Category: Daily Monitor

This is where Uganda’s wild heart introduces itself gently, especially to children who may never visit Murchison Falls, Kidepo, or Pian Upe in far-flung places of Uganda. For visitors from Kampala and surrounding areas, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC), formerly Entebbe Zoo, offers something rare; a taste of safari just 45 minutes from the capital.

When you arrive at the zoo, the air thrums with bird calls, monkeys dart through branches and even on the pathways, and the Lake Victoria shores, which touch the centre, give in a life that keeps inviting.

It is a world where wildlife and plant life coexist naturally, modelling the harmony that the Pearl of Africa strives to protect. UWEC is both a learning centre and a family retreat, and a doorway into Uganda’s biodiversity.

Its location in Entebbe makes it the closest and easiest nature escape from Kampala or the surrounding areas, and visitors can come for the day or stay overnight in African-style bandas and furnished apartments. For many city dwellers, it is the most accessible wildlife experience they will ever have. And for travellers heading to the islands or returning from the airport, UWEC is a refreshing stopover.

On weekends, the centre transforms into a festival of life. School buses arrive, toddlers tug at parents’ hands, teenagers pose for selfies with giraffes, and photographers chase golden-hour shots of the shoebill’s prehistoric stare. UWEC belongs to everyone; families, birders, backpackers, honeymooners, students, corporate teams, and even diplomats tracing Uganda’s conservation success. This vibrancy hides a long journey.

Established in 1952 as Entebbe Zoo, it was once a refuge for injured wildlife. The turmoil of the 1970s nearly erased it as animals disappeared, staff fled, and the institution crumbled. In 1994, its rebirth began with a new mission: wildlife education, rescue, and rehabilitation.

‘We are not just keeping animals in cages,’ Eric Ntalo, a former spokesperson of the centre, says.

He adds: ‘Every creature here tells a story of survival, rescue, and the bond between humans and nature.’ The revival reflected Uganda’s wider investment in conservation and tourism reforms. As Tourism Minister Tom Butime has often said, strong public-private partnerships remain vital to expanding tourism, creating space for centres like UWEC to educate, inspire, and demystify conservation for all.

Today, the 72-acre centre breathes with life, its indigenous trees; mvule, mahogany, fig, and palm rising above shrubs and medicinal plants to form habitats that mirror Uganda’s forests, savannahs, and wetlands, giving rescued animals a semblance of home where parrots chatter in their aviary after being saved from smugglers and lions stretch lazily under the sun.

UWEC’s Behind the Scenes programme continues to draw visitors, allowing families to feed giraffes, couples to groom elephants, and children to toss fruit to chimpanzees that clap, mimic gestures, or pout theatrically, prompting keeper Ronald Okello to remark: ‘They monitor us as much as we observe them. If you sway, they sway. If you frown, they frown back. They are mirrors; emotional and playful.’

Beyond the visitor paths lies the institution’s backbone, where veterinary laboratories hum with activity, rescue teams respond to emergencies across the country, and quarantine units rehabilitate animals injured by snares, displaced by habitat loss, or trapped in illegal trade, while students from local and international universities complete internships that expose them to animal nutrition and community conservation.

The centre’s mission is not simply care but transformation of mindsets, a vision captured by a former executive director, who explained: ‘We want Ugandans to see wildlife as heritage, not background scenery. When a child meets a chimp or rhino up close, conservation stops being distant, it becomes personal.’

The medicinal plant garden reinforces this mission by serving as a living library of indigenous knowledge, where guides highlight aloe for burns, neem for infections, and African basil for coughs, and schoolchildren gather beneath the trees to learn how communities have long relied on these plants for healing.

The rehabilitation area, however, remains the most emotional space, as animals recovering from trauma, whether snared antelopes, smuggled parrots, or orphaned cubs, slowly regain strength, with some eventually returning to the wild, while others remain lifelong ambassadors for conservation.

Throughout the day, UWEC’s human spirit is evident in the gentle voices of keepers, the encouragement of guides who draw out shy children, and the warmth of staff who welcome visitors as friends, while guests are invited to ‘adopt’ an animal, a symbolic gesture that supports feeding, veterinary care, and habitat improvement, turning tourists into guardians and strengthening the emotional bond that conservation requires.

As evening falls behind Entebbe airport, the centre shifts into serenity, the water glowing gold as fishermen paddle past the pier, and the restaurant fills with quiet life, leaving visitors with the sense that wildlife begins not only in enclosures but in the hearts of those who depart inspired. UWEC’s greatest triumph, perhaps, lies not in the number of animals rescued or gardens planted but in the spark it ignites in children who may never reach Kidepo yet discover Uganda’s wild close to home.

Key information

Location: UWEC is located on the Entebbe shoreline, about 45 minutes from Kampala, in Entebbe. The easiest access is from Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, and Entebbe International Airport. Entry fees: Ugandan adults pay Shs10,000 as an entrance fee, while Ugandan children are charged Shs5,000. Non-Ugandan visitors part with Shs30,000.

Activities and experiences: Behind the Scenes, where you get to feed giraffes, chimpanzees, and elephants, then birdwatching of shoebill, grey parrots, hornbills, among other birds. There are guided nature and botanical walks, as well as medicinal plant garden tours, chimpanzee viewing and learning sessions, boat rides on Lake Victoria, photography, and a ‘Keeper for a Day’ programme. There is a children’s play area.

Accommodation: UWEC has accomodation facilities within, which range from Shs80,000 to Shs Shs250,000 per night for Ugandans, then from $40 (Shs144,000) to $120 (about Shs431,000) for non East Africans.

There is premium accommodation at facilities like Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe, which ranges from $190 (Shs683,000) to $280 (Shs1m), Lake Heights Hotel, Horizon Hotel, 2Friends Beach Hotel, and more.

Why do governments struggle to tax high-net-worth individuals and multinationals while relentlessly pursuing the informal sector?

The answer lies in a mix of complexity and power. Wealthy elites and global firms operate through layered corporate structures and cross-border transactions, and they often benefit from political protection.

Small businesses, by contrast, are easier to find, register, and monitor. As a result, tax authorities can expand the register without raising much revenue because most newly registered taxpayers are low-income earners with limited taxable capacity.

Uganda shows the dilemma clearly. The tax-to-GDP ratio remains under 14 percent, below African peers and short of government’s 16 to 18 percent target.

With donor funding shrinking, domestic revenue has to rise. Economists argue that the country will not close the gap by squeezing already burdened small firms; meaningful gains lie in taxing large companies and wealthy individuals where the income is generated.

Civil society organisations say many multinationals minimise or evade taxes by routing investments and profits through low-tax jurisdictions or countries with favourable treaties.

Double taxation agreements often allocate taxing rights mainly to a company’s home country, rather than the country where profits are earned.

As a result, income generated in Uganda can legally escape taxation before it reaches the local base.

The African High-Level Report estimates that for every one dollar Africa receives in investment, three dollars leave the continent through capital flight and value loss.

This suggests that resources already exist in the system but leak away through loopholes that remain unaddressed.

The Tullow Oil dispute highlighted what is at stake: a single sale of Ugandan assets yielded more than $400m in assessed taxes, far beyond what could be raised by taxing thousands of low-income earners.

Economist Fred Muhumuza argues that failure to tax the rich is often political, with technocrats avoiding confronting or closing the loopholes. But beyond this, a major constraint lies in Uganda’s double taxation agreements.

Several older treaties tilt heavily toward investor countries, limiting Uganda’s ability to tax profits generated locally by firms headquartered abroad.

Civil society organisations under Tax Justice Alliance have repeatedly urged renegotiation of such agreements, including the Uganda-Netherlands treaty, which they say sharply restricts Uganda’s source-country taxing rights.

Weak enforcement of transfer-pricing rules is another barrier. Although the law requires related companies to trade at arm’s length, URA lacks access to reliable global pricing databases to verify declared prices.

Efforts to obtain this information through the OECD have been slowed by Uganda’s limited compliance with international data-protection standards. This information gap enables profit shifting across borders with minimal scrutiny.

High-value sectors also show gaps. Muhumuza points to gold exports worth an estimated $3 to $4b annually. Exporters are required to pay $200 per kilogramme, but many don’t pay.

Enforcing existing laws in such sectors, he argues, would yield more revenue than chasing small taxpayers who contribute marginally. Multinationals further reduce tax liability through thin capitalisation.

By borrowing from subsidiaries in low-tax jurisdictions and claiming interest deductions in Uganda, firms can report tiny or even zero profits locally while booking gains elsewhere.

Allan Muhereza Murangira of Youth for Tax Justice Network cites companies that declare losses to URA for years but report profits elsewhere.

In one case, a company that had reported losses for nine consecutive years declared profits soon after government proposed a 1 percent tax on gross sales, implying its earlier ‘losses’ were strategic.

Murangira and other activists call for reforms such as country-by-country reporting, automatic exchange of information, and public registers of beneficial ownership.

These tools would clarify where profits are made, where they are declared, and who benefits.

Beyond technical fixes, the political economy matters. Muhumuza says failing to tax high-net-worth individuals often amounts to political shielding.

Until institutions are willing and able to confront elite interests, loopholes will persist, and enforcement will remain uneven.

Uganda’s treaty negotiation strategy also weakens its position. Agreements mix OECD and UN models, but outcomes often favour foreign investors.

Dorothy Nakyamanade, Supervisor for Tax Expenditures and Policy Analysis, says URA works within the law and can tax firms even without permanent establishments.

She cautions against assuming big companies should automatically carry a disproportionate share, arguing that fairness means every taxpayer contributes according to the rules.

Still, she warns that failure to collect from all contributors crowds out spending on health, education, and social protection.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine has made a shocking claim that the government spends a staggering Shs2 billion daily on deploying armed forces to trail him on campaign trails, instead of using the money to boost service delivery to ordinary citizens.

By press time, this publication could not independently verify this figure. However, Mr Kyagulanyi and other opposition presidential candidates have been seen being trailed by several military and police trucks with security bosses arguing that the heavy deployment is meant to provide security and manage their movement.

‘In our experience this far, the tension points between the security forces and unfortunately almost always one of the political parties, specifically the NUP, is always about infringement of guidelines set regarding departures from designated venues and routes for rallies (rallies in unagreed places-trading centres, markets and along the roads) and traffic rules (driving/riding recklessly, being carried in dangerous manner in motor vehicles and motor cycles),’ the Inspector General of Police, Abba Byakagaba told journalists in Kampala on Monday.

According to the IGP there is need to collocate the right to political expression and attendant freedoms of assembly and expression, with rights of other members within the same ecosystem, to go about their normal businesses.

“It is our duty as UPF to ensure that both sides enjoy their rights and freedoms and whoever breaches the law is handled appropriately,” Mr Byakagaba added before stressing that the laws of the country are not in abeyance and must be adhered to “as we carry out political activities. We urge all stakeholders to continue exercising their rights responsibly and respect the rights of others.”

According to Mr Kyagulanyi, the amount of money spent on trailing him could be better spent on addressing pressing issues plaguing the country, such as the struggling health and education sectors, and the deplorable state of Uganda’s roads.

Addressing a rally in Amolatar Town Council on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the musician turned politician argued that the money is being wasted on intimidating and silencing dissenting voices, rather than serving the people.

‘I am also aware that the army broke over the lake (Lake Kyoga) and almost attacked us. I am also aware that the education is troubling here. I am also aware that we don’t have medicine in the health centres. I am also aware that the young people here do not have jobs. I am also aware that not even one single factory is here. So, my brothers and sisters, I know the problems that you are facing. But there are problems all over the country. Uganda is rich but Ugandans are poor, yet we are gifted with nature.and we have young people that are strong and ready to work. Only that the government does not care for them,’he said.

Mr Kyagulanyi is for the second times seeking to unseat President Museveni, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) flagbearer who has ruled Uganda for four decades but plans to extend his stay in office further in the 2026 General Election.

‘If you want to understand that this government does not care for the people, look at how many soldiers and police officers following me. Look at how many police officers and military officers who are following me,’ said the NUP presidential candidate, adding that armed forces follow him everywhere in the country.

‘They use more than Shs2 billion every day just to follow me. That shows that we have the money in our country, but those who are in power are only concerned about staying in power and not serving the people.’

The NUP leader has been vocal about the need for change, citing widespread corruption, poverty, and lack of democracy as major concerns.

Mr Kyagulanyi said in a new Uganda he intends to create, all of the money being wasted would be used to improve ordinary people’s lives.

The government’s response to these allegations has been predictably dismissive, but the issue has resonated with many Ugandans who feel their taxes are being misused.

Nonetheless, as the 2026 elections approach, the debate is likely to intensify, with Mr Kyagulanyi positioning himself as a champion of transparency and accountability.

Key issues

Lango still has the lowest stock of paved road network in the country at less than 3% despite the addition of the 191 km Rwenkunye-Apac-Lira road, which is currently under construction.

In Amolatar, there is a need for upgrading Namasale-Amolatar-Ochero-Dokolo road to tarmac, and upgrading Amolatar Health Centre IV to a district hospital.

Voting trend

In 2021, a total of 71,173 people registered to vote in Amolatar, according to data from the Electoral Commission. Mr Kyagulanyi obtained 7,185 votes, while Mr Museveni polled 38,619 votes.

In northern Uganda’s Alebtong District, dozens of smallholder farmers battered for years by floods, droughts and erratic seasons are steadily turning to horticulture as a climate-resilient lifeline, a shift made possible by a small-scale irrigation scheme that is reshaping livelihoods.

The transformation follows the 2018 construction of the Owameri Small Scale Irrigation System by the Ministry of Water and Environment under the Water for Production Regional Centre – North.

The project, located in Aloi Town Council, was designed to promote efficient use of local water resources and encourage modern farming practices in a region long dependent on rain-fed agriculture.

A survey by Monitor reveals that the scheme has enabled farmers to grow food year-round, boosting incomes and easing food insecurity in a district often hit by prolonged dry spells and flash floods.

With reliable irrigation, farmers are now producing tomatoes, green peppers, watermelon, cabbages, onions and eggplants – crops sold in local markets to generate steady earnings.

‘Boosted income’

For 33-year-old Moses Omara from Angatabii Ward, the shift into horticulture has been life-changing.

Formerly a builder, Omara joined the scheme in 2018 after low returns from construction pushed him toward agriculture.

‘I began by cultivating cabbages and green pepper. In 2019, I sold green pepper at Lira Main Market in Lira City and I fetched Shs2 million, of which I used Shs1.5 million to purchase a piece of land,’ he says.

By 2021, he earned Shs1.3 million from cabbage and green pepper sales – enough to buy a cow. In 2023, green pepper brought in Shs3.1 million, enabling him to build a pit latrine.

‘This year, I sold more green peppers, some still in the garden and I have started building a house,’ he says.

Yet challenges persist: high seed and insecticide prices, labour-intensive nursery management, and lack of storage remain major hurdles.

Still, Omara plans to expand by reinvesting in livestock.

Another farmer, Jimmy Abura, entered the scheme after Covid-19 shifted local demand from tree seedlings to food crops.

In the first 2025 season he harvested cabbages, followed by red pepper now ready for harvest.

‘I sold my produce at Aloi Town Council market and I earned Shs900,000. I used the money to buy two pigs and I have started making bricks for building my house,’ Abura says.

He adds that training under the scheme transformed his skills.

‘I had limited skills in pest and disease management, poor enterprise selection, poor post-harvest handling, and marketing but with all the training and exposure, I am now able to manage my crops, source better inputs, and market them profitably.’

Like others, he has shifted from subsistence to market-oriented farming.

Sixty-two-year-old Lillian Akullo from Otweyo Toke echoes the sentiment. ‘I used to struggle to make ends meet, but this project has helped me increase my income,’ she explains.

With onions, cabbages and tomatoes on two plots, Akullo earned Shs600,000 this season after harvesting onions, helping her pay school fees for a grandchild.

In earlier seasons she earned Shs1.8 million, allowing her to mold bricks, buy cement and hire a builder. ‘Something I had thought was impossible,’ she says.

Still, she says hand-watering during the dry season is difficult. ‘When everyone plants at the same time, the market becomes flooded, making it hard to sell,’ she notes.

‘Climate resilience’

Dozens of farmers who spoke to Monitor said the irrigation scheme has helped them adapt to climate shocks while providing a dependable income.

Their gains highlight the growing importance of climate-smart agriculture in building resilience in rural communities confronting increasingly unpredictable weather.

Kanungu District has been connected to Uganda’s National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) under Phase 5 of the project, marking a significant step in the country’s digital expansion.

The launch was presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, alongside ICT Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi and NITA-U Executive Director Dr Hatwib Mugasa. The extension follows the national rollout of Phase 5 in Moroto District in December 2024.

Officials said the decision to prioritise Kanungu reflects government’s commitment to balanced development and the President’s directive that no district should be excluded from Uganda’s digital transformation.

Dr Mugasa described the project as ‘a big leap for Kanungu and its people,’ noting that expanded fibre coverage would support innovation and improve public service delivery.

Local Benefits

The backbone will connect district headquarters, sub-counties, schools, health facilities, police posts, and local government offices to high-speed internet. Residents will be able to access services such as ID applications, visas, and education resources online without traveling long distances.

Dr Baryomunsi emphasized that the infrastructure would improve access to health, education, and business services. ‘When those public institutions are connected, every member of Kanungu who walks through their doors will feel the power of high-speed internet in their hands,’ he said.

National Scope

Kanungu is one of 63 districts included in Phase 5, the largest expansion of the NBI to date. The project involves laying more than 5,000 kilometers of fibre cable, constructing 21 solar-powered transmission sites, and connecting 2,800 public institutions nationwide.

The initiative is expected to strengthen key sectors including education, health, tourism, agriculture, and security, while advancing Uganda’s goal of full digital inclusion.

With Kanungu now connected, the Kigezi region joins the rest of the country in accessing modern service delivery and opportunities in the digital economy.

Several climate change mitigation ideas have mooted and implemented, with varying levels of success.

Stakeholders have now made a decision to integrate climate change mitigation into the higher education curriculum. Climate activists argue that the integration of climate resilience teaching into the curriculum could go a long way in lessening the effects of climate change.

‘I believe that climate change is not understood by many people, but a deliberate effort that ensures that learners at higher education institutions learn to care for nature regardless of their respective courses, is a good idea. Climate change resilience should not be a subject left for environmentalists and conservationists but a citizen responsibility.

This includes the young and old,’ Dr Phelmon Natembeya Gizamba, a conservationist and founder of Nature for All Global Resilience Initiative (NAGRI) tells Daily Monitor. Dr Natembeya adds: ‘We have a generation where a section of the population is very disconnected from reality. Like at the higher institutions of learning, some students could be forced to believe that caring for the environment should be left for the agriculturalists, forestry and environment science students. This is very wrong. I hope that the basis for integrating climate resilience teaching in the curriculum for higher education institutions is to bring on board all students and the teaching staff. We should be able to see results from the way the university compound, lecture rooms, farms respond to climate resilience.’

Under the Strengthening Teaching and Research for Climate Resilience and Green Energy Transitions in Universities, Soroti University, a public university in eastern Uganda and Ndejje University, a private and Church-founded university in central Uganda will be beneficiaries of the European Union (EU) funded three-year project. The EU has earmarked a co-funding grant of Shs1.66b for the project. The discussions encompass several aspects targeting enhancement of climate change education into the normal life of a student, teaching staff and the communities through outreach programmes to conserve the environment.

Mr Johnson Bebwa Ssemanda, a climate actor and conservationist based in the greater Luweero area, clarifies that while efforts targeting sensitisation of the population about the dangers of environmental degradation are ongoing, it is disturbing that sections of the different communities are careless and do not care about conservation. ‘I believe that, possibly, climate resilience, once integrated into the curriculum as proposed, will demand that all students become climate resilience actors and change agents. The students represent a bigger section of the community. The climate resilience outreaches could create another impact,’ he says. Mr Mark Kiprop, a Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture and Extension student at Ndejje University, says climate change resilience awareness should be a duty for all people at different levels of society.

He explains that integrating climate resilience into the curriculum should not only be for universities but at the different learning levels to create impact. ‘I have a course unit in climate change adaptation and mitigation as part of my general course. But I also believe that all the other students should be ambassadors of climate change mitigation and adaptation. But this should be carefully crafted to ensure the message is received positively to create impact,’ he tells Daily Monitor. Calling for climate resilience action, climate activists say it must begin at one’s doorstep and extend to other areas of the society.

What it means

Prof Robert Ikoja Odongo, the vice chancellor of Soroti University, one of the institutions chosen to pilot the climate change integration into the curriculum, believes that part of the interventions will be ensuring its campuses are greened, including the lecture halls, among other spaces, while taking into account the many other actions that translate to nature conservation. ‘We should incubate ideas, technology and create a future which is sustainable. We need to have impactful actions on the ground for not only the university but the community through outreaches. If it is planting trees, we must understand which type of trees to plant,’ he said at a recent inception meeting for climate change integration into the curriculum on November 21.

Dr David Talengera the Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Agriculture at Ndejje University, says since Ndejje and Soroti universities are located within the cattle corridor areas of Uganda, characterised by prolonged dry spells, climate resilience actions should be intensified. ‘We were not chosen by mistake, but we are the right group for the project,’ he adds. Apart from teaching and creating awareness through the different projects and outreaches, Ndejje University has the opportunity to enhance sustainable and renewable programmes. Rev Canon Prof Olivia Banja, the Ndejje University vice chancellor, says realigning the courses with climate change realities should be the way to go.

‘For Ndejje, we are blessed with enough land that is enabling us to venture into sustainable farm practices, forestry and renewable energy resources,’ she reveals. The universities are not working in isolation but in partnership with several other stakeholders. These include the National Agricultural Organisation (Naro), the Research and Education Agency (REA), the European Union Commission, the University of Pavia in Italy, and the Polytechnic Institute of Porto in Portugal.

forest cover loss Conservationists in Uganda say the sudden change in the rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, and rising temperatures beyond the normal degrees are greatly impacting the way of life. The intense floods in parts of the country, crop failure as a result of low rainfall amounts or dry spells, are partly blamed on human interference with the environment. One of the major drivers of climate change in the country has been identified as deforestation. Uganda’s forest cover has dropped from 24 percent in 1990 to 12 percent in 2021, according to the National State of the Environment Report 2022 that is published by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).

The report added that an estimated 73,000 hectares of forest are lost annually, mainly due to agricultural expansion, human settlement and fuelwood extraction. According to data from the Uganda Environment Atlas, also published by Nema, it is estimated that at least three million hectares of forest cover were lost between 1990 and 2021.

The 2025 Global Forest Resources Assessment report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, shows that Uganda has lost nearly half of its forest cover since 1990. It indicates that Uganda’s forest area has significantly declined from 4.55 million hectares in 1990 to 2.37 million hectares in 2025.

This represents a loss of about 48 percent in 35 years. Without deliberate engagements through climate mitigation measures, climate activists, among other stakeholders, fear that Uganda could lose more of the natural ecosystems, including the water sources and forest cover, by 2030 at a fast rate. The activists are advocating for the increased use of renewable energy sources to reduce the number of trees cut for firewood and charcoal. Climate activists and proponents of the Strengthening Teaching and Research Capacities in recently established Universities (STRCUU) believe that integrating climate resilience products in the existing undergraduate curricula will enhance climate education.

Traders at Tororo Modern Central Market shut down operations Wednesday morning and stormed municipal council offices to protest high taxes and rental fees, disrupting business across the town.

The vendors, led by their Chairperson David Musana, accused council authorities of imposing excessive charges on market stalls and lock-ups while failing to regulate street vendors operating nearby.

‘We have moved to neighboring markets like Busia and Mbale where rates are much lower. Tororo Municipal Council is overcharging us,’ Musana said in a memorandum presented to the Resident District Commissioner (RDC).

Traders said the council charges Shs15,000 for a standard stall, Shs150,000 for a ground-floor lock-up facing outwards, Shs100,000 for those facing inwards, and Shs70,000 for first-floor lock-ups.

‘This is unfair competition,’ said Juma Magona Jamagara, a trader, adding that: ‘We are forced to reduce our prices to match hawkers who operate outside the market and pay no taxes, while we shoulder multiple levies.’

Other vendors raised concerns over working conditions. Restaurant operator Ocho Mukulu said shared kitchens have deterred customers, prompting some to consider relocating their produce to the streets.

Richard Onyango Jimmy, another trader, accused municipal officials of double standards, pointing to the council’s failure to collect fees from unlicensed vendors outside the market who sell similar goods.

The protest effectively trapped town officials in municipal offices as vendors surrounded the buildings to prevent their departure.

The standoff ended after intervention by RDC Hajji Sadik Bategana, who persuaded traders to reopen the market.

‘My office is in total agreement with you,’ Bategana told the vendors.

He added: ‘I am directing the council speaker to convene an urgent council meeting within 48 hours to address your grievances. Please resume business as some of you sell perishable commodities.’

Town Mayor Kenedy Orono Nyapidi responded that vendors were involved in setting the contested rates.

‘Before finalizing rental rates, we consulted sector heads who guided us on what to levy. I am surprised that they are now challenging the same rates,’ Nyapidi said.

He added that the council would not be intimidated by protests, noting that vendors who find the rates too high are free to leave, allowing municipal authorities to lease the stalls to other tenants.

Forty-three years after Uganda registered its first HIV/Aids case among the fishing communities, the epidemic remains a major challenge in island districts like Kalangala. The burden is heavy on islanders, especially the young generation, who navigate daily pressures linked to poverty, risky behaviours, and limited guidance. For Mr Godfrey Galiwango, 21, a student at Bumanji Polytechnic Institute, growing up in Kalangala meant being surrounded by temptations that put boys at high risk of contracting HIV. ‘At landing sites, we have sugar mummies. They offer us money between Shs10,000 and Shs20,000 to sleep with them. For boys whose families cannot afford scholastic materials or school fees, it becomes tempting to have unprotected sex,’ he explained.

Mr Galiwango added: ‘When it comes to boys involved in money-making activities like fishing, they are a target for grown-up women who seduce young boys to engage in risky sexual acts.” He commended school health clubs for keeping him and others safe from such temptations through peer-to-peer education, training, and continuous engagement on HIV/Aids and other diseases by focusing on abstinence and condom use, among others . ‘I joined what I thought was a music class, but later learnt it was a health club. From primary to secondary, we were trained on how to protect ourselves from being dragged into unprotected sex,’Mr Galiwango said.

Today, as a peer educator at his school, he shares the same knowledge with others, including those living with HIV. ‘If a fellow student has HIV, I advise them to take their medication and give them hope for a better future,’ Mr Galiwango said. Beyond school, he uses community radios and village visits to spread HIV prevention messages. ‘I see myself as a foot soldier for HIV prevention in my village and school, especially among my age mates,’ Mr Galiwango said, adding that with support from Brass for Africa, a non-governmental organisation, he has reached more than five villages spreading the prevention message. However, he faces stigma and hostility from some community members.

‘They mock me saying what I do isn’t for my age, that I should quit because I’m not the first to care about HIV,’ he said. Ms Gloria Easter Awori, also 21, a student at Serwanga Lwanga Memorial Secondary School, said health clubs have been a lifeline since she joined one in 2017. She said several girls give in to transactional sex to access sanitary pads, among other reasons-putting them at risk of contracting HIV/Aids and other diseases. ‘In clubs, we are always given pads and trained to make reusable pads. That has kept many girls and me from being tempted with money for pads in exchange for sex,’ Ms Awori said. She said clubs have also helped her support vulnerable girls across landing sites such as Kasekuro, Kagoonya, and Kasenyi by providing sanitary pads and offering peer to peer guidance.

At Bridge of Hope Nursery and Primary School, Joshua Ssemanda, a 12-year-old pupil, encourages all boys to join health clubs to be moulded into better citizens. ‘I couldn’t join groups of boys who take marijuana and alcohol. We receive counselling that keeps us from sexual acts,’ he said. At Serwanga Lwanga Memorial SS, Ms Grace Nakayaga, 18, said health clubs have taught her to be assertive. ‘I now have the confidence to say no and keep myself in school to avoid sexual acts that would expose me to HIV and pregnancy,’ she said. Ms Nakayaga added that clubs provide important information, including the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), abstaining, and self-control. The student said with such information, she can help others. ‘No one should undermine us. We can help more girls reduce HIV prevalence among our age group.

There are things I can influence a fellow girl to do which another couldn’t,’ Ms Nakayaga said. District records show that since 2017, Kalangala’s HIV prevalence has reduced from 18 percent to 12 percent. Ms Teddy Namuli, the district HIV focal person, said the decline reflects the collective efforts from all stakeholders. Ms Namuli applauded the health club programme for equipping young people with vital information to keep safe. ‘Youth spreading prevention messages has also played a big role among people of their age,’ she said. Available statistics show that Kalangala’s teenage pregnancy rate has also dropped-from 32 percent to 23 percent. At Serwanga Lwanga Memorial SS, the deputy head teacher, Mr John Paul Ewong, said health clubs have reshaped students’ behaviour.

‘We allow students from these clubs to speak during school parades. Their interactions have improved their morals,’ he said, adding that there is a dramatic decline in school pregnancies. Mr Ewong added: ‘We used to start every term with pregnancy tests, and many girls would test positive. But this year, we have not registered any girl pregnant.” He,however, said there is a need for more comprehensive training sessions beyond the short parade messages. ‘We need a full day off each year to let peers fully exhaust all information into fellow youth,’Mr Ewong said. The peer-to-peer programme, delivered through the school health clubs is part of the health care ambassador programme introduced by the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Brass for Africa.

Mr Ronald Kabuye, the national coordinator of Brass for Africa, said more than 300 schoolchildren across Kalangala have been enrolled in the Health Care Ambassador Programme since 2017. He explained that the programme uses music to attract youth, whom health workers train to become health care ambassadors. The programme has trained 392 ambassadors who have conducted over 1,000 peer-to-peer sessions in various schools since 2017.

Uganda’s annual diaspora remittances have now surpassed the Shs6.5 trillion mark, the Senior Presidential Adviser on Diaspora Affairs , Mr Muhammad Bagonza, has revealed.

Mr Bagonza, who is also the head of the Diaspora Unit in State House, made the remarks last week during the 2025 Uganda-Qatar Diaspora Convention, hosted by the Ugandan Embassy in Qatar capital Doha, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The convention brought together more than 400 Ugandan migrant workers, diaspora leaders, government officials and private sector partners. It followed a three-day programme aimed at building the capacity of embassy staff and diaspora community leaders-strengthening their approaches to migrant welfare, service delivery and community coordination.

‘Ugandans in the Gulf region contribute between 38 percent (Shs2.24 trillion) and 40 percent (Shs2.6 trillion) of that total (Shs6.5 trillion),’ Mr Bagonza was quoted as saying while delivering national updates.

The Gulf region comprises Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His remarks were reinforced by Mr Patrick Batenze of Liberation Community Finance, who spoke about safe and credible investment pathways available in Uganda.

The convention was also addressed by Dr Julius Buaruhanga of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), who outlined micro and small enterprise opportunities that Ugandans in the diaspora can invest in to support both personal income growth and national economic development.

Capacity-building workshops led by Ms Victoria Nabiteeko of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Kampala, equipped embassy staff and diaspora leaders with practical skills in migrant welfare support and ethical community management.

Attendees The convention, co-led by Mr Bagonza and Ms Desree Barlow, the presidential assistant and head of the Research Desk in the Office of the President, drew a wide cross-section of Ugandans living and working in Qatar.

Dr Mohammed Baswari Kezaala, the deputy head of mission, applauded the strong unity demonstrated by Ugandans in supporting the national Under-17 football team at the Fifa World Cup.

He also noted growing bilateral cooperation, marked by the opening of Qatar’s Embassy in Kampala, which he described as a milestone made possible through the goodwill of His Highness the Emir of Qatar.

As we approach the festive season, every parent carries a mixture of excitement, responsibility, expectation and sometimes hidden anxiety.

This long holiday brings children and relatives home for weeks to celebrate the festive season together, and it quietly raises the question: What should I, as a parent, be thinking about right now? The way you prepare your home, heart, and time in these weeks will shape your child’s emotional well-being, behaviour, and memories long after January ends.

As December starts, planning early is key. Many school-going children are coming from a stressful academic term, some disappointed, some relieved, and others simply exhausted. As a parent, the first thing on your mind should be reconnection. Not the kind who asks for marks, reports, or comparisons, but the kind who says: ‘I’m glad you are home. I want to know how you are doing.’ Your child needs emotional safety before they can open up about their true experiences of the term.

To others, it will be a long-term time of a whole year’s work, and now they are looking forward to the festive season to relax, even if it is just one week. Take time to reconnect together and create a relaxing mood for everyone to enjoy the festive season.

Children or some of our family members thrive where there is structure, warmth, and stability. The festive season often disrupts routines, yet children still need some level of predictability.

Think ahead: How will the days look? Are there family values you want to reinforce: respect, responsibility, kindness, self-control?

A peaceful home doesn’t just happen; it’s nurtured through intentional communication, shared responsibilities, and modelling the behaviour you want to see.

Plan to use this holiday to evaluate together how each family member will model family values and identity, and ensure home is home everyone runs to for peace.

The holiday spirit easily tempts children into excessive screen time, late nights, overeating, or idleness. As a parent, it is wise to think about boundaries clear but loving ones. The festive season is not a break from parenting; it simply invites more creativity.

Set gentle rules, agree on screen schedules, and guide your child in making healthy use of their free time without turning the home into a battleground.

A home is a product of behavioural formation and character building.

This holiday is a rare opportunity for children to grow in ways school cannot offer. Think about life skills: cooking, cleaning, budgeting, public speaking, helping in family business, volunteering at church or in the community, or learning something new like an instrument or sport.

These activities build confidence, responsibility, and character. The festive season should shape who your child is becoming not only how much they are celebrating.

During the holiday rush, gifts are easily remembered and quickly forgotten. What lasts are moments. Moments of walking together, sharing stories, preparing meals, praying as a family, or visiting relatives.

As you think about your plans this season, prioritise presence over presents. Don’t only think Christmas season will be enough to cover up that gap. Start now as school holidays have started. Your child may not tell you directly, but your attention is one of the greatest gifts they long for. Your presence speaks louder than Christmas presents or expenses you are planning.

Festive seasons come with risks like peer pressure, exposure to harmful content, unsafe environments, reckless behaviour, and unhealthy influences. This holiday also comes with political campaigns across the country.

A parent’s mind should be alert. Where will your child be? Who are they spending time with? What are they doing online? Are they also on the campaign grounds where we have seen teargas? Is your child safe from any political harm in your community? Love requires both trust and vigilance. Parent with both heart and wisdom.

Open your mind to think beyond the usual guards or fence at home. While enjoying the celebrations, think also about the transition into a new year. How will you support your child to grow academically, spiritually, emotionally, and socially?

What habits do you want them to build? What family conversations should happen now before the next school term arrives, or during the Christmas long break, which happens once a year with other family members?

The festive season is not just a break; it is a window-an opportunity to strengthen your child’s heart or family’s bond, shape their behaviour, and deepen your ties.