Category: Daily Monitor

Forced into exile at nine, Ramathan Abdallah Gongo turned personal tragedy into a lifelong commitment to Uganda’s liberation and the NRM ideology.

“The chick that will grow into a cock is visible on the day of hatching,” goes an African proverb, highlighting that some things are so apparent that there is no need to stress over verifying them. This saying aptly describes Ramathan Abdallah Gongo, whose significant political legacy began in his teenage years while he was still a student in Nairobi, Kenya.

Driven by a desire for justice and fuelled by a childhood shaped by anger, Ramathan emerged as a fighter for liberation at the young age of 19, although not in a traditional combat sense. To seek justice, he joined the National Resistance Movement (NRM) struggle, aligning himself with his teacher (the author of this article), who was covertly involved with the NRM External Wing.

In 1976, Fatuma Juma Rakuba could no longer endure the relentless death threats posed by her stepson, a soldier in President Idi Amin’s regime. Ismail, a high-ranking officer in Amin’s army, had repeatedly threatened to kill his stepmother over inheritance disputes. He constantly tortured Fatuma psychologically, often threatening to shoot her while in full military uniform.

Haunted and terrified, Fatuma resolved to escape the country in 1976 with her only biological son, Ramathan, who was then in Primary Three at Uganda Air Force Primary School in Entebbe.

School life in exile

Upon reaching Nairobi, Ramathan’s uncle sponsored him to Jamuhuru Primary School, where he sat for his Primary Seven in 1981.

He then joined Senior One at New Kenya Secondary School in 1982, where he found Ugandan teachers, including Wilson Isabirye, Ashaba, Paul Muhangi (Andrew Mwenda’s brother), Elvis Basudde Kyeyune, and Zubairi Atamanvaka, who later became a member of parliament for Arua Municipality upon returning to Uganda.

Ramathan was not the only Ugandan student. Others included Umaru Shambe, son of Hajjati Hanuna Omari, the current presidential advisor on Islamic religious affairs, and Said Nasur Kuti, who later became mayor of Arua Municipality and then MP for the same area.

There was a time when Ramathan put his studies on hold for about three weeks to care for his mother, who had fallen critically ill and was admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital. Upon returning, he discovered that school fees defaulters were being sent home, and he was among them, with a balance of Ksh80.

“Elvis Basudde Kyeyune, who was my class teacher, asked me why I missed classes for some weeks. I told him that my mother was sick and I was caring for her at the hospital. Basudde was so touched after learning I could not pay the balance, and surprisingly, he gave me the Ksh80, allowing me to attend classes. I was charmed by Basudde’s altruism,” Ramathan recalls.

“Since that time, I became very close to Basudde, divulging family secrets and challenges, including the sad story of my mother being harassed by her stepson, which eventually led us into exile,” he adds.

Joining the liberation war

When Ramathan was in Senior Four S4) in 1985, he participated in peace talks chaired by President Arap Moi, from August 26 to December 17. He confided in Basudde that he was praying for peace in Uganda so he could return home, expressing his suffering while staying at his uncle’s place.

“If I had a chance, I would join the NRM/NRA to liberate our country,” he said.

He later learnt that his teacher, Basudde, was acting as the secretary for the Dagoretti NRM ward and was a writer for the NRM propaganda newsletter, working under the late Kirunda Kivejjinja and Besweri Mulondo (RIP). Basudde even invited Kivejjinja as the guest of honour to a school debate competition.

From that point, Ramathan actively teamed up with Basudde, participating in NRM-related clandestine activities while still a student, completing his Senior Four amid the mission of liberating his country.

Returning home safely

In 1986, as the NRA was entering Kampala, Ramathan learnt that his stepbrother, Ismail Gongo, the soldier who had harassed his mother, had been shot dead by the liberators.

“You cannot imagine how relieved I was. It was a big relief for my mother and I, knowing that we could now return home safely and live peacefully since the person who had forced us into exile was no more. Indeed, in 1987, we returned home,” he says.

As Uganda prepares to mark NRM Liberation Day on January 26, Ramathan’s story serves as a reminder of how ordinary Ugandans, even students in exile, played extraordinary roles in the struggle for freedom and national restoration.

‘The people of Kampala voting for you is one thing.getting announced is another.,’ were some of the words of the new Lord Mayor-elect, Mr Ronald Balimwezo, shortly after Ms Jennifer Kyobutungi, the Returning Officer of Kampala Electoral District, declared him the winner on Friday, shortly before midnight. Mr Balimwezo, the flag bearer of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, swept the board, trouncing his eight challengers with a margin of nearly 100,000 votes in a contest that had earlier been billed as ‘tight.’ He garnered a total of 141,220 votes, while his closest challenger, Mr Moses Kizito Nsubuga of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), managed 43,615 votes.

The incumbent Lord Mayor, Mr Erias Lukwago, came in third with 41,915 votes. The rest of the candidates collectively scraped together fewer than 5,000 votes. Despite earlier informal reports from polling stations on Thursday evening suggesting he was in pole position, Mr Balimwezo was among the first to arrive at Makerere University Business School (MUBS), where the final tallying was conducted. At around 7pm, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao, whose wife Beatrice Mao was also in the race, arrived and jokingly remarked, ‘.you may receive the shock of your life..’ A few minutes later, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, also arrived, followed by other dignitaries.

As the night wore on, entry into the venue became tighter than a drum. Those without accreditation passes were turned away, and it took the intervention of the Electoral Commission’s Public Relations Department to usher in stranded journalists. Isuzu trucks carrying boxes of Declaration Forms trickled in, each escorted by at least two police constables. At around 8:30pm, Mr Balimwezo, accompanied by his wife and officials, arrived at the tally centre. He made the rounds of all the tents erected for the process, determined to keep his finger on the pulse of events. Like the parliamentary polls tallying at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds a week earlier, the EC at MUBS had erected nine tents to aid the lord mayoral vote tallying process.

Five were allocated to the city divisions of Nakawa, Kawempe, Makindye, Rubaga, and Kampala Central, each manned by a presiding officer. Results were later relayed to the main tent, the Kampala Electoral Declaration Centre, for final announcements. Mr Balimwezo paced back and forth between these five tents until the declaration time. The remaining tents were designated for receiving forms, security, media personnel, and service providers. At 9pm, Ms Kyobutungi welcomed everyone and explained the process. At this point, no other candidate had shown up apart from Mr Balimwezo. Armed with copies of declaration forms collected from agents at polling stations, campaign agents took their seats in the Division tents, and the tallying began at around 10:30pm.

Each tent had a sound system to allow presiding officers to read results aloud, while agents followed closely to cross-check. The process was smooth sailing through the night, with agents largely in agreement. By Friday morning, provisional results displayed on large TV screens showed Mr Balimwezo ahead by 30,000 votes. By 6am, he had opened an unassailable lead with 46,231 votes, while Mr Lukwago trailed with 13,186. At that point, 846 of the 2,705 polling stations had been tallied. But as the day wore on, cracks began to show. The Kawempe tent, already notorious for chaos during parliamentary tallying at Kololo, once again became a hotbed of contention.

The presiding officer read results showing Mr Lukwago or Mr Nsubuga with 300 votes against Mr Balimwezo’s paltry 19, sparking outrage among agents. Initially, she entertained objections and set aside disputed forms, but as the disputes dragged on, patience wore thin. NRM agents lost their cool and attempted to fight their colleagues, forcing security personnel to step in and restore calm. No visible agent of Mr Lukwago was present, but NRM agents fought tooth and nail whenever NUP agents challenged results read in his favour. At one point, the Kawempe presiding officer refused to listen to NUP agents, prompting Mr Balimwezo to storm in from the Kampala Central tent. With fire in his eyes, he stood before her table and shouted ‘objection’ several times.

The video of this dramatic moment has since gone viral on social media. Elsewhere, Nakawa tent saw tempers flare as NUP agents accused the EC of cooking results for the Female Lord Councillor Women’s seat. Reports claimed Ms Doreen Kaija, the incarcerated former head of the NUP Leadership Institute, had been awarded zero votes at Mbuya Barracks, while her NRM rival secured 900. At the Rubaga Division tent, NUP candidate Julius Katongole was forced to kneel before the presiding officer after discovering false results. He questioned how the NRM candidate could bag 400 votes in polling stations where fewer than 200 people had turned up. He lost the race.

By 2 pm, Balimwezo’s lead had ballooned to more than 70,000 votes, but he remained glued to the tally centre. Ms Kyobutungi began announcing winners of councillor races in Makindye, where NUP was sweeping the board. Tallying continued until around 7 pm, when 91 per cent of polling stations had been tallied, and the TV screens were abruptly switched off. After declaring winners of various positions, Ms Kyobutungi finally announced Mr Balimwezo as the new Lord Mayor. Thereafter, Mr Balimwezo said, ‘You know, first and foremost, I would like to appreciate God, because it has been God. And second, my political head, His Excellency, Bobi Wine, who thought it wise for me to get the NUP card and be able to represent my party as a leader. Then, thirdly, the people of Nakawa who have nurtured me into a good politician.’

President Museveni on Monday told Uganda’s newly sworn-in Chief Justice, Dr Flavian Zeija, to ask the public to identify corrupt officials in the judiciary, stressing that public input is key to tackling graft.

Dr Zeija was sworn in on January 24 at the presidential farm in Kisozi, Gomba District. Speaking two days later at celebrations marking National Resistance Movement (NRM) rule and outlining priorities for his next five-year term, expected to start in May, Museveni said infrastructure, wealth creation, and justice would be central to government action.

‘We don’t want any unrepaired road; whether tarmac or marram. Then jobs. they come from wealth,’ Museveni said.

‘Then the issue of justice. We don’t want corruption in the courts. The new Chief Justice is very active in that and he did what I’d been telling them to do for a long time; to ask the public who is corrupt. The public knows and they will tell you,’ he added.

‘That’s the only way to know who is corrupt. Corruption, corruption. Corruption must stop,’ Museveni said, concluding his more than 50-minute address at Kololo.

The president’s remarks come amid growing frustration among young Ugandans over widespread unemployment and corruption, which the Ombudsman says costs the government more than Shs10 trillion annually.

Anti-graft protests led by Gen Zs in 2024, including a March to Parliament, were swiftly contained by security forces during repeated crackdowns.

Over 73% of Uganda’s approximately 46 million population is under the age of 30, and more than 42% of young people are reportedly not working, studying, or undergoing training, according to a 2024 government census.

But on Monday, Museveni described the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth-creation programs as measures by his government to tackle the challenges plaguing Uganda’s economy.

‘We don’t want a country of 70% rich people and 30% poor. It is confirmed that 70% of Ugandans are in the money economy. That’s why we’re going to put emphasis on PDM. PDM plus ghetto funds, boda boda funds; the cultural leaders we shall create funds for them and religious leaders in their dioceses; university graduates who haven’t got jobs for two years; political leaders, we shall add Shs15 million to them per parish,’ he noted.

He added: ‘What we want is everybody to be involved in wealth creation. That’s emphasis number one. Once we have enough money, then we deal with free education. We also want to check on the health. Immunization has done well but the curative has got some issues.’

If his January election is not successfully challenged, Museveni could complete his term as a half-century ruler at 86 years old in 2031.

The declaration of Mr Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo, 54, of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party as the newly-elected Kampala Lord Mayor came on the heels of the defeat of long-serving Mayor Erias Lukwago in the January 22 election.

Born in September 1972 to Mr and Ms Expedito Balimwezo in Entebbe, Mr Balimwezo attended Lake Victoria Primary School before proceeding to Bukalasa Seminary for his secondary education. He became a born-again Christian in 1998. He later advanced to other institutes of learning, acquiring various skills, including architecture and construction at a diploma level, before climbing the academic ladder to a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering at Kyambogo University.

He then attained a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Makerere University. Before venturing into elective politics, Mr Balimwezo earned his bread and butter as a civil engineer and lecturer at Kyambogo University. He worked on numerous public and private projects, served as town engineer for Wobulenzi Town Council, and acted as consultant for Kasana-Luweero Diocese during the extension of its cathedral. Mr Balimwezo was involved in major construction projects such as the State House in Entebbe.

He also served as resident engineer at Mulago Hospital and led the team overseeing construction works at Namugongo ahead of the 2015 papal visit. As a youth, he had a soft spot for athletics, participating in boxing, football, and running, sports that, he says, exposed him to the rough and tumble of city life. He founded the Balimwezo Community Foundation, focusing on community support programmes among disadvantaged groups in Nakawa.

Political journey

In 1993, he first contested as a student representative. But it was at Kyambogo that he cut his political teeth. At 19, he became the village chairperson in Kyambogo. In 2000, he threw his hat into the ring for the councillor position in Kyambogo after discovering rampant theft and crime in the area, with daily criminal deaths being recorded at the time. He later served as LC2 vice chairperson, where he petitioned Gen Katumba Wamala for the establishment of a police station, an institution that still stands today. He further served as the district councillor in 2002, during the leadership of former Kampala Mayor Sebaana Kizito.

In 2006 and 2011, Mr Balimwezo contested for Nakawa Division Mayor but was defeated amid claims of vote rigging. However, fortune finally smiled on him in 2016 when he clinched the seat and governed for one term. He later joined NUP, contested for the Member of Parliament position for Nakawa East Constituency in 2021, and won a seat in the 11th Parliament. Mr Balimwezo, married to Ms Racheal Balimwezo, made waves on social media in late November 2025 after welcoming twins, an event that sparked online chatter about ‘equalising with the incumbent’. Mr Lukwago himself is a father of twins. He says he decided to leave Parliament after questioning whether he was making enough impact.

The new mayor says his bid for the position was triggered by a number of issues he vows to tackle. He says he intends to change the impunity mindset of Kampala’s residents, strengthen the rule of law, and lobby for services from the central government, among other priorities. A road accident in 2000 became a turning point that fueled his mission to reform Kampala’s infrastructure and service delivery systems. While returning from work in Luweero, Mr Balimwezo was knocked down while riding a motorcycle as a driver swerved to avoid a pothole. He lost his leg and now walks with an artificial limb. He recalls lying at the scene for almost two hours, bleeding heavily, with no ambulance in sight despite being close to Naguru Hospital in the capital, Kampala.

He was later taken to Mulago Hospital, where he suffered from gangrene. The accident spurred him to speak out about road safety and emergency care. He later supported community first-aid clinics in Kitintale, a city suburb, introduced motorcycle services for health workers as first responders. After the Kiteezi landfill crisis that claimed at least 35 lives on August 2024, Mr Balimwezo travelled to South Korea to learn about waste management. He insists that many of Kampala’s woes stem from poor engineering.

Revenue collections in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year fell short of target, despite registering year-on-year growth, the Ministry of Finance has said.

Cumulative domestic revenue collections for the period July-December 2025 amounted to Shs16.877 trillion, representing 94.1 percent performance against the Shs17.931 trillion target.

This translates into a revenue shortfall of Shs1.053 trillion halfway through the financial year ending June 30, 2026.

The Ministry of Finance says the underperformance was largely driven by delays in remittance of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) following the transition to a new payroll system in local governments, as well as reduced donor funding, particularly for projects previously supported by USAID.

Other factors cited include the proliferation of illicit alcoholic beverages, a decline in the value of taxable imports, and an increase in non-vatable imports during the period.

Despite missing the target, revenue collections grew by 8.69 percent compared to Shs15.528 trillion recorded in the first half of the previous financial year, mainly due to improved levels of economic activity.

On a monthly basis, government expenditure in December 2025 amounted to Shs2.456 trillion, exceeding the planned Shs2.314 trillion by 6.2 percent (Shs142.41 billion).

Overspending

The overspending was largely attributed to higher expenditure on goods and services, which amounted to Shs795.73b against a target of Shs609.87b, driven by increased spending on medical supplies and election-related activities.

Grants to other government agencies also exceeded projections, amounting to Shs689.89b, surpassing the monthly programme by 11.9 percent (Shs73.47b).

Most of the funds were disbursed to local governments for service delivery in education, health, water and sanitation, and road infrastructure.

Net acquisition of non-financial assets in December stood at Shs676.6b, exceeding the monthly target by Shs230.67b, mainly due to increased spending on domestically funded development projects, particularly roads and bridges, following a supplementary budget released in the second quarter of the financial year.

Overall, the Ministry of Finance said economic activity continued to strengthen, supported by improving business confidence and favourable demand conditions.

The Composite Index of Economic Activity rose to 181.48 in November last year, up from 180.41 in October, marking the fourth consecutive monthly improvement.

The sustained increase reflects resilience across key sectors, including agriculture, mining, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and other services.

It has been a busy season. Campaigns, elections, losses, internet shutdowns, failing VPNs, and other crazy shenanigans have kept us occupied.

So much so that we forgot what time of year it is. According to cherished culture and tradition, we are supposed to be wallowing in self-pity about how long January is, how broke we are, and how the 90 days of January are unfolding at a snail’s pace. Then a certain section of us is supposed to be dispensing financial literacy theory on social media, claiming they are so much better than everyone else because they have their imaginary finances in order. This is supposed to go on for the better part of the month.

Alas, we were so busy with manifestos, and abstaining from elections, buying Shs500k worth of electricity and buying tons of food in preparation for God knows what! Now it is January 26th, just five days left before the end of the month, and there haven’t been any communal online brokenness mourning/vigils. Such a waste of good old pity partying time.

We must never forget January again. I suspect this was a targeted move by the powers that be to distract us and keep us from tending to important matters. The things that the fabric of this great nation is made of that is the oh-so cherished, useless social media banter. It is a tad too late now to remember that we were broke, but we must be vigilant and ensure that this does not happen again. It will take concerted effort and a multipronged approach to achieve this. The onus is on us to never let Jan-worries slip through the to-do list again.

On a personal level, I am determined to make this the last time this year that I let something important pass me by.

Speaking of important observances, whether you have gains to protect or not, today is NRM Liberation Day. And history lessons and political fanfare aside, we could all use some liberation or at least a resemblance of it.

I decided that this year, I would liberate myself from house help in form of house maids. After the 89th betrayal in the city occasioned by a house help who promised me with a big smile that she would be back after the holidays, but did not show up on the expected day or even bother to pick up my frantic phone calls, I have decided to keep my gains to my offspring and I. We will now proceed to make our own little new Uganda. We have freed ourselves from the mental slavery that we cannot be celibate of house helps.

It is 26 days into this resolve, and I have realised I am indeed not Mzee and I have no interest in staying ku main. It is extremely difficult playing mother, employee, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, nosy neighbour, and angry citizen of Uganda all at the same time. And yet it is also strangely fulfilling and liberating.

I have also made sure to liberate myself from any ill-feelings towards my most recent ex-house help. This process of liberation has not been easy. Among the many things I had to do as advised by Google shrinks is to deal with any sneaky ill feelings of bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness by writing a letter to her and addressing the matter conclusively and then burning the letter.

Below is the letter that I will torch tonight in commemoration of Liberation Day.

Dear Efrance,

I know you are the one who took my light blue blouse. The one with a small hole around the left armpit area. Bring it back. Leave it in the flower pot near the broken pole.

Ps: Why did you even leave your ka-toothbrush?

Dedications

I don’t ever want to see you again- Uncle Sam

I will survive- Gloria Gaynor

Lunkuse Wansala – Mathias Walukaga

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party through their flag bearer for the Luweero District Woman MP seat is contesting the decision of the district returning officer that handed victory to Ms Brenda Nabukenya of the National Unity Platform(NUP). The party says there was evidence of fraudulently fixed results from particular declaration forms.

Ms Agnes Kirabo, the NRM flag bearer, says her party has gathered enough evidence that proves that particular results for the declaration forms were not tallying with results on the physical declaration forms.

‘It was surprising that despite the availability of a screen to help everybody at the tally centre view the results to match the declaration forms in our possession, the returning officer and his team, perhaps with the intention to hide something irregular, ignored our concerns. We have the evidence to prove our discontent and reasons why we demand our victory as NRM,’ she told a press conference at the weekend.

On January 17, Ms Sam Agaba Rutemba, the district returning officer, declared Ms Nabukenya the winner of the Luweero District Woman MP race at the Luweero District Electoral Commission tally centre.

Ms Nabukenya got 67,399 votes while Ms Kirabo came second with 55,696 votes. Other candidates included Rahma Bisaso (Ind) with 2,371 votes, Mariam Nakiganda (Ind) who secured 2,926 votes, while Ms Moreen Nakuya of the Democratic Front party got 2,364 votes. The NRM camp in Luweero say Luweero District had a total of 649 polling stations where their candidate, Ms Kirabo, overwhelmingly won by more than 75 percent putting her slightly above the NUP candidate with more than 600 votes.

‘The surprise declaration of Ms Nabukenya against the known results that had earlier put our candidate [Kirabo] in the lead was the biggest surprise. We want this result set aside. We also pray that if our candidate is not declared the winner, then Ms Brenda Nabukenya should be gazetted to allow a formal court process that will challenge the result as provided by the Parliamentary Election Act,’ Ms Allen Nambalirwa, a member of Kirabo’s campaign team, told this publication.

But Ms Nabukenya said she is not bothered by Kirabo’s threats to challenge her victory and awaits a formal complaint that has been directed to the EC and possibly the court in case the process succeeds. Ms Kirabo is currently the Youth Member of Parliament representing the central region, while Ms Nabukenya is the incumbent District Woman MP for Luweero.

Background

Luweero District was the epicentre of the five-year guerrilla war that ushered Mr Museveni to power in 1986. However, 40 years later, residents of the area have remained poor, with some failing to enrol their children in relatively good schools despite being largely loyal to Mr Museveni for a long time and generously contributing to his vote pool and electing ruling party representatives at various levels.

But this trend changed in 2021 when the NRM party failed to outsmart the Opposition, recording a minimal 27.94 per cent (41,166 votes) for President Museveni against the lead Opposition party candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi of NUP, who garnered a total of 103,782 votes (70.45 per cent) in the district. During the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary election this trend did not change. Mr Kyagulanyi defeated Mr Museveni in Luweero District with 81,976 votes (61.05 per cent) while the latter got 50,758 votes ( 37.80 per cent). The NUP party also won all the parliamentary seats and the district chairperson seat, as it did in 2021.

The days wasted away, as though the severing of our online lives meant a literal cutting away of something needed for our survival. We ate, slept, watched mindless TV and talked for hours on end. You know you’re truly losing it when you start turning philosophical, spending long hours silently staring at the sky. For its part, it remains unmoved, witnessing the latest tragicomedy as it plays out on this country’s landscape. The sky and the starry hosts have seen it all before, silent witnesses to the daily drama of a Ugandan. Perhaps that should be our solace, that amid all this confusion, there are some who’ve seen this play out a thousand times and know the one truth we human beings repeatedly forget: at some point, it all comes to an end.

But for now, we must contend with our problems as though we’re the first. The election period felt like someone grabbed the lot of us and took us back in time. With the pull of a few levers, we were transported to a remote world that knew no ‘unmute your mic, please’, no cute late-night emoji-saturated texts, no funny cat TikTok videos. Nothing. For the first time, I think I truly understand Americans’ obsession with freedom, liberty, and the right to the pursuit of happiness. The idea that one person, a single individual, can so heavily impact your life from so many miles away is a phenomenon my mind is still trying to understand.

On one of these impossibly long days, my precocious 12-year-old cousin walked into my room and, in the same panicked voice reserved for a nuclear-disaster-level event, she said, ‘It’s off! It’s off! Oh my God, it’s off! It’s like we’re living in the 1940s.’ It was hilarious, but then afterwards, weirdly revelatory. It does feel like we’re living in the 1940s. Everything in this country has felt a little like a retrogression to some ancient, chaotic past. Maybe not the 1940s, but more like medieval times, with kings and crooks and a revolutionary feel in the air. Even when everyone around sensed that perhaps the naked emperor was not equipped to run the kingdom, a future without him seemed unimaginable.

For a country with a political history as bloody as ours, it’s a wonder that there are still those amongst us who truly believed this time would be different. There are those who risked their lives to protect their faith in a system that has shown it cannot be reset. We dared to buy into the dream of a Uganda that actually works. It certainly couldn’t be worse than this. We were mistaken. We’re a people captured. Not by an enemy state, but by something far worse. There’s a scent of inevitability in the air, and it smells putrid. We’re obviously on the back foot as a nation. It’s not just that the elections were an obvious sham. That, we’ve grown accustomed to. No, this time felt different. It was the thinly veiled attempt at formulating a believable lie.

There is something about watching an electoral commission agent read results and then run to his car like he’s just set off a nuclear countdown that weighs down the soul. Something in the collective consciousness of the nation shifted. The announcements left a dark feeling all around the house. Everyone simply wanted to be left to wrestle with their thoughts. Luckily, as if wishing to throw citizens a small cheer-up token, the small gods of our day had mercy and restored joy with the flick of that powerful switch.

The sudden burst of joyful screams around the house was all I needed to know that I should probably power up my laptop. The familiar sound of pings reminded us that there is life outside this. But still, like a depressive episode that leaves you for a moment and returns when the lights go out, we crawled into bed wondering what lay ahead for us in this country. Soon, we return to our various responsibilities and make peace with what we’ve lost over the election week. For some, a friend, a brother, a father, a husband. For others, hope. We know what the next five years hold for us. Business as usual. And like the scorned lover who’s tired of it all but has no place to go, we’ll cuddle up to our tormentor and make sure the night breeze doesn’t leave him feeling cold.

After 35 years of consistent pain, Allan Byamukama became one of the few individuals in the world cured of sickle cell disease through gene therapy.

Born in Uganda and diagnosed with sickle cell disease as an infant, Byamukama grew up frequently in and out of hospitals, missing school, sitting on the sidelines while other children played, and learning early that his body followed different rules.

Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder passed down through families. It affects haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. In people with this condition, red blood cells become hard, sticky, and curved like a sickle, blocking blood flow and depriving organs of oxygen. The result is episodes of severe pain known as crises.

In Uganda, the disease is common. Thousands of children are born with sickle cell disease each year, and many do not survive to adulthood. Those who do often face repeated hospital visits, chronic pain, anaemia, infections, and organ damage.

Byamukama began showing signs of the disease at just five months old. His eyes turned yellow, his fingers and toes swelled painfully, and he cried constantly. Tests at a local hospital confirmed his parents’ fears.

As he grew older, he quickly realised he was different. His mother forbade him from playing football with other children, fearing that too much exertion would trigger a crisis. Long hospital stays meant missed lessons and fractured friendships. Pain would arrive without warning, sometimes every few weeks and other times after months of calm.

When a crisis struck, his parents rushed him to the hospital for strong painkillers.

‘I am thankful to them for never giving up on me,’ Byamukama says. ‘They did everything they could with what was available.’

The limits of care at home

For the first 25 years of his life, Byamukama managed sickle cell disease in Uganda. As many patients, his treatment focused on alleviating symptoms rather than preventing them. Painkillers, blood transfusions, and careful monitoring helped him survive, but they did not stop the disease from tightening its hold.

As he grew older, complications increased. Sickle cell disease can shorten life expectancy by two to three decades and raises the risk of stroke, heart problems, and organ failure. For Byamukama, it also meant witnessing his dreams fade as his body weakened.

In 2015, at the age of 28, he moved to the United States, joining family in the hope that better healthcare would bring relief. He settled in Massachusetts, continued his education, and began working with a nonprofit organisation. He also started seeing a haematologist regularly.

For a time, things seemed manageable. However, the pain crises gradually became more frequent and severe. At his worst, he found himself visiting the emergency room every few days. In March 2025 alone, he went to the emergency room 42 times.

‘It felt like my life was slipping away,’ he says. ‘I was studying and working, but always planning around pain.’

A new option emerges

It was during a clinic visit at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centre that Byamukama first learnt about gene therapy. At the time, it was still experimental and awaiting approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

‘When my doctor mentioned it, I did not hesitate,’ he recalls. ‘If there was even a chance it could change my life, I wanted it,’ he says.

In December 2023, the FDA approved a gene therapy called Casgevy for sickle cell disease. Massachusetts General Hospital was among the first centres authorised to offer the treatment. Byamukama was identified as a strong candidate because his disease was severe, other therapies had failed, and his quality of life was rapidly declining.

Dr Sharl Azar, the medical director of the sickle cell clinic, remembers the urgency of his situation. His frequent hospitalisations and escalating pain raised concerns about his long-term survival. Equally important, she adds, was his determination: ‘He was deeply invested in trying to live a normal life.’

Inside the science of hope

Gene therapy for sickle cell disease is not a simple injection; it is a long, intense, and risky process that can take about a year.

Doctors first collect the patient’s own stem cells, cells that produce blood, during several hospital stays. The cells are sent to a laboratory, where scientists edit them using advanced gene-editing techniques. The goal is to reactivate fetal haemoglobin, which does not sickle and can protect red blood cells from damage.

Once the edited cells are ready, the patient undergoes intensive chemotherapy to destroy the existing bone marrow and make room for the new cells. The edited stem cells are then transplanted back into the body. Recovery involves a lengthy hospital stay and close monitoring.

‘It is truly a team effort,’ Dr Azar says. Haematologists, transplant specialists, nurses, social workers, and patient navigators all play vital roles. In Byamukama’s case, Dr Richard Newcomb led the transplant process, while Dr Azar managed sickle cell-related complications.

A turning point

When Byamukama completed his treatment, the results were almost immediate. Blood tests revealed that his haemoglobin levels were rising and that his red blood cells were living longer. Most importantly, the painful crises he had experienced stopped.

Weeks turned into months without a single visit to the emergency room. For the first time in his life, he could plan for the future without fear. “I once asked God for just one pain-free year before I died,” he says. “But He gave me so much more.”

By August 2025, doctors declared him free of sickle cell disease. He became the first Ugandan to be cured through gene therapy and only the 15th person worldwide to receive the FDA-approved treatment. He is also the second Ugandan ever cured of sickle cell disease, following seven-year-old Miriam Mulumba, who underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2008.

“I am not cured in the sense that nothing can ever go wrong,” he adds. “But the disease no longer controls my life.”

The cost of a miracle

Byamukama’s story is inspiring but highlights a painful reality. The treatment cost $2.1 million (about Shs7.5 billion) and was covered by insurance in the United States. Such a figure is unimaginable for most families in Uganda and far exceeds the public health budget.

‘This would have been impossible at home,’ he admits. ‘That is the hardest part of this story.’

Many Ugandan patients continue to manage sickle cell pain with basic painkillers such as paracetamol. Access to specialised care is limited, especially outside major cities. Misconceptions and stigma persist, leading some families to hide affected children or turn to traditional remedies.

Gene therapy remains out of reach for most Ugandans today, but it illustrates what is scientifically possible. For Byamukama, the future feels open for the first time.

“I thought I would not live past 18,” he says. “Now I am 35 and healthy,” he adds.

His journey from a sickly infant in Uganda to a global medical milestone is extraordinary and serves as a reminder that medical miracles matter most when they are accessible to all.

Signs of progress

Despite these challenges, there are signs of progress. Newborn screening for sickle cell disease is now free in all government hospitals. Adults can also test their status at public facilities at no cost, and premarital screening is encouraged.

Hydroxyurea, a drug that reduces pain crises and complications, is becoming more widely available. In October 2025, the Minister of Health Bone marrow transplants, once performed abroad at enormous cost, are now done locally for about $30,000 (about Shs104m). Experts say this shows that with investment and training, advanced treatments can become more affordable.

The government has defended ejecting three French journalists who had arrived to cover Uganda’s ongoing general election, insisting the action did not violate any press freedom.

Last week, journalist Bastien Renouil, the East Africa correspondent for France 24, and two others from Radio France Internationale (RFI), were expelled despite having entered Uganda with the documentation required to carry out their work. One of the other two journalists working for RFI was denied entry at the border, while the other, initially allowed into the country, was later escorted onto a return flight. Mr Renouil, who arrived on January 17, the day President Museveni was declared winner of the presidential election held two days earlier, was denied the opportunity to report.

But Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the minister for ICT, Information and National Guidance, said: ‘Accreditation is a simple and standard process. Uganda is open to journalists who comply with its laws. The deportations were administrative in nature…Members of the press were accredited to cover events in the country, including the elections. If there were issues regarding certain media houses; that does not mean there is no press freedom in Uganda.’ But Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international body for journalists, said the French journalists were asked to complete a form normally reserved for ‘suspects,’ apologising for allegedly failing to apply for the correct permit.

After briefly returning to their hotel to book air tickets, the journalists retrieved their passports from immigration officials and were escorted to Entebbe Airport, and departed on January 20. Human rights defender Dr Livingstone Ssewanyana condemned the deportations, saying : ‘We should condemn actions that limit media space, particularly deportations. They speak volumes about our democratic credentials. We are part of the global village, and international partners require information that international journalists help to provide.”