Category: Daily Monitor

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, with 78 percent of its nearly 46 million citizens under the age of 30. Yet the country’s youth face persistent challenges, including high unemployment, underemployment, skill mismatches, and limited economic opportunities in both urban and rural areas.

As the country prepares for the 2026 General Election, we examine the manifestos of several presidential candidates to see what plans they have for the youth.

What parties plan

The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) manifesto focuses on marginalised youth, particularly those in ghettos and underprivileged families. The party highlights the link between generational poverty and exposure to petty crime, transactional sex, and drug dealing due to harsh social and economic conditions.

ANT promises apprenticeships, skills training, income-generating activities, scholarships, and family support programmes. While the party emphasises social inclusion and long-term empowerment, the manifesto is less clear on the scale or timelines of these initiatives. Uganda’s informal sector employs 85 to 90 percent of actively working youth, underscoring the importance of skilling initiatives.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) manifesto paints a detailed picture of the structural challenges facing youth employment. It highlights how economic growth has not translated into sufficient job creation, leaving millions of young Ugandans trapped in joblessness, informal work, or low-paying jobs.

NUP also notes the mismatch between university training and market needs, forcing many graduates to seek work abroad under exploitative conditions. The party promises better access to credit, improved business regulations, and policies to align skills with market demands.

The manifesto further proposes private-sector job creation mechanisms by easing access to construction permits, electricity, border trading, property registration, and affordable taxes. It also points to the slow pace of urbanisation, linked to sluggish rural-urban migration, which leaves much of the labour force trapped in low-productivity agriculture.

This slow reduction in agricultural labour explains Uganda’s relatively slow urbanisation process. According to the Uganda Banks Association, more than 110,000 Ugandans seek jobs abroad each year, especially in the Middle East. More than 400,000 graduates enter the job market annually, but fewer than 90,000 formal jobs are available. The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto, alongside general youth employment initiatives, places significant emphasis on investing in young talent in the creative and sports industries. The creative sector, which includes visual and performing arts, literature, music, film, fashion, design, crafts, and sport, is increasingly seen as a driver of economic growth.

Globally, the entertainment industry was valued at $466 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $860 billion by 2030, while the global sports market is expected to exceed $600 billion by the same year. In Uganda, these sectors contribute more than Shs270 billion to GDP and are poised to become major sources of employment, rising disposable incomes, and a growing appetite for leisure and entertainment. NRM promises to expand the revolving fund for artistes, furnish the creatives’ home with recording studios and other amenities, invest in modern national theatres and exhibition spaces, establish regional creative hubs for talent development, increase support for sports in schools, continue investing in modern sports facilities, ensure the success of AFCON 2027, and create an environment conducive to private-sector investment in sports academies. Through these initiatives, NRM says it aims to empower young Ugandans, turning talent in the creative and sports sectors into viable careers and sustainable economic opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) manifesto combines financial and structural support. It proposes a national youth grant of Shs1 million for graduating youth, cooperative schemes for informal sector workers, and opportunities for youth-owned enterprises in government contracts. It also seeks to modernise agriculture to attract young people. FDC further pledges to establish sports and creative arts academies in each sub-region, support women and youth in aquaculture and fish farming, and set up community rebuild centres to train child mothers in livelihood skills. These centres would also provide daycare programmes to enable young mothers to return to school. The party promises to amend electoral laws to reduce nomination fees for youth candidates.

Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party, centres his youth agenda on the argument that Uganda’s education system produces ‘skilled on paper, jobless in reality.’ His manifesto promises a shift from theory-heavy schooling to practical, job-ready skills, anchored in modern trades and workplace training.

He pledges that youth will drive national innovation and entrepreneurship, supported through cooperatives designed to link youth and women-led enterprises to national and global markets.

A major pillar of his plan is technology. Munyagwa vows to launch a ‘Digital Uganda for All’ programme, connecting every school and ensuring every young person becomes digitally literate, with special emphasis on Artificial Intelligence as a new frontier for job creation.

He also devotes significant attention to the creative and sports sectors – areas he says the government treats as hobbies rather than industries. He promises to establish a Creative Economy Fund to finance music, film and arts; rehabilitate regional sports facilities; and support youth recreation centres in every district.

On the economic front, Munyagwa promises to establish a National SME Fund with low-interest loans, arguing that the cost of credit is discouraging youth enterprises before they even begins. Robert Kasibante of the National Peasants Party (NPP) takes a grassroots approach, framing youth empowerment as a rural economic issue rather than an urban frustration. He pledges to establish a Youth Development Fund to finance youth start-ups, especially in agriculture, value addition and cottage industries.

He pledges to reserve 40 percent of all government contracts for youth and women, a direct attempt to redirect public procurement, which he currently says is dominated by established firms and politically connected actors, to shift towards young entrepreneurs. Mr Kasibante also identifies the creative economy as an underused opportunity and promises to promote music, arts, sports and cultural industries as full economic sectors, supported with funding for regional competitions, festivals and talent programmes.

Joseph Elton Mabirizi’s Conservative Party, on the other hand, anchors his youth agenda in skills, production and national discipline. He promises to launch a Youth Skills Corps, a nationwide programme that trains young people in trades needed for infrastructure, manufacturing, ICT and renewable energy – then deploys them to public works or connects them to local industries for economic stability. To encourage private sector hiring, he proposes tax rebates for companies that recruit and train young Ugandans, arguing that employers must be part of the skills transition. He also pledges to expand vocational and technical institutes across all regions, upgrade their machinery, and link graduates to federal-bank-backed financing so they can start enterprises instead of remaining idle after training.

Beyond employment, Mabirizi promises to prioritise issuing land titles to youth and vulnerable groups, saying secure land tenure is essential for economic participation. He also proposes to train and employ youth in cyber defence, both as a job creation strategy and as a response to rising digital crime.

Taken together, the manifestos show awareness of youth issues but vary in focus. Youth advocates, however, note that the real test lies in whether these pledges translate into tangible improvements in the daily realities of Uganda’s young population.

What the youth say

Mr Abraham Elamaboni, the Uganda Christian University (UCU) guild president, is concerned at the rising level of school dropouts, particularly at upper secondary level. Many students are forced into alternative income-generating activities to earn a living. ‘Youths are facing a challenge of school dropout, especially at A-Level, where some join activities for money. Some have missed the Uneb exams because of UPDF recruitment in my hometown. For example, almost every household has at least one school dropout,’ he said, noting that these interruptions affect service delivery and the skilled labour force.

Mr Elamaboni said policies should not focus solely on vocational skills but also ensure access to higher education. ‘The government that takes over in the next term should look at sustaining those willing to continue with school,’ he said. Comparatively, Ms Beatrice Nyangoma, a communications specialist and youth advocate, said manifestos are often drafted without meaningful consultation with intended beneficiaries. Ms Nyangoma explained that young people are already active in the highlighted sectors in the manifestos, especially ICT, content creation and tourism, but require more targeted investment, since they continue to face barriers in public service employment.

‘Platforms like TikTok are employing many young people, yet digital content creation is not fully supported. Many offices are occupied for decades, which limits opportunities for qualified young people and that’s why these new digital channels should be prioritised,’ she said. ‘When someone says they are a TikToker or blogger, they are dismissed, yet this is an income stream for many young people. Parties do not believe in youth creativity. If a government truly wants youth to innovate, why are data costs still so high? Young people cannot afford to upload videos or grow their platforms and the work they do because such hustles are still unconsidered.’

She also highlighted gaps in supporting the girl child, including access to menstrual hygiene, which contributes to school dropouts, early pregnancies and continuous spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Mr Damon Wamara, the executive director of Uganda Child Rights NGO Network, criticised the manifestos for failing to clearly outline how they will strengthen and implement child and youth protection systems. He added that some are relying on existing structures with poor implementation records rather than proposing new strategic mechanisms.

‘The NRM manifesto still assumes everyone knows the child protection systems already exist and everything they talk of. Before youth become youth, they are children and if issues around education, capacity building and health are neglected early, by the time of youth hood, they will still be disadvantaged,’ he said.

Mr Wamara highlighted daily vulnerabilities that need to be addressed, noting that many girls are exposed to sexual violence during their commute to school and that existing manifestos rarely address these risks except the FDC manifesto. ‘Only FDC speaks about gender based violence; they didn’t address other threats like child labour, which is at its peak in Uganda, especially in agricultural settings. In western Uganda, child labour is predominantly in cotton and coffee plantations; in central and eastern Uganda, it’s in rice and sugarcane plantations; and in northeastern Uganda, in Karamoja, you find gold and marble mining sites where children are mostly exploited.’

According to Wamara, the absence of clear positions on minimum wage indirectly fuels child exploitation by destabilising household incomes, hence the need to target the root causes of these risks. ‘While many parties emphasise job creation, they do not discuss wage protection or safeguards for vulnerable populations,’ he said. Mr Wamara criticised the Electoral Commission for failing to issue clear guidelines on children’s involvement in political activities, noting that minors continue to participate in rallies, poster distribution, and other mobilisation efforts despite being ineligible to vote.

‘Children are not voters, but they are the swiftest mobilisers with good numbers. Yet guidance on how to engage them safely during elections is very unclear. The Electoral Commission needs to spell out rules that prevent the exploitation or unsafe engagement of minors during the critical seasons where we have seen aspects of children in trucks, children holding flags, and children being sent to pull down posters,’ he added.

Reflecting on systemic issues such as youth incarceration, Ms Kizza said almost 72 percent of inmates are aged 18 to 35, who are missing out on skills-exchange programmes for employment and innovation. ‘We face a challenge where a significant number of youth are in prisons; around 72 percent of inmates are between 18 and 35 years. You cannot design a one-size-fits-all programme when only places like Luzira Prison and a few others provide skills and education,’ she said. ‘Literacy levels might have increased, but job opportunities for work in conducive conditions are hard to come by. ..most parties are focusing on skilling youth for factory jobs as part of industrialisation, intending that these will absorb many unemployed youth.’

She argued that the parties’ proposals in the various manifestos cannot be realised under the existing system, as meaningful change would require a complete overhaul of the structures that govern youth programmes. ‘We can’t use the current system to implement most of the things they are promising. Show us how you are going to do a factory reset of the youths so as to establish a whole new structure; otherwise acts of corruption and impunity will still dominate.’

For now, youth activists say the manifestos offer hope on paper, yet the emerging generation continues to wait for a blueprint that goes beyond pledge-making to deliver practical, lasting change.

Party pledges

National Resistance Movement

The party, which has fronted the incumbent president, Yoweri Museveni, for another stab at public office, are pledging to:

Continue to back learning by providing free schooling, as well as job skilling programmes for the youth.

Invest in a modern national theatre and exhibition spaces.

Establish regional creative hubs for talent identification.

Increase support for sports facilities in schools.

Provide more money to capitalise the revolving fund for artists and furnish the newly purchased recording studio.

Support low income growth, at the community level (PDM and Youth Empowerment programmes).

Forum for Democratic Change

The Opposition, Forum for Democratic Change, which has Nathan Nandala Mafabi as their presidential candidate has promised to:

Generate employment opportunities through modernising agricultural investment to make it attractive to youth.

Establish a Shs1 million graduate starter grant for all unemployed graduates under 30 years to kickstart their work life.

Human capital development; healthcare funding, health insurance (Shs 20,000 per family).

Set up a programme for a youth innovation and incubation hub across the country for each of the four regions of Uganda.

Mandate a percentage of all government contracts to youth owned enterprises.

Allocate 10 percent of all government contracts to youth-owned enterprises.

Formalise the informal sector with a Boda Boda Savings and Protection Cooperative Scheme.

Establish a sports and creative arts academy in every sub-region to identify, nurture, and recognise talents.

Set up community rebuild centres to train child mothers in livelihood skills and support them with baby daycare programmes.

National Unity Platform

The largest Opposition party in parliament, led by Robert Ssentamu Kyangulanyi is planning to:

Create a National Youth Employment Fund to finance youth jobs.

Establish city and municipal youth skilling centres.

Provide interest-free loans and start-up capital for youth businesses.

Professionalise the creative arts industry through training and regulation.

Introduce school-to-work transition programmes for S4 and S6 leavers.

Build and equip sports facilities and creative community spaces.

Support youth digital entrepreneurship, including innovation labs and tech start-ups.

Alliance for National Transformation

The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), led by Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu is pledging to:

Transform ghetto and underserved communities with improved so cial services.

Provide comprehensive skills training and vocational programmes.

Offer apprenticeships and industrial placements for practical experience.

Support youth with income-generating activities (IGAs).

Give tax incentives to youth-led enterprises.

Replace small cash handouts with long-term empowerment programmes.

Strengthen parenting support programmes for better child development.

Provide full or partial scholarships for vulnerable children and youth.

Create sustainable livelihood programmes tailored to ghetto and rural youth.

Common Man’s Party

Provide practical, job-ready skills instead of paper qualifications.

Ensure youth drive innovation and entrepreneurship.

Build strong cooperatives linking youth enterprises to local and global markets.

Promote inclusive leadership, local languages, and participation of youth.

Strong focus on Artificial Intelligence for solving unemployment.

Establish a Creative Economy Fund for music, film, and arts.

Build/rehabilitate regional sports facilities.

Support district youth recreation centres.

Recognise arts and sports as real industries.

Create a National SME Fund with low-interest loans

National Peasants Party

Establish a Youth Development Fund for start-ups.

Reserve 40 percent of government contracts for youth and women.

Promote sports, music, arts, and creative industries as economic sectors.

Conservative Party

Launch a Youth Skills Corps to train youth in:

Trades for infrastructure, manufacturing and ICT

Give tax rebates to firms that hire and train youth.

Expand vocational and technical institutes across regions.

Link vocational training to federal bank financing for youth start-ups.

Prioritise issuance of land titles to women, youth, and vulnerable groups.

Train and employ youth in cyber defence.

Dear Tingasiga:

Grace Kampire Bikangaga, who died at the age of nearly 101 years last week, was a classic woman of substance that enjoyed universal respect without demanding honour. She had presence without attracting attention to herself. She was a strong force for good without claiming credit for her impact. She had great intellect and wisdom that she dispensed without claiming monopoly on those gifts.

It is not surprising that, nearly 60 years after she relinquished her formal role as the First Lady of Kigyezi, Mrs Bikangaga continued to be referred to as Nyinaboona (Mother of All) by those who held her in well-deserved high esteem.

She became Nyinaboona of Kigyezi when John Bikangaga, her husband, became the Rutakirwa Engabo ya Kigyezi, (the unsurpassable shield of Kigyezi), a non-hereditary and non-executive leadership of a people that had, hitherto, never known feudal rule.

It was a position created under Section 34 of the federal Constitution of Uganda that had come into force on October 31, 1963. The creation of this position was primarily aimed at theoretically equalising opportunities for all federal states and districts to front a person to be elected President of Uganda by the National Assembly.

Section 36 of that Constitution provided that ‘the President and the Vice President shall be elected in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed by Parliament from among the Rulers of the Federal States and the constitutional heads of the districts by the members of the National Assembly for a term of five years.’

The five Federal States of Uganda were the Kingdoms of Ankole, Buganda, Bunyoro, and Tooro, and the Territory of Busoga. The 10 districts of Uganda were Acholi, Bugisu, Bukedi, Karamoja, Kigezi, Lango, Madi, Sebei, Teso, and West Nile.

The rulers of the federal states were Omugabe of Ankole, Kabaka of Buganda, Omukama of Bunyoro, Kyabazinga of Busoga, and Omukama of Tooro. The district constitutional heads included the Laloyo Maber of Acholi, Umuinga of Bugisu, Senkulu of Bukedi, Won-nyaci of Lango, Loprigo of Madi, Kingoo of Sebei, and Rutakirwa Engabo ya Kigyezi.

The choice of Bikangaga as the Rutakirwa of Kigyezi was as easy as the election of George Washington as the first president of the United States of America, and of Nelson Mandela as the first president of independent South Africa.

These were men that were the uncontested natural leaders of their respective people, men of such high standing and integrity that fellow humans reflexively bowed before them. With Bikangaga’s election as Rutakirwa, the Banyakigyezi received a gift of two-for-the-price of one. His wife was the perfect companion that added value, honour, and grace to a role that was foreign to their republican anti-feudal instincts. She discharged her duties as Nyinaboona with humility and grace that was evident to all, even to my early adolescent eyes.While Banyakigyezi quickly found themselves embroiled in a highly divisive political factionalism, Nyinaboona managed to stay out of the fray even as the Rutakirwa was dragged into that muddy contest.

It was a very difficult three years in which her husband served as the first and only Rutakirwa of Kigyezi, ended by the promulgation of Uganda’s Republican Constitution that abolished monarchies and cultural institutions on September 8, 1967. One suspects that it was a welcome relief.

The Bikangagas repaired to Kampala and embarked on a new phase of service to the country in various capacities, free from the madness of partisan politics for which neither one had the inclination to participate.

While her husband had a distinguished career in public service, Grace Bikangaga focused on her most important role of mother to her seven biological children, and to many others for whom she was the prefect guardian and mentor.

She pursued a successful career in business at a time when very few women had the endurance to compete in a male-dominated world. She did so without drama or display of her remarkable achievements.

Her journey through her century was not a smooth ride, of course. An early beneficiary of formal education at Kabaare’s famous Hornby High School, her journeys to and from school involved long treks by foot.

She performed manual labour that was a normal way of life for children. She witnessed the hopes of a colonised people as Uganda made the transition to independence from Britain in 1962.

Those hopes collapsed together with the civilian government that began with the first overthrow of the Constitution of Uganda in 1966, and the formal launch of military rule in 1971.

She lived through the various iterations of military government in the 54 years that followed, and shed tears for many friends, relatives, and colleagues that were murdered with guns that she never imagined in her early years of hopeful innocence. She lost many relatives, including her beloved husband John, and her daughters Joy and Catherine who died very young. Yet she soldiered on, propelled by her strong Christian faith that provided firm partnership with her innate strength of character and graceful resilience.

Her last years were made difficult by the ravages of age and ill-health. However, she weathered all with her trademark grace, calmness, and acceptance of the hand she had been dealt without much self-pity. All who came into her presence remarked upon her humility and authentic sharing of love and concern about others.

She remained Nyinaboona – mother all – to the end.

News of her death brought us great sadness that was mixed with joyful thanksgiving for her long life of service to others, and for her exemplary grace and love that came from a deep well within her. Her death marked her triumphant victory after a century on this troubled Earth.

She is now among the saints that have gone before us, assured of eternal life in the presence of God Almighty who lent her to us, and used her for His purpose. It is well.

Uganda Cubs booked their place at the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations U17 finals after a commanding second-half performance earned them a 3-0 victory over hosts Ethiopia in Sunday night’s semifinal of the ongoing Cecafa U-17 qualifiers at a packed Abebe Bikila Stadium.

The result confirmed Uganda as one of the 12 nations that have already secured qualification alongside Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique.

The Cubs entered the semifinals high in confidence after registering three wins and scoring 15 goals in the group stage but Ethiopia who were buoyed by a loud, vibrant crowd, made the opening half difficult.

Uganda struggled to impose their usual intense, front-foot game, with the hosts creating the better early chances.

Despite this, Uganda’s defensive line stayed organised enough to keep the match goalless at the break.

The turning point came immediately after the restart. Uganda forced an early corner that Lorian Lwesibawa curled into the danger area that forced the Ethiopians into errors turning into their own net.

The goal settled Uganda’s nerves and opened the game for the visitors, who began to dominate both territory and possession.

Moments later, Thomas Ogema, alive to a poor defensive clearance, swept home his fourth goal of the tournament to double the lead.

With Ethiopia stretched and desperate, Lwesibawa added a brilliant third from a freekick to put the match well beyond reach.

Coach Layrea Kingston later explained that the Cubs struggled early because the players were overwhelmed by the atmosphere, noting that his centre-backs were ‘a little jittery’ and that the team failed to apply the high pressure they had planned. However, the halftime talk focused calmed the nerves.

Kingston added that although Uganda did not fully produce their usual free-flowing style, the main mission was always qualification.

Uganda will now face Tanzania in a repeat of last final as they continue their pursuit of a second straight continental title.

Tanzania beat Kenya in the other semifinal to qualify. Ethiopia and Kenya will battle for the other remaining slot in the third-place playoff.

2026 Afcon qualifiers

Semifinals results

Tanzania 3-1 Kenya

Ethiopia 0-3 Uganda

The Uganda Health Professions Assessment Board (UHPAB) has warned candidates and stakeholders against engaging in assessment malpractice as 99,751 candidates start the second national assessment series.

The assessment, which began on December 1, will run until December 12 in 215 centres, with 147 centres for Nursing Midwifery and 68 for Allied Health Programmes.

Addressing a press conference at UHPAB offices in Kyambogo, the board’s Executive Secretary, Ms Helen Mukakarisa Kataratambi, emphasised that malpractice undermines the credibility of Uganda’s education and health sectors.

“We don’t want malpractice as professionals. All we want is to produce nurses, midwives, or allied health professionals who are very ethical. If we don’t do it well, it will eventually come back to us because we don’t know in whose arms we are going to land when we fall sick,” she said.

Ms Mukakarisa noted that those involved in malpractice put the lives of Ugandans at risk, as they may not acquire the necessary competencies to save lives. She added that the board has put in place strict measures to prevent malpractice, including the deployment of various stakeholders to participate in the assessment exercise.

The 2025 Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Act prescribes penalties for assessment malpractice, including fines up to Shs 100 million, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both. Ms Mukakarisa warned that severe penalties await those who engage in any form of malpractice.

UHPAB’s Chairperson, Dr. Alfred Driwale, also cautioned stakeholders against malpractice, saying, “As we start the threshold of the December 2025 assessment, let us uphold the trust placed in us by the government. We must guard the credibility of UHPAB and work as a team with one purpose and one national mission to build an assessment system, worthy of our country’s education and health sectors.”

According to Ms. Juliet Nassiwa Twesigye, UHPAB’s Deputy Executive Secretary, the board has deployed various stakeholders to participate in the assessment exercise, including coordinators, supervisors, monitors, and security personnel.

The assessment is being carried out in various centres across the country, with 30,184 candidates for Allied Health and 69,567 candidates for Nursing and Midwifery Programmes. The board is committed to ensuring that the assessment process is fair, transparent, and credible.

“We have already deployed various stakeholders to participate in this assessment exercise. The coordinators are part of them, but we have three oversight supervisors, one overall coordinator, four regional supervisors, 76 monitors, 218 centre coordinators, 215 centre supervisors, 768 invigilators, and 2,913 assessors for practical assessment,” Ms Twesigye said.

Uganda’s digital economy is evolving – but not always in the ways people expect. While fintech and mobile money have long dominated the conversation, a quieter shift is happening. More and more Ugandans are using their internet connections not just to work or bank, but to relax, stream, play, and compete. In short, digital leisure is beginning to matter.

Beyond Work: How Ugandans Are Spending Time Online

Mobile internet access has improved steadily in recent years, especially in urban centres. That’s helped fuel a boom in social media, video streaming, and mobile apps focused on entertainment. Young people – who make up the majority of Uganda’s population – are the most active users. From Kampala to Gulu, watching videos on platforms like YouTube or Showmax has become part of daily life, particularly among university students and young professionals.

What’s changing isn’t just how people connect, but why they’re connecting. Internet use is no longer driven solely by work or information-seeking. Increasingly, it’s about downtime.

Gaming and Online Casinos: A Market That’s Quietly Growing

Digital gaming is another area seeing traction. Some of it is informal – puzzle apps, sports games, and trivia platforms shared via WhatsApp or downloaded from app stores. But there’s a more structured side as well. Esports tournaments are beginning to pop up in the region, and Uganda has shown early signs of interest.

One part of the digital gaming space that’s gaining attention is online gambling. Many Ugandans already use mobile money to place bets on local and international sports. Now, some are turning to online casino platforms hosted outside Uganda’s borders.

For those looking into the best online casino, international websites are often the first stop – offering a more polished interface, faster payouts, and regulated environments. These platforms, while popular, exist in something of a legal grey zone when accessed from Uganda.

This raises several policy questions: How can the country ensure users are protected? Are revenues being taxed? Who should regulate platforms that aren’t based locally but target Ugandan users?

Regulation Hasn’t Caught Up

While more Ugandans are spending time on digital entertainment, the rules around these activities remain unclear. The country’s current gambling legislation still reflects a time when betting happened in physical venues, not online. Yet today, a person can access gaming platforms or casino sites from their mobile phone, without ever stepping into a betting shop.

This legal gap means many users are engaging with platforms that fall outside of national oversight. That has implications – from safeguarding minors to collecting tax revenue. Countries like Kenya have already started updating their frameworks to reflect the online shift. For Uganda, there may be a need to consider how best to balance innovation with consumer protection, especially as the digital economy expands in new directions.

A Space Worth Watching

Online leisure may not yet be considered a core sector of Uganda’s economy, but its presence is increasingly felt. Whether it’s someone catching up on a comedy series, playing mobile games during a lunch break, or browsing international casino sites, the internet is shaping new habits – and new markets.

As Uganda continues to invest in digital services and improve internet access, how people spend their time online will matter more. Recognising digital leisure as part of that picture could help inform smarter infrastructure planning, better policies, and a broader understanding of the country’s online future.

The Uganda AIDS Commission 2025 status report highlights significant progress: annual AIDS deaths have decreased by 64 percent, from 56,000 in 2010 to 20,000 in 2024, while new HIV infections declined from 96,000 to 37,000 over the same period. As the country works to sustain these gains, strengthening local ARV production is increasingly viewed as both a strategic necessity and a symbol of self-reliance.

Approximately 1.5 million people in Uganda live with HIV/AIDS, according to the Uganda AIDS Commission.

Every day, thousands of the 1.3 million Ugandans on antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) visit public and private health facilities to refill their lifesaving medications and stay on track with treatment. Their health depends on receiving medicine on time, every time. Any disruption, whether due to import delays, funding gaps, or stockouts, poses a serious risk to patients.

‘This medicine is the reason I am alive,’ says a client at the Kiruddu National Referral Hospital HIV/AIDS clinic, who requested anonymity due to stigma. The clinic manages more than 300 patients weekly and registers about 10 new infections each week. ‘Hearing about a stock-out makes people like me panic,’ he adds.

Missing just a few doses can weaken the immune system, reduce the effectiveness of treatment, and trigger drug resistance, which is more complex and costly to manage. These disruptions threaten the progress Uganda has made in controlling the disease and safeguarding millions of lives.

Target

Uganda is close to achieving the 95-95-95 targets, with 94 percent of people living with HIV aware of their status, 90 percent on ART, and 96 percent of those on treatment achieving viral suppression, according to UNAIDS.

In light of frequent global disruptions, health-sector stakeholders argue that increasing local ARV production is essential to complement imported medicines. Local manufacturing, they say, provides a reliable buffer against global supply shocks that can interrupt treatment.

This view aligns with the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day; ‘Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response’, which reflects the challenges caused by funding cuts, supply-chain breakdowns, and the long-term effects of Covid-19. The theme underscores the need for innovation, resilience, and renewed commitment to ending HIV/AIDS.

Stakeholders emphasise that local ARV production is not just an industrial achievement; it is a lifeline for millions of Ugandans who rely on daily treatment.

Flavia Kyomukama, the executive director of the National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), stresses that strengthening local manufacturing is crucial for sustaining the country’s response.

‘Among other proposals for domestic funding, we need to support local manufacturing to produce more for local consumption,’ she says.

She adds that Global Fund and the United States government money is often restricted to purchasing from foreign producers and cannot be used to buy locally made medicines. ‘The government should consider regulations that ensure incoming funds also support local procurement,’ Kyomukama explains.

Like other African countries, Uganda experienced significant ARV stockouts during the Covid-19 pandemic, largely due to movement restrictions, supply-chain challenges, and economic strain. Yet the country still relies on imports for most of its ARVs, leaving its supply chain vulnerable.

Import dependency and supply shocks

Uganda relies heavily on imports for essential medicines, including ARVs. A 2024 National Drug Authority report shows that about 90 percent of these supplies are imported. At least 80 percent of Uganda’s ARVs are provided by development partners, who procure them from foreign suppliers. As a result, the government purchases only about 20 percent from local manufacturers, according to data from the Office of the Auditor General.

This dependence makes Uganda vulnerable to international delays, shortages, and fluctuating global markets. It highlights the urgent need to strengthen local production as a long-term strategy for uninterrupted treatment.

In recent years, ARV importation has faced major challenges, particularly due to cuts in donor funding. Freezes in USAID’s PEPFAR funding have repeatedly destabilised procurement, threatening continuity of treatment. In early 2025, USAID funding cuts in Uganda led to severe drug stockouts, clinic closures, and service disruptions, significantly undermining HIV/AIDS programs.

These issues are compounded by global supply chain delays caused by shipping backlogs, shortages of raw materials, manufacturing bottlenecks, geopolitical tensions, and export restrictions.

Local production

Local ARVs improve access to quality treatment, reduce lead times, and allow faster responses to potential shortages.

Uganda began manufacturing ARVs in 2009 through Quality Chemical Industries Limited (Qcil), a publicly listed pharmaceutical company. Today, Qcil produces up to 23 million ARV treatment doses annually. Of these, 6.6 million are supplied locally to support 550,000 Ugandans living with HIV. These supplements complement imported medicines from India and China, which still supply the majority of ARVs on the Ugandan market.

Qcil exports the remaining production to 14 African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Comoros Islands, Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan.

The company, Africa’s first to produce full triple-therapy generic ARVs, sells its locally manufactured drugs to the Ugandan government through the National Medical Stores.

This year, Qcil secured a $36 million (Shs133b) debt facility from Stanbic Bank Uganda to construct a second manufacturing facility. The expansion will scale annual capacity from 1.4 billion to 2.4 billion tablets, including paediatric HIV/AIDS formulations.

‘Our expansion will add one billion extra tablets per year, with 60 percent of this increased capacity dedicated specifically to HIV/AIDS medicines,’ says Qcil CEO Ajay Kumar Pal.

‘This substantial boost in production will significantly strengthen Uganda’s ability to source treatment locally and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and vulnerability to global supply chain disruptions,’ he adds.

The expansion aligns with the WHO and Africa CDC regional framework, which seeks to increase Africa’s local production of medicines, vaccines, and health technologies through investment, capacity building, and regulatory harmonisation.

In October, Qcil launched a new paediatric ART formulation; Abacavir, Dolutegravir, and Lamivudine, designed to ensure children can take their medication safely and consistently.

This initiative is expected to improve treatment outcomes for 72,000 Ugandan children below 15 living with HIV. Currently, only 75 percent have access to treatment and just 50 percent achieve viral suppression, far below the UNAIDS 85 percent target.

Viewed as a self-reliance effort, the government has endorsed local ARV manufacturing by providing land, investment incentives, and guaranteed markets through the National Medical Stores.

Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has pledged continued support, saying local manufacturing will help Uganda avoid the Covid-19 experience, when wealthy nations prioritised their own populations.

‘Uganda is working on the National Drug and Health Products Authority Bill to ensure that whatever we manufacture in Uganda is acceptable internationally. This represents a higher level of regulation,’ Dr Aceng said at Qcil’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Increased demand

Uganda has seen a sharp rise in ART enrolment since adopting the ‘test-and-treat’ policy, placing additional strain on the national supply system and contributing to frequent ARV stockouts.

Challenges

Despite the promise of local manufacturing, serious challenges hinder its ability to fully close supply gaps. Local pharmaceutical producers, including Qcil, currently the sole ARV manufacturer, cite structural barriers that limit their competitiveness.

Public and donor-funded procurement systems overwhelmingly favour large international pharmaceutical companies that produce ARVs outside Africa. With economies of scale and favourable export policies, these companies offer much lower prices, making it difficult for local producers to compete. Donor procurement also prioritises the cheapest global option, even when local manufacturers meet all quality and regulatory standards.

Dr Medard Bitekyerezo, chairperson of the National Drug Authority, blames liberal market policies that allow imported drugs to compete freely with locally produced medicines.

‘Our local manufacturers struggle to compete because financing is expensive, while imports face no such constraints,’ he says.

To support local producers, he notes that the government imposes higher taxes to make imports less competitive. ‘Local manufacturers can sell their first three batches after we test them for free,’ he adds, explaining that testing is costly and the waiver is a major boost.

Every year in Uganda, thousands of people are diagnosed with oral cancer. Unfortunately, most cases are detected too late because many people are unaware of the early warning signs. Oral cancer affects the mouth, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, lips, and throat. Like all cancers, early detection significantly increases survival rates, with more than 80 to 90 percent surviving if caught early.

However, the prognosis declines as the cancer progresses. The good news is that skilled dentists can often spot suspicious lesions long before they become serious and can order tests to confirm or rule out malignancies.

Major risk factors in Uganda

While anyone can develop oral cancer, certain factors increase the risk. Tobacco use in any form, including cigarettes, kuber, snuff, or chewing tobacco, is a major contributor. Heavy alcohol consumption also raises the risk, especially when combined with tobacco. Chronic irritation caused by broken teeth or ill-fitting dentures can also make the mouth more vulnerable.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is another risk, particularly in younger patients, while excessive sun exposure is linked to lip cancer. It is important to remember that even non-smokers and non-drinkers can develop oral cancer, so everyone should stay alert.

Early warning signs

Most oral cancers progress slowly, which makes early detection possible. Be attentive to any sore, lump, or ulcer in your mouth that does not heal within two to three weeks, or any white or red patches on the lips or inside the mouth.

Unexplained bleeding, persistent pain, or difficulty swallowing, chewing, or moving the tongue can also be warning signs. Swelling that affects how dentures fit, numbness in the mouth or lips, persistent earaches on one side without hearing loss, or loose teeth with no obvious dental cause should not be ignored.

To perform a self-check, stand in front of a mirror with good lighting. Gently retract your lips, examine your tongue from all sides, feel under the tongue, and inspect all soft tissue areas in your mouth. If anything unusual persists for more than two weeks, visit a dentist immediately.

Prevention and screening

Oral cancers are easier to prevent than to cure. Protect yourself by minimising exposure to the risk factors mentioned above and by attending regular dental check-ups. During these visits, dentists can perform a quick, painless oral cancer screening that takes only two minutes but can be life-saving.

Therefore, make a promise to yourself to check your mouth monthly and visit your dentist at least once a year. Early discovery is still the strongest protection against oral cancer.

A report by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) has laid bare the scale of vulnerability facing Uganda’s informal workforce, revealing that 92.9 percent of informal workers lack insurance coverage.

The findings point to a labour market where most people work without contracts, without social security, and without basic workplace protections, even as the country lacks enough inspectors to enforce labour standards.

The report notes that informal employment in Uganda is defined not only by low wages and unstable work, but by the near-total absence of safety nets.

It shows that 76.6 percent of informal workers operate without employment contracts, leaving them exposed to arbitrary dismissal or abuse.

At the same time, 72.2 percent make no social security contributions, and 71.1 percent receive no employment benefits such as paid maternity leave, sick leave, or annual leave.

These risks are growing in a context where Uganda’s labour inspection system is severely understaffed.

The report notes that the country has only 198 labour officers nationwide and just 21 occupational safety and health inspectors.

That capacity is thin compared to an employed population of roughly 10 million, meaning millions of workers are effectively outside the reach of state protection.

‘In addition to the above human resource capacity gaps, various legal and institutional coordination constraints weaken the country’s labour inspection functions,’ the report states, highlighting that poor enforcement is not only a staffing issue but also a governance problem.

One of the challenges, EPRC argues, is the fragmented institutional structure of labour inspection.

While labour officers are deployed at the district level by the Ministry of Public Service, oversight from the Ministry of Gender remains weak.

This decentralisation has created gaps in coordination and accountability, leaving inspections inconsistent and often ineffective.

The report also warns that Uganda’s labour laws have failed to keep pace with new forms of work.

Ms Rehema Kahunde, a research analyst at EPRC, says the law is poorly aligned with emerging gig and digital platform jobs that are rapidly expanding in urban economies.

‘For example, ride-hailing platforms like SafeBoda and Bolt classify riders as independent contractors, leaving them without contracts, social security, or paid leave despite exercising control akin to traditional employment,’ she says.

National Social Security Fund (NSSF) echoes these concerns, noting that most Ugandan workers remain outside social security systems because the informal sector is large, mobile, and difficult to regulate.

In its own assessments, NSSF cites several barriers to expanding coverage, including a lack of written contracts, employers’ resistance to inspections, low enrolment in existing schemes, and weak social protection policies.

On Saturday evening, the usually busy stretch of Old Portbell Road took on a different rhythm. A soft glow spilled out of the newly opened Oikos Gallery and Interiors, where visitors moved slowly from room to room, taking in an arresting blend of Ugandan and Ethiopian art, handcrafted furniture, and reimagined African antiques. It was a free-viewing affair, but it felt more like a cultural gathering, complete with drinks, bites, and the mellow sound of the Adungu, whose musician threaded Ugandan folk melodies with influences from across the continent.

Inside, the space was curated with intention: sculpted bronze and wooden masks, vibrant contemporary canvases, antique-inspired ceramic bowls, and meticulously restored furniture pieces that doubled as art. The blend was deliberate, an aesthetic philosophy rooted in heritage but adapted for modern living.

The vision behind this new cultural space comes from an Ethiopian aunt-niece duo, Selamawit Alene and Dorina De Vita, whose family history in art and design stretches back decades.

‘I have been in this business for almost 21 years,’ Selamawit said. ‘I studied interior design, and fortunately, we come from a family of furniture designers. My sister Saba Alene founded St. George Gallery in Addis Ababa 34 years ago, and I joined her for 21 years. That’s where my passion comes from. In 2019, I opened Golla Art Gallery in Addis Ababa, which I now own.’

Dorina, now based in Kampala, first opened an Afro-inspired handcraft shop, slowly planting the seeds that would later grow into Oikos Gallery and Interiors.

‘We both collect art,’ Selamawit explains. ‘We really love art. So, when Dorina started her business here and I visited her, we decided it was time to create a gallery in Uganda.’

But for the duo, this is not just about exporting Ethiopian art to another African capital. It is about cultivating a Pan-African platform rooted deeply in authenticity.

‘Africa has so much variety, culture, history, and craft,’ Selamawit says. ‘But most of us Africans do not appreciate our things. We do not appreciate our art, we do not appreciate our handicraft. So, we decided to convert antique things into modern, useful furniture. Because when you see antique pieces, you cannot use them; they are beautiful but not comfortable. So, we reimagine them to fit modern living.’

Uganda meets Ethiopia

The gallery’s debut collection features a curated combination of Ugandan and Ethiopian pieces, with plans to expand more broadly across the continent.

‘We have a lot of good Ugandan artists here. We do not want to have only Ethiopian work. Africa is big. So, we start with Ugandan and Ethiopian artists, but the plan is to bring in artists from across the continent,’ Selamawit says.

While they brought selected works from Ethiopia, the founders are keen for Oikos to become a place where Ugandan talent can shine.

‘Our main aim is to promote Ugandan artists,’ Selamawit insists. ‘We already have a gallery in Addis, but here, we want to uplift Ugandan talent because Uganda is a beautiful country with so much potential in art.’

The founders are also clear about what sets their gallery apart in a market sometimes undercut by replicas and misrepresented works.

‘Authenticity is essential for us,’ Dorina De Vita emphasized. ‘We do not want duplicates. Whatever we are selling here, we give a certificate of authenticity. That is the difference. We want Ugandan art buyers to trust what they buy.’

One of the gallery’s most striking displays is a massive polished tree trunk, carved into a sculptural piece that sits like a throne in the centre of the room. It is the kind of statement piece that invites questions, especially about whether such large trees are being felled for art.

Dorina is quick to clarify: ‘That big trunk, maybe people think we cut it. No, it is not like that. When Lubowa Hill was being cleared for the construction of the hospital, they cut it. So, we collected that tree after it was cut. It is repurposed wood.’

She adds that most of their furniture comes from recycled materials.

‘The coffee table you saw? That used to be an old door. We convert it. We recycle. We do not want to cut down trees, it breaks my heart,’ Dorina said. ‘We purchase wood from licensed suppliers only, and we believe in planting a tree when one is cut. Sustainability is very important for us.’

For the founders, Oikos Gallery is not just a shop but a cultural hub.

‘We are planning to host three to five art events every year,’ Dorina shares. ‘Solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, anything that brings artists and art lovers together. This grand opening is just the beginning.’

The atmosphere at the opening confirmed that vision. Strangers lingered at sculptures, exchanged interpretations of paintings, and took long pauses at furniture pieces that looked more like installations.

At the heart of it all is an intergenerational story of craft.

‘My father, Salvatore De Vita, was a legend of furniture design,’ Dorina says. ‘My sister is a talented fashion designer and my brother is also a well-known artist as well. It is a trend in the family. So, opening this gallery in Kampala feels like continuing that legacy in a new place.’

Uganda has expanded its digital infrastructure fast, with about 96 percent of the population now within reach of broadband.

But more than 70 percent of citizens remain offline. This gap between coverage and real use, the ‘usage gap’, still limits opportunity in business, education, and health.

Angela Wamola, head of GSMA Africa, says Uganda’s 4G rollout is impressive.

Coverage has risen from roughly 50 percent a decade ago to fewer than 3 percent unserved today, but adoption trails far behind.

Thus, she says networks create little value if most people never go online, leaving farmers without market data, students without e-learning, and entrepreneurs unable to reach customers digitally.

Wamola attributes low uptake to affordability, weak digital skills, and limited local content.

Entry-level smartphones cost about $38-$39 (Shs132,000-Shs136,000), which can not be afforded by about 40 percent of households.

MTN chief executive officer Sylvia Mulinge agrees that device cost is at the heart of inclusion, even as network reach is near universal.

Thus, she says, MTN’s long-term ambition is to sell entry-level 4G phones for $20-$30 (about Shs70,000-Shs105,000), a range she believes could drive universal access.

Beyond this, Mulinge says, digital literacy is essential so users can apply technology in education, health, and small business, not just own devices.

UCC executive director George William Nyombi Thembo says Uganda’s digital agenda is shifting from building infrastructure to promoting meaningful use.

Mobile penetration has surged from fewer than 50,000 lines in 1998 to more than 40 million active subscribers today, including about 22 million internet users, yet participation remains uneven.

UCC, Nyombi Thembo says, is working with operators, the private sector, and partners to reduce barriers that keep low-income households offline.

He highlights that data prices have fallen by over 50 percent in five years because of competition and policy reforms, but affordability and skills must improve further.

Government programmes are supporting this push. The National ICT Backbone Infrastructure connects more than 700 government sites across 62 districts, and its next phase will emphasise digital-literacy campaigns and local-language content for rural communities.

ICT state minister Godfrey Kabyanga says government is committed to innovation-friendly policies under the Digital Transformation Roadmap and Vision 2040 by extending networks into remote areas that are commercially unattractive to providers.

He stresses that accessibility must come before affordability.

On emerging technologies, Kabyanga says Uganda welcomes Artificial Intelligence for better service delivery, but is cautious about ethical and security risks.

The National AI Task Force is drafting a regulatory framework to guide responsible use across sectors in the coming years.

As Uganda advances National Development Plan III and Digital Vision 2040, policymakers and industry leaders agree: coverage is no longer the barrier.

Closing the usage gap requires cheaper devices, continued data-cost reductions, reliable energy, stronger skills, more local content, and inclusive reforms so all Ugandans share in the digital economy.