twice before posting, forwarding, or filling in that form. Privacy begins with awareness, and awareness begins with care.

Therefore, ‘Personal data: guard it like it’s your own’ is a reminder and a warning.

If you wouldn’t leave your door unlocked for strangers, don’t leave your data exposed. If you wouldn’t hand your wallet to someone you don’t trust, don’t hand over your information without thinking.

As Uganda continues its digital transformation journey, the future will belong to those who understand this simple truth: personal data is not cheap, casual, or replaceable.

It is valuable. It is powerful. And it deserves protection every single time. A happy International Data Privacy Day 2026!