Category: Daily Monitor

In this country, gender conversations have settled into a familiar rhythm. When women suffer, the nation listens. When men suffer, the nation hesitates then jokes, shrugs, or looks the other way. This is not always done out of malice; often it is cultural reflex. But the effect is the same: male pain remains largely invisible.

Violence against women is real, widespread, and deserving of the attention it receives. That truth is not in dispute. What is rarely acknowledged, however, is that in building awareness around one form of suffering, society has quietly trained itself to ignore another. Today, a man can be abused in his own home and still feel that speaking up is more dangerous than staying silent.

A recent Daily Monitor story about Pallisa briefly disrupted this silence.

The paper reported accounts of men being beaten by their wives-slapped, struck with household items, denied food, and forced out of their homes. The most revealing part of the story was not the violence itself, but the public reaction to it. The response was largely amusement, disbelief, and mockery.

Masculinity, not violence, became the focus of judgment. That reaction was telling. It showed that the issue was never the men in Pallisa. The issue was us.

Across the country, men are raised with a narrow definition of strength. From childhood, they are taught to endure, not express; to absorb pain, not explain it. Vulnerability is treated as failure.

When a man admits he is being hurt-especially by a woman-he is assumed to have lost control, dignity, or relevance. Sympathy is replaced with suspicion.

This mindset does not stop at social attitudes; it shapes institutions as well. Gender-based violence programmes, shelters, and campaigns overwhelmingly speak to women, often leaving men unsure whether they qualify as victims at all. When men report abuse, they are frequently met with advice instead of action, humour instead of help. The system is not designed to respond to male vulnerability because society has not accepted that it exists.

There is an irony in all this. Men are constantly encouraged to ‘open up,’ to communicate better, to be emotionally present. Yet when they do exactly that, they are ridiculed or dismissed. We ask men to speak, then punish them for being honest.

Over time, silence becomes safer than truth. This is not a call to reduce attention to women’s suffering, nor is it an attempt to turn pain into a competition. Violence is violence, regardless of who experiences it. Justice is not weakened by inclusion; it is strengthened by it. A society that listens only to certain victims does not achieve equality-it practices selective empathy.

The Daily Monitor story mattered because it cracked open a conversation many would rather avoid. It reminded us that men, too, can be victims, and that ignoring this reality does not make families safer or communities healthier. It only pushes suffering further underground.

If gender justice is to be meaningful, it must be honest. It must recognise that pain does not follow ideology, and victims do not always fit expectation. Raising women should never require silencing men. A society that can acknowledge all its wounded is not confused-it is finally mature.

Kidepo Valley National Park is about 10 hours by road from Kampala City, and that distance is part of the reward.

The road north eases you out of routine. From Kampala through Mukono, Lugazi, Jinja, Iganga, Mbale and on to Moroto, the country slowly opens up.

Sugarcane fields thin, traffic fades, and the horizon begins to stretch. You can do the journey in one long push. Or you can break it into days-sleep in new towns, stop for food, explore roadside attractions, and let the road become part of the experience.

A three-to-five-day itinerary allows you to sample Uganda along the way before Kidepo rises as the final reward

When you finally arrive, Kidepo unfolds in gentle waves of undulating plains, distant hills and wide valleys that glow at sunrise and soften at sunset. The light lingers and reveals horizons that seem endless.

Mr Andrew Seguya, the executive secretary of Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, has described Kidepo as a park that does not announce itself.

‘It simply exists-vast, silent, and unapologetically wild,’ notes the former executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Set deep in Karamoja, Kidepo Valley National Park sits far from crowds and even farther from hurry. That remoteness defines it. It covers 1,442 square kilometres, which makes it one of Uganda’s largest and least disturbed protected areas.

‘In Kidepo, the land stretches so far it teaches you how small noise really is,’ says Mr Bashir Hangi, the communications manager at UWA.

Seasonal rivers, the Narus and Kidepo, cut through the valleys, drawing animals into the open. From the valley floors to the distant slopes of Mount Morungole, the scenery changes gently, offering wide views. More than 77 mammal species and nearly 500 bird species live here.

Buffaloes gather near waterholes while giraffes appear, walking gracefully and stopping to feed from acacia trees.

Game drives in Kidepo feel less like sightings and more like encounters. Lions are often seen resting on rocky outcrops, surveying the land. Ostriches stride across open ground as secretary birds patrol the grasslands.

Birdlife is constant. Mornings begin with layered calls drifting across the valley, and many species found here are rare or limited to the region, rewarding those who take time to listen. You leave Kidepo quieter than you arrived. Sunsets slow everything down. The land turns gold, and into different shades of colour, and when nights arrive, they are cold and clear, sometimes stitched with stars and distant animal calls.

Kidepo’s raw beauty has earned nominations at the World Travel Awards, placing it alongside celebrated landscapes like the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. Yet Kidepo remains quieter and more intact.

Activities include early morning and late afternoon game drives, guided bird walks, cultural visits to nearby Karimojong communities, and ranger-led night drives that reveal the park’s secret life after dark.

Accommodation ranges from basic bandas to comfortable lodges that sit lightly on the land.

‘Its remoteness is not a disadvantage, it is the reason everything still feels real,’ says Dr James Musinguzi, the executive director of UWA.

When you visit this national park, you might find a few reasons to rush, much like the road trip that leads you there. If you are patient enough, animals that are rarely seen appear, for example, the shy cats like leopards. And when you make certain rare sightings, Kidepo becomes the place to entertain you, and that way, it stays with you for memories created and experiences worth sharing about.

ABOUT KIDEPO

Getting there: By road, it is approximately 700 kilometres and about 10 hours from Kampala. The suggested route is from Kampala to Mukono, Lugazi, Jinja, Iganga, Mbale, Soroti, Moroto and Kidepo. Break the journey into two to four or five for a relaxed road trip with stopovers. By air, charter and scheduled flights operate from Entebbe to Kidepo Airstrip. They take about two hours, depending on the weather. Flights to Kidepo Valley National Park in Uganda are typically by small charter plane by Aerolink, costing roughly $300 (Shs1.1m) to $500 (Shs1.8m) one way from Entebbe/Kajjansi.

Park entry fees: Foreign non-residents pay $45 (Shs161,000) per adult per day as entrance to the park, foreign residents pay $35 (Shs125,000) per adult per day, East African Citizens pay Shs30,000 per adult per day and children from five to 15 years pay about half the prices.

Where to stay: Premium stay at Apoka Safari Lodge typically costs between $880 (Shs3.1m) and $1,250 (Shs4.4m) per person per night for an adult sharing a room, depending on the season.

Mid-range options include Kidepo Savannah Lodge for $180 (about Shs643,000) per person per night, full board.

Budget options include Narus Valley Camp for about $90 (Shs322,000) per person per night, full board, Kidepo Rest Camp for basic bandas for about $40 (Shs143,000) to $60 (Shs215,000) per person.

By the time the Catholic Bishop of Masaka, Serverus Jjumba, authored a one-page communication that forced Ugandan security forces to concede that they had arbitrarily detained Catholic clergy Deusdedit Ssekabira, the army had detained him for 10 days without admission.

According to people who witnessed the abduction of Fr Ssekabira, a curate of Bamangi Parish in Masaka, this operation followed a similar template that the Special Forces Command (SFC) have since 2019 used to abduct Opposition ‘foot soldiers’ who belong to the National Unity Platform (NUP).

Indeed, Bishop Jjumba said Fr Ssekabira had been kidnapped by army men who were in a Toyota Hiace, alias Drone, which has earned notoriety for being a symbol of torture and State-orchestrated disappearances.

The abduction of Ssekabira, which comes at the height of electioneering ahead of the 2026 polls, coupled with the army’s official explanation that he was picked off the streets because he was engaged in what they term as subversive activities, has once again brought into sharp focus the fading relationship between the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government and the Catholic Church.

Throughout his nearly 40-year hold on power, Museveni, an Anglican, has repeatedly warned against the mixing of politics and religion. During the celebration of Uganda Martyrs Day, mid this year, Museveni once again made it clear that religious leaders should restrict themselves to spiritual matters.

‘Politics is about welfare on earth, and religion is about spirituality here on earth and life after in heaven, which aspects the religious leaders can speak better about,’ Museveni said.

Double standards?

Yet Museveni seems to have no problem when religious leaders have campaigned for him, with Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, a leader of a faction of Muslims that is recognised by the State, being his leading campaigner.

‘All the development you see that benefits Muslims from mosques, schools, hospitals, and the general respect and recognition has been possible because of President Museveni’s support,’ Mubajje said in October during a Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Executive Committee meeting.

Mubajje, whose tenure has been riddled with scandals, added: ‘If the NRM says its goal is to protect the gains, then know that Muslim progress is among those gains.’

For the Church of Uganda, retired Anglican Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi endorsed Museveni when the 80-year-old President was traversing West Nile hunting for votes. ‘We have recorded peace in this country, we have recorded growth and several other developments in this country; and yet Uganda is still a needy country,’ retired Bishop Orombi said, adding that thanks to Museveni, Ugandans can enjoy sleep in their houses.

‘On behalf of the people of Nebbi, I ask God to continue to lead you through the nation as you speak to the people, giving you health, strength and enabling you to accomplish your mission,’ Orombi, who reigned as the archbishop of the Church of Uganda between 2004 and 2007, said.

Yet there is no agreed position in the Anglican Church, with Rev Can Augustine Magala Musiwuufu, the retired dean of Namirembe Cathedral, pointing out earlier this year during a sermon that Anglican leaders need to speak out against injustices committed by the regime instead of focusing on handouts like four-wheel vehicles they get from government.

‘Speak about what is happening in the country, whether good or evil. These pictures we see on social media paint a different picture of this country,’ Musiwuufu said.

Frosty relations

If Orombi presented the rosy picture about Uganda under Museveni’s leadership, the Catholic Church doesn’t share the same. Relations with the NRM regime appear not to have thawed ever since the Catholic Church was accused of backing Robert Kyagulanyi’s presidential bid in 2021.

In fact, NRM cadres have attributed the party’s blood bath in Buganda to the backing the Catholic Church gave to Kyagulanyi, a Catholic, and his party. For instance, when Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempiija lost his Kalungu East slot to NUP’s Francis Katabaazi Katongole, he blamed the Catholic Church for his failure.

‘On voting day, a priest who led the queue for voters turned around after ticking and demonstrated how to tick to the rest of the voters among the 10 presidential candidates,’ Ssempijja explained his loss.

‘The priest, after getting his ballot paper, faced the voters, raised his hands and made a sign of the cross. How could I win? The priest influenced people on who to vote for.’ Ssempijja wasn’t the only NRM member who blamed the Catholic Church or the Buganda Kingdom for losses suffered.

‘In Buganda, it’s clear that the Mengo and the Catholic Church were involved. They were telling people to vote for the red coffee that had matured. What does that mean? We are now going into the politics of tribalism, sectarianism, and religion. The Catholic Church has come out to decampaign the government,’ Esther Mbayo, then minister for Presidency, said.

Additionally, Haruna Kasolo, the Minister of State in-charge of Microfinance, blamed his loss in Kyotera County on John Paul Lukwago Mpalanyi, then a member of the Democratic Party (DP), but who has since decamped to NUP, on the Catholic Church.

Those who are familiar with Kyotera politics say Mpalanyi was able to end Kasolo’s two-term reign in Kyotera, thanks to the backing of the Catholic Church, with top clergy and lay readers in the area openly backing what they termed as ‘one of their own.’

Bishop Kiwanuka dossier

Kyagulanyi’s push for the presidency, in a country whose leadership has been dominated by Anglicans, presents the Catholic Church with a conundrum that they faced in the colonial times. This was when one of their own, Benedicto Kagimu Kiwanuka, a member of DP, emerged as one of the prospective leaders of post-colonial Uganda.

Particularly, Bishop Joseph Kiwanuka, one of the mentors of Benedicto, was caught between a rock and a hard place. In their book titled Contesting Catholics: Benedicto Kiwanuka and the Birth of Postcolonial Uganda, Jonathon Earle and James Jay Carney, through Benedicto, tried to depict DP as by no means a Catholic Party by widening the net to incorporate Muslims and Anglicans, albeit with limited success; the Catholic clergy always found themselves in a tricky position.

With so many Catholics joining DP’s sworn enemies Kabaka Yekka and frequent political violence committed against DP Catholics, Earle and Carney say Bishop Kiwanuka, who had been appointed by the Vatican as the archbishop of Kampala, was forced to issue a pastoral letter to fellow Catholics titled ‘Church and State: Guiding Principles.’

Issued on November 23, 1961, Earle and Carney explain that Bishop Kiwanuka’s dossier turned out to be the most controversial Catholic pastoral letter in modern Uganda. The duo explain that Bishop Kiwanuka began the circular by lamenting the wounded Catholic neighbours who had approached him.

‘For the archbishop, their injuries had stemmed from their opponents’ convictions that ‘you are a traitor to the Kabaka to your country’,’ Earle and Carney explain, adding that Archbishop Kiwanuka noted that not all Catholics were, but only those who supported DP.

‘Even Archbishop Kiwanuka himself had been verbally accosted, accused with other bishops of being ‘the people who don’t want Buganda to receive what belongs to her’ and of underwriting DP movement. ‘What are you, bishops, looking for here? You don’t like the Kabaka! Wait until tomorrow and go to welcome Benedicto.’

Ssemogerere broadside

Currently, with the State-sponsored abductions not leaving out the clergy, the Catholic Church, just like in colonial times, finds itself in a position where it has to make its voice heard.

‘Who doesn’t know the reason why the people who are currently ruling us went to the bush? The sad thing is that rigging of votes has become endemic. Even the President has been mourning over this practice. He claims the Opposition rigs votes, more so in Buganda. The President isn’t a lone ranger in decrying rigging elections, even the Opposition is crying over the same thing,’ explained Archbishop of Kampala Paul Ssemogerere.

The Catholic prelate also cited a song that he said he no longer listens to, but the artist was telling Museveni that conditions that compelled him to go to the Luweero jungles to wage guerrilla war have resurfaced.

‘Those who are responsible need to hear the voice of the people because the voice of the people is the voice of God. We need to get real peace by welcoming Jesus Christ in our hearts,’ Archbishop Ssemogerere said.

He cited the New Testament in John 14:27, in which Jesus Christ said the peace he gives, the world cannot give.

‘Many times, those who are escorted by heavy security don’t have real peace in their hearts. They are even scared of their own shadows, and that is why they always use a lot of force to eliminate those who threaten their hold on power. We can only get real peace if we receive Christ in our hearts,’ he said.

Archbishop Ssemogerere’s predecessor, Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, who died in 2021, once warned the State against abductions, saying that those who are now in power claimed they were the preserve of the Idi Amin regime.

‘I remember when the NRM came to power, the President said they came to resist the politics of the Idi Amin and Milton Obote regimes. If this is still the National Resistance Movement, I call upon your government to continue resisting the evil abductions, torture and killings of people,’ Lwanga said.

Yet in his communication announcing the abduction of Fr Ssekabira, Bishop Jjumba pointed out that the abduction reminds the Catholic faithful of the way Catholic clergy Clement Mukasa was disappeared during Amin’s era, never to be seen again.

‘I’m doing this communication in our Lady of Sorrows, Kitovu Cathedral, where on 12 July 1976, Msgr Clement Mukasa was kidnapped and has never been seen again,’ Bishop Jjumba said.

By the time the Catholic Bishop of Masaka, Serverus Jjumba, authored a one-page communication that forced Ugandan security forces to concede that they had arbitrarily detained Catholic clergy Deusdedit Ssekabira, the army had detained him for 10 days without admission.

According to people who witnessed the abduction of Fr Ssekabira, a curate of Bamangi Parish in Masaka, this operation followed a similar template that the Special Forces Command (SFC) have since 2019 used to abduct Opposition ‘foot soldiers’ who belong to the National Unity Platform (NUP).

Indeed, Bishop Jjumba said Fr Ssekabira had been kidnapped by army men who were in a Toyota Hiace, alias Drone, which has earned notoriety for being a symbol of torture and State-orchestrated disappearances.

The abduction of Ssekabira, which comes at the height of electioneering ahead of the 2026 polls, coupled with the army’s official explanation that he was picked off the streets because he was engaged in what they term as subversive activities, has once again brought into sharp focus the fading relationship between the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government and the Catholic Church.

Throughout his nearly 40-year hold on power, Museveni, an Anglican, has repeatedly warned against the mixing of politics and religion. During the celebration of Uganda Martyrs Day, mid this year, Museveni once again made it clear that religious leaders should restrict themselves to spiritual matters.

‘Politics is about welfare on earth, and religion is about spirituality here on earth and life after in heaven, which aspects the religious leaders can speak better about,’ Museveni said.

Double standards?

Yet Museveni seems to have no problem when religious leaders have campaigned for him, with Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, a leader of a faction of Muslims that is recognised by the State, being his leading campaigner.

‘All the development you see that benefits Muslims from mosques, schools, hospitals, and the general respect and recognition has been possible because of President Museveni’s support,’ Mubajje said in October during a Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Executive Committee meeting.

Mubajje, whose tenure has been riddled with scandals, added: ‘If the NRM says its goal is to protect the gains, then know that Muslim progress is among those gains.’

For the Church of Uganda, retired Anglican Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi endorsed Museveni when the 80-year-old President was traversing West Nile hunting for votes. ‘We have recorded peace in this country, we have recorded growth and several other developments in this country; and yet Uganda is still a needy country,’ retired Bishop Orombi said, adding that thanks to Museveni, Ugandans can enjoy sleep in their houses.

‘On behalf of the people of Nebbi, I ask God to continue to lead you through the nation as you speak to the people, giving you health, strength and enabling you to accomplish your mission,’ Orombi, who reigned as the archbishop of the Church of Uganda between 2004 and 2007, said.

Yet there is no agreed position in the Anglican Church, with Rev Can Augustine Magala Musiwuufu, the retired dean of Namirembe Cathedral, pointing out earlier this year during a sermon that Anglican leaders need to speak out against injustices committed by the regime instead of focusing on handouts like four-wheel vehicles they get from government.

‘Speak about what is happening in the country, whether good or evil. These pictures we see on social media paint a different picture of this country,’ Musiwuufu said.

Frosty relations

If Orombi presented the rosy picture about Uganda under Museveni’s leadership, the Catholic Church doesn’t share the same. Relations with the NRM regime appear not to have thawed ever since the Catholic Church was accused of backing Robert Kyagulanyi’s presidential bid in 2021.

In fact, NRM cadres have attributed the party’s blood bath in Buganda to the backing the Catholic Church gave to Kyagulanyi, a Catholic, and his party. For instance, when Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempiija lost his Kalungu East slot to NUP’s Francis Katabaazi Katongole, he blamed the Catholic Church for his failure.

‘On voting day, a priest who led the queue for voters turned around after ticking and demonstrated how to tick to the rest of the voters among the 10 presidential candidates,’ Ssempijja explained his loss.

‘The priest, after getting his ballot paper, faced the voters, raised his hands and made a sign of the cross. How could I win? The priest influenced people on who to vote for.’ Ssempijja wasn’t the only NRM member who blamed the Catholic Church or the Buganda Kingdom for losses suffered.

‘In Buganda, it’s clear that the Mengo and the Catholic Church were involved. They were telling people to vote for the red coffee that had matured. What does that mean? We are now going into the politics of tribalism, sectarianism, and religion. The Catholic Church has come out to decampaign the government,’ Esther Mbayo, then minister for Presidency, said.

Additionally, Haruna Kasolo, the Minister of State in-charge of Microfinance, blamed his loss in Kyotera County on John Paul Lukwago Mpalanyi, then a member of the Democratic Party (DP), but who has since decamped to NUP, on the Catholic Church.

Those who are familiar with Kyotera politics say Mpalanyi was able to end Kasolo’s two-term reign in Kyotera, thanks to the backing of the Catholic Church, with top clergy and lay readers in the area openly backing what they termed as ‘one of their own.’

Bishop Kiwanuka dossier

Kyagulanyi’s push for the presidency, in a country whose leadership has been dominated by Anglicans, presents the Catholic Church with a conundrum that they faced in the colonial times. This was when one of their own, Benedicto Kagimu Kiwanuka, a member of DP, emerged as one of the prospective leaders of post-colonial Uganda.

Particularly, Bishop Joseph Kiwanuka, one of the mentors of Benedicto, was caught between a rock and a hard place. In their book titled Contesting Catholics: Benedicto Kiwanuka and the Birth of Postcolonial Uganda, Jonathon Earle and James Jay Carney, through Benedicto, tried to depict DP as by no means a Catholic Party by widening the net to incorporate Muslims and Anglicans, albeit with limited success; the Catholic clergy always found themselves in a tricky position.

With so many Catholics joining DP’s sworn enemies Kabaka Yekka and frequent political violence committed against DP Catholics, Earle and Carney say Bishop Kiwanuka, who had been appointed by the Vatican as the archbishop of Kampala, was forced to issue a pastoral letter to fellow Catholics titled ‘Church and State: Guiding Principles.’

Issued on November 23, 1961, Earle and Carney explain that Bishop Kiwanuka’s dossier turned out to be the most controversial Catholic pastoral letter in modern Uganda. The duo explain that Bishop Kiwanuka began the circular by lamenting the wounded Catholic neighbours who had approached him.

‘For the archbishop, their injuries had stemmed from their opponents’ convictions that ‘you are a traitor to the Kabaka to your country’,’ Earle and Carney explain, adding that Archbishop Kiwanuka noted that not all Catholics were, but only those who supported DP.

‘Even Archbishop Kiwanuka himself had been verbally accosted, accused with other bishops of being ‘the people who don’t want Buganda to receive what belongs to her’ and of underwriting DP movement. ‘What are you, bishops, looking for here? You don’t like the Kabaka! Wait until tomorrow and go to welcome Benedicto.’

Ssemogerere broadside

Currently, with the State-sponsored abductions not leaving out the clergy, the Catholic Church, just like in colonial times, finds itself in a position where it has to make its voice heard.

‘Who doesn’t know the reason why the people who are currently ruling us went to the bush? The sad thing is that rigging of votes has become endemic. Even the President has been mourning over this practice. He claims the Opposition rigs votes, more so in Buganda. The President isn’t a lone ranger in decrying rigging elections, even the Opposition is crying over the same thing,’ explained Archbishop of Kampala Paul Ssemogerere.

The Catholic prelate also cited a song that he said he no longer listens to, but the artist was telling Museveni that conditions that compelled him to go to the Luweero jungles to wage guerrilla war have resurfaced.

‘Those who are responsible need to hear the voice of the people because the voice of the people is the voice of God. We need to get real peace by welcoming Jesus Christ in our hearts,’ Archbishop Ssemogerere said.

He cited the New Testament in John 14:27, in which Jesus Christ said the peace he gives, the world cannot give.

‘Many times, those who are escorted by heavy security don’t have real peace in their hearts. They are even scared of their own shadows, and that is why they always use a lot of force to eliminate those who threaten their hold on power. We can only get real peace if we receive Christ in our hearts,’ he said.

Archbishop Ssemogerere’s predecessor, Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, who died in 2021, once warned the State against abductions, saying that those who are now in power claimed they were the preserve of the Idi Amin regime.

‘I remember when the NRM came to power, the President said they came to resist the politics of the Idi Amin and Milton Obote regimes. If this is still the National Resistance Movement, I call upon your government to continue resisting the evil abductions, torture and killings of people,’ Lwanga said.

Yet in his communication announcing the abduction of Fr Ssekabira, Bishop Jjumba pointed out that the abduction reminds the Catholic faithful of the way Catholic clergy Clement Mukasa was disappeared during Amin’s era, never to be seen again.

‘I’m doing this communication in our Lady of Sorrows, Kitovu Cathedral, where on 12 July 1976, Msgr Clement Mukasa was kidnapped and has never been seen again,’ Bishop Jjumba said.

January is always longer

Those ‘day 75 of January’ memes exist for a reason. Consider this a gentle reminder: have your fun, but remember that January is only thirty-one days on paper. Spend responsibly at those partees, hangouts, and all the tuli outside, tuli wabwelu enjoyment. Bills, responsibilities, and real life will be waiting the moment the fireworks die down. Do not set yourself up for financial heartbreak.

There is no true love in December

You have heard it before: Kampala is for business, not love. That saying applies even more in December. Do not let the festive mood, the holiday air, or couples in matching pyjamas on Instagram and TikTok convince you that you have found the love of your life. That person giving you butterflies and inspiring castles in the air may not be as invested as you think. By all means, enjoy the moment and the company, but be realistic. If it ends, at least you can say you had a good time while it lasted.

Play it safe

December is not called ‘Detty’ by accident. Many people indulge a little more than usual, and that is fine – to each their own. However, as you enjoy à la carte companionship, guard more than just your heart; protect your body too. Remember, even when you are on holiday, STIs are not. They do not take a break. Do not want to be their next stop.

Make December one to remember

You have seen it at the hangouts: the sparklers, the cheering, the spotlight on whoever has ordered that bottle. You know exactly what we mean. Since this is about making memories, go ahead – be that big boy or big girl. Order the Don Julio 1942 you have been eyeing all year. Point at it confidently and ask the manager to bring it with the full flare, the kind you see at events like Sheilah Gashumba’s Choplife Sundays. Do not worry too much about January. Whether you bought the Don Julio 1942 or not, we all arrive there more or less the same – broke.

Experience

Memories stay. Connect with friends, take the photos, record the videos, and live the experience. This is the final chapter of the year – make it count. Enjoy yourself, but keep your boundaries intact. Have fun, stay safe, and give yourself a December you will remember forthe right reasons.

In the fifth part of our summary capturing what all 25 witnesses said in a case where Molly Katanga is being tried for the murder of her husband, Henry Katanga, on November 2, 2023, we capture what experts from the Uganda Police Force and Naome Nyangweso said while on the stand.

Molly is facing trial together with her two daughters-Martha Katanga and Patricia Kakwanzi-as well as a medical worker Charles Otai and long-serving Katanga shamba boy George Amanyire.

The latter four are facing charges relating to evidence tampering and being accessories after the fact.

The court will render a decision on February 19, 2026 as to whether the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the accused persons. Below is a summary of what witnesses 17, 18 and 19 told the court.

Emmanuel Odong

The 30-year-old police officer who has been in police since 2019, Odong testified in June, 2025.

At the time, he was a police officer attached to the Directorate of ICT – National Command and Control Centre at the Police headquarters in Naguru, where he works as a CCTV analyst. His job is to analyse CCTV footage, write reports and tender evidence in the courts. He holds a diploma in Computer Science from Kampala International University (KIU) and certificates in software development and cybersecurity.

In this case, he was instructed by his supervisor, SP Vincent Etuket, to join the investigating team at the Katanga residence on Chwa II Road, Mbuya on November 2, 2023, the day Henry died. He was led to the CCTV room by Ms Kakwanzi, one of the Katanga daughters. They were given passwords, reviewed the footage and identified the persons in the footage.

He said there were some missing events when electricity went off. This was explained by the defence as a result of Umeme units getting spent but the CCTV recording was restored as soon as the power token was bought. They provided a letter from Umeme and a copy of the account statement to back up their claims.

Mr Odong also analysed police and private CCTV footage in the neighbourhood of the Katanga residence. He spoke about the time Mr Otai entered the Katanga household with a backpack, the time the ambulance took Molly to hospital, as well as the time the funeral van took Henry’s body to the mortuary.

He showed footage of a car entering the Katanga residence at 7.23am, most likely one in which the Katanga daughters arrived, and then another car driving out towards Bugolobi Medical Centre at 7.35am, most likely the one that rushed Molly to that medical centre for first aid.

Mr Odong then told the court, on cross examination, that he saw footage of an ambulance that had Molly approaching IHK at 8.05am. On re-examination, he was asked if he could tell that CCTV footage had been tampered with and he said no.

Aisha Birungi

Ms Birungi is a detective, who at the time she testified in June 2025, was attached to parliamentary police. She has been in the police for more than 35 years. She’s said to have collected the samples from Molly’s palms, fingers and mouth that were used for analysis of DNA and Gunshot Residue (GSR).

The State is hoping to rely on this evidence to link Molly to the killer gun. The argument being that the presence of her DNA and presence of traces of GSR on her somehow proves she fired the gun.

Ms Birungi’s evidence in chief was led by Chief Prosecutor Jonathan Muwaganya.

Back in November 2023, she said she was a Scene-of-Crime-Officer (SOCO) attached to Kabalagala Police Station in the IHK vicinity.

As a SOCO, her job entailed: viewing scenes of crime, fingerprinting, collecting vital evidence from the crime scene, making reports and going to court to testify in case there’s need. She said on November 2, 2023, she was called by her boss to go to IHK to take samples from a murder suspect, Molly, who she said was admitted there in the ICU.

Ms Birungi said she arrived at the hospital around 2pm, signed in at the main gate, went to the reception where she met with a one nurse Flavia and then later was introduced to a Dr Brian, whose office she went to.

She then signed a visitors’ book and was ushered into the ICU where Molly lay on bed ‘without any life support machines.’

Ms Birungi then said nurse Flavia showed her a light-skinned lady whose entire arms were wrapped in bandages. She was asleep.

Ms Birungi didn’t greet or talk to Molly because she’d been told not to.

Ms Birungi went ahead to swab the palms of her hands and got a buccal (mouth) swab, which she said was meant to get her DNA.

On cross examination led by Mr Elison Karuhanga of Kampala Associated Advocates, Ms Birungi seemed to walk back the claim that she signed in the book at the main gate, saying instead she signed in a one ‘Dr Brian’s’ office book.

At the instruction of his client, Mr Karuhanga put it to her that there wasn’t a Dr Brian on Molly’s care team and there might not be one at IHK.

In a dramatic twist, Mr Karuhanga pulled out a medical chart from the hospital and put it to Ms Birungi that at the time she said to have seen Molly in the ICU, between 2pm and 3pm, the matriarch of the Katanga household was in fact in theatre having an operation and was only brought to ICU at 5pm.

The defence counsel consequently wondered how Ms Birungi could have swabbed Molly’s hands that she said were wrapped to the tip or how she could shove ‘things in her mouth’ without incident.

The defence said there’s no record of Ms Birungi having gone to IHK since she neither provided proof of registration nor a photo or video of her at the scene or one of the scene itself.

The defence called her entire evidence ‘fabricated’ and in a particularly feisty exchange, MacDusman Kabega, who seemed exasperated, because the witness couldn’t recall the time she left her duty station for IHK, didn’t record it, couldn’t remember when she handed over exhibits to the Lead Investigator DSP Bibiana Akong and couldn’t provide any specific details as to time and place, which compelled Kabega to call Birungi’s conduct of the process ‘incompetence.’

The witness was asked on re-examination by Jonathan Muwaganya why she didn’t take a single picture or even video during her alleged time in Molly’s ICU room.

Ms Birungi said she had been stopped by a one Dr Brian.

Asked why she didn’t take fingerprints, she said: ‘My Lord, I was not allowed by the doctor to do anything to the suspect’.

She said for her to take fingerprints, she needed to have made Molly sit up in her bed and that this wasn’t allowed by Dr Brian. She couldn’t identify Dr Brian or nurse Flavia beyond mentioning their first names.

Ms Birungi also didn’t take their IDs and neither did she know their second names. When asked by Mr Muwaganya why she hadn’t taken their identification documents, she said ‘they’d been introduced to her so she saw no need of taking their IDs.’

When asked how she managed to swab the palms of Molly (despite her hands being wrapped in a cast to the fingertips), she said she slipped a swab ‘underneath the bandage’ and swabbed the palm of her hands.

Rashida Naluzze

She is a regional CID officer in her late 30s, currently stationed at Busoga North Regional Headquarters. She was previously stationed at Katwe police post. Her Evidence-in-Chief given before presiding Judge Rosette Comfort Kania, was led by Chief State Attorney, Jonathan Muwaganya.

In a rather stunning revelation, Ms Naluzze told court that the DPP charged Molly with murder long before she had her statement. Molly was, at the time of the charges, in IHK (hospital) fighting for her life.

According to Molly’s medical team at the hospital, she was admitted in hypovolemic shock, had multiple injuries to the head and had broken limbs. They had to amputate one of her fingers because it couldn’t be salvaged.

Ms Naluzze, quoting Molly’s doctors, said the latter couldn’t record a statement back in November 2023 due to multiple challenges with her health.

The same was recorded in January 2024 after an independent medical examination had been done that found Molly in good enough health and cognitive state to record a statement. In the statement, Molly said she’d learnt of her husband’s death in hospital, she had been in an uninterrupted marriage with Henry until his death.

She added that her lawyers, Bruce Musinguzi, Jet and Kabega, had informed her while in hospital that she had been charged with murder. She refused to go into details of the events leading to the death of her husband, saying whoever charged her with murder should say how she is supposed to have done it. She didn’t know. Molly spoke about the people she stayed with in her household, including a young son. She said the rest would be said in court.

Evidence

CCTV footage

Showed several vehicles, including an ambulance and a funeral van, entering and leaving the Katanga home on the morning of November 2, 2023.

Contained gaps caused by a power outage; recording resumed after electricity units were bought.

CCTV footage was not tampered with.

DNA and Gunshot Residue (GSR) samples

Swabs were taken from Molly Katanga’s palms, fingers and mouth for DNA and GSR analysis when she was admitted in hospital.

No clear record was produced showing when the samples were handed over to investigators.

Medical charts showed Molly was in theatre between 2pm and 3pm on November 2, 2023.

She was transferred to ICU at about 5pm

No hospital visitor registration records were produced to confirm when the samples were taken.

No photographs or video recordings were presented to document the sample collection process.

Charging timeline evidence

Records showed Molly was charged with murder before a formal police statement was recorded from her.

Her statement was later taken in January 2024 after medical clearance.

As organised criminal gangs continue to target residential areas like housing estates, especially during the festive season, the Managing Director of Uganda National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Eng Silver Mugisha, has welcomed an initiative by the New Nsasa Estate community in Wakiso District that encourages families to abandon their cocoons and get to know their neighbours by taking part in community initiatives.

Eng Mugisha, who was represented by Ms Catherine Kusasira, the NWSC’s manager, Bulindo branch, during the 2025 estate’s community games tournament held at Supostu Complex in Kira Municipality on Sunday, said community engagements such as sports do not only foster unity, but also help residents of a given community to know each other and be able to identify strangers with ill intentions.

‘Community engagement is important. You get to know your neighbours, it promotes unity, and you can work together to weed out wrong elements,’ he said.

Recent reports indicate that organised criminal groups have executed raids on affluent estates, especially in Wakiso District, stealing cash, vehicles and household items in addition to vandalising security lights and water metres.

The estate’s supreme chairperson, Mr Peter Kavuma said every December, over 3,500 residents of New Nsansa Estate in Kira and Goma Divisions in Wakiso District hold games to foster unity.

The community has over 800 households, organised in nine zones, including Pioneer, Central, Teso, Riverside West, Riverside East, Hill View, Zande, Goshen and Green Crest, with each having an average of between 50 and 60 homes and its own leadership.

‘Three years ago, we started this initiative of having estate teams where we compete among each other. The idea was to break the wall fences that we are in. All of us, every day, we wake up, we go to town, walk, come back home. We never get to know each other, never got to know our children. The games enable people to come together and get to know each other, have fun and break the ice,’ he said.

According to him, ‘What it has done for us is that it has broken those boundaries that we tend to have. People move out of their walls, they come, play and they get to know their neighbours. Networks are created to foster better community cohesion and enabled us to talk to other about the challenges that we have as a community.’

How games are organised

According to Mr Kavuma, each households contributes Shs 70,000 to cater for meals among other requirements. The organizers also solicit for support from sponsors. This year, the event was co-sponsored by Coca-Cola, Stanbic bank, some schools in the community, the Rotary Club of Nsasa, among others.

During the games, different zones of the state compete in different games after which the winners are awarded trophies.

‘We have three categories. We have the under 13, then the 13 to 19, and then the over 35 years. By doing that, it made it more inclusive and more family-oriented and ensured that every family is represented from young to adults,’ Mr Kavuma explained.

During the 2025 competition, Zande Zone, which collected 123 points, emerged as the overall winner. It was followed by Teso Zone (114) and Riverside West (87).

‘Originally, we started with a few games, football, volleyball, and football teams that people played when they were younger. At that point in time, we had left it for the adults. But as it has grown over the last few years, we have made it bigger beyond just the sporty games. We also have now non-sporty games that show that there is more inclusion of different age groups of people who might not be sporty but want to participate.’ Mr Kavuma said.

Other games include Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, chess, and tug of war, among others.

Mr Kavuma also noted that the New Nsasa Estate Community has a chapel where young people take part in Christmas carols to make good use of their time during the long holiday.

Mindless handling of harvested grain leads to significant losses to farmers and negatively impacts food security. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that up to 30 percent of grain in places like Sub-Saharan Africa is lost often due to poor infrastructure, handling, storage, and market access, resulting in reduced farmer income and food insecurity.

Some other estimates actually indicate that around 37 percent of food is lost annually in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 76 percent of that occurring during handling and storage due to poor infrastructure. In another report produced by FAO, it was estimated that if all value chain stages up to consumption are considered, approximately one third of all human food produced yearly is wasted or lost.

‘On average this amounts to around 1.3 billion tons of food, valued at nearly US$ 1 trillion (FAO 2016 and 2019a), a figure that is unacceptable.’ In another report published by the World Bank and FAO (2011), the value of grain post-harvest losses in Sub-Saharan Africa was estimated at US dollars 4 billion per year. Every effort must therefore be made to reduce the enormous post-harvest losses.

Uganda is a Sub-Saharan country where smallholder farmers are the majority.

The global postharvest loss reports mentioned above are about the country. Those are the losses made annually and they undermine efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity. Experts say we lack access to improved post-harvest management practices, innovations, and essential technologies, including equipment, machines, and technical and business skills.

Climate change

Climate change has caused unpredictable weather patterns and quite often farmers are forced to harvest such crops as beans and maize during rainy periods and store them in their moist state, leading to damage during threshing and mold during storage. A science research report published December, 20 2025 in The Guardian said, ‘The destruction of food supplies by crop pests is being supercharged by the climate crisis, with losses expected to surge, an analysis has concluded.

The key global crops, wheat, rice and maize, are expected to see the losses to pests increase by about 46 percent, 19 percent, and 31 percent respectively when global heating reaches 2C, the scientists said.’ The Guardian article authored by Environment Editor, Damian Carrington, revealed that global heating is helping insect pests thrive. It further says greater warmth enables pests to develop faster, produce more generations each year and attack crops for longer as winters shorten.

Protecting harvested crop

The Executive Director of the Mpigi-based SAWA Agricultural Development Company, Charles Katamba, says farmers must be taught how to protect their harvested crops from pests and rodents to reduce losses. He is also quick to mention that post-harvest losses are in many cases caused by careless handling and lack of storage space and equipment. ‘Crops such as beans and maize should not stay too long in the field after attaining maturity,’ he says. ‘The birds may feed on the maize when it is in the field which means losses to the farmer.

Crops such as beans should be harvested when they reach maturity and show symptoms like yellowing or when completely dry. The harvesting should not take place when it is too hot after midday to avoid pod shattering in the field and reduce yields. Harvesting of beans should not take place when it is raining and the beans are wet as this will transfer pathogens to other uninfected areas within the farm.’ He also says farmers should not leave beans to over-stay in the field after maturity and start shattering in the field. The beans that drop in the field get lost to the farmer.

According to the agriculturalist, harvested beans should be dried on clean mats or tarpaulin and should be threshed by beating with sticks, taking care not to damage the beans. After threshing the beans or seeds should be winnowed, dried and sorted before storage. With regard to storage, Katamba recommends that farmers should obtain pic bags which are purposely made for protecting grain against pest attack. ‘After ensuring that the beans are sun dried for at least three days, the beans should be sorted and put into pic bags and tightly closed by trying to prevent sufficient oxygen from getting into the bag,’ he says.

‘Insect pests cannot thrive where there is no oxygen.’

Another tip is that bags should be placed on a raised platform – and not too close to walls – to avoid contact with the ground as this could cause moulding.

Accordingly, Katamba adds, farmers should remove any rubbish and cut the grass around the store to discourage rats and other rodents from gaining entrance into the store. ‘Beans should never be dried on the bare ground as they can get dirty and wet. There should always be somebody to guard the beans spread out to dry under the sun to cover them with tarpaulin or to remove them in case it rains,’ he says.

The beans or the maize drying under the sun must be protected from domestic animals and birds such as chicken and ducks which may walk over them and drop excrement over them. ‘Beans must be winnowed to remove chaff, dust, and whatever other foreign matter. I also encourage the use of indigenous knowledge to protect grain which requires frequent sun drying. Drying must be done on clean tarpaulin and the beans or grain should be thinly spread on the drying surface to facilitate free passage of air.’

Consultation key

Katamba also advises farmers to consult the area agricultural services extension officers for advice on which pesticides to apply on harvested grain and carefully apply the pesticides strictly according to user directions set by the manufacturer. ‘Most of our farmers cannot individually afford moisture meters. But if they form groups and save together, they can buy a moisture meter which they can use in turns to find out if their beans are dried up to the recommended level of about 13 percent.’

The absence of technology to measure moisture content and facilitate proper drying of crops before storage results in moulding of the crops and health hazards for the consumers. Where farmers keep the beans in ordinary bags there is a big risk of high post-harvest loss especially through fungal growth during storage.

Some farmers protect their grain against pests by putting it in plastic containers and tightly covering them.

Other farmers employ local welders to fabricate metal containers which they tightly cover to prevent pest multiplication and survival due to lack of oxygen.

Frequent price fluctuations also contribute to post-harvest losses. When the crop prices fall, the farmers usually decide to hold on to the crops until the prices improve. But it may take too long before this happens and the crops may dampen and mould. Lack of cold facilities and quick transport means to markets cause losses to farmers who harvest fresh beans.

The way the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is structured leaves room for error. You do not have to top your group or even finish second to make it to the knockout rounds.

Because this is a 24-team tournament, four teams that finish third will make it to the round of 16. For now, there is no need to look that far ahead but there is a lot of ground to make up.

Uganda Cranes will know that they have had three days to process and bury their forgettable performance in the opening 3-1 loss to Tunisia.

Tuesday was nasty and throwback from the past when North African nations easily brushed aside Uganda. If you live in the present only, it’s only three points lost.

There are six points to fight for. Uganda need to turn a page fast when they face Tanzania today at the Al Medina Stadium, Rabat in the second of their three group C encounters.

Nigeria looms large next week. Like Uganda, neighbours Tanzania, co-hosts of the 2027 Afcon, lost their opener, 2-1 to three-time African champions Nigeria.

A brace from Elias Achouri added to Ellyes Skhiri’s opener to seal the result for the 2004 African champions who earned their sixth victory over Uganda in as many games.

Forward substitute Denis Omedi came off the bench to bag a consolation goal Uganda hardly merited in a disjointed display. This was Uganda’s only shot on target.

Correct

Coach Paul Put knows what he must correct. Clearly, he was frustrated that his charges did not react to falling behind in 10 minutes. ‘Also, we were not aggressive enough.

‘If you play the Africa Cup, you know that you have to be there in the duels and that you have to win the duels, second balls, but today it was not.

‘I think we only had 20-25 minutes in the game, but without being dangerous, so that’s not enough for playing in the Africa Cup of Nations.’

Without Elio Capradosi, there was no glue in the rain in Rabat. He is again subject to a fitness test to confirm availability after injuring his back on Monday.

Many will be calling for the inclusion of Vipers playmaker Allan Okello after his cameo off the bench.

The team did not create much with Melyvn Lorenzen as the number 10 but you cannot pick on him.

The half chances squandered by Steven Mukwala and Rogers Mato must be buried today while Jude Ssemugabi could make way for Omedi.

Quick reaction

In a tournament where games come thick and fast, quick reactions are key for everyone including the coaches.

Perhaps Uganda versus Kenya which goes back to 1926 is the only fixture that has happened more often for Cranes than Uganda vs. Tanzania as the team have met regularly in the regional Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) tournaments.

That familiarity implies all guesses are valid. Tanzania won the most recent meeting 1-0 – a friendly last year.

During the qualifiers for the 2023 Afcon, the teams split the ties 1-0 with Uganda winning in Dar-es-Salaam thanks to a sublime finish by Mato.

As many as 11 players who made that trip south are in Rabat.

2025 Afcon

Fixture – Today

Uganda vs. Tanzania, 8.30pm,

Al Medina Stadium, Rabat

Recent Meetings

July 22, 2025 (Friendly): Tanzania 1-0 Uganda

March 28, 2023 (Afcon qualifier): Tanzania 0-1 Uganda

March 24, 2023 (Afcon qualifier): Uganda 0-1 Tanzania

Sept. 24, 2022 (Friendly): Tanzania 1-0 Uganda

Sept. 3, 2022 (Chan qualifier): Uganda 3-0 Tanzania

Organisers of the inaugural Nile Excellence Awards (NEA) say it will promote innovation, entrepreneurship and recognise over 20 competitive categories.

The NEA is Uganda’s emerging premier platform, which recognises excellence, creativity, leadership, and innovation across the country.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), Uganda faces a significant challenge of youth unemployment, with over 78% of young people aged between 18 and 30 years either unemployed or underemployed.

Samuel Mwesigwa, the chairman NEA, says their vision aligns with Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP) IV, which emphasises creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills development as vital pathways to reduce unemployment and foster wealth creation.

‘By identifying, celebrating, and promoting excellence in these areas, NEA directly supports Uganda’s broader agenda of inclusive growth, economic empowerment, and sustainable employment generation,’ Mwesigwa said on December 26.

He added: ‘The grand finale at Rock Classic Hotel, Tororo District on December 28 has drawn nominees, fans, and key entertainers across Uganda, and the awards will recognise excellence across over 20 competitive categories.’

Some of the categories include: Best TV Personality, Best Radio Personality, Outstanding Innovator of the Year, and Song of the Year, among others.

Mwesigwa says the inaugural edition featured a 14-day public online voting exercise, which attracted participants and supporters nationwide, while the nominees represented some of the most influential figures in Uganda’s media, creative, and cultural sectors.

‘The NEA will also honour individuals and institutions whose contributions are shaping communities, promoting cultural identity, and driving socio-economic development; however, we are not only awarding excellence and innovation, but inspiring creativity and entrepreneurial solutions among young people as a foundation for addressing national unemployment.’

Cinderellah Damba, the NEA President, said their engagement has given the inaugural edition strength, credibility, and confidence to grow into a nationally-recognised awards platform, positioning NEA as a key driver for promoting excellence and innovation across Uganda.

The NEA is organised in partnership with Miss Tourism Uganda (Eastern Region) and AMPA Media Company, while the ceremony has attracted the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the Office of the Prime Minister; Ministries of Tourism, Trade and Industry; Education and Sports; and representatives from Makerere University.