Category: Daily Monitor

Since Tuesday, Fort Portal City has remained under heavy security deployment, with both police and UPDF personnel occupying most streets. By Wednesday morning, the presence of armed officers, some carrying guns and others wielding sticks, had only intensified.

Security operatives were seen patrolling the city on motorcycles and pickup trucks, with some military trucks stationed at several junctions, completely blocking access to Rukidi III Street and the road leading to Kenneth Inn Hotel, where the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi and his wife, Barbie Itungo spent the night.

Early in the morning, some NUP supporters who had gathered near the hotel, hoping to see Mr Kyagulanyi before he left for Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa for his scheduled campaign activities, were swiftly dispersed, with security officers arguing that the crowds were disrupting business operations. Many business owners along Rukidi III Street reported being unable to open their shops since the previous day due to the tension and roadblocks.

Residents and traders expressed frustration, describing the deployment as excessive and unnecessary. Some said the sheer presence of armed forces had scared people, disrupted transport, and created wartime like atmosphere.

One of the traders, Ms Jane from Roda Kahinju, lamented that customers had stayed away since Tuesday evening after gunshots and tear gas rocked the city. She said that even by Wednesday morning, security officers were still blocking several streets, further preventing normal business operations.

Unlike the previous day, when some NUP supporters attempted to sell merchandise along the streets, Wednesday morning saw them operating in fear of confiscation. On Tuesday, security personnel had already stopped party members from selling near the NUP Tooro Sub-region offices along Bwamba Road.

Security block Kyagulanyi campaigns

On Tuesday, security operatives in the Tooro Sub-region blocked Mr Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, from campaigning at his scheduled venues in Kabarole and Fort Portal City, leaving many of his supporters disappointed.

Out of the three districts where he was scheduled to hold rallies, Bunyangabu, Kabarole, and Fort Portal, he was only permitted to campaign in Bunyangabu, at Busiita Playground, under heavy security deployment. Even access to that venue required several diversions.

Mr Kyagulanyi was unable to reach his campaign venues in Kabarole and Fort Portal after being blocked twice along the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo Road; first at Buteebe Trading Centre and later at Kahinju Secondary School.

At Buteebe Trading Centre, the blockade by UPDF and police began at 3pm and lasted until after 7pm, after which he was escorted under tight security to his lodge. During the standoff, NUP supporters who attempted to get closer to their candidate were dispersed with tear gas and live bullets fired in the air. Some were beaten and others were arrested.

Before Mr Kyagulanyi was finally allowed to leave the area, security operatives dispersed people along the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo roadside with tear gas to prevent them from gathering or waving at him as he passed.

Supporters speaks out

Mr John Byaruhanga, who sells produce on Ruhandiika Street, said the deployment has affected both movement and business.

‘The streets are blocked, Boda Bodas are being chased, and customers cannot reach us. How do we survive if we cannot sell for two straight days? We have school fees and rent to pay. This is too much,’ he said.

NUP supporters have accused security agencies of unfairly blocking Mr Kyagulanyi’s campaigns while allowing other presidential candidates, including incumbent Yoweri Museveni, to campaign freely in the region last week.

‘It is clear they don’t want Bobi Wine to speak to us. Museveni was here with big crowds, and no one blocked him. Even other candidates have been allowed. Why only Kyagulanyi? This is not democracy,’ Mr Daniel Ariho said.

Ms Atwooki Businge, another supporter, said the treatment was unfair and intimidating.

‘We just wanted to see our candidate, but they treated us like criminals. Why are other candidates allowed to meet their supporters and only ours is blocked?’ she asked.

The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has suffered yet another setback after the Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified its candidate for the Busiro East constituency, Mr Mathias Walukagga, over lack of academic qualifications.

Mr Walukaga, a singer turned politician, who is the current mayor of Kyengera Town Council, was nominated to run for the Opposition-dominated Busiro East Constituency as the Opposition party sought to replace the incumbent, Mr Medard Ssegona, a veteran lawyer who has represented the constituency since 2011. Mr Ssegona is seeking his fourth term in the 12th Parliament. The EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama said Mr Walukaga lacked the requisite minimum formal qualifications for the elective office of Member of Parliament because the academic documents he presented had already expired.

‘Accordingly, candidate Mathias Walukaga lacked the requisite minimum formal qualifications for the elective office of Member of Parliament as stipulated under Section 4 (1) (c) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177. Candidate Walukaga, therefore, stands denominated’ Justice Byabakama stated in an official communication. Justice Byabakama said on the day of nomination, Mr Walukaga presented a Certificate of Mature Age/Aptitude Test issued by the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) on June 12, 2023, and a Certificate of Equivalence from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) dated June 11, 2025, for purposes of his nomination.

He added that despite a November 1, letter from IUIU to the EC, confirming that Walukaga sat for the Mature Age Aptitude Test on February 25, 2023, scoring 54 percent, the certificate had already expired by the time of nomination.

‘Paragraph 9 (b) of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions (Benchmarks for Verifying, Determining and Recognising Academic Qualifications as a Person Holding a Minimum Qualification of Advanced Level or its Equivalent) Legal Notice No.12 of 2015 states that a certificate awarded to a person who passes the mature age entry examinations with at least 50 percent is valid for only two years from the date of award,’ Justice Byabakama stated in the letter.

NUP seeks legal redress

Upon receiving the news, the NUP leadership announced that it would seek legal redress over Mr Walukaga’s disqualification to the High court to secure justice for its candidate. Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP secretary general, while addressing journalists yesterday criticised the EC’s decision, saying it was intended to frustrate their candidates ahead of the 2026 polls.

‘The country can now see that institutions are operating as if we are a completely failed state. Almost all institutions are getting eroded each passing day. We are going to challenge this in court to get justice,’ he stated.

‘We scrutinised all our candidates, including Walukaga. We wonder why the EC would nominate our candidate and later disqualify him on grounds of lacking qualifications. This is a targeted move motivated by State operatives,’ he claimed. He said the party will announce their final plans on the final candidate for the Busiro East MP race.

Walukaga strong

Commenting on his denomination, Mr Walukaga re-echoed that he hopes that the High Court will overturn the EC’s decision and have him duly nominated.

‘My people should stay strong and not be discouraged. We are going to get justice. This was a political decision, but we are heading to the High Court to seek fairness. Justice Byabakama and the EC can make a wrong decision; we can respect it, but that does not mean that we are not allowed to disagree with it,’ Mr Walukaga confidently stated.

Why would a certificate expire?

Mr Saul Waigolo, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) spokesperson, confirmed that the Mature Entry Qualification Certificate is valid for only two years from the date of issuance, explaining further that it must be used within that period to maintain relevance. Mr Waigolo stated that once a candidate has enrolled for a course, before obtaining any other qualification, the mature entry certificate can no longer be used once it expires.

‘A qualification is something awarded, not something in progress. It is not the same as semester results. As long as you were admitted within the two-year period, the qualification remains valid,’ he explained.

While citizen reporters offer immediacy and expanded voices, print media still holds the indispensable roles of fact-checking, ethical management, and contextual analysis.

The rapid growth of digital platforms has elevated citizen journalism into the spotlight. Anyone with a smartphone today can capture an event, post it online, and potentially reach millions of people within minutes.

This immediacy has led some to argue that citizen journalism is on course to replace traditional print media. Yet this assumption overlooks a fundamental truth: while citizen journalism enriches public discourse with diverse voices, it cannot substitute for the rigour, credibility, and democratic accountability provided by traditional news channels such as newspapers.

Citizen journalism emerged as a product of increased Internet access and social media adoption. In Uganda, as in many parts of the world, individuals use platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to share updates from their communities, often ahead of traditional newsrooms. These platforms have proven particularly useful during crises or protests when professional reporters may not be immediately present.

However, newspapers such as the Daily Monitor are built upon a very different foundation. Print journalism has historically served as a watchdog, contextualising issues, challenging those in power, and archiving events for future generations. It operates within structures that are intentionally designed to balance speed with accuracy, something citizen-generated content rarely prioritises.

Unlike most citizen reporters, newspapers employ trained journalists who investigate, verify, and fact-check before publishing. Every story passes through layers of editorial management to significantly reduce the risk of misinformation. In an age where ‘fake news’ spreads quickly, this commitment to accuracy is irreplaceable.

Citizen journalism often delivers fragmented pieces of information in the form of photos, tweets, or short videos. Newspapers, by contrast, connect the dots. They provide background, interview multiple sources, and situate events within broader social, political, and economic contexts. For example, a viral video of a street protest may capture a single moment of tension but a newspaper will explain the protest’s organizers, their specific grievances, and the government’s response to transform a fleeting image into a complete narrative. This depth transforms news into knowledge.

Newspapers are bound by professional codes of conduct. When errors occur, corrections are issued. Editors and reporters are answerable to their readership and to regulatory frameworks. Citizen journalism lacks such mechanisms. It leaves audiences vulnerable to biased or even harmful reporting.

For any democracy to thrive, citizens must be able to trust the information they consume. Newspapers play an extremely useful role in this regard by sustaining standards of fairness and impartiality. In Uganda, publications like the Daily Monitor continue to hold leaders accountable, amplify community concerns, and stimulate national conversations.

This is evident in the paper’s history of exposing corruption and questioning government policy, which holds power accountable in ways citizen platforms are not equipped to do.

This is not to dismiss citizen journalism. It provides immediacy and raw perspectives that often escape mainstream media. In some cases, it has even pressured traditional outlets to investigate stories they might have overlooked.

Yet the lack of editorial checks makes citizen content vulnerable to rumor, manipulation, and sensationalism. Without newspapers to verify, analyze, and contextualize such reports, public understanding would be shallow and easily distorted.

Citizen journalism and print media should not be viewed as rivals. Rather, they are complementary forces in the evolving media landscape. Citizen reporters capture the pulse of the moment, while newspapers refine that pulse into a steady heartbeat of credible information.

In Uganda and beyond, newspapers remain essential because they go beyond informing citizens. They also safeguard democracy.

The future of media is not a question of citizen journalism versus print. It is a question of how we sustain professional journalism alongside citizen voices to ensure that immediacy does not come at the cost of truth.

Lest we forget, the essential work of newspapers, from in-depth analysis to democratic accountability, is a public good that we must collectively safeguard.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) party leaders say they have traced 460 members to different detention centres across the country. NUP says their welfare teams and lawyers compiled the details, with 200 arrested in the western region, eastern (100), northern (50), and 160 from Central Uganda.

The party says the majority were arrested during campaign rallies of NUP party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, since the campaigns kicked off at the end of September.

‘Our supporters have been arrested and detained, yet there are no crimes they have committed. Our teams have been documenting these from day to day,’ Mr Kyagulanyi told this publication during an interview.

‘We have consistently encouraged our supporters to remain peaceful despite the provocation that the security personnel may throw at them. Unfortunately, the police have been the ones causing the violence and arresting our people,’ he added.

The major arrests started with a crackdown on NUP supporters in Mbarara District as they headed to Bwizibwera for their final rally of the day, with more than 70 of those seized crammed into a police truck and driven off to Mbarara Central Police Station, and Kiruhura District for detention.

During their campaigns in the Lango sub-region, 30 more supporters were picked up from their hotel rooms and detained at the area police station before they were charged in court and remanded. After a tragic shooting in Iganga District, with one person reported dead, the party said more than 30 people were arrested by the police and detained in different centres and were later charged and remanded.

Mr Kituuma Rusoke, the police spokesperson, yesterday confirmed that they have a number of detainees from NUP and others from across the country.

‘I can confirm that we have many people from various political parties, especially from the NUP, but I am compiling the lists from the Criminal Investigation Department to ascertain the number,’ Mr Kituuma said.

‘Many of these are being charged with malicious damage to property, theft, obstruction of police, unlawful drill, and including Ms Olivia Lutaaya, who was arrested on an old offence,’ he added.

Following the arrests in Mbarara, the police released a statement claiming the arrested NUP members had been attacking the men in uniform throughout their campaign and those who were blocking them from doing their duty.

The police also named some of the incidents that prompted the crackdown on the NUP camp, including one that happened in Busia District, where they said suspects travelling in a NUP convoy assaulted an officer in Mayuge District on October 3. They also said in Kyankwanzi, another officer was assaulted during a rally at Bikoma Primary School, and in Kakumiro on October 21, a police vehicle’s windshield was damaged. The police also cited other incidents on the Lira City-Alebtong route where they said police officers moving behind the NUP presidential candidate convoy were attacked and their vehicle tyres were punctured, and property stolen.

They also said a group of NUP candidate bodyguards assaulted Edibu Emmanuel in Abim, and a journalist in Kiruhura District. Ms Shamim Malende, the Kampala Woman MP, and a member of the NUP party legal team, said most of the party members arrested have been charged with traffic-related offences.

‘What we have found out is that many of them are being charged with offences like driving without permits, riding boda boda without crash helmets, using passenger service vehicles without a licence,’ Ms Malende said.

Figures from NUP documents seen by this publication show that 2,134 supporters of the party were abducted between 2019 and 2021, with 18 of them remaining untraced to date.

These include John Bosco Kibalama, John Damulira, Shafik Wangolo, Martin Lukwago, Michael Semudu, Musisi Mbowa, Vincent Nalumoso, and Dennis Zimula. The party leaders also say 272 activists have been arrested since 2021 when they took to protest, with the party now forced to take care of school needs and other requirements for some 300 children of their colleagues. In April 2021, after the presidential elections, the Internal Affairs Minister, Gen Jeje Odongo, released a list of more than 1,300 supporters of NUP whom he said had been detained in different government facilities, including some who had never been seen since they were picked up five or seven years ago.

Early this year, Mr Edward Ssebuufu aka Eddie Mutwe, a personal bodyguard of Bobi Wine, was abducted in Mukono District and held incommunicado for some two weeks. Two weeks later, the Chief of Defence Force, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, posted on his X handle, a half-naked picture of Eddie Mutwe confirming that Bobi Wine’s bodyguard who had been missing for four days was in his basement, ‘learning the Runyankore language.’ Some other Bobi Wine’s allies who are battling charges of aggravated robbery include Achilleo Kivumbi, Gaddafi Mugumya, and Mr Grace Wakabi, aka Smart.

Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the party secretary general, said: ‘Some of the people have since been released on bail. Wherever there is a campaign in an area, we go there a day later, and we shall be sure to find many of our members arrested and detained. We don’t know how many people were arrested following the rallies in Nakawa West and Nakawa East [this week]. We keep updating the list, so this number could be bigger.’

The Archbishop of Uganda, His Grace Stephen Kazimba, has urged young people to avoid being used as instruments of instability during elections.

He made the call on Tuesday during the official opening of the 9th Provincial Annual Youths and Students Convention (PAYSCO) in Mbarara City.

“Dear young people, as young people engage in the political space, rise above violent, corrupt and divisive politics. Stop being used as instruments of chaos, tribalism and misinformation,” Archbishop Kazimba said, addressing over 800 youth from across the country at Mbarara High School.

He emphasised that the young generation should be the vanguard of truth, justice, and peace. “You have a life to live and you should be a generation to transition politics to service and principle, but not power, to build and heal the country, but not break,” he added.

The Archbishop also encouraged the youth to be innovators, using their God-given talents to create enterprises and community projects that can transform them. “Stop believing in false promises of modern slavery of unemployment, human trafficking, being lured into sex slavery, but use the talents God gave you and available opportunities to be innovative, as the church we are ready to work in spaces on need to see in you a transformative young generation,” he said.

Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa, the Dean of the Anglican Province and Bishop of Ankole Diocese, highlighted the importance of spirituality in the lives of young people. “The challenge the young generation is facing is missing out on spirituality… If you see the challenges of the young generation of immorality, drug abuse, hopelessness, and diversion towards sinful acts, it is because they are missing out on spirituality,” he said.

Bishop Mwesigwa noted that the youth are also acquiring other life skills that can help them navigate and succeed in the world. “We always bring successful people across all walks of life to talk to our youth on how best they can navigate through the world to be successful. They acquire principles of resilience, patience, hard work, tolerance, and being responsible among others,” he said.

The Bishop of South Ankole, Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe, told the youth that giving their lives to God is the only way to succeed in this generation. “The world is full of evil, saboteurs, and therefore life not anchored in the Lord will be a mess because you will always be diverted from being good and that will be the end of your life,” he said.

Mr. Melvin Kananura, the Chief Executive Officer of Blue City Investments Ltd, shared his life experiences and encouraged the youth to trust in God and be responsible. “It is trust in God, self-discipline, responsible living, hard work, living within your means, being yourself, a healthy lifestyle, being trustworthy that I believe will make your future successful,” he said.

The four-day conference has attracted over 800 participants who are having their retreats at Mbarara High School and Bishop Stuart University. The Provincial Annual Youths and Students Convention (PAYSCO) started in 2014 with the mission of equipping and training the youth in holistic transformation in their churches, schools, and communities.

There is a general public outcry about plastic pollution, particularly caused by poor disposal of single-use plastic bags commonly known as Kaveera and bottles.

Single use plastics have certainly simplified peoples ways of life. However, overuse, over production, poor disposal and inefficient waste management systems have raised serious threats to human safety, environmental security and ecosystem integrity.

This is the message Catholic Church leaders advocating for good environment management practices revealed during the season of creation symposium 2025 organised by Laudato SI Center Comboni Uganda in Collaboration with Kampala Archdiocese.

Background

Laudato Si focus on plastic waste management is rooted in Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, which frames the ecological crisis as an issue of integral ecology, connecting environmental degradation and social injustice.

The encyclical argues that a throwaway culture driven by unchecked pre occupied society activities is a root cause of problems like plastic pollution and calls for a global ecological conversion to change lifestyles, models of production and consumption and the established structures of power.

Therefore, addressing plastic waste is a moral imperative and a necessary part of a holistic approach to protecting both creation and human dignity.

This is part of the reason Ladato Si Center Comboni Uganda was established not only to address the environmental management aspect but its climate change effects as a whole.

The Centre is a Catholic founded organisation dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development managed by Comboni Missionaries who draw their inspiration from Pope Francis’ Encyclical letter Ladato Si; On the care of Our home.

The team also draws their inspiration from the general Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries which calls for everyone to embrace integral ecology as a vital dimension of our mission to hear and respond to the cry of the earth and the poor.

This year’s symposium is organised under the theme ‘peace with creation; promoting sustainable policies and practices in plastic waste disposal in Uganda’

Action points

The Director Laudato Si Centre Rev Fr Kennedy Onoba pointed out that there are several stakeholders raising awareness about environmental degradation and pollution caused by plastic waste among other factors and his team has joined the effort for purposes of making environmental peace to mother earth.

Laudato SI Centre Comboni Uganda is promoting sustainable policies in plastic waste management and this must remind humanity that they are all part of creation which must be protected jealously.

In the face of climate crisis this calls for protection of the environment especially when the world is seeing drastic weather changes.

He notes that the plastic pollution is littering the environment everywhere including Kampala city.

It is the reason why his team is carrying out education, sensitization and advocacy through raising environmental consciousness at all levels and advocating for policies that protect creation and promoting climate adaptation and resilience through grass root engagement.

He noted that at the beginning of this year’s season of creation during the Raising Hope conference in Rome, Pope Leo XIV reminded the world in his address titled ‘What Remains for Laudato Si that God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world he created’.

The Pope tasked us to answer the question what we will say for our brothers and sisters in the future generation if we actually destroy Gods creation.

Since Pope Francis led the world a lasting legacy of ecological conversion and responsibility, it is the duty of humans to carry that legacy by protecting the environment.

Fr Kennedy notes that his team has prepared policy briefs which is to be handed to the responsible government authorities for implementation.

It includes among others reasonable taxes to be levied on industries that are manufacturing alternative products to curb plastic pollution such as glass water bottles.

This is because apparently a glass bottled water goes for Shs3, 000 yet plastic bottled ones are at Shs500-Shs1, 000

The team is working closely with Schools in Luwero where St Daniel Combine Primary School has already banned anything packed in plastics to be sold in the school canteen and other schools in Kampala and Gulu Arch Diocese are to follow suit.

Plastic waste as a challenge to the ecology, action points

The Secretary to the Nuncio Rev Fr Georges Kwami Kouwonou highlighting the dangers and challenges caused by plastic waste notes that plastic waste harms the ecology by damaging ecosystems through the ingestion and entanglement of wildlife, contaminating soil and water and contributing to air pollution.

Animals often mistake plastic for food, leading to starvation and digestive issues, while plastic debris creates habitat destruction and physical harm.

Over time, plastics break down into microplastics and release toxic chemicals, contaminating soil and water sources and impacting plant growth, biodiversity and the food chain.

Giving the statistics he noted that our common home is faced with global warming and environmental disaster with over 60 million people displaced globally due to environmental disaster.

In Uganda about 600 tons of waste is generated daily, the water for agriculture is contaminated with plastic waste and humans are polluting the air and water by throwing plastics to litter the water surface and ground. This to him means we cannot be at peace with nature.

This therefore calls us to adopt the practice of reuse, recycle and reduce plastic waste

The Pastoral coordinator of Kampala Archdiocese Rev Fr Ambrose Bwangatto in his key note address highlighted that the month of October is for humans to observe the season of creation

This calls for adoption of practices that can save the environment and this includes desisting from use of plastics and have the culture of disposing them in collection points.

Already two meetings have been held in relation to environmental protection in regard to plastic usage and the Church leaders resolved that water must be bottled in glass bottles henceforth.

They also urge Ugandans to carry none plastic water bottles along with them wherever they go to avoid purchasing water in plastic bottles and dumping them anywhere.

Thirdly it is important to adopt the practice of availing water in work places and in large gathering in water dispensers using paper disposable cups.

Laudato Si Centre jointly with Kampala Arch Diocese is working closely with school children because it is easy to instil best practice culture of protecting the environment in them than adults who are not good listeners and practitioners.

Health dangers of Micro plastics

Dr Henry Tamale a consultant with Integrative Medicine Consultants explained that since plastics are littered all over the place they end breaking up into tiny pieces and once they get stuck in soils, it will affect plant roots or end up in the farm products which becomes dangerous to human health.

He highlights that single-use plastics are non-biodegradable, as they cannot be fully absorbed into the soil.

As a result of poor waste disposal, plastics end up in already inadequate and malfunctioned water drainage systems; hence causing water clogging and flooding on rainy days.

Single-use plastics undermine the integrity of ecosystems as they affect water infiltration and absorption and release minute quantities of plastics, which are detrimental to biodiversity and cause water contamination.

It is a known fact that human beings consume micro plastics every weak causing human health

Micro plastics have been found in human body including in the blood, saliva, liver, kidneys, lungs and placenta.

Micro plastics in the blood vessels have raised concerns, which include increased risk of heart attack, strokes, inflammation and blood clotting.

The chemicals in micro plastics have been linked to various health issues, including cancer, immune system damage, reproductive problems such as infertility and miscarriages as well as developmental delays.

Those found in river beds usually affect aquatic species that end of dying and those littered in the environment are health risk to animals.

It is the reason everyone is called upon to participate in best management practices to avoid such challenges

Uganda falls in the category where there are laws against use of plastic bags, but implementation has remained a thorny issue.

This can be attributed to lack of political will and public awareness and unclear policy direction.

Revelations in a World Bank study on tourist expenditure and motivation, indicating that tourists leave Uganda with 60 percent of their money unspent, show the deep damage that a razor-thin tourism value chain can inflict. The dataset lays out, with great granularity, how Uganda’s tourism sector has come up with a mixed win-loss record.

The wins are easy to make out. The losses? Not much so. To be specific, international tourists on average stayed longer in the country in 2024 (8.7 nights) compared to 2023 (7.6 nights). The tourists in question also spent more, shelling out, on average, $125 (Shs440,000) per night in 2024, up from $110 (Shs387,000) in 2023. Yet a comparative lens accentuated the fact that this is two times less than what an international tourist spends during each day spent in neighbouring Kenya.

This shows that if the work of players in Uganda’s tourism value chain regularly goes unheralded, perhaps, it is because they are not pushing the envelope. At least not hard enough, anyway. The business model of our tourism sector cannot be merely built on the beauty of a desolate landscape here and there. Or the Big Five game (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and African buffalo) that have come to typify an African safari. The thought processes have to avoid making the elementary error of being short-sighted.

Players that constitute the tourism chain, therefore, have to be intentional about making a strong case for the sector. This, in all honesty, should not be the Herculean task that many make it out to be. The sector’s impact, for one, is amplified through the economy because for every coin generated in direct tourism, nearly two coins arise, thanks to supply chain and consumer spending.

As well as articulating this to the country’s policy wonks, clearly and frequently, sector players should be alive to the fact that the value of tourism depends on how you do it. How, for instance, is Uganda attuned to the so-called hyperculture? Much more than the desolate landscapes and endangered species-like the mountain gorilla-that leave international tourists consumed by wanderlust, have we succeeded in creating a semblance of a global cultural pool in Uganda?

Where is the fusion food? Where is the fusion music?

Such fusion ideas that blend elements from different traditions-not just in culinary arts and music, but also technology and design-are what keep tourists plugged into a sales cycle. They are what will compel the tourist in question to spend that bit more during their stay in the country.

Travel is not just predicated on confronting your average tourist with the experience of the other.

While the mind-expanding shock of the new does still hold considerable sway, today’s hypercultural tourists do not entirely want to be met with an experience that is oddly too strange, risky or foreign.

To get tourists to spend more in Uganda, responsible authorities have to ensure the country’s tourism experience underwrites the correct mix between the exotic and the global.

Striking the right balance will go to considerable lengths to plug gaps in experiences, amenities, cultural products and creative add-ons that are not compelling visitors to loosen the purse strings.

The Constitution vests the Uganda Police Force (UPF) with a clear mandate: to preserve law and order. The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), by contrast, safeguard territorial integrity.

Yet in practice, ‘order’ has been elevated above ‘law,’ and security agencies increasingly treat constitutional rights as optional. The law never grants them that luxury. Their duty is to maintain order within the law – not to suspend rights in the name of orderliness.

Consider a simple dilemma. If a citizen wishes to peacefully march against corruption and briefly stand before Parliament, must the police arrest them because vehicles use the same road, or traders operate nearby? Does traffic convenience or commercial comfort override a fundamental right to assemble and express oneself? The answer should be obvious: all rights must be balanced, not traded off.

The role of the police is to regulate competing claims – not extinguish one for the comfort of another. Citizens fund the State precisely so that their rights can coexist. Yet Ugandans know the familiar refrain: ‘Your rights are valid, but you will disturb traffic.’

This justification was deployed during the 2024 #March2Parliament protest and has been repeated for decades for Opposition rallies. Instead of enabling peaceful assemblies, security agencies default to banning them.

Teargas becomes a logistics tool; batons become traffic officers.This concern for ‘public order’ is profoundly selective. State-aligned events – presidential anti-corruption walks, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s birthday parades, marathons, concerts, charity events – enjoy seamless police cooperation. But when citizens gather for accountability, justice, or Opposition politics, suddenly the streets are ‘too fragile’ for crowds.

This is not policing; it is political filtration. Courts across the Commonwealth have rejected this logic. In Muwanga Kivumbi v. Attorney General (Uganda, 2008), the Constitutional Court struck down police powers to prohibit assemblies, emphasising that regulation is permissible, but prior restraint is not. Similarly, in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (India, 2020), the Supreme Court held that restrictions on fundamental freedoms must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate – not based on administrative convenience or speculative disruption.

The danger has grown sharper in the current election cycle. Security organs now increasingly speak before and even over the Electoral Commission. Police and UPDF have issued directives on campaign conduct, warned citizens against staying near polling stations, and condemned political slogans such as the NUP’s ‘protest vote.’ Yet no law – not the Constitution, not the Electoral Commission Act, not the Presidential Elections Act – grants security agencies authority to police political speech.

Their task is singular: maintain peace as the law provides. When armed institutions define what is permissible in elections, the Electoral Commission becomes an observer, and citizens become subjects to be managed rather than rights-holders to be respected.

Uganda can survive noisy streets, passionate crowds, and heated political expression. What it cannot survive is a State where ‘order’ is weaponised against the very rights the law protects.

To preserve law and order must mean both – for a country that protects order but ignores law is not stable. It is merely controlled.

For thousands of families across Uganda, the battle against sickle cell disease is a silent lifelong struggle marked by pain, stigma, and limited access to care. Health experts are urging married couples and those planning to have children to undergo sickle cell testing, warning that failing to know their status could put future generations at risk. Sickle cell disease is a serious inherited blood disorder that affects the shape and function of red blood cells, causing them to form a crescent or ‘sickle’ shape.

This can lead to severe pain, frequent infections, anemia, and organ damage. Speaking during a public health awareness campaign organised by Kavule My Home (KMH), a youth-founded organisation at Kavule Primary School playgrounds in Ikiki County last Sunday, Mr Samson Wamani, a health officer attached to Budaka Health Centre IV, urged couples to seek sickle cell testing to reduce the severity and spread of the disease. He emphasised that testing is the first step in prevention.

‘When couples know their sickle cell status before having children, they can make informed decisions and reduce the chances of giving birth to a child with the disease,’ he explained. Health workers say when both partners carry the sickle cell trait, there is a 25 percent chance that their child will be born with the disease. In Budaka District alone, there are 420 registered patients living with the condition, and at least two new cases are reported daily. ‘Following the upsurge of the disease, a sickle cell clinic was established to support these patients,’ Mr Wamani added. However, despite the high prevalence of the disease in the district, blood shortages remain a major challenge. Ms Hellen Wanyenze, the assistant district health officer, said the shortage of blood has become a serious obstacle in the fight against sickle cell disease.

Mbale Regional Hospital serves several sub-regions, including Bugisu, Sebei, Teso, and Bukedi. However, Bukedi registers the highest number of sickle cell patients. Dr Julian Abeso, the head of paediatrics at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, said the high patient numbers have worsened shortages of both blood and medication. Ms Eseza Namalwa, who lost a child to sickle cell disease and is raising another who is living with the condition, appealed to the government to provide more support to affected families. Mr Geoffrey Mapiri, the KMH youth chairperson, said the organisation has been mobilising communities to raise awareness about sickle cell disease through blood donation drives, on-site testing, and community games aimed at supporting affected children. The Ministry of Health has been rolling out awareness campaigns in both urban and rural areas, urging couples to include sickle cell testing in routine health checks.

However, for some couples, stigma and limited access to testing remain significant barriers. Health workers are encouraging all people, whether married, engaged, or in long-term relationships, to make sickle cell testing a priority, just like HIV/Aids testing, as part of planning for a healthy family. ‘Treatment of sickle cell patients can be expensive and emotionally draining. Testing before starting a family is one of the simplest, most effective steps couples can take,’ Mr Wamani added. Despite being one of the most common genetic disorders in Uganda, sickle cell disease remains under-diagnosed, underfunded, and misunderstood. Mr Henry Kisembo, the chief executive officer of AMAPH Initiative Africa, said the prevalence of the sickle cell trait stands at 25 percent in high-burden regions, yet stigma, low awareness, and limited access to early screening continue to worsen the situation.

‘There is need for concerted action to reduce the burden of sickle cell disease through awareness creation, education, and community-based engagement,’ Mr Kisembo said. He added that public awareness must be raised on the impact of the disease, its mode of transmission, and the importance of early diagnosis and care. Screening should especially be normalised for young adults and families. A survey conducted by AMAPH Initiative Africa in partnership with Roman Research, and supported by the Ministry of Health, shows that Uganda is among the top four African countries most affected by sickle cell disease, with an estimated 25,000 children born with the condition annually, and a devastating 80 percent mortality rate before the age of five.

Mr Kisembo further emphasised the need to mobilise youth and academic communities to take ownership of advocacy for improved sickle cell care and education within their communities. For 40-year-old Ms Betty Mwagale from Budaka District, the journey with sickle cell began with the loss of her first-born son at just two years old. ‘He kept falling sick, had high fevers, and cried a lot in pain. We were told it was malaria until he died. Only later did we find out it was sickle cell,’ she recalled. Her second child, now six, also has the disease. Although the diagnosis came early, she still struggles to access affordable medication and transport for her son’s regular medical reviews. ‘Sometimes I have to choose between buying painkillers or feeding the family,’ she says.

Uganda’s health system is still not fully equipped to manage the burden of sickle cell disease. Many health facilities lack screening equipment and trained personnel. Although the government launched the National Sickle Cell Control Programme in 2014, implementation remains weak due to funding gaps and low public awareness. ‘Many children die before they are even diagnosed. Every screening, especially for newborns, can save lives, but it is not routine in most parts of the country. We need to integrate sickle cell screening into maternal and child health services,’ Mr Kisembo says.

Even so, there is hope. Local organisations such as the Sickle Cell Association and development partners like AMAPH Initiative Africa continue to raise awareness and advocate for improved services. They are also pushing for the government to make premarital sickle cell testing more accessible, especially to young people. Dr Roseline Achola, a technical officer at the Ministry of Health, said sickle cell is becoming a serious national health burden. ‘For those intending to marry, screening for the disease is critical to prevent further spread. This is a serious burden the country is facing,’ she said. The highest burden is in northern and eastern Uganda, where 15 to 20 percent of the population carries the trait.

For nearly three decades, Shari* (not real name) has lived a life many only whisper about – a life on street corners, in small lodges, and behind locked doors. A life shaped by poverty, violence, and survival. Now 38, a mother of two adults and a grandmother, she says she is finally ready to step away from the world that consumed her childhood, stole her youth, and nearly broke her spirit.

‘I am tired,’ she says softly. ‘I want my life back.’

The journey

Shari’s story begins in Kisoro District, where she was born in 1987. When she lost both parents and the grandmother who raised her, her life took a sharp turn.

‘I was only 16 when I started sex work,’ she recalls. She adds: ‘I had no parents, no guidance, nothing. Life kept giving me bitter pills, but I learned how to swallow them.’ She became a mother at the age of 14 and again at 16. With no support and no schooling, marriage and early motherhood did little to shield her from the harshness of poverty. After separating from her husband, friends introduced her to sex work. ‘They told me it would help me take care of my children. But I didn’t know the price I would pay,’ she says.

From Kisoro to Kampala

After years of struggling in Kisoro, Shari boarded a trailer to Kampala City. She disembarked in Kabalagala, where she briefly lived with a foreign man. ‘I stayed with him for two months. But my colleagues took advantage of him. I was then young and naïve,’ Shari says. Life became a cycle of nights filled with uncertainty and days filled with exhaustion. ‘At 22, I started feeling drained. Meeting so many men every night kills something inside you,’ she says. Shari later moved to Nateete’s Mabito Zone, where she lived and worked for eight years, paying Shs10,000 daily for a lodge where clients found her. ‘To earn Shs500,000, I needed at least 10 to 15 clients. Some weeks I would see up to 70 men,’ she says.

Jungle tricks

What made her stand out in the trade, she says, was her unusual choice of clothing. ‘I dressed differently. I wore long dresses, trousers, and sometimes hijabs. People think sex workers must wear short clothes, but I didn’t. Men like a well-dressed woman. And at night, dressing modestly helped me stay warm. Surprisingly, it attracted more clients,’ she says. But dressing modestly did not protect her from danger. ‘I have been strangled. Men have pointed knives and pistols at me because they didn’t want to pay,’ she says. She adds: ‘I survived things I cannot even explain.’ Despite the years on the streets, Shari says she has not contracted HIV/Aids. ‘God protected me. I thank Him every day,’ she says.

Relocating to Jinja

Last year, Shari relocated to Bugembe Ward in Jinja City, hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she found deeper struggles. ‘I reached a point where I asked God why He kept me alive. I thought about ending my life. I felt hopeless,’ she says Clients became scarce as she grew older; and the stigma of age pushed her further into hardship. ‘At my age, getting a job is very hard. So I thought starting a business was the only solution,’ she explains.

Family pain and regret

She says she carries deep wounds from her family. The rejection, being separated from her children, and losing her parents. ‘And I live with heavy regrets about how this life affected my children. That pain never leaves me,’ she adds. Shari’s two children are now adults: her daughter, 24, a young mother, and her son, 22, who is struggling with addiction. ‘My son started drinking at eight,’ she says painfully. ‘His father later took him to Bunyoro. I want to go and talk to him.’

Her daughter, raised by an aunt, dropped out of school after learning about the mother’s source of money. ‘I regret that. It broke something in her,’ she says.

The rest of her family distanced themselves after discovering that she was a sex worker. ‘When my aunts found out, they rejected me,’ she says quietly. ‘That pain still stays with me.’

Hidden world of sex work

Shari shares the unseen side of a trade many misunderstand. ‘In Nateete, some women work with their babies under the bed because they have nowhere to take them,’ she says, adding: ‘The children grow up in lodges.’ She recalls a 13-year-old girl who reportedly joined the streets after running away from an abusive stepmother. ‘No one guided her. She later contracted HIV,’ Shari says. She also speaks of traditions that push widowers towards sex workers. ‘Some men are told to sleep with sex workers so that the spirits of their dead wives don’t disturb them. We see things people don’t talk about,’ she says.

Dreaming of a way out

Despite the pain and trauma, Shari believes she can rebuild her life. ‘I want to leave this business just like others who managed to. I am asking for a startup capital of Shs10 million. I want to run a business I can be proud of,’ she says. Her dream is simple: independence, dignity, and a future she can show her children. ‘I did sex work for 23 years. I used drugs, I drank alcohol, I faced death. But now, I want peace,’ she adds.

Mentoring younger women

‘They call me ‘Mama’. I always tell them: protect yourselves, and if you can, leave before it is too late,’ she says. Shari’s story is not about shame. It is a testament to resilience – proof that even the hardest lives carry hope. Behind the judgments are real women navigating impossible choices. ‘I have gained nothing from prostitution. Nothing except scars. But I believe God kept me alive for a purpose. I want my life to change. I want to start again,’ she says. For the first time in nearly three decades, she allows herself to imagine a future where she is no longer defined by the streets but by her strength to walk away from them.