Category: Daily Monitor

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has pledged to establish cooperative and agricultural banks to offer low-interest loans to Ugandans.

He said the move will end years of exploitation by moneylenders who charge exorbitant interest rates. Addressing his fist rally of the day in Kyadondo East, Wakiso District, Mr Nandala said several households and small businesses are trapped in poverty because they depend on private moneylenders who demand interest rates as high as 50 percent per month, a burden that keeps borrowers in a cycle of debt.

‘Imagine someone borrowing Shs100,000 and being asked to pay Shs50,000 interest in one month. How do you pay more than 50 percent interest in just 30 days? That is why people end up working for moneylenders, while they grow richer, you become poorer,’ Mr Nandala said.

He stated that his government would immediately capitalise a cooperative bank to support cooperatives across the country, and an agriculture bank dedicated to farmers and agribusiness.

Mr Nandala said both banks will offer low interest loans to enable people grow their enterprises without fear of losing property to money lenders.

He re-echoed his plan to revive cooperatives, drawing the example of Bugisu Cooperative Union, to find market and better prices for farmers’ products.

‘You used to have coffee here, but it died. There is money in coffee and cooperatives help farmers sell at better prices. We shall revive them so that you can again benefit from them,’ Mr Nandala said.

He also promised non-refundable seed capital to business people, noting that they can also pay taxes when their businesses grow.

Other promises

The FDC candidate also pledged to solve the issue of unemployment among the youth, noting that his government will increase funding in sectors like agriculture, industrialisation, and trade that create jobs.

‘They wake up every day walking the streets in search of jobs. We have a plan to ensure every Ugandan engages in an income-generating activity so that everyone has money in their pocket,’ Mr Nandala Mafabi said. He also promised to improve the road netowrk.

‘The current government has failed to construct proper roads. Money that should build 20 kilometres is instead used to build one kilometre. I pledge that we will construct and upgrade roads across the country. We shall rebuild Uganda so that you can live comfortably and proudly in your own country,’Mr Nandala stated.

On a Tuesday afternoon, I meet Paula Uwayo for an interview. It is evident that she is keeping tabs on her clients, confirming orders and deliveries.

She has been running a passion fruit business for two years. Uwayo’s start in agribusiness was quiet and steady, with no defining crisis. Though unplanned, it has gradually become integral to her life. When she finished the demanding road through law school in 2022, she joined Law Development Centre (LDC) and completed it in 2023. She then started her application process for enrolment. But while she waited, she refused to sit still. She had first played with the idea of selling passion fruits during the lockdown in 2020. It never became serious then, but the spark stayed.

‘I got interested in things people consume and ended up choosing passion fruits,’ she recalls. In 2023, fresh out of LDC with no clear timeline for enrolment, Uwayo decided to try again. She asked a friend for Shs100, 000, ordered 50 kilograms of passion fruits from Kabale District, and posted the stock on X. By evening, all the stock was gone. ‘More people were still calling, and I had nothing left to sell. It was a small moment, but it showed me that demand existed, and that my online community could become my first market,’ she recalls.

The beginning

Uwayo began by sourcing passion fruits from Kabale and selling them to corporate clients who preferred delivery. Her early days in the business were filled with experimentation. When she started, deliveries were the hardest part. Orders came in at different times and from different directions, yet she had no reliable delivery riders. With time, she built a system. ‘I have a team of three people at the store and four dependable riders. When I am in the field, orders are still delivered on time,’ she explains.

A day in her life

Uwayo’s workday starts before dawn. By 5am, she is already awake, and by 5.30am, she is at her store on Kafumbe Mukasa Road. Morning is the busiest window. That is when bulk buyers arrive, looking for fresh stock from the market. Some days, even before she leaves home, her phone is ringing, buyers asking for prices, already certain of what they want before she reaches her store. ‘Sales move differently each day. There are mornings when everything goes quickly, and others when the market drags,’ she explains. Still, Uwayo rarely struggles to move stock.

She sells both wholesale and retail, sacks for the big buyers, and smaller portions for those who prefer 40 or 50 fruits for Shs10, 000. Prices shift often. A sack of passion fruits from Kabale can go for Shs650,000 to Shs700,000 depending on the quality, while one from Masaka which are often longer and neatly packaged, fetch around Shs1.2 million to Shs1.7million. Once the morning rush settles, the day is far from done. Retail orders come in steadily, sometimes all the way to evening. She packs, organises, dispatches the passion fruits, and follows up. On a good day, she closes at 6pm, though it is common for someone to call at 7pm or 8pm asking for next-day delivery.

‘The business is a blend of early mornings, long days, constant movement, and a digital community that turned into my first customers,’ she says. She has learnt that corporate clients value the convenience of having the fruits delivered, a service that sets her apart. She also pays close attention to feedback, even when it stings. ‘The negative comments help more than the praise, because they push me to improve my sourcing and packaging, ‘she explains.

Growing

Two years later, the same business that began with 50 kilogrammes of passion fruits now moves up to 10 sacks a day. Her deliveries stretch beyond Kampala, reaching Lira, Soroti, Arua, and Gulu. Some customers buy in bulk, others in small amounts, and she sends them all on buses headed upcountry. Uwayo explains that quality control begins long before the market. She prefers to go to the field herself, meeting farmers, inspecting fruits, and understanding how each batch is grown. ‘Good produce comes from good manure, proper pesticide use, and attentive care. Paying farmers fairly is part of securing top quality. You cannot give someone a very low price and expect them to hand over their best harvest,’ she says. As her business grows, Uwayo has built deeper relationships along the agricultural value chain.

She understands the farmers who supply her produce and the challenges they face like lack of manure and costly pesticides. She sees potential in strengthening these connections not just for her business, but for the communities involved. ‘Every fruit has a story behind it and a set of hands that worked hard to produce it,’ she notes. Of all her expenses, deliveries weigh the heaviest. But they also make the work exciting. Clients are scattered across different parts of the city, each with a preferred time and place. ‘Some orders must arrive by 9: am. That means waking up early, packing promptly, and ensuring the delivery team is ready,’ she explains. Her online presence has propelled the business even further, with X as the main platform she uses to market the fruits.

Consistency regardless

Uwayo says she faced no stigma for being a law graduate selling passion fruits. She was too busy, and she received more support than judgment. ‘If it was there, I never noticed it. People encouraged me and appreciated my work. I credit my early network of clients,’ she shares. Supply shortages happen and prices rise and quantities must be reduced, for example dropping from 50 pieces to 35 pieces for Shs10,000. Some clients step back, while others understand and keep buying. She stays afloat until prices normalise.

‘Hard days are inevitable. But passion fruits are perishable, so the stock itself forces discipline,’ she says. She jokes that you must choose between your bed and the ‘millions’ sitting in the store. She also thinks about the farmers she buys from. If she does not work, their harvest suffers too. Serving both sides, farmers and clients, keeps her going. Uwayo has learnt that she is resilient. She has discovered she is good at marketing, something she is now considering exploring more seriously.

The lawyer in her

Uwayo’s legal background still plays a role in how she thinks and operates. She is deliberate with her communication, cautious with agreements, and careful with commitments. Some customers have legal problems, and she helps them through the law firm she works with. ‘I am not yet enrolled but I handle legal work under Litmus Advocates,’ she shares. She balances both worlds by relying on her team. When legal deadlines come up, she prioritises them. The business continues because she has support at the store.

While Uwayo is still waiting for her name to be picked for enrolment, she is no longer waiting for life to start. Even though she sometimes practices law, this is mostly remote and most of her time is spent running her business. ‘Having a team at the store gives me a degree of flexibility that allows me to explore agribusiness without walking away from my profession,’ she shares.

The Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, has reassured the Gulu University administration of the progressive efforts by the government to secure more land for its expansion.

Speaking during the university’s 24th graduation ceremony at the university playground, Ms Nabbanja said the Ministry of Water and Environment is finalising the degazettement of the Gulu Central Forest Reserve to allocate it to the university. Her remarks followed demands by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mr Norbert Mao, who urged the government to expedite the long-delayed degazettement to allow critical infrastructural development.

‘I want to allay the fears of Justice minister that the issue of the forest is being handled. The Ministry of Water and Environment will soon come back to Cabinet and have this issue settled once and for all,’ Ms Nabbanja said.

Months earlier, the university had warned that delays in concluding a land swap deal with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) could stall key development programmes at the institution. In 2020, President Museveni directed the then Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, to degazette 70 acres of Gulu Central Forest Reserve for the expansion of the university. In 2021, Parliament passed a resolution approving the degazettement of the land. The land, belonging to NFA, located in the heart of Gulu City, is meant to be exchanged with another 500 acres of land in Gotapwoyo Sub-county in Nwoya District in a swap deal between the university and NFA.

It is planned to host the faculties of Medicine, Agriculture, Environment, research laboratories, and a hostel. However, the delays seem to be hurting the university’s progress, according to sources within the university’s administration. On April 3, a team of surveyors and engineers from the Ministry of Works and Transport approached the university seeking land on which to establish a modern sports training facility that is intended for the 2027 AFCON games to be hosted in Uganda. It is also established that the university intends to use at least 20 acres of the land to build the new Gulu University Specialised Hospital, once handed over to them.

The Gulu Central Forest Reserve is among the 16 selected forest reserves that underwent assessment and possible recommendations for degazettement. The university, while working with both Gulu City Authority and Nwoya District Local Government, has provided alternative land in Nwoya District, which has been converted into a freehold title in the name of Gulu University. Ms Nabbanja said the strenuous procedure that needed to be undertaken to degazette the forest reserve caused delays at the Ministry of Water and Environment, which is undertaking the process. ‘You know the procedures, but we are busy going through the procedures. And very soon, without any catalyst, you will hear the good news. Unfortunately, he sits in the Cabinet, and you know what the Cabinet did, but of course, we are told to add some more information, which information has been gathered.’

She stated. In his speech at the event over the weekend, Mr Mao warned that the delays to degazette the land could cause the university to miss a key infrastructural projects, including the AFCON training ground and the proposed specialised hospital. ‘These are the things that make government look bad and weak. There is no way a directive of the President can be bluntly defied,’ he said, adding that if the matter is not resolved within the financial year, he would mobilise the public to take the message to Kampala. He emphasised that the specialised hospital would serve not only northern Uganda but also neighbouring South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Friday last week, Gulu University held its 24th graduation ceremony in which it conferred degrees, diplomas and certificates to a total of 1,431 students in various disciplines. Gulu University was established as a public university on June 25, 2003, under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001, after it was enacted by Parliament on May 14 of the same year. The university was to be located in the Loro Division, Gulu Municipality, where land covering 742 hectares had been identified. However, it could not acquire the land due to resistance from some of the local community members.

University milestones

Gulu University awarded degrees, diplomas, and certificates to 1,431 students during its 24th graduation ceremony. Established on June 25, 2003, under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, the university was initially intended to be located in Loro Division, Gulu Municipality, on 742 hectares, but resistance from the local community hindered acquisition. President Museveni, in his speech delivered by Ms Nabbanja, commended the university for its role in job creation and human resource development. ‘Human resources are more important than natural resources. The riches of a country are not in the ground, but in the population if it is highly educated, skilled, and healthy,’ he said.

He urged universities to equip students with practical skills to match private-sector demand in a rapidly changing global economy. Besides its academic progress, since its establishment nearly 25 years ago, the university has undergone a significant transformation. For example, on November 5, the institution was recognised and awarded as Africa’s Most Impactful University in Rural Transformation and Community Development at the third African Academia Conference and Awards 2025 held in Kigali, Rwanda. The award, presented by the Business Executive Media Group, recognised the university’s contributions to rural transformation through its focus on agricultural, health, and education programmes designed for rural communities.

Meanwhile, on November 27, the university was voted by the National Planning Authority as the Most Visionary Public University of the year 2025. In July, the university launched its Open, Distance, Electronic, and Lifelong Learning (ODELL) initiative. The ODELL programme is designed to provide online learning opportunities for students, particularly those who are unable to come physically to study at the university and those from outside countries. The ongoing construction of multibillion facilities at the institution will guarantee a boost in student enrolment. According to the University Council Chairperson, Ms Theresa Mary Obbo, these projects will create lecture space for an additional 6,000 students.

For example, the institution recently hired Chonqing International Corporation to build the Business and Development Centre at a cost of Shs30b, while the construction of the Senate Building is being undertaken by NEC at Shs27.4b. Ms Obbo appealed for increased government development funding to ensure timely completion. The university’s student population has grown from 5,900 to more than 7,000, with academic programmes increasing to 83. Its Financial Year 2024/2025 Capital Development Budget rose to Shs7.4 billion from Shs3.8 billion, while the total budget increased to Shs58.8 billion from Shs48.4 billion. Chancellor Dr Ruhakana Rugunda called on Parliament to appropriate additional funds for Gulu University and the Moroto University Project to meet project timelines.

Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, told supporters in Luweero District on Tuesday that his campaign faces conditions resembling a war, citing alleged government interference and intimidation.

Addressing three rallies in Kalule, Zirobwe, and Kyegombwa, Bobi Wine said the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), led by President Museveni, spends billions of shillings on soldiers, police, vehicles, and other logistics aimed at disrupting his campaign.

Campaign-linked injuries and fatalities have been reported at multiple Bobi Wine rallies, amid clashes involving armed forces firing live rounds.

‘Our campaign is not the ordinary campaign. We are almost at war. You can see the soldiers and vehicles deployed. These people even knock and kill our supporters,’ Bobi Wine said at Kalule playground in Nyimbwa Sub-county.

Through out his campaign activities on Tuesday, Bobi Wine appeared to put on a bulletproof vest, similar to the protective gear worn by journalists in conflict zones.

During Sunday night’s NTV presidential debate, Bobi Wine called for cutting funding to security forces and redirecting the money to key sectors such as education, health, and infrastructure.

Two days later, he accused the NRM of turning a blind eye to land grabbing in areas including Luweero, saying, ‘It is ok for the NRM when our people are losing land to the grabbers and it is also ok when our people are failing to get all the other basic services. But I tell you that this is not ok. We shall recover our land when we vote out the NRM on January 15, 2026.’

Bobi Wine added that roadblocks, arbitrary arrests, police interference, and tear-gassing of supporters have marked his campaign, especially in the Buganda region, an opposition stronghold.

‘Even as we talk, one of our supporters has just died because of injuries. This is the kind of campaign that we are going through. Our victory is assured, and this is why Museveni and his government are acting desperately,’ he said.

Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba early this week defended security crackdowns at opposition rallies saying: ‘There is need to collocate the right to political expression with the rights of other members within the same ecosystem. It is our duty as police to ensure that both sides enjoy their rights, and whoever breaches the law is handled appropriately.’

Meanwhile, the rallies in Luweero were also addressed by NUP members of Parliament from Luweero, including Woman MP Brenda Nabukenya, Denis Ssekabira (Katikamu North), and Kirumira Hassan (Katikamu South), who highlighted illegal land evictions and disputed cases allegedly orchestrated by powerful actors in government.

‘Our people have lost land to land grabbers,’ Nabukenya told the candidate.

Luweero, with a 2024 population of 616,242, is part of Uganda’s cattle corridor and was the epicenter of the early 1980s war that brought the NRM (Museveni) to power.

The Electoral Commission lists 297,752 registered voters in the district, where Bobi Wine won 70.45% of the 2021 presidential vote.

Unlike previous public gatherings, Tuesday’s rallies were largely peaceful. However, confrontations occurred along sections of the Zirobwe-Gayaza road, where security forces reportedly engaged NUP supporters with tear gas.

Bobi Wine is widely seen to be Museveni’s main challenger in a field of seven others ahead of the January 15, 2026 elections.

Gone are the days when clients mainly asked three questions: How much is rent? Is water included? Is it close to the road? Today, ‘rich kids’ especially don’t waste time with these mundane outdated questions. Doreen Winnie Nankya, a senior property consultant at Pearl Marina, says trends have evolved. While there are those who still look for those things, affluent renters are now looking for more than just a house, more than a home.

They want a haven of high life. ‘Young affluent tenants are not just looking for a house anymore. They are curating a lifestyle. Many of them arrive with Pinterest boards saved on their phones, screenshots from Airbnb apartments in Dubai, or minimalist lofts from TikTok. They will tell you, ‘this is the vibe I want’,’ she says. Young, high-income earners, mostly professionals in their late 20s and thirties, have turned housing into an extension of their identity. A place to live, work, relax, host, and show off. And they are willing to pay for it.

The new deal-maker

One of the biggest features Nankya has seen is the rising demand for well-equipped gyms. ‘A treadmill in the corner does not impress anyone anymore. They want a proper gym, air-conditioned, mirrored, with music, lighting, and space to move. Some even prefer 24-hour access.’ This trend mirrors a global shift among young professionals prioritising physical and mental wellness. Developers who factor in these amenities rarely struggle with vacancies. And it is not only about exercise. Pools and rooftop lounges have become symbols of social prestige. Even tenants who cannot swim insist on them. ‘The pool gives a resort feel. People love inviting friends over for a small rooftop hangout. It is about the environment it creates.’

The kitchen as status symbol

One of the areas where trends are most visible is the kitchen. Even tenants who rarely cook are demanding modern setups. Sidney Kukundakwe, a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom (KBB) designer at Kitchen Italian design, says convenience, what some may call ‘soft life’ and aesthetic pride follow, especially the kitchen area. This has created demand for dishwashers, soft-close drawers, built-in ovens at standing height, extractors that remove smells, AI-sensitive appliances that prevent burning, hidden trash systems, quiet fridges and hobs.

‘The kitchen is no longer just for cooking. It is a hosting arena, a place for brunches, wine nights, and birthday dinners. This is why large stone islands, waterfall countertops, open shelving, and ambient lighting are coming in,’ Kukundakwe says. Kitchens now double as dining areas, lounges, workstations, and social zones. Charging ports built into the island are emerging. Some high-end renters even look for concealed kitchens where appliances disappear behind cabinetry. High-income renters, Kukundakwe adds, also favour antibacterial materials, UV-disinfecting cabinet lights, and sleek, seamless finishes.

Internet connectivity

For all the things young tenants can compromise on, Internet speed is not one of them. Reliable fibre Internet now sits in the same category as water and electricity. It fuels remote work, online business, gaming, content creation, streaming, and social life. Some landlords have started including high-speed Wi-Fi in rent. Nankya says they almost always get signed contracts faster.

‘People do not want the stress of chasing installation. Show them a home where the router is already mounted, and you have made their day,’ Nankya says.

Smart homes and power backup Smart locks, video doorbells, intercom systems, remote lighting control, these used to sound futuristic. Now they are on tenant checklists. ‘They love convenience and control. Everything must be accessible from a phone,’ she says. In areas with frequent power cuts, tenants also look for inverter systems, solar options, or generators. A home that remains functional during blackouts automatically feels premium.

Parking and Security

Young high-income tenants, Nankya says, are increasingly conscious about security. This is partly because many drive and partly because of rising urban concerns. Safe, gated, or shaded parking is no longer optional. Underground parking, where available, is treated as a luxury upgrade. Security expectations have also evolved to 24-hour guards, CCTV, access-controlled gates, and well-lit walkways and corridors. They want to feel safe but also exclusive. Peace of mind is now part of the rent.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms, once ignored, now make or break deals. Old tiles, moldy grout and such things kill interest. Young tenants want clean spaces with hot water, glass shower cubicles, and modern fixtures. ‘Rain showers, bathtubs, and high-pressure water systems are considered luxury upgrades. Many tenants will pay more for a home with a well-designed bathroom because it signals hygiene and comfort,’ Nankya says.

Lighting and ventilation

Natural light and airflow have become core priorities. Dark, cramped rooms get rejected regardless of price. ‘Good lighting makes a space feel productive. Especially for people who work from home,’ she says. Large windows, cross-ventilation, and warm-toned lights can raise a property’s appeal significantly. Developers are beginning to prioritise orientation and window placement for this reason.

Community and lifestyle

Young renters want more than privacy. They also want to feel part of a community. Secure yet social buildings, with shared lounges, rooftop gardens, co-working spaces, or occasional resident events, are becoming popular. This can be seen from social themed events like Pearl Marina usually organise for both tenants and prospective tenants in their estates. Noise control matters, but so does connection.

Bottomline

The rise of lifestyle-driven renting signals a broader move in Kampala’s urban culture. Homes are becoming multifunctional, working as offices, gyms, social venues, and wellness centres. Developers who respond to these expectations, especially with smart technology, reliable Internet, clean aesthetics, and thoughtful amenities, are attracting the city’s young, upwardly mobile class. For tenants, the trend reflects new values dressed in convenience, beauty, health, community, and status.

A home must not only function, but it must also inspire. And for real estate agents like Nankya, the job continues to evolve.

‘People want homes that match the way they see themselves. Once one understands that, everything else makes sense.’ The next wave of homes may look less like traditional rentals and more like lifestyle ecosystems, places designed not just to house young people, but to reflect who they are becoming.

A new café and museum dedicated to helping young people navigate a fast-changing information landscape has opened in the Ugandan capital, blending food, art and interactive learning to counter the rapid spread of online disinformation.

The Love Facts Café and Museum, launched Tuesday at the MCI Media Hub in Kampala, invites visitors into a bright, creative space where food, games and storytelling are used to teach critical thinking in an era where falsehoods travel faster than facts.

‘Young people today receive more information than any generation before them,’ said Abaas Mpindi, CEO of the Media Challenge Initiative (MCI).

‘News, videos, rumours, jokes and lies come at them every second on their phones,’ he observed.

The café’s most unusual feature is its ‘disinformation-detox menu,’ where each dish carries a lesson on spotting misinformation, which is rampant in Uganda.

The creators say food helps people relax, remember and discuss difficult topics more freely.

‘When people eat, they talk, they relax, and they learn without feeling like they are in a classroom,’ the organisers said.

The menu uses simple food symbols to help visitors check for red flags and pause before sharing unverified content.

The adjoining museum features murals, games, challenges and a content studio. One installation uses football to explain fact-checking: just as a player shouldn’t take a shot without looking, users should never share information without checking.

Speakers at the launch warned that disinformation spreads because it is emotional, fast and often unchecked.

Mpindi said he worries about the quality of information young people will pass on ’50 years from now,’ urging media houses to lead by example.

‘When we publish wrong information, we should simply accept it and correct it,’ he said.

Anne Reisman, Country Director for KAS Uganda and South Sudan, said disinformation is effective because ‘it speaks to our emotions.’

She added that personal biases often make false claims easier to share.

‘If you notice your bias, take a step back,’ she advised.

Dr George Lugalambi, executive director at the African Centre for Media Excellence, emphasized that journalism’s core mission remains unchanged.

‘Truth is still the goal,’ he noted, adding that modern verification tools must be part of every journalist’s work. He urged reporters to write carefully and practise social listening, noting shorter audience attention spans.

Simon Kasyate, host of the ‘Grab a Coffee’ podcast, encouraged ‘day two journalism,’ urging young reporters to follow stories beyond the first headline and stay engaged with context.

Organisers say the Love Facts Café and Museum aims to create a community of curious, responsible information consumers – using creativity, conversation and shared experiences to push back against the digital tide of misinformation.

Managing people is often one of the hardest tasks for startups and small businesses. While it is essential for success, not everyone starts out knowing how. Still, founders must learn fast if they want to build strong teams and reach their bigger goals.

The State of Entrepreneurship Report 2024 revealed that female-led businesses perform better at employee retention, suggesting women may have a stronger grasp on people management. The report also noted that young entrepreneurs generally enjoy retention rates of up to 63.8 percent, an impressive figure considering the resource limitations many face.

People management

One of the core issues facing small businesses is the lack of structure. Barbara Kemigisha, the Human Resources (HR) lead at DHL Supply Chain International Uganda, notes that many startups operate without clear structures, policies, or human resource manuals.

She adds that the absence of structure is the biggest barrier to attracting and retaining good talent. ‘Most small businesses don’t have HR manuals or functional policies. Even where they exist, the owners tend to violate them,’ she says.

She adds that it is common to find the business owner doubling as the HR manager, supervisor, and even cleaner. ‘That makes them unattractive because reputation is everything,’ she laments.

Supporting this view, Abraham Ochieng Odoyo, programmes manager at StartUpAfrica, explains that unclear job roles remain one of the biggest weaknesses of young businesses.

‘Startups have small teams handling large volumes of work. This leads to overlapping responsibilities and makes accountability difficult,’ he says.

Misconception about size

According to Kemigisha, attracting and retaining talent by small businesses is not about size. She argues that poor HR practices are not simply brought by a small-sized operation.

‘It’s not about size, it’s about mindset,’ she asserts.

Kemigisha added that many small business owners think no one is watching.

‘Established companies take their policies seriously because their reputation is visible. But small businesses hide in the shadows; some are not even registered with the Federation of Ugandan Employers,’ she explains.

She believes this lack of accountability traps them in cycles of disorganisation and high turnover. ‘They remain unknown because they isolate themselves. You can’t attract good people if no one trusts your employer brand,’ she adds.

The best startups don’t just have good products or services; they also have smart, scalable people approaches, which have been built over time. Small businesses and startups can win the people management game by building on the following strategies:

Positive company culture

For Susan Wanjala, an HR practitioner, founder and lead mentor at TSW Mentorship Agency, employer reputation is everything. ‘Your current and former employees are your most credible ambassadors,’ she says. ‘What they say about your company determines the kind of talent you attract.’

According to Ochieng Odoyo, the programmes manager for StartUpAfrica, involving your employees early on in drafting company policies, goals, objectives, and guidelines goes a long way in creating a positive company culture for your business.

Grace Akatuha, the proprietor of Kikazi millet flour, emphasizes clear rules and guidelines for daily activities. She adds that she leads by example to ensure they are followed by everyone.

Invest in employee development

Employee development can be challenging as startups and small businesses often have limited budgets and a struggling cash flow, but the rewards outweigh its investments.

According to Wanjala, employee development is not only about making big budgets to facilitate training and other costly professional development initiatives.

She explains that informal approaches such as mentoring, job rotation, and peer learning can be introduced immediately and at little to no cost, while other formal, costly measures await.

‘Longer-term planning can then be done for more structured learning programmes that require financial outlay, such as professional courses, participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars,’ she advises.

Odoyo adds that simple practices like regular check-ins and casual team engagements foster collaboration and give employees a platform to share their challenges and ideas.

Open communication

Open communication, according to Wanjala, is the secret ingredient that keeps teams engaged and committed. She argues that this should be done through open and honest conversations regarding various aspects of the business.

Odoyo supports this, advising founders to encourage their teams to share thoughts, concerns, feedback, and develop shared recommendations for issues raised. He also adds that informal engagements go a long way in encouraging open communication.

Akatuha conducts regular meetings to determine strategies as a team and values feedback, which she notes has encouraged a culture of openness.

Feedback should be constructive

Feedback, when conveyed in an educative way, in the form of comments, advice, and suggestions, offers great importance towards employee development. Ochieng Odoyo advises that when giving feedback, focus should be on the work and not the individual.

Ochieng Odoyo also adds that one should be empathetic when giving feedback, and should be given timely, for example, at the end of a particular event, while still fresh. Ochieng Odoyo also recommends occasionally encouraging anonymous feedback which helps avoid direct confrontations and helps employees feel that feedback is general.

While a little fear may sometimes be good for you, micromanagement can be a drag down for startups. Kemigisha states that most small businesses violate human resource policies, which should streamline workflow and avoid micromanagement.

‘You find the structures are not there. If they have something in place, the managing director is the human resource, the cleaner, the supervisor, everything, and often violates the policies in place. So that makes them unattractive for good talent,’ she says.

Pay your team promptly

Small businesses and startups often do not have big budgets and large revenue to accommodate competitive industry-level salaries for employees, but ensuring that even modest salaries are paid promptly can have a profound impact on the overall mindset and contribution of your employees.

Kemigisha insists on having a good system in place first. She disagrees that many SMEs pay relatively well, sometimes even more than large firms, but still lose staff due to poor systems.

‘I have seen startups with money but no structure. Money is not the problem; it is how you manage people,’ she notes.

Wanjala emphasizes that beyond salary, personal appreciation matters most. ‘They may include simple personalised gestures like gift vouchers, professional development opportunities, secondment opportunities, or additional days of paid leave,’ she says.

Reward and recognition system

Odoyo underscores the importance of having reward systems for small businesses. He advocates for regular acknowledgment of employees’ contributions.

Wanjala agrees, saying non-monetary recognition like ‘Employee of the Month’ or public appreciation can inspire other employees.

Parliament this week passed yet another supplementary budget that was brazen in its breadth and shocking in its size. Some of the line items are understandable and even reasonable, like the money allocated to fill the funding gap left by the withdrawal of American funding, especially to the health sector.

However, as Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda noted in a succinct yet sagacious minority report, most of the allocations do not pass the smell test of being “unavoidable and unforeseeable” or the legal and constitutional procedural bars.

Apart from noting that only 21 of the 59 Members of Parliament on the Budget Committee appended their signatures to the report circulating, your columnist has very little value to add and recommends a reading of the report itself, and Honourable Nganda’s valiant yet ultimately futile defence of the public interest.

Instead of wondering why the Electoral Commission, which had only one job to do and five years to do it in, must ask for emergency money to buy a biometric voter verification system and print ballot papers as unforeseen and unavoidable developments, let us consider the more interesting Tale of the Unsold T-shirts.

The story revolves around Fine Spinners Uganda Limited, purveyors of the finest apparel, including some by royal appointment, and who are not strangers to taxpayer bailouts.

We have no reporters in Parliament, so let’s quote from the report directly: “Fine Spinners manufactures T-shirts mainly for the export market, including the United States of America (USA). However, following the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, Fine Spinners Uganda Limited lost the huge USA market. By that time, Fine Spinners had already invested heavily in [the] manufacturing of 540,000 T-shirts for export. They therefore approached [the] Government and requested support to sell the T-shirts on the local market through Uganda Tailors Association (UTA). UTA will pay back the Government for the T-shirts over a period of 18 – 24 months.”

Hmmm.

Uganda’s removal from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) was first announced in October 2023 and became effective on January 1, 2024. If the said T-shirts were manufactured before or around October 2023, the smart thing would have been to export them quickly before the barricades came down.

If they were manufactured after January 1, 2024, with the market already closed, then that would qualify as the business equivalent of voluntary assumption of risk. One might wonder why the T-shirts are not sold to other markets or even sold directly to the local market by the manufacturer, in the same way that other producers find alternative markets for their products.

Adding a fine spin to this yarn is the revelation, Dear Reader, that Uganda’s tailors have an association. I checked and the thing doth existeth, as a non-government organisation. Cynics will wonder if any milestones are met in the association and on time, or whether each action point is met by excuses and delays.

Optimists, on the other hand, will finally heave a sigh of relief with the realisation that there is an entity to which they can now report their grievances and seek compensation for missing dresses and unfinished trousers.

What is clear to anyone who has worked with a Ugandan tailor or so much as brushed past them on a dusty urban street, feet swaying on the pedal, heads bobbing as hands deftly swing from bobbin to cloth, is that there won’t be any money coming back into the public coffers.

If a large-scale clothes maker is not able to sell half a million T-shirts and has to offload them at taxpayer expense, how are these streetside tailors expected to move them on, collect the money, pocket their margin and send back the rest? We are talking about folks who seldom remember whether their customers brought a jacket or a bedsheet for mending! It is all patched up.

We are not given any details about the style of the T-shirts and if they are still fashionable. Depending on the colour, they might have had a better chance of being picked up by a political party in this election season (insert eyebrow raised emoji). What we can agree on, for free, is that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for any tailors to return any of those T-shirts or money. If the supplementary budget, as a whole, reads like a tragedy, this anecdote is a fine example of spinning a yarn. I’ll eat my T-shirt if we get any of it back.

National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has rallied his supporters in Luweero District to vote out the ruling government he accuses of paying a deaf ear to land grabbing.

Mr Kyagulanyi, while addressing his second rally at Kalule playground in Nyimbwa Sub-county, claimed that the National Resistance Movement (NRM)-led government is not concerned about people who have lost their land to grabbers in parts of the country like Luweero.

‘It is okay for the NRM when our people are losing land to grabbers and it is also okay when our people are failing to get all the other basic services. But I tell you that this is not okay. We shall recover our land when we vote- out the NRM on January 15, 2026,’ he said.

Mr Kyagulanyi told his supporters that the ongoing campaigns are a struggle to liberate Uganda from a system that has crippled all sectors of the economy.

‘If this was a normal campaign, President Museveni and his system would not be spending billions of shillings to try and stop Bobi Wine from campaigning. You have seen the soldiers and the police who fill the highway and disrupt my movements, especially in Buganda [Sub] region,’ he said.

Mr Kyagulanyi, who also held campaign rallies at Zirobwe Town Council and Kyegombwa Parish in Luweero Town Council, claimed that the NRM government has targeted his campaigns in Buganda Sub-region with major disruptions to his movements and tear gassing of his supporters, with registered deaths resulting from injuries.

‘Even as we talk (today), one of our supporters has just died because of injuries. This is the kind of campaign that we are going through,’ he said.

This publication could not independently verify the details of the supporter Mr Kyagulanyi said died yesterday.

Ms Amina Nankinga, a resident of Nyimbwa Sub-county in Luweero District, said she has lost three acres to suspected land grabbers.

‘We are yet to get the protection from land grabbers. I want the next President to ensure the Bibanja holders get security over their respective land. The land grabbers are very powerful people,’ she said.

Mr Yusuf Ssebagala, a resident of Wobulenzi Town Council, said:’I want the next President to settle the unemployment challenge among the youth. The little land left behind by our ancestors was taken away by land grabbers.’

Hoima City holds an enviable position in the future of this country. It is the capital of the coming petroleum industry. It will soon be home to the second international airport in the country.

It will also soon be home to Uganda’s most modern sports stadium, one of the three that will host the Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) in 2027. But that is not all. Hoima sits smack in the middle of Uganda tourism hotbed. It is very close to Munchison Falls National Park, the Rwenzori Mountains and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Couple this with the fact that an international airport is about to open in the city and you realise that Hoima is about to become a big hospitality city because of all the travellers who will be passing through.

Hotel rooms

This means of Uganda’s 10 new cities that have a bright future, Hoima likely sits at the top of the list. More hotel rooms will be needed not just because it is about to explode economically due to the promising petroleum industry, but because, more urgently, the city needs hotel rooms to accommodate the crowds that will visit it during the Afcon tournament in 2027. Hoima is also about to be home to Uganda’s second international airport after Entebbe. Travellers on their layovers need hotel rooms and restaurants to refresh and eat. Many South Sudanese and eastern Congolese will soon choose Kabalega over Entebbe just to shorten their road trips back home.

Because of the new airport, in the near future, tourists on their way to Uganda’s national parks will likely choose Kabalega over Entebbe. Additionally, the international airport is anticipated to entice more tourists to jet into the country because those who didn’t want to come because of the long road trips from Entebbe will likely change their mind. The more travellers land into Hoima, the more hotels will be needed to host them before and after they tour the different national parks in western Uganda. And the more top tier rooms in that part of the country, the easier it will be to market Uganda’s offerings there like Murchison Falls and the Rwenzoris. Today, the city has only 507 hotel rooms, a sign that there is a gap to fill.

One of the reasons a big chunk of tourists to Bwindi is said to come through Rwanda is because Rwanda’s Kanombe International Airport is much closer to Bwindi than Entebbe. A section of tourists don’t like long drives. This is why Hoima International Airport will likely be an extra incentive for tourists to come into the country because it will eliminate the extra cost of chartering flights into the region and the long road trips from Entebbe. Having said all that, it goes without saying that the reason most people have heavily invested in Kampala’s property industry is because they want to tap into Kampala’s economic opportunities. Going by the same logic, Hoima city is about to receive property investors like never before. All eyes on Hoima.