Category: Daily Monitor

Each year, as we develop our annual sustainability report, we take a moment for deep reflection. We analyse key metrics, track progress, and measure our outcomes against established goals.

This year, as we release the 2024 report, titled ‘A Sustainable World is a Transformed Africa,’ a clear and urgent theme has emerged, one that challenges the core assumptions in the global sustainability conversation.

For too long, this dialogue has focused primarily on tangible assets. When we hear ‘green investments,’ images of vast solar farms, towering wind turbines, and large-scale climate-resilient infrastructure projects often come to mind. These remain crucial elements of a sustainable future.

However, our experience across Africa, a continent both deeply impacted by climate change and rich with nature assets and demographic opportunity, has taught us an essential lesson – technology and infrastructure are vital, but their true value is unlocked only when supported by the most important asset of all, an inspired, trained and empowered youth population that can tackle and address poverty.

A solar farm without trained technicians quickly turns from an asset into a liability. A drought-resistant seed is of little use if the farmer lacks the knowledge to grow it or does not have access to markets to sell its crop (or harvest or yield). Physical infrastructure depreciates; human capacity grows in value. It is people who innovate, adapt, and build resilience. This shifts social investment from a charitable add-on to the most strategic bet any society can make on its future prosperity.

Yet, investing in people alone is also not enough. For impact to be scalable and lasting, it must be anchored in an ecosystem that supports and multiplies human potential.

We structure this through three interconnected pillars: people, processes, and systems.

Investment in people is the starting point, but it only delivers when reinforced by robust processes, governance, risk management, quality assurance, and supported by systems such as digital platforms, franchise models, data aggregation and networks that drive scale.

The results are evident. Removing financial barriers for tens of thousands of bright but disadvantaged students is an investment in people. Embedding that in a community-based selection process and a structured system of mentorship and leadership development transforms students into innovators ready to tackle complex national and global challenges. This is how a country builds its intellectual infrastructure – the financial engineers, water specialists and software developers are shaping Africa’s tomorrow.

Healthcare offers an even clearer illustration. A nation weighed down by poor health cannot be productive. Here, the investment begins with the medical scholar but extends further. By adding business and financial training (process) and providing a ready-to-use franchise model (system), we enable young doctors to become entrepreneurs, opening clinics in their own communities.

The result is twofold: millions gain access to affordable healthcare, while local ownership strengthens economic stability. A clinic run by a doctor who speaks the local language and understands the culture will always deliver deeper, more sustainable impact than a project implemented from outside.

The true value of this integrated model is the virtuous cycle it ignites, a human capital flywheel. The investment does not dissipate; it multiplies with compounding social interest. The student we support studying medicine is the doctor who returns to run and own a community clinic, leveraging our shared systems and processes to serve the families of the next generation of students.

The agricultural training we provide for a smallholder farmer is amplified by a digital platform, a system that delivers market information, and a credit assessment process that unlocks financing. This is the tangible and sustainable mechanism of shared prosperity.

The lesson is clear, while solar panels and other green assets are vital, their real value lies in the ecosystem that sustains them. Success depends on the people who install and maintain them, the processes that enable financing and governance, and the systems that ensure performance is tracked and scaled.

Broadening the definition of green assets is no longer optional; it is essential. The challenge for business, government, and development leaders is to recalibrate our scorecards. Success should be measured not only in megawatts and carbon credits, but also in skills built, livelihoods secured, and communities empowered.

The hardware of the green transition remains vital, but its true value is only realised when it is anchored in people, enabled by effective processes and scaled through resilient systems.

As Uganda continues to review its education curriculum under the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) framework, it is likely time to incorporate indigenous perspectives into that conversation.

A few years ago, while working with a local agency among the indigenous communities of northeastern Uganda, I encountered a profound question about the meaning of development. My role was to help build relationships that could shape grassroots approaches to progress. Yet, I met communities that resisted what we often label as ‘development.’

Curious, especially about education, a woman I spoke with told me plainly: ‘When our children study, they leave for Kampala for employment and never come back. They forget who they are. How does that help our people?’

Her words struck me deeply. I started rethinking some assumptions we have. I wondered why education must always look the same everywhere, that learning must be standardised, measured through national exams, and detached from culture.

If education is truly about helping people observe, understand, and improve the world around them, then our current model fails many of Uganda’s indigenous communities. It alienates rather than empowers. It prepares children to leave, not to lead. Maybe we could rethink education for some of these communities.

Lessons from the Sámi people group. We can learn from the Sámi people of Norway. The Sámi people are an indigenous group that has successfully balanced national education standards with cultural preservation.

The Sámi follow the national curriculum but also have their own Sámi curriculum, which promotes their language, worldview, and traditional ecological knowledge. Their schools employ experiential, place-based learning approaches that are rooted in their local environment. Crucially, Sámi children have the right to be educated in their own language.

The result? Sámi learners meet national literacy and numeracy standards without losing their cultural identity. Their education prepares them to thrive in multiple worlds: their traditional communities, the national system, and the global economy.

Uganda’s indigenous communities such as the Karimojong, Ik, and Tepeth, and others hold deep reservoirs of wisdom about pastoralism, community, and sustainability.

Yet, our education system often treats these as irrelevant. What if we had a policy shift that recognised indigenous knowledge as a vital educational resource, rather than a relic of the past? I propose several key steps:

Government policy and funding for indigenous education – Establish frameworks and budgets to support hybrid curriculum design, teacher training, and materials that integrate local epistemologies.

Teacher preparation rooted in local contexts – Train teachers to draw on local stories, languages, and ecological knowledge as part of formal learning.

Integration of local languages – Language carries cultural memory and shapes understanding. Learners grasp concepts better when taught in familiar linguistic and cultural contexts.

Pedagogical hybridity – Create spaces where local and formal knowledge meet. Learning should connect classroom theory with community practice.Contextualised learning – Design a curriculum that helps children analyse their own social, economic, and ecological realities and imagine ways to improve them.

Grassroots participation – Empower communities to shape the kind of education they value. Infrastructure and curriculum should emerge from consultation, not imposition.

When education values indigenous knowledge, children no longer have to choose between identity and opportunity. They can thrive in national and global spaces while remaining connected to their heritage.

True development will not come from replacing local wisdom with external systems but from integrating the two. Education should be a bridge, not a barrier, a process that deepens roots even as it expands horizons.

If Uganda is serious about inclusive development, then reimagining education for its indigenous communities is not just desirable, but essential.

Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, the presidential candidate for the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), has unveiled plans to revive Uganda’s agricultural extension services if he is voted into office in 2026.

Speaking during campaign rallies in Serere and Soroti districts yesterday, Gen Muntu lamented the plight of smallholder farmers, who he said are exploited by middlemen due to the collapse of cooperative movements that once protected their interests.

‘The farmers, who make up over 70 percent of our workforce, find themselves in a vulnerable position where they cannot negotiate fair prices for seeds, pesticides, and their produce,’ he said.

Gen Muntu said ANT has a deliberate plan to strengthen extension infrastructure across the country.

He added that this would enable cooperatives to provide credit to farmers for purchasing inputs like pesticides and seeds, reducing their dependence on exploitative intermediaries.

‘That is what we are promising the people. We want to heavily invest in education and health,’ he said, adding that a healthy and skilled population is critical for sustainable development. He emphasised that his vision for Uganda is one of inclusive development, where all citizens live in peace and unity, rather than fostering divisions fuelled by emotional or regional ego. The two-time presidential candidate also highlighted the challenges farmers face due to poor road infrastructure, which keeps the prices of their produce low.

Gen Muntu further addressed long-standing grievances in Teso, Lango, and Acholi sub-regions, particularly the issue of cattle compensation. He assured the people of Teso that compensation and livestock restocking will be part of ANT’s development agenda.

‘This is essential for making Teso prosperous while we also grow other regions of the country,’ he said. On employment, Gen Muntu criticised the lack of job opportunities and the prevalence of corruption in hiring processes, adding that bribes are often required to secure positions. According to the Uganda National Household Survey 2022/23, the national unemployment rate stood at 3.5 percent.

Two challengers are vying to unseat Felix Okot Ogong, the long-standing Member of Parliament for Dokolo South Constituency in Dokolo District, in the 2026 General Election.

Mr Okot Ogong, who is seeking re-election on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, has held the seat since 1996, making him one of Uganda’s longest-serving legislators.

His challengers: Mr Vincent Opito of the opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, and Mr Julius Engwau of the Democratic Party (DP), promise to bring to the table life-changing interventions for the constituency if given the mandate in the 2026 general election.

In the 2021 elections, Mr Okot Ogong survived narrowly Mr Opito, who contested against him under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket.

Luckily enough, NRM’s Okot Ogong garnered 13,285 votes and won the election with a difference of 1,654 votes. Mr Opito polled 11,631 votes and lost the election. Another candidate, Mr Ambrose Ocen of the National Unity Platform (NUP), got 706 votes.

Nonetheless, the 2026 election provides a fertile ground for the two competitors to test Mr Okot Ogong’s popularity and the appetite for change. Mr Opito, who is seen by many as a key contender, is determined to bring change to Dokolo South.

The Congressman has pledged to address the diverse needs of the constituents if elected for the 2026-31 term. Interestingly, Mr Opito is aware that different groups, such as young people, senior citizens or older persons, persons with disabilities, car washers, and those engaged in mobile business, experience varying challenges that require tailored solutions.

Mr Opito says his vision aims, among other things, to categorize these groups and provide targeted support to each one of them. According to Mr Opito, the most neglected areas in Dokolo South are the sub-counties of Adeknino, Okwongodul, and Kwera. Kwera Sub-county is Mr Okot Ogong’s birthplace. He points out that these areas suffer from crop destruction caused by hippopotamuses from the nearby Lake Kwania.

‘Despite the severity of the issue, the current Dokolo South MP has ignored it in Parliament. If given the mandate, I promise to address this and ensure that those affected people receive proper compensation from the government,’ he says, adding, ‘I am the only true leader in the race, and I urge people to support my parliamentary bid in the forthcoming elections.’

Mr Okot Ogong’s long tenure has seen both support and criticism, with some constituents appreciating his efforts in supporting the construction of churches and sponsoring bright students, and providing assistance to vulnerable families and engaging with constituents. However, critics argue that more needs to be done to address the constituency’s challenges.

But the incumbent Member of Parliament says he is still better placed to represent the voice of Dokolo South in the 12th Parliament. For continuous enjoyment of effective service delivery, he pledges to coordinate with the central government in Kampala, the district leadership, and also the local government at the sub-county level if re-elected.

‘I will play all my roles as a Member of Parliament, and I will dedicate myself, my time, and my energy to ensure that we improve the lives of our people, we increase and promote development in my district and also in my constituency,’ says Mr Okot Ogong.

He adds, ‘I will promote the welfare of the youth, women, people with disabilities, and the welfare of older persons and others. I will ensure that everybody benefits from the programmes that are being designed and promoted by the government. I will do my best to ensure that all those that are meant for Dokolo are implemented.’

Mr Engwau, however, is an aspirant who believes he can do better. With his fresh perspective, he aims to address the constituency’s needs more effectively. For instance, he promises to bring about a transformative change in the education sector. Dokolo District, just like many districts in northern Uganda, has struggled with poor performance in national examinations, high dropout rates, and inadequate educational infrastructure.

Mr Engwau’s vision includes improving the quality of education, increasing access to educational resources, and supporting teachers. Under improved infrastructure, the DP flagbearer plans to advocate for the construction of new classrooms, libraries, and laboratories to provide a conducive learning environment. He further plans to come up with initiatives to train and motivate teachers, ensuring they have the necessary skills and resources to deliver quality education.

In a bid to increase access to affordable quality education, Mr Engwau promises to offer scholarships and bursaries to disadvantaged learners, reducing dropout rates and promoting inclusivity. Also, he plans to work with parents, teachers, and the community to create a supportive environment for education.

Key issues are likely to influence their choices, shaping the outcome of the elections, including the upgrade of Dokolo Health Centre IV to the level of a general hospital.

Political analysts like Mr Jasper Ouni say the leadership style and accountability of candidates will be crucial factors in the elections in Dokolo District.

Indeed, voters admit that they are looking for leaders who can deliver on their promises and provide effective representation.

The sub-region continues to suffer from poor road network; lack of access to affordable education, water, sanitation, livelihood projects and healthcare. Voters may rally behind candidates whose manifestos touch on real issues that affect them.

Figures

The entire Dokolo District has a total population of 215,625 people, including 108,260 males and 107,365 females, according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census. In 2021, 40,468 voters participated in the parliamentary elections in Dokolo South.

A Senior Two student of Naalya Secondary School in Lugazi, Buikwe District, has been found dead in Mukono District after missing for one week.

Melisa Aneza, 15, was reported missing by her mother, Ms Sarah Kamuganga, at Kikoni B Police Station in Wandegeya on November 6. Ms Kamuganga told this publication by phone yesterday that her daughter had returned home from school on October 28 following a one-week suspension and stayed with her for the entire duration.

The head teacher of Naalya SS, Lugazi, Ms Rita Mutaawe, when contacted yesterday requested that this publication visits the school for more details on the nature of the suspension.

The father of the deceased , Mr Martin Anogyerire, picked up Aneza from school and dropped her off at Kikoni, where the mother resides. Ms Kamuganga explained that on November 4, Aneza left for school dressed in uniform and used a motorcycle to meet her father, who was supposed to take her back to school, at his place near Bahai in Kawempe Division. Six hours later, Mr Anogyerire called Ms Kamuganga, asking why their daughter had not reached him, since he had planned to escort her back to school. Aneza never arrived, and two days later, her mother reported the matter to the police.

‘I went to Kikoni B Police Station and reported the case of missing child and left the matter before police to investigate,’ Ms Kamuganga said. She added that the next day, police detectives visited her residence and recorded statements from neighbours. ‘One of the neighbours had a camera, they retrieved the footage and it showed the daughter moving on foot but at a distance,’ she said.

On November 10, photos of the deceased circulated on social media, indicating that she had been killed and dumped in Musaale Swamp, Namulaba Village, Kyampisi Sub-county, Mukono District. Local authorities said due to the advanced state of decomposition, mortuary staff in Kayunga buried the body in a cemetery. Two days later, the parents of the missing child learnt of the body recovered in Nagalama and suspected it could be their daughter, though it remained unconfirmed.

‘I immediately went there, looked at the body and identified her as my daughter, I almost collapsed, local leaders held me up and took me to Nagalama Police Station to make another statement,’ Ms Kamuganga said. Before she got wind of the whereabouts of her daughter, witnesses reported that the body was dressed in a navy-blue student skirt labelled Nanyonga VII, suggesting the victim may have been a student. The specific school was not immediately identified then, and police engaged nearby institutions to establish whether they had any missing learners.

Police investigating matter

The Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson, Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, said police are investigating two separate incidents, both being handled at the Kampala Metropolitan East regional headquarters. ‘The first is a case of a missing juvenile reported at Wandegeya Police Station on November 6, 2025, in which Sarah Kamuganga reported the disappearance of her daughter, Aneza Merisa. The second incident, under investigation at Nagalama Police Station, involves the recovery of a decomposing body from Musaale Swamp in Namulaba Village, Kyampisi Sub-county, on November 10, 2025,’ he said.

Mr Owoyesigyire added that although some people claiming to be the parents of the deceased have identified her, police have not yet handed over the body to the alleged family, as DNA testing is required to confirm the identity. ‘As part of the ongoing investigations, police have applied for a court order to guide the exhumation of the body. Samples will be extracted for DNA analysis to determine whether the remains are those of the missing child, Aneza Merisa,’ he said.

As the country races to end HIV/Aids as a public health threat by 2030, new figures from the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC), show there has been a slight decline in HIV prevalence from 5.1 percent in 2023 to 4.9 percent in December 2024.

The new data also shows that the HIV epidemic is geographically diverse. The prevalence ranges from 7.5 percent in South Buganda Sub-region to 1.4 percent in Karamoja. Details in the report further indicate that South Buganda has the highest HIV prevalence, followed by Acholi, Ankole, Lango, North Buganda and Kampala. The prevalence is generally higher in fast urbanising areas than in rural areas, according to the Commission.

During a press conference at the Uganda Media Centre yesterday, Dr Nelson Musoba, the UAC director general, explained that this is partly driven by high rates of risky sexual behaviour such as not using condoms, having multiple sexual partners and prostitution. There were 1,527,238 people living with HIV (PLHIV) by the end of 2024, with 37,000 people contracting the virus in 2024. There were also 20,000 Aids-related deaths reported in the same year. Despite the high numbers of new infections, Dr Musoba believes the country is making meaningful progress towards the 2030 goal of eliminating the disease as a public health burden.

He said over the past two decades, the increased efforts on prevention, ensuring access to Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and promoting adherence to medication, have caused a significant decline in HIV prevalence. ‘HIV prevalence is at 4.9 percent from a double-digit figure of 18 percent in the late 1990s,’ Dr Musoba noted. ‘Uganda is winning the war in the fight against HIV/Aids.’

Dissatisfied Canon

Dr Ruth Senyonyi, the chairperson of the UAC Board, observed that the Commission is always looking out for the gaps that can hamper the attainment of the 2030 goal. ‘When we say we are ending Aids by 2030, there are three things we are looking at. We don’t want new infections, and the 37,000 new infections last year are a big number; we should not have that number,’ she said in her remarks at the Uganda Media Centre. She added: ‘We want to go towards zero, making sure we are suppressing the viral load and making sure we don’t have new infections. Then, we also don’t want Aids-related deaths. We don’t want anybody dying from Aids. And it is possible.

People who are living with HIV are on medication, and they are not dying of Aids, and they will not die young. They will die of old age.’ Dr Senyonyi said the other roadblock to achieving the goal is stigma. ‘When there is stigma, people do not go for treatment. People do not go to find medicine. People do not go for tests because they are being stigmatised. Or they don’t say they are living with the virus if they find out they are,’ she explained. ‘Therefore, they don’t go for medication. They still pass on this infection. Therefore, they still have children who are born with HIV,’ she added. Dr Musoba explained why the HIV prevalence appears to have reduced just slightly or even stagnated. He said the prevalence measures the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) within the general population.

‘So, if the PLHIV are on treatment and treatment is working and they are not dying, that number will be there. If you are having very high new infections, then that number of PLHIV might slightly go up, but if you are doing well in terms of managing new HIV infections and they are going down, then you see a reduction in prevalence,’ he said. ‘Ideally, the prevalence should either remain the same or decrease slightly. If the prevalence decreases significantly, it might be a result of deaths,’ he added. On why the 2023 and 2024 figures both show the Aids-related deaths of 20,000, Dr Musobsa said it means ‘we neither improved nor deteriorated.’

Is the 2030 target within reach?

However, Dr Vincent Bagambe, the head of planning at the UAC, said in an interview earlier that hitting the 2030 target requires increased efforts and adoption of new technologies to improve prevention and treatment. ‘We need to do more to bend the curve of new HIV infections to go down, and of course, also the curve of Aids-related deaths to go down. Our target was that by 2030, we would see less than 10,000 new HIV infections and less than 10,000 Aids-related deaths,’ he explained. According to our analysis of government data, new HIV infections have fallen from 53,000 to 37,000 over the last five years – a drop of 16,000, or about 3,200 each year.

But Uganda now has only five years left to reach the 2030 target. At the current pace of decline, the country could still have about 20,000 new HIV infections in 2030. This also means Uganda may need an extra four years after 2030 to reach the goal of reducing new infections to below 10,000. This means Uganda may require a total of nine more years to hit the elimination target, when counting from 2025. The new data shows that 930,000 females are living with HIV, compared to 570,000 males. New infections are also higher among young people-especially young women and adolescent girls-as well as in urban areas. Ms Jacqueline Makokha, the country director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS), noted the ‘commendable progress’ in the HIV/Aids fight, but said to attain the 2030 target, there should be a keen interest in addressing the high rates of infections among adolescent girls and young women.

She noted that in 2024, young women aged between 15 and 24 made up 78 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents, while boys in the same age group accounted for only 20 percent. ‘In no way does it mean that young girls have more frequent sexual interactions than boys. We should interpret this in terms of their biological vulnerability in terms of the likelihood of young girls facing sexual and gender-based violence and also in terms of intergenerational sex, where older men are having sex with our young girls, and so these intergenerational sexual encounters expose them to HIV infections,’ she added.

She said their findings show that gender inequality, poverty, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services continue to increase the vulnerability of young girls. In the 2024 data, young people aged between 15 and 24 alone contributed 14,000, which is more than a third of the 37,000 new HIV infections. Another 4,700 infections in children aged between zero and 14 years were due to mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The two contribute about half of the total new infections.

Innovations

Ms Makokha said Uganda can do better in reducing the rates of new infections and deaths by embracing these five strategies. The strategies greatly focus on young people who are the leading contributors to new infections. ‘The first strategy is that we must scale up sexuality education and empower young people with accurate information,’ she recommended. She said in most countries, knowledge of comprehensive HIV information is only at about 70 percent, a level requiring improvement. ‘Secondly, we have to expand access to HIV prevention tools for young people, including Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)and condoms, and we must provide testing not just in health facilities, but also in communities and in places where young people are such as schools, higher institutions of learning and others.

We are also encouraging countries to give young girls a choice,’ she advised. ‘In the HIV sector, we have a lot of interventions that young people can use to prevent HIV infections. Let’s give them a choice. There is lenacapavir (an injectable drug for HIV infection given twice a year). This is available,’ she added. Dr Musoba said the government expects to start administering lenacapavir next year. But he said the doses, around 36,000 expected from donors through the Global Fund, will prioritise the high-risk groups, including young women, those in transactional sex and those in discordant relationships. Dr Musoba also revealed that the government is completing estimates for the number of beneficiaries before making an official request for the drug. He said they also expect the private sector to start purchasing the drug, whose cost per person per year has been reduced to $40 (Shs142,000), after the approval by the National Drug Authority (NDA).

But Ms Makokha said the existing interventions shouldn’t be overlooked. ‘We also have condoms. We have the oral PrEP, we have the vaginal ring. Let them get a choice and choose what best suits them to prevent HIV infection,’ she said. She also called for strengthening community-led initiatives that address stigma and discrimination and gender-based violence and ensure young people who face gender-based violence are referred for services, including HIV prevention. ‘Fourthly, we have to invest in economic empowerment programmes for young women and girls to reduce their vulnerability and ensure they remain in school and complete secondary school education,’ she said.

‘Finally, we have to ensure youth participation in policy making and programme design because young people are not just beneficiaries of services; they are leaders, they have knowledge, they know what works, and we have to give them the space to do what best suits them,’ she added. Dr Senyonyi said they are increasing interventions to address stigma and barriers that contribute to the 4,700 new infections in babies through mother-to-child transmission of HIV. She also said they are engaging men, who are the main negotiators for sexual activity, so that they lead in the HIV prevention drive.

The government yesterday announced a significant financial disbursement aimed at fostering economic growth and financial inclusion in communities across the country.

The Minister for Finance, Mr Matia Kasaija, said a total of Shs529b had been released to all verified Parish Development Model (PDM) Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (Saccos). This initiative is expected to impact 10,589 parishes, with each parish receiving Shs50m as the first tranche for the 2025/2026 Financial Year.

‘The funds are to reach every parish on Wednesday directly through their Sacco accounts. This money is strictly for investment and production for the objective of transforming households into productive engines of Uganda’s economy, not for personal benefits nor campaigning since we are in the election period. No beneficiary should be charged any fee to access the loans,’ he added.

He warned that RDCs, DISOs, and accounting officers must take firm action against any fraudsters or extortionists.

‘Sacco leaders must ensure proper selection, monitoring, and loan recovery for stronger parish economies. Anyone who abuses the PDM system will be punished according to the law, firmly and swiftly,’ Mr Kasaija added.

Since its inception, Mr Kasaija said Shs3.261 trillion has directly been transferred to parishes, reaching 3.27 million Ugandans. He explained that most beneficiaries have invested in agriculture and enterprise, including Shs385b in coffee, Shs1.1 trillion in food and other cash crops, Shs1.1 trillion in livestock, mainly piggery, and Shs366b in poultry, among others.

For the case of densely populated parishes, especially in the urban settlements, Mr Kasaija said these will receive more funds in the next year. ‘By the year 2023, when this programme started, a census hadn’t happened yet, but after it, we realised that some parishes are bigger with a higher population than others, and it isn’t realistic to receive the same amount.

For that case, the bigger parishes will get more money as the President had promised, like Shs300m, and this will be implemented in the next financial year.’ Mr Godfrey Ssemugooma, the accountant general at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, said so far Shs650m has been disbursed, adding that the programme is a revolving fund, where it advances back in the particular Sacco and not government profits.

‘As of today, we’ve received Shs650m in repayments, and we need to emphasise that this money is not for the government but repaying into their parish Sacco, so that they can lend the money to other beneficiaries within the parish. This is a revolving fund where the government continues to capitalise the fund,’ he said.

Mr Ssemugooma added: ‘And we encourage people to repay, so that the other beneficiaries within the parish can benefit, for those who took loans and have hit two years, start repaying so that more people can benefit from the programme.’ For the current financial year, the government has also allocated Shs1.097 trillion in new capital and facilitation to sustain PDM growth.

This includes Shs1.1 trillion for the Parish Revolving Fund, Shs5.3b for Sacco administration, Shs4.2b for loan withdrawal charges, Shs4.7b supporting PWDs, Shs10.6b for parish development committees, and Shs12.7b in duty facilitation for parish chiefs and town agents.

By the time of PDM’s launch, an estimated 42 percent of Ugandans were experiencing multidimensional poverty, according to the 2022 Uganda Bureau of Statistics Multidimensional Poverty Index. Three financial years after rollout, PDM had reached 832,746 households, according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, with 3.5 million households, about 33.1 percent of the population, remaining in subsistence.

PDM funds

The funds are to reach every parish on Wednesday directly through their Sacco accounts. This money is strictly for investment and production for the objective of transforming households into productive engines of Uganda’s economy, not for personal benefits nor campaigning since we are in the election period. No beneficiary should be charged any fee to access the loans- Minister for Finance, Matia Kasaija.

President Museveni is expected to conduct his re-election campaign in the Kigezi Sub-region from November 24 to 26.

However, just like in other regions, a section of leaders that the Monitor talked to want the President to, among others, address unfulfilled government pledges in the area.

Kisoro LC5 Abel Bizimana, said: ‘We expect the President to address government commitments on boosting tourism infrastructure that include the pledged expansion of Kisoro Airstrip to accommodate bigger passenger aeroplanes, tarmacking the tourism roads in Bwindi National Park, and completing the Nteko-Buhoma road that connects Bwindi National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park.’

Mr Bizimana said since Bwindi park recently earned a global tourism recognition for Uganda at the TOURISE Global Tourism Awards held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, roads to the back should be improved.

‘The planned establishment of the Kisoro Industrial Park is pending. Kisoro District local government handed over its 620-acre titled land to the government for its establishment,’ Mr Bizimana said.

‘We also expect to hear about the new developments on the establishment of the John Kale Institute of Science and Technology in honour of the late father of the former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura. Kisoro District Local Government offered its titled land for the establishment of this institution,’ he added.

The chairman of the Kigezi Tourism Cluster, Canon Ivan Mbabazi, reminded the President of the unfulfilled pledge for the establishment of the Batuma Memorial Airstrip in Rubanda District. The pledge has affected the tourism industry, yet the Batuma holdings offered land on which the airstrip was to be constructed, besides a commitment to meet about 30 percent of the total cost required for its establishment.

‘If this presidential pledge can be fulfilled, it can attract high-end tourists who prefer air transport because of its convenience in reaching the planned destination faster compared to the roads. The establishment of Batuma Memorial Airstrip will be instrumental for tourists seeking to see mountain gorillas in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park,’ Mr Mbabazi said.

The chairman of the Tea Farmers Association in Southwestern Uganda, Mr Frank Byaruhanga, castigated the government over its failure to implement the presidential directive on paying nursery bed operators that supplied it with seedlings. He said this may cost the NRM party support in Kigezi and Ankole region.

Mr Byaruhanga said the tea enterprise in the Kigezi region employs about 160,000 people who are involved in different tea value chain activities. In August this year, President Museveni directed the Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, to work with the Ministry of Finance to raise Shs310b, of which Shs152b will be used for establishing tea factories, Shs46b as a subsidy for fertilisers for tea growers, and Shs112b for tea seedling suppliers to rescue the tea sector in Uganda.

‘Government’s failure to pay about Shs76b to the Kigezi Regional Tea Nursery Bed Operators for the tea seedlings they supplied to it is one of the issues that may affect the NRM party leaders in this region during this electoral process. The presidential directive to the prime minister and the ministry of Finance on rescuing the tea sector in Uganda should be implemented as soon as possible,’ Mr Byaruhanga said.

Other unfulfilled presidential pledges in the Kigezi region include the establishment of an Iron Ore processing factory in Muko-Rubanda District, tarmacking of the Muhanga-Kisiizi road, and Muhanga-Kamwezi border road in Rukiga District.

It is now a year since Dr Kizza Besigye and aide Obeid Lutale were abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, blindfolded, and driven overnight across the border to Kampala and charged before the military court. In an exclusive interview at his home in Mutundwe, on the outskirts of Kampala City, Lutale’s wife Halimah speaks about the struggles by the family to survive amid rising costs of living, with Lutale, the breadwinner, locked away.

How is the family coping with the absence of Obeid Lutale?

He was everything to us: a breadwinner, and many people are standing with us in this, and we thank them. I can’t mention everybody, friends, and families. Everybody is working hard to ensure we are okay, and that is because he is a good person.

Since he was the breadwinner, how do you survive now?

As a wife, I have to work hard, I’m a juicer. It has been my work even before he was arrested. But I don’t have that daily income now. But I thank Allah that I’m coping.

How has his absence impacted you over time?

As a family, we are hurt because every time there are challenges, we think of him. But now I’m the one taking care of him in Luzira prison, and that is hard for me and the children.

How often do you visit him in Luzira?

I go there every Wednesday. I couldn’t manage visiting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So, I decided to go there once every week to manage it.

So when you go, do you get the chance to talk to him?

Yes, I do. You know we use phones to talk through a glass partition, you can’t talk one-on-one, and that is hurting because for a person who was always there, daily, and you now visit him only once a week! You can’t even hug him, because he’s barricaded behind a glass.

Whenever you go to see them, what do you take to him?

I take fresh food and beverages because everything has to be from home since he can’t take the prison’s food. He turned 66 years old on November 2, so he is an old man who had never been arrested, not even by the local council authorities, or by the police. This is the first time for him to be in prison, so he needs provisions from home.

Weekly, I spend between Shs300,000 and Shs400,000 to buy his food and other needs in Luzira. We also spend on fuel to visit him in Luzira. The support comes from our family savings, our older children, relatives, and friends.

When you speak to him, how is he coping?

He was healthy, but he developed hypertension immediately after his arrest, and he has even become diabetic. But I can’t say he’s okay because he needs to be out. As an old man, to take a year, being in that situation is not easy. Nowadays, he can’t do any exercise and is developing a big body. I fear he’s going to get some complications because he’s not used to that kind of setting and life.

What does he say when you speak to him?

He tells me he knows nothing about the accusation against him and Dr Besigye. He knew nothing because he had just gone for [Kenyan lawyer and opposition leader] Martha Karua’s book launch and was to return that Monday. So, no one can say somebody was carrying a gun when he passed via Entebbe airport, and Nairobi International Airport, you can’t go through airports with a gun unless it is registered. But he has never even used a gun.

Who is Obeid as a politician?

First of all, they were friends with Dr Besigye since the days of the Reform Agenda [forerunner of the Forum for Democratic Change party]. He is a quiet man, and some people didn’t even know him and are wondering why he was arrested with Dr Besigye. But they are friends, and as friends, they travel, talk, and do many things together. He is only a politician who backs others and has not even tried to stand for any elective position, not even when he was prodded to go for a seat in Rubaga South to replace Ms Joyce Ssebugwawo, who was appointed minister, but he refused.

So, who is Obeid Lutale as a family person?

He is a good husband and a friend. He’s a good father, and he cares a lot about his children and the old people around him. Here, we have been with many people living together, including grandchildren. He’s so loving as a father and a grandparent now.

As he faces charges in the courts, who is footing his legal bills?

I think his legal bills are squared by the party, not us. It is the party, and we thank them a lot because they have stood with them for a year. We have never forgotten it.

What is your wish?

My wish is to see them released so that they come back home. If they have any charges, let the government be straight, not going here and there. Justice delayed is justice denied because, as you see, we reached a mandatory bail, but they refused to grant it, saying they had spent four months, when it was seven, because it is six months in the law. You can see all the bail applications are being dumped. My wish is for the government to release them because they know nothing, and they have nothing right now.

What is his mood and spirit when you speak to him in jail?

As of now, he has to accept it because it is the order of the day. Even if you say, I’m not happy, you remain there. He is not happy, but he’s still there. All the time, he tells you to pray so that they get out. And all the time they want to get out, come to court, and talk with us. They aim to come out because they know nothing; they did nothing.

What is that particular attribute you miss about Obeid Lutale?

I miss everything because he is my friend. He’s the person who comes back daily and tells you everything from the time you gave him breakfast to the time he returns. Every day, for 30 years now we have been married, everything about that man is that he is someone who wants to be there, talking with everyone. I miss his jokes, I miss his presence, and I miss everything.

You know Obeid is a farmer and has kalitunsi (eucalyptus trees), which he planted. By the time he was arrested, he had started growing these, and he also has avocados, the short ones. He left them when they had not even put out fruit, but now they have fruited twice. That is too much for him because he loves his farm work. He used to go to the gym every day, but he’s no longer doing that because he no longer works in the office. After the gym, he would go shopping, and he is never one who roams. He’s a family man who would spend most of the time with his family.

What would you say or do if the President wants to meet you over Lutale?

Should he say he wants to meet us, we can, because we don’t know him, and he doesn’t know me. But if he says ‘the people of this person come and talk to me,’ we can go. And we can tell him that we know nothing, and he knows nothing. We can beg for his release.

How big is this family?

He has one family, with me as the wife and these children. The other family members are his father, the sisters, aunties, and many more are outside. You see, for the man, you can’t say he has this number of children because every time you get people, you adopt, you do many things as a man, but their children are there. Some of them you may know.

How has Lutale’s arrest affected your business?

His arrest has affected me a lot because most of my clients are no longer interested in taking my calls. They don’t call me, and when you text them, they say, ‘I will get back to you’. Sometimes they say ‘your calls are being tapped’. So, they no longer interact with me for business, and that has caused me a lot of pain.

Bar unforeseen circumstances, it is likely Uganda will scoop more medals on Day Three of athletics at the Islamic Solidarity Games at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Up to eight Ugandans could line up on the light blue tartan for race finals on the penultimate day of athletics at the sixth Solidarity Games in Riyadh.

The medal expectations are high because these Games are relatively a lower standard, in comparison with the Olympics, World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games, for the crop of talent selected by Uganda Athletics (UAt) to compete in Riyadh.

Yet UAt and Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) are using the Riyadh stage to prepare athletes for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in the USA.

For a runner like Halimah Nakaayi, her reputation is even on the line when she lines up for the women’s 800 metres final.

Regardless of the opposition on other lanes, Nakaayi knows she must win the two-lap event owing to the weight of her profile.

Nakaayi won the 800 metres world title in Doha, Qatar in 2019, she took silver and bronze at the African Games in 2019 in Morocco and in 2024 in Ghana respectively.

At the Solidarity Games, Nakaayi even medalled with a silver at the 2017 Baku edition in Azerbaijan. A medal in the event tonight could also cushion her sequential shortcomings at the recent bigger championships.

‘I’ve got to close out my season strongly, at least with something,’ Nakaayi, 31, said after she missed the final of the two-lap race at the Tokyo World Championships in Japan two months ago.

Besides, Tom Dradriga too is keen on getting onto the podium in the men’s 1500 metres final. He comfortably won Heat 2 of the men’s 800 metres in 1:49.43 on a hot morning yesterday.

‘Despite the very hot weather, I have managed to deliver to my best,’ said Dradriga, who also competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics in France and the Tokyo Worlds in Japan.

‘I still have a final in 1500m tomorrow night (Wednesday) and I look forward to facing the lads,’ added the 800 metres bronze medallist from the 2024 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon.

In the 800 metres Heat, the field went through the first lap in 54.75 but Dradriga in third, surged into second with 200 metres left before taking the lead in the final bend.

In the sprints, Shida Leni is looking to make it to the podium in the women’s 400 metres final after she won Heat 2 in 52.47 seconds via lane 5 yesterday.

‘Today, I just wanted to qualify for finals because I know it is not an easy race. So I am so grateful,’ said the 31-year-old whose personal best is 50.93 seconds, a national record.

‘We will see what comes out of the final tomorrow (today) and I am ready for it,’ she added.

Leni, who also competed in Tokyo, will face race favourite 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain who won Heat 1 in a time of 52.13. In Naser’s Heat was another Uganda Maureen Banura who finished fifth in 54.78.

2025 ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY GAMES

UGANDANS IN ACTION – WEDNESDAY (ATHLETICS)

8.30pm: Men’s 200 Metres Final

9pm: Halimah Nakaayi (Women’s 800 Metres Final)

9.15pm: Tom Dradriga (Men’s 1500 Metres Final)

9.30pm: Shida Leni (Women’s 400 Metres Final)

9.42pm: Men’s 400 Metres Final

9.55pm: Charity Cherop (Women’s 5000 Metres Final)

RESULTS

MEN’S 800 METRES HEAT 2

1 Tom Dradriga (UGA) 1:49.43

2 Faisal Maghrabi (KSA) 1:49.47

3 Ebrahim Alzofairi (KWT) 1:49.51

WOMEN’S 400 METRES HEAT 1

1 Salwa Naser (BHR) 52.13

2 Patience Okon George (NGR) 52.91

3 Salma Lehlali (MAR) 53.26

4 Samira Awali Boubacar (NIG) 53.34

5 Mauren Akiiki Banura (UGA) 54.78

WOMEN’S 400 METRES HEAT 2

1 Shida Leni (UGA) 52.47

2 Houda Nouiri (MAR) 52.72

3 Aliyah Abrams (GUY) 53.01