Category: Daily Monitor

In the second 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 14, 15 and 16 told the court.

PW14

This particular witness requested not to have her name mentioned in the media. She testified on May 13. She’s a news editor, translator and transcriber with UBC. She holds a degree in Development Studies with specialisation in Communication, a diploma in Public Service Station Management, a multitude of certificates, including one in ‘Artistic Elements of Speech’. She has been translating and transcribing for more than 20 years, and her speciality is English, Luganda and Swahili languages. She told court that on April 22, 2024, a request for ‘transcription and interpretation’ was made from Jinja Road Police Station to the managing director of UBC. It was received on the same day. The request came with two flash disks containing both audio and visual material, and her task was to watch and listen, then transcribe. She did her task and sent a signed report of her work to police.

This particular court session had graphic, chilling imagery as the prosecution led by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Samali Wakooli played footage of police’s reconstruction of the crime scene using two individuals who are also charged. The two individuals weren’t at the Katangas’ home when the incident that led to Henry’s death happened, but were first responders. One is Patricia Kakwanzi, a daughter of the couple and Charles Otai, a medical personnel who has worked with the family for years.

Through a combination of video footage and written transcription, court was taken through the house as the two individuals separately narrated their version of events on the fateful morning of November 2, 2023. The couple occupied the top floor of a palatial house at Chwa II road in Mbuya. This floor has two adjoining bedrooms. It’s unclear whether they used both as their master bedroom.

According to Patricia’s narration, backed up by Otai, Henry was found in a pool of blood on the couple’s bed, head leaning against a mosquito net, with bullet holes on both sides of the head, brains splattered on the net, with a gun beside him.

Molly was found in the bathroom of the adjoining bedroom, hunched over in a corner, surrounded by her blood and muttering, barely audibly, Runyankore words: ‘abaana bangye’ (my children!). Her panicked daughter Patricia, on looking at the deep injuries on her head, thought those were brains leaking out of her skull.

According to the medical personnel, Otai, who was asked by detective Bibiana Akong, whether these injuries could have been as a result of cuts, he said they were most likely a result of repeated banging on the back of her head that resulted in the skin splitting in various places and detaching from the skull. Court heard that it is the mix of blood and fat tissue that had initially got Katanga’s daughter to think that her brains were leaking out.

Otai said both of Molly’s arms were cut and broken and ‘were only attached to the rest of the body by skin and muscle, otherwise broken bones were visible’. She had lost so much blood that an immediate transfusion was needed. She was stabilised then rushed to IHK hospital in an ambulance-with her daughter driving behind it-for further management.

As for Henry, Otai said, he found him on the bed with a bullet hole on either side of the head. He quickly established that Henry was dead because no pulse was felt. Otai established that the cause was most likely a gunshot wound, and he asked Patricia where the gun was. She had removed it. He asked her to bring it back and place it where she had found it, which, according to her, was beside her father. Otai then sent for gauze and plaster and tried to close the two bullet holes that were oozing blood and brain. He also sent for a mattress so he could get Henry’s body off the bed and straighten it in anticipation of ‘rigor mortis.’ This, according to him, is standard medical procedure.

Otai also asked whether Patricia had called police, which she had done a while back, but they hadn’t yet come. He got his phone and frantically called the officer in-charge of Bugolobi police post, who informed him that he was organising his team to go to the Katanga residence. Indeed, police showed up soon after.

Mr Jonathan Muwaganya led the evidence-in-chief, and defence attorney MacDusman Kabega did a quick, incisive cross-examination during which he asked why her report didn’t have her name or date it was done. The report also didn’t mention who gave her the flash disks, and wasn’t signed by the reviewers. She also told court, under cross-examination, that she didn’t know who recorded the video and put it on the flash disks.

Michael Jackson Okello

A scene of crime (SoC) examiner with 11 years of experience, Okello is attached to the Police Forensics Directorate at Naguru, in the Department of Criminal Detection. He’s second in command of the Evidence Response Team. He narrated that on November 10, 2023, he was at Naguru and received a call from his supervisor, SP Damian Sserungogi, who asked him to pick up a camera and join the team at the scene of crime at Chwa II road, Mbuya, to investigate a suspected murder.

Okello found a team of CID officers, including DSP Akong. Akong briefed him on what they were to do and that witnesses were willing to state what they saw at the SoC. His role was to capture the interviews and witness narrations on video, a Sony Camcorder. He prepared a video identifier: date and time, case reference, activity, camera type, person taking video and signature.

DSP Akong prepared the witnesses and led the interviews. They shot on November 10, 2023. Okello disclosed how he saved the footage and transferred it to flash disks and rewritable DVDs. He talked about how he labelled them per individual and indicated the hours each of them run. He also said how he handed the flash disks to the investigating officer (IO) and retained the DVDs for laboratory purposes.

Asked how he would identify this evidence, he said the video identifier had his name and signature. Prosecution then prayed to have the materials tendered as PID 40 and 41, to which the defence had no objection. They also prayed to tender three videos: George Amanyire’s, Otai’s and Patricia’s, as PE 48, 49, and 50, respectively.

PW16

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, court concluded hearing the evidence in chief, cross-examination and re-exam of the 16th prosecution witness, PW16, a station manager at UBC Radio, a role she has filled for 15 years. She has 20 years of transcription experience at that workplace.

She translated and transcribed Mr Amanyire’s scene reconstruction interview conducted with police officer Akong. Amanyire has been a shamba boy for the Katangas for over six years and was at the residence when the incident that led to the death of Henry occurred.

Amanyire narrated that on the morning of November 2, 2023, he woke up, headed to the yard and started washing Henry’s car. Around 7am, he heard loud noises coming from the couple’s bedroom. He said in Rutoro that it sounded like Henry was beating his wife, who was crying loudly. He rushed up and knocked on the bedroom door. The beating temporarily stopped. Henry asked who was at the door. Amanyire identified himself and Henry told him to go away. Amanyire went back to his car washing duties. CCTV footage presented in court weeks earlier showed this part.

According to Amanyire, Henry resumed beating his wife and she started crying out loudly again. Amanyire called the couple’s two daughters to come to the residence. They don’t stay far from their parents’ home on Chwa II Road. Amanyire then went back up to knock and stop the fighting. Again, he was sent back, and the beating continued.

He tried the third time again, but this time, he went with a woman who lived in the house, whose name is Kayenje. They knocked on the door, the beating paused, and Henry asked: ‘Who are you and what do you want?’ Kayenje answered: ‘Martha’, the couple’s daughter, who is also charged. Kayenje was lying, perhaps in the hope that her invoking the name of their daughter would get Henry to stop the beating and open the door. He ignored them and continued beating his wife, who continued crying loudly.

Amanyire heard what he thought was the sound of a breaking glass and a voice calling him. He rushed upstairs, found a trail of blood from the master bedroom to the adjoining one. He heard a faint voice call him, saying: ‘Help me, I’m out of blood, I’m going to die.’ He entered the room, into the bathroom, where he found Molly naked, in a pool of blood, arms broken, hands held to the rest of the arms only by skin, skull cracked and blood gushing out of it. He walked back ‘out of respect for his boss because she was naked’, he said. She called him back and asked that he call her daughters to take her to hospital. He said he already had, but called again anyway.

Amanyire said from the blood pattern, she probably leaned against the wall, crawled on the floor to ‘safety’ (forensics confirmed it was her blood). The daughters arrived soon after and organised for her onward transfer to hospital.

‘People were in Club Silk, having fun and somebody told the deejay to stop the music. ‘Qute Kaye has died. Let’s observe a moment of silence,” the singer, real name Brian Ivan Kaye, told the Soul Foundation team at Butabika Hospital’s guest house.

The volunteers had just finished the fourth End of Year Cookout at Uganda’s only national referral mental hospital on December 5.

The event which started in 2022, happens every first Friday of December. Volunteers are led by Zumba dance instructor Geraldine Opoka, aka Gerry.

When Qute Kaye, who was famous for his love ballads, showed up about 11am, Gerry greeted him with a passionate hug that reflects their mutual commitment to matters mental health.

We all have our mental issues, with or without our awareness. But Qute Kaye took a trip to hell until his redemption, as he sings in When Jesus Found Me.

‘I was drifting the shadows of night/

Lost in a maze/ No end in sight,’ he sang to an attentive audience, every word and verse a true reflection of his battle with drug addiction that dragged his star from the zenith to nadir.

‘Every road I took, led me astray

Till his light showed me the way

I was sinking deep in a sea of despair,

Crying out loud but no one was there.

My heart was heavy, my soul was torn.

When Jesus found me, I was broken and bare. He wrapped me in love

Like a breath of fresh air

His grace lifted me, set my spirit free…’

‘But of course, when I was announced dead, I wasn’t dead, but still struggling with my mental health condition. It almost killed me,’ the artist-turned-activist said.

‘So to me it matters so much that I survived. It’s why I started Another Chance Foundation. Because I am of a conviction that God spared me so that I can help others undergoing the same despair to overcome it.’

Such is Kaye’s passion for the cause that when he could not make it last year, he spread the word to whoever, encouraging them to attend.

‘Because I believe that people who work in mental health are the real angels from God.

He said ‘a disease that messes up your head, where you make all your decisions, takes your life. It almost took my life. So, I am very passionate about it. That’s why I even decided to sing a song for you.

Qute Kaye may no longer be the celebrity of his heyday, but he still turns heads. Since his arrival, volunteers, young and old men and women took turns posing with him for photos and selfies. Basically, he upped the vibe.

Every year, Soul Foundation adds something new to the event. Unlike before, the spacious kitchen was labelled according tasks: there was a station for cabbage; coriander and green onion and one for tomatoes, and green pepper and carrots and the one for Soul Tea and snacks. This made tasks easier and the ambience neater.

The non-negotiables do not change. ‘Keep knives and any sharp objects out of the patients’ reach,’ is one of them.

But some patients are different. Like K, (name withheld), who was busy at the rice cooking centre all-day. He carried water, firewood, and took care of the fireplaces, without any signs of worry.

Outside Butabika, he said he earns a living as a scammer. I don’t remember his job description quite well.

He resides in Kireka, home to 124 inmates. ‘My father is a UPDF officer. So, getting the services here is easier than in a private facility,’ he told me.

His conversations from politics to everyday life were so sober and consistent you would wonder what business he has in Butabika. But such is the complexity of mental health. You can look fine, when you are actually not.

Managing numbers

This year, there was no slicing chapatti. ‘Today, we have more than enough. Every plate a chapatti,’ Gerry announced. And so it was. Thanks to Mandella Millers.

For the first time also, there was more chicken than beef, thanks to Ugachick; while Ranchers’ Finest offered the classic sausages while Pepsi and Harris International served enough soda.

Thanks to Mukwano Industries, there were more than enough food vessels: buckets, basins, and plates.

As usual, the volunteers’ Subarus, Toyota Harriers, Hilux ferried the food to the wards. Gerry has a list of all the 13 wards and the corresponding number of residents, which guides the serving team while apportioning the food to respective wards.

But you can hardly be perfect in this game of numbers. For instance, at the Female Convalescence Ward, we expected 146 inmates.

We took an extra four plates, but we were told they were actually 156.

Then, despite the strictness of the nurses, some patients pick a plate and return for more at the expense of others.

You must be swifter. However, the ideal is to give as much as you can. Exactly what we did. There was a batch of rice that did not match the classic standards. And Leilah, Isabella Tugume, yes, the news anchor, and others had second thoughts before serving it. But not even a scoop was spared.

And the smiles did not stop flashing. ‘God bless you so much,’ said the patients, until we vanished from their sight.

Missing regulars vs subs

Chef Emmanuel Gonahasa had been a key player, handling the finger-licking pilao and chicken since 2022. But he missed his fourth edition while seeking a parliamentary vote in Kabweri Constituency in Kibuku District.

But Gillian, a journalist-cum-pastry chef, did the needful, churning out three humongous pans of rice.

Moreso, Gonahasa sent us Chef Blender, his powerful commercial blender that has served on all four cookouts. This monster makes my blending tasks child’s play.

Fridah, another senior chef and team leader, had parallel engagements away. But Sarah Maberi, shone in the role.

Nabilla, the vibe queen, was in Nairobi on an important family matter, but even before Qute Kaye showed up, the spirits were already high.

Pamela, the Soul tea maker, also missed in action. But the substitute did a great job. To say the tea was super delicious is an understatement.

The Rev Dismas Bwesigye, where were you? Your pertinent chats with the youths,especially on matters of affection-wrapped in humour, make your absence conspicuous. Trust me, you are one regular without a substitute.

Thank you, all

Dr Juliet Nakku, Butabika’s executive director, had her right foot wrapped in bandages. But alongside a colleague, she made it a point to visit the Soul team around midday to thank them for the ‘unwavering commitment.’

Dr Byamah Mutamba, a senior consultant psychiatrist at the hospital, could not thank Soul Foundation enough.

‘That care, that human relationship you create with our patients is what matters most,’ Dr Mutamba said during the closing ceremony.

‘Gerry said it is not massive but to us it is massive.’

But he had one more request. ‘Keep visiting us anytime but also come and check your status. You never know. Today, you are this side, tomorrow the other side.

Let us defeat the stigma and increase access to mental health services.’

December 13, the volunteers returned to serve cake in what has become an annual cake fest.

Gerry calls it ‘sharing healing.’ She wants it bigger and better, every year. And she is forever grateful to the partners that make it happen.

As we prepare to bid farewell to the year, 2025 has given us a fashion moment worth talking about. It was a year that pushed boundaries, sparked conversations about sustainability, and, most importantly, signalled a genuine shift in Uganda’s fashion scene.

Not because the industry was ever quiet, but because of the exciting wave of new designers, stylists, and creatives stepping onto the scene. With the rise of ready-to-wear in Uganda, we have seen a significant shift in the Ugandan fashion scene. From ready-to-wear and streetwear to couture, there was no shortage of creativity on display. While a few trends carried over, 2025 was largely shaped by minimalism, personalisation, and sustainability.

So, in no particular order, here are some of the fashion trends that truly ruled 2025.

Minimalism and quiet luxury

While it may have seemed like being extra was everywhere, minimalism quietly took centre stage this year. We saw more fashion lovers leaning toward clean silhouettes and intentional styling, whether for red carpets, work outfits, or everyday looks. A minimalist outfit that pays attention to fit, fabric, and subtle details will always win.

Quiet luxury also had a strong moment. The beauty of this trend lies in choosing quality over quantity. Think a crisp white shirt paired with straight-leg jeans, elevated with the right jewellery and shoes. The focus shifts to timeless pieces, refined tailoring, and versatility. The kinds of items that work effortlessly with what you already have in your wardrobe.

Warmer hues

Colour remains a constant in fashion, and 2025 did not disappoint. Warmer tones dominated the scene, with butter yellow, burnt orange, green, and black standing out as favourites.

Butter yellow, in particular, had the brunch girls in a chokehold. Its soft warmth made it perfect for daytime wear, while still being easy to dress up or down. Burnt orange also had its moment, even inspiring its own TikTok challenge.

Colour has a way of instantly lifting a look and, in many cases, your mood too. Sometimes, all it takes is the right shade to turn your day around.

Rise of mum jeans

I was relieved to see the skinny jeans era finally take a back seat. And in came the wide-legged and mum jeans. This was the biggest spend on my wardrobe budget this year.

These jeans are not only more comfortable, but they also offer a more polished and flattering silhouette. Perfect if you are looking for denim that can easily be dressed up for a more elegant setting.

Once you find the right fit and wash, styling becomes effortless. Pair them with bodysuits, cropped jackets, or crisp white shirts for a chic, put-together look.

Their versatility makes them ideal for day and night, which explains why they became a wardrobe staple.

Y2K Fashion

Thanks to pop culture and stars such as Ayra Starr and Tyla, Y2K fashion made a bold return, and the girls had fun with it. This trend brought back early 2000s nostalgia in the best way possible.

We saw oversized cargo pants paired with the tiniest tops, low-rise and dropped waist silhouettes, baby tees, metallic fabrics, miniskirts, and playful accessories such as shoulder bags and tinted sunglasses. The Y2K aesthetic is all about confidence, a little rebellion, and not taking fashion too seriously.

Y2K was styled with a modern twist. Think cleaner tailoring, better fabrics, and more intentional pairings. While it leans bold and youthful, it also allows for personal expression.

This trend is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Other trends such as coloured leather, athleisure, bag layering, Lagos hairline and the goddess braids for the hair definitely ruled this year.

The trends of 2025 reminded us that fashion can be expressive, thoughtful, and fun all at once. Happy holidays everyone!

Uganda’s government has urged private secondary schools to invest their own resources to fully implement the country’s new ‘hands-on skilling’ lower secondary curriculum, despite persistent challenges facing its rollout.

Speaking on Thursday at the annual dialogue of private secondary school proprietors held at Kabojja International School in Kampala’s Buziga suburb, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Kedrace Turyagyenda, said private schools must commit to building systems that support effective teaching under the new curriculum.

She said this includes acquiring textbooks and learning materials to enable teachers to deliver the competency-based programme.

‘The government will negotiate with publishers so that they can sell books to you at a manageable rate,’ Turyagyenda said.

Uganda rolled out the new lower secondary curriculum in 2020 through a phased implementation and teacher training programme, shifting away from rote learning toward skills and competencies aimed at producing job-ready graduates.

The curriculum emphasizes practical learning in areas such as information and communication technology and entrepreneurship, with a focus on learner-centered, hands-on education.

However, authorities acknowledge that the reform continues to face major challenges, including insufficient resources, poor infrastructure, limited stakeholder sensitisation and concerns over equity in rural areas.

Despite these constraints, Turyagyenda said progress had been made in training educators, particularly in the private sector.

‘Government has also been training teachers, and that is, one thousand five hundred teachers from private secondary schools have had an opportunity to undertake training,’ she said.

She added that the goal of the training was to equip teachers with skills required to effectively deliver the new curriculum and support the shift toward competency-based learning.

Private school leaders welcomed the call for collaboration, saying the success of the reforms depends on joint efforts between government and private education providers.

The head of high school at Cambridge Kabojja International School-Uganda, Bansal Sandy, said education professionals have a responsibility to support government reforms.

‘We are not on our own. We have to work together, collaborate in education with the government to make Uganda one of the highest education countries,’ she said.

According to official statistics, Uganda has 4,571 secondary schools, of which 67.3 percent are privately owned.

Secondary school enrollment stands at more than two million learners, with about 60 percent studying in government schools.

The dialogue brought together heads and proprietors of private secondary schools from across the country to discuss the implementation of the new curriculum and broader challenges facing secondary education.

Africa’s digital finance story is often praised as one of the continent’s biggest successes, and that is because mobile money, agent banking, and digital wallets have brought tens of millions into formal finance for the first time. In countries where banks barely reached beyond cities, digital services reshaped daily life. People could send money across long distances, pay bills, receive wages, save small amounts, borrow in emergencies, and buy basic insurance, using simple mobile phones. But beneath this success lies a growing problem. In many African countries, digital finance expanded faster than competition. Markets look inclusive on the surface, but underneath, they are becoming concentrated.

Economists understand that when competition weakens, inclusion becomes fragile. Prices stop falling, innovation slows, and people at the margins-rural households, women, informal workers, small traders-are left with fewer real choices. The challenge today is no longer account ownership, but whether the systems people enter remain open, competitive, and responsive. Competition was central to early growth. Telecom companies and FinTechs challenged banking systems that had long served a small elite. Digital delivery removed the need for branches and ATMs. Agent networks pushed finance into places banks had never reached. Costs fell, and products improved.

Telecom-led mobile money was especially powerful. Built on USSD and SMS, it worked on basic phones. Services like M-Pesa in Kenya, MTN Mobile Money in Uganda and Ghana, and Airtel Money across East and Southern Africa scaled quickly by using existing telecom customers and agent networks. Over time, these platforms added savings, small loans, insurance, and remittances, embedding themselves in daily economic life. ‘Digital finance markets tend to reward scale,’ economist Sha’ista Goga says. ‘The bigger a platform becomes, the cheaper it is to operate, the more products it can bundle, and the more attractive it becomes to new users.

Over time, this pushes markets toward dominance; not because of bad behaviour, but because of how the market itself works.’ Mobile money shows this clearly. A payment service becomes more valuable as more people use it. Early movers that reach scale first gain a lasting advantage, especially when systems do not interoperate or when off-network payments cost more. Kenya illustrates this best. Safaricom’s dominance in mobile networks translated directly into mobile money dominance, allowing M-Pesa to control more than 80 percent of users for many years. Even after competitors entered, switching was hard. Uganda followed a similar path. Early telecom entrants, MTN and Airtel, built mobile money services first and still dominate the market. Later entrants like Orange and K2 Telecom struggled and eventually exited.

‘Most users do not compare fees or terms. They rely on trust, familiarity, and what people around them already use. In low-income settings, avoiding risk matters more than saving a few shillings,’ Goga notes. Switching costs deepen this effect. A mobile money wallet becomes the centre of daily life, linking family support, wages, savings groups, rent, school fees, and utilities. Leaving one provider can mean losing an entire network. That is why price cuts alone often fail. As digital finance expands into loans and insurance, data reinforces lock-in. Providers with long transaction histories can price risk better and offer improved terms. New providers, without that data, must lend less or charge more. Users are penalised not for being risky, but for switching. ‘This dominance does not harm users immediately,’ Goga explains.

‘Leading platforms often keep prices low at first. The damage appears later, when firms focus on the most profitable customers.’ Exclusion often comes through control of infrastructure. Many providers rely on systems they do not own: USSD channels, SMS confirmations, payment switches, and agent networks. When access is delayed, restricted, or overpriced, competitors are quietly squeezed out. Kenya’s USSD case is instructive. Safaricom was found by the Competition Authority of Kenya to have charged unfair prices for USSD access, harming competitors serving non-smartphone users. After intervention, prices fell. Uganda offers an even starker example. MTN blocked a licensed fintech, VAS Garage, from using its network and deleted its customer database while promoting its own services. The High Court ruled this unlawful and anti-competitive, ordering MTN to pay damages worth Shs11.3b. Agent exclusivity works the same way. When dominant firms lock agents into exclusive contracts, rivals cannot scale.

Kenya banned agent exclusivity in 2014, improving competition. Ghana, Uganda, and Nigeria followed. ‘Digital finance relies on layers; connectivity, data, agents, platforms, licenses. Control at any layer can become a bottleneck. That is why competition policy cannot focus only on prices or products. It must focus on access to the plumbing,’ Goga observes. Dr Anthea Paelo, a Ugandan economist focused on financial inclusion, adds: ‘If you’re the first into the market, you deserve to get first mover advantages. The challenge is knowing when that advantage turns into a barrier that locks others out.’ From inside regulation, Dr Amira Abdel Ghaffar, a former vice chairperson of the Comesa Competition Commission frames this as responsibility. When a firm is dominant, she says, ‘the competition is already reduced by his very presence,’ meaning it must be ‘very careful about market conduct.’

The correction

Many competition economists now agree that Africa does not need to choose between financial inclusion and competition. It needs to get the order right. In the early days of digital finance, scale is essential. Providers must invest heavily in systems, agent networks, and trust, while serving populations spread across large countries where most transactions are small. Without scale, mobile money does not work. At this stage, regulators often need to allow firms to grow quickly. But once digital finance reaches scale, as it now has in many African countries, the regulatory priority often needs a shift from expansion to openness. If that shift does not happen, early success hardens into permanent control.

Where regulators adjusted, competition followed. Ghana and Tanzania introduced e-money licences that allowed non-bank providers to operate under central bank oversight. Nigeria created Payment Service Bank licences, enabling MTN and Airtel to scale quickly. Rwanda simplified FinTech licensing so start-ups could offer multiple services under one framework. As Goga explains, these reforms ‘removed unnecessary barriers that had been holding competition back.’ But speed matters. Beatriz Marquez, a competition expert at the OECD Competition Division, warns that ‘these markets tip.’ That is why authorities are moving toward proactive enforcement, acting ‘before markets have potentially irreversibly tipped.’

This is where interoperability proved decisive. Tanzania moved early, first mandating agent non-exclusivity, then supporting wallet-to-wallet interoperability, and eventually building shared infrastructure. Kennedy Komba, director of financial deepening and inclusion at the Bank of Tanzania, describes the shift as moving from agreements to systems. The Tanzanian Instant Payment System (TIPS), he explains, forced all players onto the same messaging standard and centralised clearing and settlement at the central bank. Interoperability alone, though, is not enough. Pricing matters. Rwanda’s experience shows why. Providers agreed on a flat fee per transfer, regardless of size.

Because most transactions are small, this made low-value payments expensive in percentage terms and hurt services aimed at poorer users. Even then, competition can stall if data remains locked inside dominant platforms. As digital finance expands into credit and insurance, transaction history becomes critical. If customers cannot share their own data, switching carries a hidden penalty. Market studies in countries like Kenya and South Africa have helped regulators track entry and exit, concentration, switching behaviour, and affordability before dominance becomes permanent. The goal is not to punish, scale or dismantle successful systems. It is to ensure that early success does not become long-term exclusion.

Anglican Church of Uganda Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe on Saturday urged security forces to exercise restraint and professionalism as the country heads into tense elections early next year, warning that heavy-handed tactics could deepen fear among civilians.

Speaking during his Christmas message at a press conference at Emmanuel Cathedral in Rukungiri Municipality, the North Kigezi Diocese bishop appealed to armed personnel to avoid the use of excessive force, while also cautioning young people against actions that could provoke violent responses.

‘I honestly appeal to our dedicated armed forces security forces, the personnel who handle guns and other weapons, to maintain utmost professionalism by avoiding the use of excessive force when dealing with unarmed civilians,’ Bishop Asiimwe said.

‘I argue our civilians particularly the young people to refrain from provocative actions that could trigger responses from security forces. Use power well that if someone looks at a soldier or police officer, they know that they are in safe hands,’ he added.

Bishop Asiimwe said political tensions were rising ahead of the January 15 General Election and urged all actors to respect constitutional rights to preserve national cohesion.

‘As we draw closer to the year 2026 and the upcoming elections, I appeal to all Ugandans to stay united regardless of difference in political views and affiliations,’ he said.

‘Every Ugandan has a constitutional right to freely choose and vote for the leader they believe in. Let’s exercise that right responsibly while preserving the bounds of family, friendship and national unity,’ he remarked.

The bishop also called for prayers for people in detention, including opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye, who has spent more than a year in prison without bail or trial.

‘As we cerebrate we are mindful of the people who are confined. like those in prison, in hospitals and they have no hope of joining their families,’ Bishop Asiimwe said.

‘Dr Kizza Besigye, I have personally visited him in Luzira upper maximum prison twice, we had time with him, we talked, let them have hope that one day they will receive fair justice, that they will get out of prison and reunite with their families.’

Turning to the meaning of Christmas, Bishop Asiimwe urged Christians to focus on faith rather than festivities, saying political leadership was temporary.

‘Leadership of this world come and go. leaders of this world come and go but the leadership of Jesus has no end,’ he said.

Religious leaders across Uganda have increasingly called for peaceful conduct ahead of the polls, amid recent clashes between security forces and opposition actors in different parts of the country. Uganda is set to elect a president and parliament on January 15, 2026.

The Bakhana Bamasaba Association (BBA), launched last year by a group of professional women from the Bugisu Sub-region, has started an initiative of planting over 300,000 trees in 800 primary and secondary schools and communities where river banks and hills have been degraded.

The degrading activities have resulted in recurring calamities such as landslides, floods, loss of tree cover, displacement, and death. The BBA is using the girl-child in schools to plant the trees and encouraging the girls to spread the same message to their communities, compelling their parents to plant trees. Besides conserving the environment, the association is also addressing issues of education, health, and life skills among the girls in the sub-region.

Jane Wakikona, a public health expert in the Ministry of Health (MoH) and secretary general of the BBA, reveals that they are targeting girls because they are future mothers of the nation. ‘We are assured that girls can take the tree-planting message to different communities. Women are still a strong pillar when it comes to environmental protection in this region. Our five-year strategic plan focuses on environmental protection, education, health, and life skills for young girls in schools,’ she says. Wakikona notes that the environment has been destroyed by human activities, which include deforestation and poor farming methods. ‘We need to restore and protect our environment so that the soils can be productive.

The region is prone to floods and landslides because the soil is very fragile due to overarming. This means it can easily be washed away during heavy downpours,’ she explains. When topsoils are washed away, agricultural production in the area is severely affected, having repercussions on household income and education. In the past, before the current population boom, the sub-region was densely populated by tree cover. Today, that is rapidly disappearing as trees are cut down to create more agricultural land and for fuel. ‘We have several cases of teenage pregnancy due to the high school dropout rates. BBA is encouraging girls to stay in school and position themselves in education,’ Wakikona adds.

Irene Muwanguzi Wasike, an enterprise development specialist at the Parish Development Model Secretariat and the president of BBA, says the association was launched after the realisation that the number of professionals in the region had reduced. ‘We want to bridge the gap and act as role models to young girls. We want women to come back home and demonstrate the advantages of tree-planting. Historically, the Mt Elgon area was very fertile and sustained communities for generations. However, today, landslides are killing people,’ she says. Wasike notes that besides schools, the association is targeting degraded areas along river banks and hills with restoration activities. ‘We grew up seeing our mothers fetching firewood. They were the custodians of the environment. We can teach our children that firewood can be collected sustainably without destroying the environment.

Girls are going to be change agents in this region,’ she explains. Cause of environmental degradation Wasike blames the environmental degradation in the Bugisu Sub-region on poverty, which has led to people depending on the environment for survival, leaving it bare. ‘Most of the riverbanks have been degraded, leading them to burst their banks during the rainy season. The strong natural trees that used to protect the riverbanks have been cut down for firewood and charcoal,’ she says. Wasike also blamed negative cultural mindsets that encourage the subdivision of land among children as inheritance. ‘Land fragmentation is a key contributor to environmental degradation. We need to embrace communal land ownership if we are going to succeed in developing the region.

We worry that if the environment is not restored over the course of the next ten years, our people will continue to die in landslides,’ she warns. Due to the persistent landslides in the region, entire communities have died or been displaced and relocated to other districts. Brenda Hadondi, the deputy headteacher of Mbale Senior Secondary School, says that the idea of planting trees in schools is timely because several schools cut down old trees in their compounds and have failed to replace them. ‘Several schools do not have shade trees. The natural trees that remain are used as classrooms in schools with limited space for learning,’ she says. The Bugisu Sub-region has suffered calamities of floods and landslides, in which some schools have been affected and closed by the government due to the students’ safety.

Importance of tree planting

Tree planting restores the environment by sequestering carbon, improving air/water quality, preventing erosion, and rebuilding biodiversity through habitat creation, acting as a vital climate solution that also supports human health and local economies. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, trees fight climate change, while their roots hold soil, filter pollutants, regulate water cycles, and provide shelter for countless species, making ecosystems healthier and more resilient.

Key environmental restoration benefits

Carbon sequestration: Trees absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, storing it in their wood, roots, and soil, thus reducing greenhouse gases.

Air quality improvement: They filter pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide from the air, releasing clean oxygen, which improves public health.

Soil and water conservation: Roots bind soil, preventing erosion, while canopies reduce heavy rain impact, and roots help filter water, reducing runoff and protecting watersheds.

Biodiversity and habitat: Forests provide essential homes, food, and shelter for over 80 percent of terrestrial species, restoring ecosystems and supporting biodiversity. Climate regulation: Trees cool urban areas through shade and transpiration, lowering temperatures and reducing energy needs, while also influencing rainfall patterns.

Flood control: They act like sponges, absorbing excess water and releasing it slowly, preventing floods and landslides. Economic and social well-being: Restored forests offer sustainable resources, create green jobs, support eco-tourism, and improve mental health. By planting trees, especially in degraded areas, we help reverse deforestation and build resilient, functional ecosystems that benefit both nature and people.

National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has promised the people of Bukedea District that a by-election for the Woman Member of Parliament seat would be held if he defeats President Museveni in the 2026 General Election.

Mr Kyagulanyi made the pledge following the controversial blocking of three aspirants from being nominated for the Bukedea Woman MP race, a move that critics say was engineered by security agencies and the Electoral Commission to give the incumbent, Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among, an unchallenged path back to Parliament.

Mr Kyagulanyi addressed a crowd on Saturday at Kongunga Primary School playground in Bukedea District as part of his nationwide campaign tour.

‘This is our candidate, Mercy Marion Alupo. But because Anita Among is scared-just like Museveni is scared-they made sure to remove her from the register. Tell Anita Among that after we remove Museveni, there will be a by-election in Bukedea,’ Mr Kyagulanyi said.

The musician turned politician accused the ruling elite of monopolising public resources at the expense of ordinary citizens.

‘Are we going to have champagne for a few people or clean drinking water for everyone? Are we going to allow one person to hoard wealth meant for millions, or are we going to invest that money in schools and hospitals?’ he asked.

Mr Kyagulanyi urged residents to seize what he described as a historic opportunity to end decades of poor leadership.

‘For 40 years, we have suffered from bad leadership and poor service delivery. We now have a chance to change that. But we cannot get to the Promised Land unless we work together,’ he said.

He further accused the government of deliberately blocking opposition leaders from accessing voters.

‘They try to stop us because they know that when we reach you, your eyes and minds will open,’ Mr Kyagulanyi said, likening President Museveni’s leadership to colonial-era tactics.

He also slammed Mr Museveni for his unfulfilled promises to compensate communities in Teso for stolen cattle.

‘Every five years, Museveni promises to return your cows. Decades later, nothing has happened. Now he says he will give five cows to everyone if you vote for him. If he wants votes, let him first bring the cows now,’ Mr Kyagulanyi said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

Kyagulanyi reminded residents that last year he signed a memorandum of understanding with Teso elders, committing to fast and fair compensation for all claimants.

‘We want a new Uganda-where everyone is equal before the law, where jobs are not given based on tribe or religion, and where corruption has no place,’ he said.Mercy Marion Alupo, the blocked aspirant for Bukedea Woman MP, urged young people to reject intimidation and support change.

‘Bukedea belongs to us, the young generation. How long shall we accept being denied our rights? Support Kyagulanyi and vote for change so that peace and justice return to Bukedea,’ she said.

Julius Ocen, the NUP candidate for Kapelebyong County, told residents that Kyagulanyi represents hope for communities that have long been ignored.’A leader ready to serve all Ugandans is here. Give him your vote so that the cries of Bukedea are finally answered,’ Ocen said.Isaac Ogwang, a resident of Bukedea, said Kyagulanyi’s message resonated with many who feel marginalised.

‘For years we have been intimidated and denied our rights. This message gives us hope. Imagine not voting for ten years because someone fears competition-that is unacceptable,’ Ogwang said.

As Mr Kyagulanyi concluded his address, he reiterated his vision of a united Uganda founded on justice, equality, and accountable leadership-an appeal that drew sustained applause from the crowd.

Honestly eh, now that I am living through winter, a lot of the Christmas cards and movies I have seen finally make sense.

If you are anything like me then Christmas, apart from the socialising and festivities, also means tuning in to those Hallmark movies about Christmas romances.

It is silly fun, watching complete strangers fall for each other for the flimsiest of reasons in the course of a week (in movie time, this must equal to one year per day).

But, I have also begun to notice some things that just are not possible. For example, how do they get their actors to look cute in winter clothing?

Let me tell you, winter is not about looking good-we all look like overfed penguins and waddle a bit too, trying to keep our balance on the snow and ice.

Do not forget the dry lips as the cold, harsh wind sucks every drop of moisture out of them (think of this as the stars of the movie lean in for that final kiss, ha ha ha).

But in real life, I hope that you are all going to have a beautiful Christmas.

For those who will be facing awkward conversations over things they haven’t accomplished yet:

When are you starting your Masters?

When are you getting married?

When are you having children?

When are you building your own house or do you plan to rent forever and make your landlord rich?

When are you getting a promotion? When . do not fret.

A few days before Christmas, buy a sparkly, transparent ball and a long, thin bamboo stick.

Keep the ball nicely covered under a cloth, somewhere you can easily access it during the festivities.

Any time one of these questions comes your way, lead your interrogator over to the ball. Uncover it and ask it the same question in an otherworldly voice, striking it viciously as you do so.

Interpret the results however you wish. If that does not spark some joy in your day, I do not know what will!

Happy Christmas, brethren, and may God’s blessings and joy and peace be yours all the way into 2026.

‘Therefore, the Lord shall give you this sign: the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel’- Isiah 7:14

It has been observed that man is religious and political by nature. To that effect, our religion influences our politics. It is also a given that all people have a worldview relating to their faith convictions. Faith convictions are either theological (divinely transcendent) or ideological (humanly immanent) in nature. Hence, we cannot logically function in society without these assumptions.

The Christian religion gives birth to a Christian worldview that reflects the moral and ethical values of God’s Ten Commandments, Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, and the apostles’ teaching. Uganda, being a Christian country, its Constitution is largely the political manifestation of a Christian worldview.

If we claim the Christian faith but adhere to a political scheme that is contrary to a Christian ethic, we need to do some serious soul-searching. It means that our true religion is not Christianity but something else entirely.

In the Scripture portion quoted above, Ahaz of Judah is known to have been one of the cruelest kings Israel ever knew. Ahaz even offered his own son as a burnt offering to the Canaanite pagan god Moloch (2 Kings 16:3). His action is said to have been motivated by profound apostasy and a desperate attempt to gain favour from the pagan god, during military and political distress. Ahaz was the opposite character of King David, who was sincerely a man after God’s heart and so much endeared to the people.

Prophet Isaiah went to King Ahaz with words of warning against his pagan conduct. He assured him that the God of Israel would definitely protect His people, and told Ahaz to ask for a sign to prove it. But, pretending to be righteous, Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, as he preferred to rely on his allies rather than to trust God’s providence.

Ignoring the disloyal king, however, Isaiah went ahead and told Ahaz of the birth of an ‘Immanuel-child’ who would be the sign that God remained with the people. Responding to a proud and conniving ruler who depended only on political alliances, God worked through a simple young woman whose vulnerable child possessed the power to undermine well-armed, determined bullies.

That is to say, God dwells with people through their very own. As Mary would express in her song, known as the Magnificat, God overcomes the haughty through the humble (Luke 1:46-55).

Matthew 1:23 reinterprets Isaiah’s prophecy, applying it to the coming of Jesus, the Emmanuel. His statement that Mary was “found with child through the Holy Spirit” coincides with Isaiah’s announcement about Emmanuel. The name Jesus actually means ‘God saves’ by conquering evil and death. ‘God draws near to humanity, entering into our history in the vulnerability of a child’, says Pope Leo XVI.

Matthew’s portrayal of Joseph is also of great significance. It reveals what is often entailed in collaborating with God. Like Mary, Joseph had to be willing to give up everything for the sake of God’s mysterious plan. Giving up everything, in this context, includes all those things by which we cherish and tend to identify ourselves.

Through His life, death and resurrection, Christ draws people of goodwill into realising their true identity in Himself. In other words, when we choose to embrace this reality, our sense of identity changes, along with choices. Christians must be good stewards of their society and promote justice and righteousness, which includes electing leaders who embody these virtues.

‘When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. But when a wicked man rules, the people groan’ (Proverb 29:2).

Even though the ongoing election exercise tends to be violent and commercialised, the good news is that we serve a God who has everything under control. All we have to do is trust Him and His word, and do the right thing. In the end, it is Christians who are called to become the sign through which the world can encounter Emmanuel, by demonstrating love, kindness, forgiveness, justice and peace, patience, etc, in daily life (Galatians 5:22-23).