Category: Daily Monitor

The few lines of your story seem reminiscent of a game between two lovers who have been together for five years. However, when one of these lovers writes to ask if everything is okay, what initially appeared playful starts to take on a toxic dimension, which may only worsen over time. Thus, something that began as a joke no longer feels light-hearted.

Your wife’s so-called tax could stem from controlling behaviour, and introducing a monetary aspect makes the situation feel transactional and punitive. The notion of being penalised for coming home ‘late’, even if the money is used for household supplies, understandably feels off.

Such issues in a relationship can persist as long as both partners accept them, but it is not surprising that problems eventually arise. As mentioned above, this dynamic is rooted in punishment and may even reflect controlling tendencies, both of which can erode the warmth of your relationship. It could even take on characteristics of manipulation.

On one hand, it seems you are looking for a way to resolve something you initially accepted with minimal pushback.

However, let us consider the motivation behind this so-called tax, which is a recent development. Your coming home late appears to be the central issue; perhaps this has come up in the past and has persisted, prompting her to devise a clever way to draw more attention to it through financial means. It is possible you missed the point she was making when you offered to pay while still coming home later.

Regarding your late arrivals, why does she make an issue of it if, for instance, you are coming home from work or important engagements that are not daily occurrences? In my counselling experience, when coming home late triggers conflict, one partner typically feels it is unjustified, while the other remains adamant. In your case, could her behaviour stem from insecurity? By insecurity, I do not mean she fears physical harm, but rather that she may worry about your involvement with someone else.

The first step is to address the issue of your late arrivals and understand why it bothers her. Gaining clarity on this will help you determine whether her concerns relate to control or insecurity about something else. Hence, it is essential to have an insightful conversation with her.

Following that, you should discuss your discomfort with the whole taxing issue in relation to your late arrivals. However, to avoid potential conflict, it might be wise to first explore the underlying reasons for her concerns before bringing up the monetary aspect. Clarity will allow you to identify the actual issues at play. If she is controlling, you may notice other patterns, prompting the need to understand her behaviour and how she truly views you. Could she be treating you more like a child than a husband?

Is there more to this situation than you have shared? If so, professional counselling could be beneficial to prevent a relationship devoid of warmth five years down the line, especially if red flags were overlooked at the start.

In conclusion, being ‘taxed’ for coming home after 9:30pm might be just the tip of a hidden iceberg. It is crucial to take action before this dynamic develops into something more challenging to navigate.

Please contact us on sssetumba@ug.nationmedia.com

Reader advice

Love behind fees

Hainime. She is simply showing care in her own way. When a wife stops doing the things you consider annoying, that is when you should worry. Her frustration likely comes from your absence.

Fair but communicate

Harriet Sheryl. I really like this wife. The good thing is that she uses the money collected within the same home, which makes it feel like a practical and fair arrangement.

Home finance system

Brian Mugume. She is simply applying budgeting skills at home. Do you also have financial monitoring tools in your household? It looks like structured accountability has been introduced into family life.

Agreement needed

P-wang S Roy. It must be a two-way arrangement; otherwise the household may collapse. Both partners need to agree on the rules for the system to remain fair and sustainable.

Rules build stability

Judith Maleke. Discipline is very important in any family setup. Clear rules help maintain order, respect, and understanding between partners, especially in managing time and responsibilities at home.

Humour in discipline

Min Byakika. This new rule is quite interesting and creative. It brings humour into discipline and shows how couples can turn everyday challenges into light-hearted but meaningful agreements.

Talk to your wife

John Mukisa. My brother, that system is funny but dangerous. Today it is small fees, tomorrow it becomes control. Talk openly before it grows into unnecessary tension at home.

Explain your schedule

Aminah Namuli. If the money stays in the home, it seems harmless, but feelings matter more than money. Explain your schedule better and ensure both of you agree on any rules.

Marriage is not office

Rose Patricia. This looks like informal budgeting, but marriage is not an office. Rules must be discussed, not imposed. Convert that energy into agreed planning and shared household responsibilities.

Agree on simple rules

Deogratius Matove. In relationships, small habits become big systems. What starts as a joke can grow. Agree now on simple rules so your home stays peaceful and balanced.

Agree on routines

Dennis Kariuki. Your wife is trying to create structure, not control. But structure in marriage should be shared. Turn the ‘fee’ idea into agreed routines for communication and time management.

Yasin Waiswa knows exactly what it feels like to stand on this stage and leave with nothing. Last year, on this same stage, in the colours of Jinja Hippos, he was one kick away from shifting a final against the Stanbic Black Pirates.

But instead, the kick went wide, game slipped away, and the defending champions closed out a 44-23 win in extra time. Finals, in reality, compress seasons into moments and sometimes reduce careers into a single action that refuses to fade.

Waiswa remembers that moment vividly but without self-pity.

‘My memories of that day are honestly mostly happy ones, though we lost,’ he says. ‘It was such a great achievement and no one believed we would even be there, though we knew we would.’

But the lesson has stayed longer than the achievement.

‘My lesson is: don’t miss a penalty with three minutes to go,’ he smiles off.

Now, he returns to the same level but in a different screaming red and black stripes of Buffaloes with Waiswa sitting right at the centre with a heavier role.

Transformation

Buffaloes are not the same side that finished mid-table and fell in quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025. They have been rebuilt into a team that plays with control, speed and a far clearer sense of how to finish matches. They had become a team that could compete with anyone but struggled to close games when pressure tightened.

Coach Charles Onen puts it plainly.

‘We always fall short after a very impressive performance that does not give us a good finishing,’ he says. ‘We’ve all been coming and falling short in the last minutes of each game at the most important stage of the competition.’

That diagnosis shaped the rebuild.

The change is clear in output but more importantly in control. From 18 tries in 2024 to 55 in 2026, Buffaloes have become a far more decisive attacking side.

Defensively, they have tightened significantly, conceding just 24 tries across 15 matches, a sharp drop from previous seasons when they leaked points even in wins.

A major part of that shift has been pace. The integration of Sevens-developed players has given Buffaloes a different attacking rhythm, quicker carries, faster support lines and more instinctive decisions in broken play.

That has created space for new contributors to emerge like Daniel Otim and FatMoses Watmon have combined for 17 tries this season, accounting for more than 30 percent of Buffaloes’ total output, according to Isa Metrics data.

Alongside them, Aaron Tukei has grown into a consistent finisher progressing from just two tries in 2024 to seven in 2026, mirroring how Buffaloes’ have evolved gradually and increasingly effective under pressure.

Golden boot

But structure alone does not win knockout matches but control in key moments does and that is where Waiswa becomes central.

With 104 points this season, he is Buffaloes’ primary decision-maker in tight situations controling territory through his kicking, stabilises momentum when phases break down, and converts pressure into scoreboard advantage.

The playoff run has already tested that identity. The quarterfinal against Mongers was closer than expected, a 43-39 aggregate win that exposed moments of uncertainty. Earlier Buffaloes teams might have collapsed there but this version did not.

In the first leg semifinal at Makerere Graveyard, Buffaloes again found themselves in a familiar position with 8-6 down at halftime. In previous seasons, that might have been the beginning of a slide but they turned it to a platform.

Waiswa took control of the second half and scored 15 of Buffaloes’ 20 points through penalties, a conversion and a try.

‘I don’t put pressure on myself,’ he says. ‘I trust my preparation and try to play within the book.’

He downplays leadership, but the influence is unavoidable. Buffaloes now function around players like him and those who can turn pressure into structure rather than reaction.

Historically, one of the most familiar Suzuki models on Ugandan roads was the rugged Samurai, followed later by the boxy Grand Vitara in both single and double-door versions. While Suzuki has never been the most dominant brand in Uganda, the Japanese automaker has steadily evolved its lineup, introducing more refined and efficient models for modern motorists.

Among its latest additions is the hybrid Suzuki Across, a compact SUV that blends fuel efficiency, automation, and urban practicality. It arrives at a time when drivers are increasingly seeking smarter vehicles that reduce fuel costs while offering comfort and ease of driving.

Modern proportions

The Suzuki Across measures 4,360 millimetres in length and 1,795 millimetres in width, placing it firmly in the compact SUV category. It sits in a segment that increasingly appeals to urban drivers looking for a balance between size, efficiency, and versatility.

With its five-door configuration, the Across positions itself as an entry-level SUV in Suzuki’s lineup, comparable in concept to models such as the Toyota Corolla Cross and Toyota Urban Cruiser.

Recently, I test-drove the Across from the CFAO Suzuki showroom in the Industrial Area, Kampala, navigating a route that included Jinja Road, Nile Avenue, Katonga Road, Acacia Avenue, Kira Road, Kisaasi-Bukoto, Kulambiro, Najjeera, Kira Road again, Kasangati Road, Gayaza Road, the Northern Bypass, Bukoto, and back to the showroom.

The objective was to assess real-world performance, including stability at moderate speeds, ride comfort on uneven roads, fuel efficiency, and the behaviour of its hybrid system in Kampala’s stop-and-go traffic.

Ride height and road comfort

With a ground clearance of 210 millimetres, the Across is well suited for Kampala’s uneven road surfaces and occasional rough upcountry terrain. It handles bumps and minor road imperfections confidently, though it is not as cushioned as larger, more expensive SUVs.

Its suspension absorbs most urban road shocks adequately, but sharper potholes and broken tarmac still filter into the cabin more than one would experience in higher-end SUVs.

Performance

Under the hood, the Suzuki Across is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a hybrid assist system. The result is a combined output that delivers smooth acceleration and responsive city driving.

The engine produces 136.8 Nm of torque, offering sufficient pulling power for overtaking and merging into traffic without strain. Acceleration from 0 to 100km/h is achieved in roughly eight seconds under normal driving conditions, aided by electric motor support in the hybrid system.

In real-world conditions, especially on faster-moving routes such as the Northern Bypass, the vehicle demonstrated stable cruising at moderate highway speeds.

However, like most compact SUVs, it is best driven within sensible limits for optimal stability and safety.

Fuel efficiency is one of its strongest selling points. On open-road conditions, the Across can achieve up to approximately 12.9km per litre, though this figure naturally reduces in heavy Kampala traffic where frequent braking and acceleration are required.

Inside, the Across features a modern, user-friendly cabin designed around practicality and ease of use.

The dashboard is dominated by two digital displays. Behind the steering wheel is a driver information cluster that provides speed, fuel levels, and vehicle alerts such as door status.

Centrally positioned is a 10.1-inch infotainment screen that supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, media functions, phone integration, climate controls, and vehicle settings.

Below the screen are neatly arranged physical controls for air conditioning and infotainment functions, designed in a piano-key layout for ease of use while driving.

The steering wheel also carries integrated controls for audio, phone calls, and system navigation, allowing the driver to remain focused on the road.

The interior is finished in a combination of soft-touch and leather-like materials, enhancing both comfort and durability.

The seats are supportive for urban commutes and longer drives, with an emphasis on easy maintenance in everyday use.

One notable convenience feature is the climate control system, which adjusts cabin cooling automatically in response to external temperatures before allowing manual adjustments.

Safety

Safety is a key focus in the Suzuki Across. The vehicle is equipped with multiple parking sensors: four at the front and four at the rear, assisting drivers in tight urban parking conditions.

A rear-view camera system provides dynamic guidelines on the infotainment screen to help with reversing accuracy. As the vehicle approaches obstacles, the system issues audible alerts to warn the driver.

Additional safety systems include multiple airbags, front, side, and curtain, designed to protect occupants in the event of a collision. The vehicle also features automatic door locking and electronic parking assistance functions depending on variant specifications, enhancing convenience and security during everyday use.

Given its hybrid configuration, caution is advised when driving through flooded areas. Exposure of the underbody electrical components can cause damage to the hybrid system, making it unsuitable for deep-water driving.

Exterior

The Suzuki Across carries a clean, modern SUV design with subtle styling cues that emphasise aerodynamics and urban sophistication rather than an aggressive off-road appearance. It is offered in a range of colours including black, silver metallic, pearl blue, red metallic, grey, pearl white, and pearl green, giving buyers a variety of aesthetic choices.

Cost

Mary Rugambwa, a sales executive at CFAO, says the Suzuki Across costs $31,500 (about Shs116m) after taxes and comes with a three-year warranty.

Verdict

The Suzuki Across is best understood as a practical urban SUV rather than a rugged off-roader. Its strengths lie in fuel efficiency, ease of driving, and modern interior technology.

While it does not aim to compete with larger SUVs in off-road comfort or high-speed stability, it delivers a balanced package for city users, small families, and motorists looking to transition into hybrid mobility without complexity.

The demolition of Mukono Xtreme Park (MXP) two weeks ago has left young skateboarders without a training base, ending years of activity at one of the district’s most visible grassroots action-sports venues.

The facility at Wantoni Stage in Mukono, at St Noah Mawaggali Primary School, had a BMX freestyle dirt ramp and a skateboarding section that attracted young riders from the town and surrounding areas. But the park was pulled down after a land dispute.

The owners reportedly demanded a substantial fee from the Uganda Skateboarding Federation, an amount far beyond the means of a group that survives on limited government support.

The association could not raise the money, leaving the park vulnerable as the ownership dispute unfolded.

Ramps reduced to rubble

For the young riders, the demolition was more than the loss of ramps and open space. MXP had become a daily meeting point, a training ground and a community hub where skateboarders could spend their time productively.

Uganda Skating Federation (USF) president Moses Ddungu said the federation had anticipated complications around the land but was now looking at the setback as an opportunity to establish a bigger and more secure facility.

‘It is fine for us that we relocated. Secondly, we have an opportunity to build a bigger park,’ Ddungu said.

He added that the federation was identifying suitable land for a replacement skateboarding park and that partners were ready to support the project.

‘We are now looking for suitable space. Our partners are ready to give us a hand to see the new project come to life,’ he said.

Young riders left waiting

For now, however, there is little immediate relief for the young people who used the Mukono park.

Gerald Gose, the brain behind Uganda Skateboard Society, who established the facility, said the closure would affect the riders who had built their routine around the venue.

‘The youths in the area will be affected for the duration until a new skatepark is secured. But we have nurtured them well and we hope they will still be disciplined to avoid any trouble in their life,’ Gose said.

Skateboarding has grown largely through community effort, with riders and volunteers creating spaces where formal sports infrastructure has been scarce.

The country now has established skateboarding facilities at Kiteezi and Kitintale, while smaller do-it-yourself spots and community-led projects continue to emerge in Kampala and other areas.

The Kiteezi Skatepark, located in the Kiteezi-Lusanja area outside Kampala, is Uganda’s first international-standard concrete skatepark. The 450-square-metre facility was built early this year with support from international volunteers and the local Climate Skaters community.

Kitintale’s hand-built concrete street park has also remained an important training ground for riders in Kampala.

‘We shall be patient until we have our work done,’ Ddungu said.

Fresh start

The federation’s next challenge is to secure land and funding for a facility that can replace MXP and give Mukono’s riders a permanent home.

Constructing an average-sized concrete skatepark of about 450 square metres can cost between Shs92m and Shs167m, depending on site preparation, materials, design and the use of local or imported specialist labour. This is without costs of land.

For the riders who watched their ramps come down, the hope is that the demolition will be the beginning of a stronger facility built on secure ground.

Recent suicide and violence incidents in Mbale City have shaken parents, teachers and education stakeholders, raising urgent questions about students’ emotional wellbeing.

The tragedies include the death of Catherine Nelima, 16, a Senior Three student at Mbale High School on June 9, 2026, and Vanisa Namakoye, 19, a Senior Five student at Mbale Progressive Secondary School on June 11, 2026. Last week, 14-year-old Catherine Nasobye of St Mary’s College was hospitalized after reportedly taking an overdose. Her father Joel Mwando said: ‘I was shocked. She is still a young girl who should be focusing on school. We are still trying to find answers.’

Police say 14 student cases linked to suspected suicide attempts and mental health emergencies have been reported this year. The crisis comes amid rising reports of drug use and student gangs. On July 28, 2025, Shafik Wasike, 19, a Senior Four student at Mbale High, was stabbed to death in an altercation linked to gang rivalries.

Students and investigators describe marijuana, khat and stronger drugs being smuggled into schools by boda boda riders and dealers operating near school fences. Bugisu Cultural Institution spokesperson Steven Masiga said gang activity is now highly organized: ‘Our recent findings reveal that 98% of school gang members in the city are actively using drugs and other prohibited narcotic substances. The threat is real, and the consequences are unfolding before our eyes.’ He added that gangs use oaths, rituals and intimidation, with many members from broken homes.

Religious leaders and educators say schools are under pressure to balance academics with student welfare. Mr Rahim Mujuma, a parent, noted: ‘Teachers are focusing on assessments and competencies under the curriculum, but many learners are dealing with emotional stress, peer pressure, and personal challenges that are not always identified early.’

Fr. Joseph Chebet of St Austin Catholic Church argued for spiritual support: ‘The new curriculum should have been designed to include the religious aspect since teachers spend less time with students than before… most of them indulge in bad acts which later ruin their lives.’ Pastor Alfred Namutolo of Life Ministries said: ‘When students are going through difficult moments, spiritual and moral support helps build resilience and hope.’ Hajj Abdurahman Moni from the Muslim community added: ‘Children today face many pressures. Some students are going through a lot but do not open up.’

Counselor Caroline Asiimwe stressed holistic care: ‘Good wellbeing enables one to handle stress, build positive relationships, and engage in learning. A lack of support from staff can make students hesitant to seek help.’

Some students say they no longer trust school staff for help. Hassan Hakia, Senior Five at Mbale Progressive, said: ‘We are forced to search for help because senior women and male teachers no longer help; they act as spies and mediators between learners and administrations, which scares us from seeking help from them.’

In response, Elgon Region police spokesperson Mr Rogers Taitika said police have launched school sensitization campaigns and urged students to report problems early: ‘When you commit a crime, you will be held accountable as a person, not as a school. Report problems before they escalate and seek guidance from teachers and parents.’

Curriculum specialist Mr Ahamadah Wakhweya blamed systemic gaps: ‘Our previous education system focused too much on passing exams and ignored the values of education. That’s why today we have many graduates who are corrupt, shameless, and unethical.’

Schools, families, faith leaders and counselors now agree: without stronger mental health resources and trusted support systems, academic goals alone won’t protect Mbale’s learners.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has intensified its nationwide farmer sensitisation campaign on Foot and Mouth Disease ahead of the July vaccination exercise.

On Wednesday, MAAIF held a stakeholder engagement in Buikwe District to step up nationwide sensitization ahead of the July-August 2026 national vaccination exercise.

Assistant Commissioner for Animal Production Dr. Alex Mukasa and National FMD Coordinator Dr. Ben Ssenkeera led the meeting with farmers, local leaders, and veterinary teams. The focus: practical control measures and the rollout of the FMD Cost Recovery Scheme.

‘FMD remains one of the most economically damaging livestock diseases in Uganda, affecting cattle, goats, sheep and pigs,’ Dr. Mukasa said. He noted it continues to hurt productivity, block animal trade, cut incomes, and weaken Uganda’s edge in regional markets.

The Ministry is urging farmers to act early. ‘Government has invested heavily in vaccine procurement, cold chain infrastructure, distribution systems and veterinary service delivery,’ Dr. Mukasa said. He called on farmers to embrace vaccination, biosecurity, and quick reporting of suspected cases.

Under the Cost Recovery Scheme, farmers will pay a modest fee while government covers the rest.

‘Government will continue to finance vaccine storage, transportation, cold chain management, supervision, monitoring and administration of vaccines, while farmers make a modest contribution toward the cost of the vaccine itself,’ Dr. Ssenkeera explained.

Cost to farmers: Shs 8,000 per dose for cattle and pigs, and Shs 4,000 per dose for goats and sheep.

Dr. Ssenkeera said vaccination is more than disease control. ‘Vaccinated animals are healthier, more productive and less likely to suffer severe production losses associated with FMD outbreaks, including reduced milk production, weight loss, infertility, poor growth rates and mortality among young stock,’ he said.

Farmers were also briefed on a new national livestock database. ‘The database will support disease surveillance, vaccination planning and traceability, and vaccination certificates will serve as proof for animal movement and trade,’ Dr. Ssenkeera said.

Buikwe participants welcomed the plan and asked about procedures, payments, movement rules, and local government’s role. Ministry officials said support structures are in place for smooth implementation.

Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) says civil works and transmission line construction for the Uganda-Tanzania Power Interconnection Project are expected to begin in the 2026/27 financial year, with commercial operations targeted for 2029.

The 220kV Uganda-Tanzania Interconnection Project, UETCL says, is currently in the procurement and contractor mobilization phase.

The project will link Masaka in Uganda to Mwanza in Tanzania, creating a critical regional transmission corridor, with UETCL now finalizing preparatory activities and conducting early market engagement with prospective contractors and bidders for the construction of the Masaka-Mutukula-Mwanza high-voltage transmission line.

The utility is also completing the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) to compensate Project Affected Persons (PAPs), a prerequisite before construction can commence.

The broader interconnector is expected to be commissioned between 2028 and 2029.

mobilisation

Meanwhile, the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has launched a major distribution network upgrade in Greater Masaka and surrounding areas.

The works include the installation of new transformers, replacement of obsolete poles, rehabilitation of weak sections of the network, and interventions aimed at addressing recurring power outages.

The interconnector is expected to enhance electricity trade between Uganda, Tanzania, and the wider East Africa, while improving power supply reliability and energy security in both countries.

It will support economic development along the transmission corridor, strengthen integration between the Eastern Africa Power Pool and the Southern African Power Pool, and facilitate access to regional energy resources, including hydropower from DR Congo and Ethiopia, as well as geothermal energy from Kenya.

The project is also expected to reduce system losses and lower operational costs through coordinated power exchange.

Strategic importance

UETCL Chief Executive Officer Richard Matsiko described the project as a key component of the regional power integration agenda under the East African Community (EAC).

‘This transmission corridor is strategically important as it completes a critical link in the high-voltage transmission backbone around Lake Victoria, creating a robust regional grid,’ he said, noting that the corridor passes through areas with significant generation projects under development, including the 80MW Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project, the 87MW Kakono Hydropower Project, the 35MW Nsongezi Hydropower Project and the 14MW Kikagati Hydropower Project.

Matsiko also indicated that the project will facilitate cross-border power trade, enhance energy security, reduce reserve generation requirements, optimize operating costs, and support industrialization across the region.

Technical specifications

The transmission line will be approximately 298 kilometres long and designed as a 220kV double-circuit line, with provisions for a future upgrade to 400kV.

It will utilize self-supporting lattice steel towers fitted with ACSR ‘Zebra’ conductors or their equivalent. Approximately 700 to 750 transmission towers will be erected along the route.

The project will incorporate composite insulators for improved performance in polluted environments, vibration dampers for conductor protection, and Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) technology for communication and system control.

Modern gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) technology will also be deployed at substations where appropriate.

The line will have a transfer capacity of between 300 and 400 MVA, a right-of-way width of 40 metres, while substations will be equipped with 245kV-rated equipment and designed to withstand fault levels of up to 40kA.

The project includes the expansion of the Masaka substation in Uganda and the Mwanza substation in Tanzania, together with the installation of reactive power compensation equipment to maintain voltage stability. The transmission capacity is expected to meet projected regional electricity trade requirements over the coming decade.

The project will be financed through a blended funding model combining concessional loans from multilateral development institutions, potential grants for technical assistance and environmental and social mitigation measures, and counterpart funding from the governments of Uganda and Tanzania.

Expected financiers include the World Bank as lead financier, the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and Germany’s KfW Development Bank.

Preliminary financing discussions indicate a capital structure comprising approximately 80 to 85 percent debt financing from international financial institutions and 15 to 20 percent equity contributions from the two governments and their national utilities.

Market outlook

Regional electricity trade remains constrained by limited interconnection infrastructure despite the significant economic benefits associated with integrated power markets.

Studies indicate a strong potential for power exchange between Uganda’s hydropower-based system and Tanzania’s thermal and mixed-generation system, creating opportunities for seasonal and daily balancing of electricity supply.

The project is expected to remove a major infrastructure bottleneck in East Africa’s regional electricity market.

Faith already knows what she needs: Shs3m, a petrol supply contract, and a lender willing torecognise women’s economic potential.

Look at what she has actually built, which is three years of savings group discipline, consistent market trading, and a business plan with real numbers.

The problem is that the financial system has no mechanism to see it.

RelaThat is fixable. But fixing it requires naming, in sequence, the structural failures that produce her invisibility, and being honest about which are technical, which are political, and which are both.

The identity problem

Start with the most immediately solvable failure: 900,000 young women using mobile money through accounts registered in someone else’s name, according to Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Uganda’s latest study.

These women are not outside the financial system behaviourally. They transact regularly, with discipline and real demand. What they lack is legal identity within it, meaning the transaction history they are building accrues to someone else’s record.

Getting that identity is not technically difficult. Airtel has already built the solution.

Hope Ekudu, who leads Airtel Money’s operations in Uganda, explains that they have streamlined the ‘process so that if you get your national ID, you can come to any of our shops and actually deregister’.

‘Once you have deregistered and you now re-register in your name, all your information on Airtel Money remains there.’

Where the original account holder cannot be found, a statutory declaration suffices.

The national ID problem compounds this. Most young women in rural Uganda, where only 6.6 percent of adults have access to a formal bank account, live far from registration centres, research by FSD shows.

Justine Namata, Head of Financial Innovations at Bank of Uganda, names the institutional failure this creates.

‘We keep going to the financial service providers and saying, ‘ What are you producing that our young women are not using. And today I see that they actually don’t see the data. What they see is a male-registered account, and yet the SIM card is being used by a 17-year-old girl,’ she says.

The invisibility is built into how providers read their own numbers. One fix is the standard practice in countries with high ID coverage, where they bring registration to schools, health centres, and hospitals, where young women cannot miss going.

The National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2023-2028 already requires gender-mainstreaming and sex-disaggregated data collection.

Mobile, community-based registration is looked at as the logical next step.

The village Saccos’ crack

Many people in financial inclusion look at Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) and see something primitive to replace.

A 2019 rigorous three-country study across Uganda, Ghana, and Malawi found that VSLA access increased the number of businesses members ran by 6 percent, extended their survival by 9 percent, and raised monthly profits by 24 percent.

These groups work because they run on something the formal system cannot manufacture: trust.

But the group has a ceiling. It cannot lend Faith Shs2m. The social capital is there. The capital is not.

Peace Gakwaya, the chief executive officer of Britam Asset Managers, says, ‘one of the greatest things about VSLAs is the trust they have created within the community’.

‘What we do is look at that ecosystem, especially how to plug in, not to replace, but to enhance the existing system.’

In that sense, the VSLA is the infrastructure through which formal finance should move in.

The mechanism already exists where digital group accounts record every contribution, loan, and repayment, giving each member their own verifiable transaction history, a foundation for credit access that does not require collateral.

Rani Deshpande, a financial inclusion consultant and the study’s lead researcher, found that some respondents had already grasped this intuitively, deliberately building transaction histories in anticipation of future borrowing, without anyone explaining the logic to them.

But she points out the main problem: ‘Many women do not know about mobile money savings accounts, which can help them save and grow their money.’

Health shocks are the mechanism that destroys what they build. Half of all young women in the FinScope 2023 survey cited family illness as their biggest financial shock of the past year.

A trader who has spent two years building business capital can lose everything to a single medical emergency, and in Uganda, where only 21 percent of women have ever accessed formal credit compared to 29 percent of men, there is no safety net to absorb it.

Gakwaya connects this to the product design failure: ‘About 50 percent of medical expenses were going not to them as an individual but to their family. The ideal client persona most service providers had in the beginning may not actually resonate well with the young woman we are looking at today.’

She believes the solution is to combine health insurance with savings groups, with insurance payments collected at regular group meetings and quick, practical benefits like money for transport to the hospital, daily cash support while admitted, so people can see the value of insurance right away.

Just 6.9 percent of Ugandan adults are currently covered by credit bureaus, according to a 2023 financial inclusion tracker by FSD, meaning that most borrowing remains informal.

Without gender-tagged data from Tier IV institutions like Saccos, digital lenders, and community micro-lenders, disciplined female borrowers remain invisible to the national credit ecosystem, regardless of their behaviour.

The tax the poorest pay alone

Every solution above hits a ceiling if digital participation is unaffordable, and in Uganda, it is deliberately expensive.

The numbers from a study by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) show the most comprehensive assessment of telecommunications taxation.

The ICT sector faces an Average Effective Tax Rate of 68 percent of pre-tax profit, against 39 percent in retail finance, according to calculations by Unwanted Witness, a digital rights organisation.

The UCC study corroborates this, describing the sector as carrying one of the heaviest cumulative tax burdens in East Africa, with excise duties alone accounting for approximately 45 percent of total tax payments by operators.

Mobile money users pay a 0.5 percent excise duty on the full value of every withdrawal, plus 15 percent value-added tax on service fees and a 10 percent withholding tax on agent commissions.

Bank customers pay tax only on ATM withdrawal fees. Uganda is the only East African country taxing withdrawals this way. Withdrawing Shs50,000 costs a mobile money user approximately Shs2,250 in combined charges.

The UCC study found that when the mobile money levy was introduced in 2018, around 70 percent of users reduced how often they transacted, with some abandoning the service entirely.

Research from Makerere’s Economic Policy Research Centre shows that a 10 percent price rise drives a 20 percent drop in mobile money usage; the tax’s introduction collapsed usage by 40 percent.

The women whose savings groups are their only financial infrastructure are not collateral damage in this calculation. They are its primary target.

Entry-level smartphones, which are the devices that unlock merchant wallets, digital group accounts, and savings lock features, are taxed on import at rates raising their price by 30 to 50 percent above base value, to between Shs330,000 and Shs460,000: out of reach for most rural households.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics data shows that the median monthly income is closer to Shs300,000, as most Ugandans work in subsistence agriculture or the informal sector.

The UCC study calculates that the total cost of owning and meaningfully using a basic smartphone over three years, including device, charging, and data, amounts to roughly 10 percent of average annual per capita income, rising to 20 to 25 percent for households in the bottom 40 percent.

The UCC’s own fiscal scenario simulations show that removing the 12 percent excise duty on internet data, or reducing VAT from 18 to 14 percent, would expand the subscriber base, increase data consumption, and ultimately generate higher government revenues over the medium term.

The November 2025 Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) report estimated that removing just the 12 per cent excise duty on internet data could bring four million more Ugandans online by 2030, create 1.79 million jobs, and generate Shs14.6 trillion in additional economic value.

South Africa removed its entry-level smartphone excise duty in 2025 and recorded a 16 percent rise in first-time smartphone buyers within months.

Ekudu does not soften this: ‘I know that it’s a deterrent for people to actually use mobile money. We’re in discussions with the regulator to reduce this cost burden. Ideally, we want a tiered charge, even lower for people doing lower transactions.’

Uganda’s own Digital Transformation Programme had its budget cut 28 percent in the 2026/27 financial year, from 1 to 0.4 percent of the national budget, leaving a Shs318b financing gap.

The UCC study argues that ICT is critical to economic transformation, yet it is not financed at a level consistent with that claim.

actually to use mobile money

At least 10 percent of young women who don’t borrow cite ‘not being allowed by family’ as their reason, according to research by FSD, against just 4 percent of the general non-borrowing population.

Phones are gatekept. SIM registrations are controlled. Savings are monitored by household members who did not earn them.

The evidence on what works is that household dialogue programmes that engage men and boys, not as obstacles but as participants in a shared economic logic, produce documented shifts in gatekeeping behaviour.

The idea is that when men understand that a woman’s financial product strengthens the household economy, access changes.

The saying, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’ is becoming a reality for some clergy in Uganda today. Some of them have entangled themselves in political issues, so much so that throwing a stone would mean death, closure, crippling, sanctioning, censorship, or complete abolition.

The architects of this glass house phenomenon smoothly executed it like a rat numbing one’s feet, only to wake up when the skin has been nibbled off by the same rat.

A dependence and survival button was pressed at some point, making it difficult for the said clergy and any other institution to operate without the State playing godfather to enable a breakthrough of a certain ceiling, posturing pseudo-success.

This fleeting pseudo-success offered to some clergy presented itself like an entitlement to the national cake.

Little did they know that it was a carrot that would lead them to a point of no return. To maintain this sorrowful pseudo success, many deals have to be made, dirty games have to be played to keep appeasing the insurmountable appetite and interests on both sides. The dirty games played by some clergy appear to be an exchange for some entitlements and privileges.

Much akin to the saying, ‘Scratch my back and I scratch yours’. You can do whatever you want, I will turn the other way like I didn’t see. These fleeting privileges take on many forms, especially material gains. This creates a feeling of arrivalism.

The Baganda put it so well when they say, ‘You don’t speak when you are eating’. This is akin to a saying by Martin Niemöller, a prominent German pastor and anti-Nazi dissident. Niemöller’s original words focus on how the Nazis systematically targeted different groups one by one, while good citizens remained silent because they didn’t belong to the targeted group.

“First they came for the communists, then they came for the socialists, then they came for the trade unionists, then they came for the Jews, then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Biblically, this is similar to a situation when an Egyptian Pharaoh, who didn’t know Joseph, took over leadership and all the privileges of the children of Israel were revoked overnight.

The writing is so clear on the wall, the clergy can read it, but the pseudo fleeting success and privileges have muted, blinded and deafened all their senses. Similar to the saying that they have ears but can’t hear, they have eyes but can’t see and they have mouths but they can’t speak.

The redeeming thing is, God always spares remnants who have not bowed to any idols, these speak the oracles of God either with the fearless courage of John the Baptist, or with the wisdom and humility of Prophet Nathan or the child like faith of David the giant killer.

But some like Pontius Pilate have washed the truth off their hands and opted to please the masses. Deceived in their mind that by doing this they will be protecting the pseudo success and privileges that have numbed the voice of God. In such a situation, God raises prophets from other nations to declare his Word, but when judgement comes, all are washed away, a part from those who will hearken to what the spirit is saying to the clergy and the nation.

God also uses such situations to distinguish the genuine from the self-seeking false men of God. The dilemma that hovers over every clergy, no matter the religion or faith, is whether to speak up and suffer the consequences or keep silent and suffer the consequences.

Every morning at 6am, while most students across Uganda’s higher institutions of learning are still asleep, a different rhythm unfolds at Bukalasa Agricultural College (BAC).

Students are already out on the land – they water, weed, mulch and tend their thriving vegetable plots in the lush expanse they proudly call ‘Paradise Garden.’

Ms Patience Jazmine Nankinga, a final year student, quickly explains that this daily ritual is not punishment; it is preparation.

‘We are in paradise, the garden, where we are planting various crops – different types of vegetables,’ Ms Nankinga, a certificate student, explains, pointing to flourishing cabbages under her care. ‘Some students are focusing on carrots, cabbage, sukumawiki, nakatti and others.

Everyone is having a plot.’ These are some of the crops with a ready market, and they are consumed both within the government-owned institution, which has over 2,000 students, and also outside. The college, which offers both certificate and diploma courses, is located in Luweero, about 50 kilometres from Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. Another student, George William Ntulume, sheds more light by unveiling his daily routine.

‘We grow vegetables and take care of them until maturity. We come here early in the morning and in the evening to do all the management practices for these plants,’ he says.

‘We do watering, weeding, pruning and mulching, so as to have a vibrant culture of agriculture, as well getting the skills we need in future for economic and knowledge purposes,’ he adds. Mr Ntulume says each student does all the practices individually.

He says they do the garden work between 6am and 8am. ‘After that, we go and prepare (clean up), then we have breakfast within the same hour before we go for lectures at 9am. Then we come back at around 5.30pm when lectures are done. I plan to do a diploma after this, and afterwards, I will also pursue a degree,’ he says.

Ms Nankinga, on her part, appears to be more interested in becoming an entrepreneur. ‘We have enough skills to start our projects, out there,’ she says.

‘We should focus more on the practical aspect while training as students; that is what will help us. Some other institutions largely focus on theory,’ she adds.

Information from the BAC Crop Science Department indicates that students are assessed on real performance in areas such as the quality of mulching, which must be weed-free, pest-free and effective at conserving soil moisture.

BAC is one of the key partners in the Proliferation of Local Expertise in Development of Green-growth Economy (PLEDGE) project, which seeks to transform training in higher institutions of learning to support green growth, practical skills development and sustainable economic transformation.

The project is being implemented by Mountains of the Moon University, along the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), which has introduced competence-based training for institutions of higher learning.

Associate Prof Joshua Wesana, the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Mountains of the Moon University, says the PLEDGE initiative seeks to change both student and trainer mindsets.

‘In other institutions, if you tell a student to appear on the farm at 5am to prepare cows for milking, some take it as punishment,’ Prof Wesana says.

‘That kind of attitude is what PLEDGE is here to transform.’ He adds that the project will develop national strategies, policies and guidelines for green transition-focused agriculture training, while also building capacity among lecturers and strengthening university-industry linkages through professional councils.

A living model

Mr Gelvan Kisolo Lule, the principal of BAC for the last eight years and a staff member for nearly 30 years, has witnessed the evolution first-hand.

‘I came from university with a lot of theory. When I started training students here, I had to learn practical skills from the farm workers themselves. That experience was very valuable,’ he recalls.

Mr Lule says the BAC curriculum has always been rich with hands-on skills because it was primarily established in 1920 to train farmers. But he says along the way, things started changing as more trainers recruited after university education started introducing more theory than practical skills.

‘So, by the time we reached 1980-1990, we were now coming to about 70 percent theory and 20 percent practical skills,’ he reveals.

‘We were reviewing our curriculum in 2008-2009 and had a farmer stakeholder engagement. The participants were telling us that our students have a negative attitude towards work. They want to be on the farm only to supervise. They don’t want to ‘get dirty’,’ he says.

After the curriculum review, the institution returned to the first principles.

‘So, we said, we have to make them (students) be on the farm. So that’s when we reintroduced the farm practices culture,’ Mr Lule explains.

‘Here, whether you are doing human nutrition or agribusiness, you must be early on the farm every day. You must be on the farm at 6am. By 7am, they are done and starting to prepare for lectures,’ he adds.

Mr Lule also notes that the new curriculum for secondary education is already producing more confident and engaging students who are easier to train in higher institutions of learning.

The competence-based curriculum is designed to shift education away from rote memorisation towards practical skills, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving

Adopting BAC culture

Prof Pius Coxwell Achanga, the vice chancellor of Mountains of the Moon University, after touring BAC and interacting with learners and tutors, says the model should be adopted even in universities to produce professionals with more practical skills. ‘If you want somebody to learn, you talk to them. If you want them to memorise, you show them. And if you want them to do something, you let them do it,’ he says, adding that universities have much to learn from Bukalasa’s model.

Prof Achanga says they will have deeper collaboration with BAC, including direct staff exchanges.

The NCHE says practical skills, competences and attitudes will, in the 2027-2028 academic year, account for at least 50 percent of students’ marks nationwide, up from the current 40 percent. The plan is to reduce assessments that are largely based on written exams. Prof Mary Okwakol, the executive director of the NCHE, explains further.

‘The competence-based curriculum is an approach which is supposed to equip the students with knowledge, competences, skills and attitudes that can enable them to perform their duties more effectively than they are doing now,’ she says.