Category: Daily Monitor

For the first time in the political history of Bujenje County in Masindi District, flags and campaign posters of the political Opposition are either flying or pasted alongside those of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Such visibility would have been unthinkable a few years ago because the county had always been an impenetrable fortress of the NRM.

The Opposition, for example, never bothered to field candidates here in the 2021 General Election. That was deemed as testimony to the NRM’s strength and stranglehold on the constituency. This time round, it is a different story.

Two Opposition candidates, Mr Phillip Kyamanywa of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Mr Wycliff Rogers Kasaija of the National Unity Platform (NUP), were nominated to challenge the incumbent, who is also the NRM’s flag-bearer, Mr Kenneth Kiiza Nyendwoha.

That the Opposition is showing its face in Masindi is being looked at as a sign that the NRM fortress is finally being penetrated. ‘In this election, we see that the Opposition has raised two candidates. That is a sign that the Opposition is about to penetrate our inner Bujenje, which has always been predominantly NRM,’ Mr Samuel Samiya, a resident of Kabango Town Council, says.

The two are, however, not the only ones who have come up to challenge Mr Nyendwoha for the seat. There are three other contestants, all of them standing as Independents. They are Mr Patrick Paddy Kasumba, Mr Wilson Tugume and Mr Fred Safari.

Mr Kasumba is a familiar face, having represented the constituency in Parliament between 2016 and 2021. The lawyer, who is also a retired Lieutenant in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), was the NRM’s flag-bearer in 2016, having beaten the former Minister for the Presidency, Ms Kabakumba Matsiko in an October 2015 NRM primary.

Ms Kabakumba polled 6,000 votes against Mr Kasumba’s 11,772.

Mr Kasumba, however, could not hold onto the constituency during the last election cycle, even though he was the NRM’s candidate in the race. Mr Nyendwoha, who contested as an Independent candidate, won it with 16,301 votes against Mr Kasumba’s 10,277 votes. The other candidates, both Independents, were Mr Fulgensius Ntegeka, who garnered 1,426 votes and Mr Phinehas Kyotasobora, who garnered 874 votes.

Role reversals

There has been an interchange or reversal of roles ahead of the 2026 polls. Whereas Mr Kasumba was the NRM’s candidate in the 2021 elections, he is this time round an Independent candidate. Mr Nyendwoha is the NRM’s candidate after he resoundingly won the NRM primary with 8,081 votes against Mr Kasumba’s 2,069 votes. The other contestant, the Masindi District chairman, Mr Cosmas Byaruhanga, garnered 2,319 votes.

Mr Kasumba, who disputes the outcome, insists that the process was ‘flawed and unfair’, which explains his decision to contest as an Independent candidate.

All the candidates have their own unique stories. Mr Kasaija is an economist, agriculturalist and entrepreneur. He is quite well known across the county because of his involvement in the grain trade and milling of maize.

The 36-year-old boasts of having created some employment opportunities for the youth in Buliima Town Council and the surrounding areas. The NUP candidate says his decision to enter the race was driven by a desire to give voice to the marginalised in a community that has for a very long time been treated as a one party zone.

‘We can’t continue to believe that development belongs to one political colour. Bujenje needs representation that puts the farmer, the teacher, and the ordinary youth at the centre of national decision-making,’ Mr Kasaija argues.

Mr Kasaija’s manifesto emphasises equal representation, agricultural innovation, and improved health and education services as the main pillars.

Speaking in Kiina Village after nomination, Mr Kasaija says he plans to lobby for improved access to credit facilities for small farmers, introduce technology-driven farming practices, and to advocate for agricultural market linkages that can raise farmer incomes.

”Together, we grow Bujenje’ is my slogan, and it explains my preparedness to develop my constituency,’ he notes.

Reform

Mr Kyamanywa of the FDC brings a message of inclusion and practical reform. The teacher-turned-community mobiliser, who is contesting for political office for the first time, hopes to inject what he calls a new voice of accountability into the politics of a county that is perhaps best remembered as the county of Princess Kabakumba.

Ms Kabakumba resigned from Cabinet in December 2011 amid claims that her radio station had stolen equipment from the State-owned broadcaster.

Mr Kyamanywa believes politics should be about tangible outcomes, not mere promises.

His campaign focuses on increasing household incomes through farmer cooperatives, enhancing sports programmes for the youth, and improving access to healthcare in rural areas.

‘We have farmers who produce good crops, but they lack markets. We have young people with energy, but without opportunities. My mission is to bridge those gaps,’ Mr Kyamanywa told a rally that he addressed in Nyantonzi recently.

Some of Mr Kyamanywa’s political agents in Kikingura Village believe his presence on the ballot is a sign that FDC, which has in recent times been in turmoil at the national level, is undergoing some kind of rebirth.

Questions

Given the extent of defeat that he suffered in the primaries, questions abound whether Mr Kasumba’s challenge will amount to much. His defence is that the outcome was influenced by irregularities.

He further points to his development record, notably extending piped water services in Buliima Town Council; supporting education through weekly school exams; and advocating for the upgrading of some health centre IIs to health centre IIIs.

‘Some people in Bujenje are still benefiting from the coffee seedlings I distributed while I was MP. That shows that my leadership was not like passing wind. It had a lasting impact,’ Mr Kasumba proudly told supporters at a recent rally.

Mr Nyendwoha, the incumbent, says he is the right candidate for the seat because he has deep-rooted structures and loyal supporters, having won the 2021 General Election with 10,276 votes. Mr Nyendwoha goes adds that he has delivered steady development, noting that his is a record of commitment and consistency.

‘I have served Bujenje with a clear plan and honest leadership. The progress we have made is not by luck but by hard work,’ he says.

He argues that his experience makes him the most reliable candidate to push the constituency’s interests at the national level, adding that many community projects have come up through persistent lobbying.

‘I know the needs of my people and I know how to follow up until results come. I have always stood for Bujenje and I will continue doing so. We have started important projects that must be completed. I am asking you to trust me again because I have the experience, the vision and the ability to deliver more for Bujenje,’ Mr Nyendwoha says.

Dark horses

Mr Martin Lindali, who teaches social science and humanities at Uganda Pentecostal University, says this election could test Nyendwoha’s dominance since the rise of Opposition candidates and disgruntled independents could fragment the NRM’s traditional vote base, making the race tighter than ever before.

‘I see the infiltration of Opposition parties into Bujenje as a microcosm of a national trend, the slow but steady weakening of the NRM’s monopoly in regions that were once politically sealed,’ the academic offered.

The Independent candidates, Mr Tugume and Mr Safari, seem to be the dark horses in this race, but they have also been putting in a shift.

Mr Tugume, who like his counterpart, is a first time contender, says his focus will be on education and health. Mr Safari is campaigning for equal legislation in Parliament.

He says laws must reflect the realities of ordinary Ugandans. Mr Lindali says the population of Bujenje is more politically aware than ever before.

People, he says, are no longer satisfied with leaders who feed them on empty political rhetoric and sloganeering. They are more focused on getting leaders who understand service delivery.

He might be spot on. At the grassroots people are no longer holding discussions about party colours and slogans, but about who has delivered and who can do more.

Youth groups are organising sports, religious and cultural leaders are calling for peace and civil society groups are monitoring voter education and transparency. This promises not to be business as usual.

The 19th-Century Scottish writer, historian, and philosopher Thomas Carlyle originated the ‘Great Man’ theory. The theory argues that history is ‘shaped by the actions of exceptional individuals with innate, heroic qualities, rather than by social or environmental forces.’

Popularised in his 1840 lectures, published as On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History, the theory suggests that leaders are ‘born, not made,’ and their superior attributes and will have a decisive, historical effect.

This argument has proven to be problematic by the way it ignores exogenous forces, which animate social realities. Indeed, these forces compose the anti-heroic traits in society, which give rise to superstition, stupidity, vanity, ignorance, vengeance, betrayal, dishonesty, violence among others.

The theory also finds little utility in timing, which is essential for political ascendancy. To be sure, if President Museveni had chosen to go to the bush in 1985 instead of 1981, we could be paying allegiance to Milton Obote’s heir as rebel Museveni cools off somewhere in The Hague.

In Uganda, however, politics subsists on the ‘Great Man’ theory. All the political leaders who have national appeal are viewed by their followers as indispensable to decisive leadership.

President Museveni, for one, is widely credited with restoring peace and security to Uganda after years of civil war and the brutal regimes of Idi Amin and Milton Obote in the 1970s and early 1980s. A cult of personality has grown around him, deifying his every utterance or action (even inaction).

President Museveni’s current adversary, Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, frequently comes across as more cult than political leader.

He gained a large following as a musician and was nicknamed the ‘Ghetto President’ for his music that resonates with the struggles of the masses.

Although Ugandan voters prefer looking for better leaders than becoming better followers, there seems to be a nigh imperceptible shift towards the opposite of the Great Man ethos in our politics.

The Antihero Theory

This theory defines ‘a character who subverts traditional heroic archetypes by lacking conventional heroic qualities like courage or a strong moral compass, often acting for selfish reasons, and making morally ambiguous choices. These characters can be cynical, reckless, and flawed, but the audience often relates to them because of their relatability and their struggle against a flawed world’.

It seems to be gaining traction as we witness the rise of Mubarak Munyagwa, currently serving as the president and presidential candidate for the newly-established Common Man’s Party (CMP) in the upcoming 2026 General Election. He has created excitement with his comic timing instead of his heroic pacing.

‘Common Man’s Party is like a submarine. When a submarine moves, you only see the small periscope above the water, yet it is huge inside. Common Man’s Party will surprise many people,’ he said while barnstorming.

He added: ‘We shall ban Swahili as our national language… we need French instead. French has a wider coverage: Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, Gabon, and the Central African Republic speak French. We need English and French.’

The CMP president might have a point about French, but he forgot to mention Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire as well as Chad as Francophone countries. He also forgot to mention that those countries speak French because they were either colonised or influenced by imperialism.

Thus his stance on our lingua franca implies that the submarine he claims his party is maybe a French submarine such as nuclear-powered Suffren-class and the Le Triomphant-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines, potentially torpedoing Ugandan independence with not so much as a ‘Bon Voyage.’

In a humorous exchange, Muhoozi Kainerugaba himself tweeted: ‘Hahaha!’ He accompanied the ‘Hahaha!’ with three laughing emojis for good measure, before adding: ‘Honourable Mubarak Munyagwa should relax!

The Muhoozi army will not arrest him when we are in command.’ To which Mr Munyagwa reportedly replied that he would not return the compliment and would arrest Muhoozi as soon as he (Munyagwa) is ‘in charge.’

Lootocracy dynamics

Then we have Abraham Luzzi, Kampala Central MP candidate. He has a masterplan to save Uganda from the lootocracy that has given our national purse strings enough rope to hang us with. The masterplan introduces the death penalty by hanging for anyone found guilty of ‘causing gross public financial loss or embezzlement of public funds. This includes offences such as deliberate contract delays, bribery in awarding tenders or contracts, or any form of mismanagement of public funds.’

The message is clear: the fight against corruption requires responsibility and accountability from every citizen like never before. Consequently, Mr Luzzi has quickly become one of the most talked-about political figures in Kampala. Entrepreneurs like Amos Wekesa have given him the non-National Resistance Movement thumbs up for being ‘logical’, as many others follow suit by paying court to Luzzi’s politics.

Mr Luzzi’s transformative manifesto is built on six pillars: zero-tolerance anti-corruption policy; minimum wage and employment protection; public sector professionalisation; local business empowerment; fast and fair justice system; urban economic transformation. Mr Luzzi’s focus on corruption control, fair wages, efficient governance, and local business empowerment has sparked hope among youth, professionals, and business leaders.

Still, on his X handle, he declared: ‘Even if you abuse me or vote me out, your struggles will persist, and I’ll keep thriving. Nonsense! I will not kneel for any voter!’

He added: ‘I have chosen a digital approach because I don’t want people to gather, some come with diseases, and others start begging.’ Incidentally, Mr Luzzi is an Italian surname with several possible meanings, most commonly linked to the Latin word lux, meaning ‘light’. This implies that he could be providing his followers the vision so that they do not rely on his vision.

This is a dramatic departure from the ‘big man syndrome,’ describing a style of leadership characterised by a single leader’s omnipotence, personal rule, and dominance over state institutions. It is prevalent in Africa and complements the Great Man theory.

The fact that people are paying attention to Mr Luzzi as he defies this syndrome is indicative of an antihero switch in our politics.

Elections in Uganda

Although Ugandan voters prefer looking for better leaders than becoming better followers, there seems to be a nigh imperceptible shift towards the opposite of the Great Man ethos in our politics.

KCCA moved joint-top of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League after a 2-1 victory over URA at the MTN Omondi Stadium on Friday, a result that also snapped the Tax Collectors’ six-match unbeaten run.

Ivan Ahimbisibwe struck twice in the 16th and 41st minutes to put the hosts firmly in charge, and later walked off with the Man of the Match gong.

Joseph Ssemujju pulled one back for URA on 73 minutes but the visitors could not claw their way to a point.

The win – KCCA’s fourth in eight matches – lifts the Kasasiro Boys to 14 points, level with leaders Police, who have a game in hand. URA remain 10th on eight points.

Elsewhere, Mbarara City finally bagged their first win of the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Buhimba United Saints at Royals Park in Butema, Hoima.

Gaddafi Kacancu put the Ankole Lions ahead on 22 minutes off a Muhammad Kanyike assist, before the provider turned scorer two minutes later.

Edson Agondeze halved the deficit for Buhimba in the 70th minute after good work from Anwaru Ntege, but the hosts could not find an equaliser.

Kanyike was named Man of the Match as Mbarara moved to five points from seven games, though they remain second from bottom. Buhimba stay six places above them on nine points.

By Thursday morning, two goals for Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) and National Council of Sports (NCS) seemed to have been met for Team Uganda at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia.

Uganda counted 12 medals from four disciplines; athletics, aquatics, boxing and table tennis in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

It meant UOC and NCS hit a record medal tally at an edition, justifying the government’s accountability but importantly, the platform set good tones in the build-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and if looked in the interim, the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

And the pointers are there. Teenage duo of Jemimah Nakawala and Judith Parvin Nangonzi delivered women’s doubles bronze in table tennis and teenager Charity Cherop enters a similar conversation.

The 18-year-old celebrated her first senior medal when she came second in the women’s 5000 metres final in the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium on Wednesday night.

Racing against the experienced Bahraini Winfred Yavi Mutile after the bell, Cherop posted a time of 15 minutes and 47.01 seconds to take a silver medal.

‘As a young athlete, I keep learning from my seniors every day,’ said Cherop, who trains in a camp comprising Commonwealth marathon Victor Kiplangat, multiple world champion Joshua Cheptegei, 2021 Olympic steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai among others.

‘This silver medal in 5000m makes me proud because we were told before the races that such a medal would have us make it to the national team,’ she said yesterday.

‘Slow race but a good finish,’ her coach Addy Ruiter remarked. Olympic 3000 metres steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi won the gold medal in 15:43.51, Katy Perry’s Firework and Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso playing as celebrations went on.

Cherop last year elevated her profile when she won the bronze medal over the 5000 metres at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

She made that trip to South America with Sam Simba Cherop, who got the silver medal in the men’s 10000 metres final on Tuesday night in Riyadh.

By stepping up from Lima to Riyadh, the podium finishes for the two Cherops are significant in the build-up for LA28.

The development curve will be enhanced further should the two be included in the team which will compete at the World Athletics Cross-country Championships in Florida, USA on January 10.

Or even then, Uganda Athletics (UAt) may consider the pair for the Glasgow Games. Charity, national cross-country winner Dan Kibet, Keneth Kiprop, Emmanuel Kibet and a couple more are runners under Ruiter’s tutelage, with plans of making it to the podium in Los Angeles, California in three years’ time.

A similar plan yielded results for Cheptegei and Chemutai at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan in 2021.

Charity’s medal was the first long-distance running medal by a female athlete from Uganda at the Solidarity Games in their two-decade history.

CHEROP AT A GLANCE

Full Name: Charity Cherop

Born: Jul 4, 2007

Age: 18

Major Events: 5000 metres, 5km, 10km

Personal Bests: 15:06.84 (5000m), 15:41 (5km), 32:19 (10km)

Coaches: Addy Ruiter, Dennis Okudach

Manager: Youri Verbaas

Major Honours: 5000 Metres Bronze (2024 World Athletics U20 Champs), 5000 Metres Silver (2025 Islamic Solidarity Games), 4th – 3000 Metres (2023 Commonwealth Youth Games)

2025 ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY GAMES

ATHLETICS: WEDNESDAY NIGHT RESULTS

WOMEN’S 800 METRES FINAL

1 Nelly Korir (BHR) 2:02.59

2 Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) 2:03.14

MEN’S 1500 METRES FINAL

1 Anass Essayi (MAR) 3:44.20

2 Mehmet Celik (TUR) 3:44.50

11 Tom Dradriga (UGA) 3:58.65

WOMEN’S 400 METRES FINAL

1 Salwa Naser (BHR) 51.59

3 Leni Shida (UGA) 52.72

MEN’S 400 METRES FINAL

1 Rachid M’hamdi (MAR) 45.40

4 Haron Adoli (UGA) 46.66

WOMEN’S 5000 METRES FINAL

1 Winfred Yavi (BHR) 15:43.51

2 Charity Cherop (UGA) 15:47.01

3 Samiya Hassan Nour (DJI) 15:48.28

4 Kadra Mohamed Dembil (DJI) 15:57.82

5 Risper Cherop (UGA) 16:23.30

Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) has recorded its highest-ever number of candidates for the national technical and vocational assessments, with more than 137,000 trainees sitting for the November-December 2025 series across the country.

Speaking to journalists at the UVTAB headquarters in Kampala on November 22, the board’s Executive Secretary, Mr Onesmus Oyesigye, said a total of 137,546 candidates from 743 assessment centres are taking part in the exercise, which began with a briefing on November 21 and will run until December 18.

Of the candidates, 80,654 are male and 56,892 are female, while 333 are learners with special needs.

Mr Oyesigye noted that UVTAB has deployed 150 transcribers, sign language interpreters and guides to support candidates with special needs throughout the assessment period.

‘This is the highest number of candidates the board has ever registered for assessment,’ he said. ‘We are almost equalizing with the number of candidates who sit for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams.’

He added that UVTAB conducted regional briefings for coordinators and centre supervisors on November 14 at four hubs, Mbale, Kampala, Lira and Bushenyi, in line with the board’s regulations governing conduct of assessments.

Prison trainees next in line

Mr Oyesigye also revealed that the board is finalizing discussions to start assessing inmates who acquire technical and vocational skills while in prison.

‘No TVET provider will remain outside the national assessment or regulations of the TVET Council,’ he said. ‘For prisons, it is a matter of time. We have met with them, and we want to start assessing them because they are part of the TVET trainees. We shall consider them in the next assessment.’

He further explained that UVTAB will soon shift to conducting assessments every three months, instead of annually or biannually.

‘Whoever is trained will be assessed and certified,’ he said. ‘They will be presented for assessment and accreditation through a training provider accredited by the TVET Council.’

Growing demand for skills training

Ms Jalia Nasaza, UVTAB’s Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of curriculum development, said the rising numbers show that Ugandans are increasingly embracing skilling programmes as a pathway to employment and self-reliance.

Mr Wilfred Nahamya, the Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of assessment, said candidate enrollment has grown steadily throughout the year.

‘During the May-June assessment series, the board registered 66,000 candidates. This increased to about 80,000 during the August-September series, and now over 137,000 candidates are being assessed in the November-December series,’ he said.

According to Mr Nahamya, trainees under the Presidential Skilling Hubs and the Presidential Initiative for Skilling a Girl and Boy Child are among the candidates sitting for this cycle.

There have been some complaints mainly in the communities living close to lake shores about the harsh treatment they are subjected to by law enforcement personnel when they go fishing on the lakes.

Indeed thousands of them have had to abandon their jobs along the lakes shores on grounds of the reported strict regulations governing fishing these days.

The rules now require that the fishermen are registered, and that they use the right fish nets, among other requirements, to ensure proper sustenance of the lakes and that all forms of aquaculture flourish.

Hundreds of people have been driven out of fishing on the lakes and have become unemployed due to noncompliance with the strict fishing regulations in force.

Some politicians, especially those aspiring to take up leadership positions after the upcoming general elections, have taken advantage of the strict regulations to pledge that when they take over leadership, they will ensure they remove the police and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) personnel from guarding the lakes so that all those people who used to earn their living by fishing can go back to the lakes and fish freely.

On the surface, it sounds like a good idea and a vote winning pledge.

However, a politician who wants to restore unregulated fishing on the lakes in order to create jobs would be grossly mistaken.

Quite a big percentage of our high quality animal protein food is from fish, and if too much pressure is exerted on our water bodies to obtain enough fish for the fast growing population, we will soon run out of fish.

At the time of Independence, in 1962, Uganda’s population was only about six million. The 2024 census recorded a population of 45.9 million.

Wrong gear

If we don’t regulate ‘fish hunting’ on the lakes, given the increased population, the fish will be wiped out within just a few years and still thousands of fishermen will become unemployed. We will also have lost a major source of animal protein, not to mention a big source of foreign exchange.

Due to greed, many fishermen use the wrong fish nets to trap even immature fish. Some have been known to use poison to catch fish. There are cases of armed robbery on the lake. Such bad practices require law enforcement officers, marine police, and, where need be, the support of the UPDF to stop them.

Even under the ongoing strict fishing regulation on the lakes, fish export earnings are already declining.

A quick Google search indicates that Uganda’s fish export earnings declined significantly in 2024, dropping to approximately $107.5m (Shs388b) from $139.8m (Shs505b) in 2023. The drop could be attributed to too much pressure put on the lakes to procure enough fish for the increased population. Much of the fish obtained from our natural fish sources is consumed locally and thousands of Ugandans earn their living as fish traders.

However, the main method currently used to get the fish could best be described as prehistoric and very outdated. It is the Stone Age hunting and gathering method that mankind practiced thousands of years ago.

Expert talks

Paul Ssekyewa, a prominent fish farmer and seed breeder in Masaka City, suggests three mitigation measures.

He says: ‘To keep law and order on the lakes requires the cooperation of the fishermen, policy makers, and law enforcement bodies such as the marine police,’ he says.

‘The fishermen must be sensitised about the importance of sustaining good fishing practices and observing the law. Secondly there should be periodic restocking of our lakes and other water bodies.’

Ssekyewa says many of their fish stocks are dwindling, without a clear regulation arrangement to restock them and that there should be an arrangement to give each one a break of like six months without fishing periodically to allow the fish to regenerate.

‘And in many countries across the world, millions of fish seeds, native to the various water bodies, are released by governments into the ecosystems to sustain the fish populations,’ he says. ‘Thirdly, we must stop the pressure on our lakes by fish farming. We can create thousands and thousands of jobs by training our youth in fish farming skills since we have a lot of water bodies in the form of rivers and swamps nearly everywhere in the country.’

Ssekyewa goes on to say Uganda is very well endowed with fresh water bodies which can facilitate massive fish production and job creation.

Geographically, Uganda, which is located in Africa’s Great Lakes region, is endowed with 69 lakes and has the greatest amount of fresh water in Africa. Nearly one-fifth of its total area is covered by open water or swampland.

He believes those who lost their jobs due to government efforts to curb overfishing on the lakes can turn to fish farming since it is a gainful occupation.

He has been training several university fisheries students sent to his farm for internship and in his view, such young people need not worry about failing to get salaried employment since they have the skills to set up fish ponds and cages.

Encourage training

‘Many of them come from homes located along swamps and all they need is to be encouraged and facilitated to become fish farmers. Their training must have an entrepreneurial focus as a vital component of their course units. It should include value addition – making fish sausages, smoking, filleting, and making ready to eat fish products like fish balls, fish fingers, and fish crumbs and others.’

Fish customers are nearly everywhere and that fish farmers can form cooperatives and put up strong fish retail businesses in every town. There would be plenty of jobs for people transporting fish on motorcycles and other vehicles to far off markets.

Fish farming has not got the attention it deserves in this well-endowed country.

Ssekyewa says our water resources are our greatest treasure. We have the best temperature for farming such fish as catfish and tilapia. They are not expensive to feed since they find a lot of natural food in the water in the form of worms, algae, insects, and plants.

Ssekyewa says the government should pay as much attention to fish farming as it does to other foreign exchange earning sectors such as coffee farming.

‘Fish farming is not just about poverty reduction, it is also about good nutrition and food security,’ he says.

Apart from providing seed to the farmers, it should also avail to them subsidized quality feeds, especially to commercial fish farmers.

‘All other people interested in fish farming but cannot afford manufactured feeds can turn to locally available feed materials like crop residues and decomposed fruits and livestock droppings.’

Ever wondered who feeds the millions of fish in the lakes?

When sunshine or moonlight is reflected on the water, the insects in the air get attracted to the shining water surface where they get caught and eaten by the fish. Some fish are cannibals and eat their fellow fish while lots of others feed on grass, worms, and other organisms naturally found in the water bodies.

Ordinary people with no formal training in fish farming can start by visiting successful farmers to copy and to seek guidance about fish farming, especially where to get the seeds from. The area agricultural services extension officer can also be helpful especially when it comes to pond construction.

Mbale Heroes could become the first club to test the provisions under Fufa’s Regulations on Club Ownership and Registration if their current crisis continues unchecked. The club earned promotion back to the Uganda Premier League last season after 17 years in the wilderness but immediately dropped back following a recurrence of problems that have long haunted them.

Their Fufa Big League campaign has begun in similar turmoil, with the team languishing in the relegation zone on just seven points from a possible 24.

Ordinarily, such a start might not call for panic but the scenes during their 2-0 home defeat to Bright Stars last Sunday did. Mbale Heroes played with only nine players and without a licensed goalkeeper, forcing defender Abraham Okello to wear the gloves, an image that summed up a club edging toward cliff.

Disorder

The troubles intensified after club chairman Andrew Wambi and his executive stepped aside, leaving patron Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi who ia currently consumed by presidential campaigns, to shoulder the club’s obligations. His sister Jessica Muduwa and counsel Geoffrey Odur Ojok have tried to stabilise matters but the gaps have been glaring.

Acting chief executive officer Bosco Wamududa admitted the crisis behind last weekend’s shorthanded team.

‘What happened was an issue of being different from some senior players and injuries. That’s how we ended up having a small, incomplete team during the last outing.’

He maintains that Jessica remains committed.

‘She might not be available but she is doing everything possible to ensure that we move and everything is going on.’

Financial constraints

Wamududa revealed that several licensed players [Paul] Musamali, Cosia Waiswa, Peter Ssenkungu never reported, with some believed to have left the country. Young, school-going players and double-licensed options from Bul were also unavailable due to national exams.

‘Three of those boys are candidates. even the ones from Bul Like Lwenda Sowedi, Mpasa Swabil and Achidi are all sitting exams,’ he said.

An emergency meeting on Monday addressed welfare issues and Wamududa insists the squad will be complete for their weekend fixture away to kaaro Karungi in Ntungamo.

Counsel Ojok was more blunt on the financial hardship .

‘We are doing everything possible but the truth is that the team is struggling to restructure and the truth is the team is struggling financially,’ he revealed to Saturday Sports.

It is this financial strain that could push Mbale Heroes into administration as defined under Article 2 of Fufa’s Regulations where Fufa temporarily takes over a club ‘until new owners are found or when current owners fail to financially sustain it.’

However, whether Fufa can realistically sustain a club through such a process remains untested. If the situation deteriorates and no new ownership emerges, Article 10 empowers Fufa to withdraw the club’s Certificate of Ownership entirely.

For now, Mbale Heroes may unknowingly become the proving ground for a regulation whose practicality remains uncertain.

2025/26 FUFA BIG LEAGUE Weekend fixturesSoltilo Bright Stars vs. Onduparaka – LugaziBunyaruguru United vs. Nebbi Central – KaseseNtugasaze vs. Catda – MityanaKataka vs. Paidha Black Angels – Mbale City StadiumKiyinda Boys vs. Iganga United – Betherm City GrdKaaro Karungi vs. Mbale Heroes – Kyamatte Play GrdWakiso Giants vs. Blacks Power – Hamz StadiumKigezi Homeboyz vs. Young Elephant – Kigezi

The bigger part of crop farming seems to be a constant physical war between the farmer and weeds. Agriculturalists describe a weed as a plant growing where it should not be. It does not matter whether the plant growing where it is not wanted is edible or even good looking. As long as it is misplaced, it is a weed, and the farmer has to remove it to stop its pressure on the desired crops.

If, for example, a tobacco plant grows in a bean garden, it competes with the beans for basic ground resources such as water, soil nutrients, sunlight, and growing space. If its leaves are dropped in the field they could get mixed with those of the desired crop growing in the same field and introduce the tobacco smell into the harvested crop. The dry weeds and even seeds may be difficult to separate from those of the harvested dry crops.

Weeds reduce the quality of crop products. They lower crop yields and, if not suppressed in time, they can take over the entire crop field and make it difficult for the farmer to use it again for crop production.Yet fighting weeds takes up time and money, thus reducing profits. To fight the weeds, the farmer may have to hire more labourers or to buy herbicides. Herbicides are poisons that kill weeds but if not carefully handled, the chemicals may be harmful to the crops, the farmer, and the consumers.

Simple weed control measures include planting early, almost as soon as ground preparation is done, so that by the time the weed seeds begin to germinate, the crops will already be strong and well established. In such circumstances it will be the crops to suppress the weeds. It is also good to plant crop seeds according to the recommended rates and spacing. If there are very wide gaps between the crops, there will be plenty of space for the weeds to grow in. Some people burn the weeds after uprooting them so that they are destroyed together with their seeds.

Another effective way to fight weeds is to cover the ground with grass or dry plant leaves in what is commonly referred to as mulching. The grass used should be the type that does not quickly sprout or easily cast its seed. When the ground is all covered, up weeds have no space in which to grow.

Police in Bukomansimbi District have launched a renewed operation to uncover the truth behind a disturbing string of killings in Bukango Sub-county, following revelations by suspects who allegedly participated in the crimes.

Authorities say at least four people,mostly women, were murdered over the past year in what appear to be ritual-style killings. Several others went missing under mysterious circumstances and have never been found, raising growing fear among residents.

On Friday, police moved four detained suspects from Bukomansimbi Police Station and took them to various locations believed to be crime scenes. The operation was supervised by the Bukomansimbi District Police Commander, Aggrey Francis Kyesimira.

The suspects, Robert Kimbugwe, Godfrey Mugabi, Julius Agaba, and Moses Kabogere, are all residents of Bukango and are accused of murdering several women, including Hadijah Nalugira of Kyaterekera, Aisha Namirembe, and Moreen Nakintu Kizza, among others.

According to Kabogere, one of the suspects, the killing of Aisha Namirembe took place on October 29 at around 8pm. He alleged that a Tipper truck driven by its owner, Kimbugwe, arrived in the area, and two men jumped out, seized Namirembe, and forced her into the vehicle before taking her to a nearby garden where she was killed.

His confession led police to search Kimbugwe’s home, where officers recovered women’s clothes, mobile phones, knives, and other items believed to be linked to the killings.

Kabogere further claimed that traditional healer Godfrey Mugabi played a role in the crimes.

‘We would place the body on a black polythene sheet, after which Mugabi would extract the blood and take it to his shrine for ritual sacrifices,’ Kabogere revealed.

During a search at Mugabi’s home, police reportedly recovered white garments suspected to be used in ritual practices along with various ritual tools.

The suspects also led police to different spots where they had buried clothing belonging to some of the victims. In another instance, a woman’s body was allegedly dumped in a dam in Kyanamirira, adding to the growing list of unexplained deaths.

Residents told police that the pattern of the killings strongly suggested ritual motives, given their similarities.

Following the revelations, police convened a community meeting at Kyaterekera in Bukango Sub-county. Officers informed locals that, according to the suspects’ accounts, the killings were carried out to acquire wealth, and warned residents against engaging in such criminal practices.

DPC Kyesimira assured the community that police would take firm action against all perpetrators of ritual-related crimes and urged residents to remain calm and refrain from mob justice.

Bukomansimbi has long been associated with unusual and deadly attacks. Residents recall that the machete killings of 2016 and 2021 also started in this district, claiming the lives of children, women, and men over time.

If you must vote

Then vote not with your belly,

For bellies forget the hand that fed them

Once the stomach turns.

Vote not for the wrapper they drape around you

Or the bag of rice that cannot rebuild a broken bridge.

Don’t let your thumb print poverty

On your own forehead.

Again.

If you must vote

Do not sell your soul for silver.

Then cry when the fire comes

A nation burns from every matchstick

Lit by foolish loyalty.

The man who buys your vote today

Becomes the curse you whisper

When the school remains a shed,

When the hospital coughs in darkness,

When your child spells hope as joke.

You sleep during elections

And expect dreams to govern.

You abandon your power

And wonder why you’re powerless.

If you must vote

Do not vote for a name.

Names cannot build roads.

Tribes cannot fix water.

Godfathers cannot teach your child.

Yet we carry ancestry to the ballot box

and bury our future beneath it.

Why do we keep planting weeds

And expecting fruit?

Why choose the mirror

Over the mind?

A pretty face cannot legislate progress.

A dancing candidate will not step

Into policy.

Ask them what they stand for,

And when they answer only in slogans,

Know they are salesmen,

Not servants.

So stop pointing fingers

With ink still wet on your thumb.

You chose this.

You wore the chain.

You crowned the clown.

If you must vote

Vote with fire in your eyes.

Vote like someone who remembers

How many dreams have died

At the hands of smiling thieves.

Vote with conscience,

Not currency.

With questions,

Not customs.

With vision,

Not division.

And when they come with coins

wrapped in promises, say:

“I am not a market.

I am a citizen.

I am not for sale.

I am the soul of this nation.”

If you must vote

Make it a weapon of wisdom,

Not a signature of silence.