Category: Daily Monitor

Education and community leaders have raised concern over the persistent cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Uganda, warning that the country continues to pay a heavy price for failing to address the root causes of the crisis.

They noted that despite several interventions, several girls in rural areas still drop out of school due to stigma, poverty, and lack of support systems, leaving them vulnerable to early marriage and limited opportunities in life.

The concerns were raised during the Girls Not Brides Uganda (GNBU) Central Region Girl Summit held at Central Girls Vocational School in Masunkwe village, Zirobwe, Luweero District last week.

The Luweero District Probation Officer, Ms Martha Botono, said although progress has been made, teenage pregnancy rates remain unacceptably high.

‘Efforts have been made to address the barriers girls face, but the rates of teenage pregnancy are still high. We need collective action to change this narrative,’ she said.

Ms Botono also urged parents to take a more active role in raising their children.

‘Parents and guardians must embrace parenting and be involved in their children’s wellbeing right from childhood until they are grown,’ she added.

A panel of young people representing Anthill Foundation Uganda, Concern for the Girl Child, The Remnant Generation, and CDI Luweero called for the establishment of community support structures to help girls affected by child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

Ms Elizabeth Kalemera, the team lead at Central Girls Vocational School, said: ‘There is a huge cost for inaction that harms the economy and society at large. When a girl drops out of school, the community loses a potential leader, worker, and mother who could have contributed meaningfully to development.’

Girls and young women who spoke during the summit also called for greater access to second-chance education and better support for re-entry programmes. They urged education institutions and communities to create inclusive and gender-responsive learning environments that allow young mothers to study without discrimination.

The guest of honour from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr Elijah Katende, praised the Central Girls Vocational School for its model of skilling and reintegrating young mothers through vocational training, childcare support, and personal development classes ‘We must all work together to expand education opportunities for girls and young women across the nation…Men, too, should take responsibility in protecting girls and keeping them safe,” he said.

At the close of the summit, over 450 stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to work together to promote re-entry, gender equity, and improved education opportunities for girls and young women in Uganda. They agreed that giving girls a second chance through education is a powerful way to fight poverty and advance national development.

About the summit

The Girls Not Brides Uganda Central Region Girl Summit was hosted by the Anthill Foundation Uganda and organised by Touch the Heart Uganda, a member of Girls Not Brides Uganda, in partnership with several other organisations.

It attracted participants from schools, government institutions, and civil society groups including CEDOVIP, CRVPF, Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation, Raising Teenagers Uganda, High Sound for Children, Rhythm of Life, Just Like My Child, Concern for the Girl Child, and Rotary Club of Kasangati.

Kagadi District is facing mounting service delivery challenges following what leaders describe as the Ministry of Finance’s failure to remit Shs521 million in locally collected revenue for the 2024/2025 financial year.

District officials said repeated reminders to the ministry have gone unanswered, leaving sub-counties and town councils unable to implement key activities.

Mr John Isingoma, the town clerk of Kagadi Town Council, said more than Shs120 million expected between January and June last financial year has not been released.

‘We still demand finances from January to June of the last financial year. As of today, we owe our debtors over Shs150 million,’ he said.

According to Mr Isingoma, the problem intensified after the revenue collection system was automated.

‘When we were enrolled on the automated system, we were promised a two-week return period. But the remittances are delayed by three weeks or longer. These delays cripple planned activities and leave us in debt,’ he said.

He added that the prolonged delays have damaged the council’s credibility with contractors and service providers.

‘We have lost trust among our debtors due to delayed payments. Garbage collection is now at its slowest because trucks lack fuel, and collectors are threatening to abandon work,’ he said.

Mr Geoffrey Businge, the LC3 chairperson of Kagadi Town Council in Buyaga East, said the financial gap has left major services unattended.

‘As leaders, we are struggling to execute community mobilisation, maintain cleanliness, and monitor construction projects. All these depend on local revenue,’ he said.

Mr Businge added that even council sittings suffer because councillors lack transport facilitation.

‘Councillors trek long distances to attend meetings. Without transport or allowances, many no longer attend. Before automation, some collectors, especially in the taxi sector, misused funds, but that has greatly reduced,’ he noted.

In Kyaterekera Town Council, Buyaga West, the LC3 chairperson, Mr Yosam Musisi, said the delays have disrupted the entire planning cycle.

‘We draft budgets, but they remain unimplemented due to limited funds on the accounts. Our plans end up unfulfilled,’ he said.

Mr Musisi added that services such as street lighting, water access, and maintenance of health facilities have been affected. Kagadi District has 35 administrative units, nine town councils and 26 sub-counties.

Appeal Responding to the concerns, Mr James Ogwanga, the head of Local Revenue and Principal Financial Analyst at the Local Government Commission, said the Finance ministry had already disbursed collected funds to districts. He advised affected local governments to formally seek clarification.

The Kagadi District Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Mr Vicent Natugonza, confirmed they are still awaiting remittances.

‘Kagadi Town Council alone is demanding more than Shs100 million,’ he said.

Mr Natugonza noted that the IRS and Helobrage automated revenue systems have improved accountability by introducing Payment Reference Numbers (PRNs), eliminating door-to-door collections.

However, he said the problem stems from the district collecting more revenue than its approved budget.

‘Government couldn’t return the money immediately because budgets for councils were already financed. The excess funds remained on the central account,’ he explained.

The unremitted Shs521 million, he said, is excess revenue that must be included in a supplementary budget before it can be released.

Proceedings at Kawempe Magistrates Court were on Tuesday abruptly halted after the deteriorating health condition of jailed National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter Saudah Madaada prompted an emergency medical evacuation from the court cells to hospital.

Madaada, who is jointly charged with NUP Deputy Spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro on counts of unlawful military drilling and conspiracy to commit a felony, could not be brought into the courtroom after prison warders informed the magistrate that she was vomiting blood, had been connected to a urinary catheter, and was unable to walk.

Grade One Magistrate Damalie Agumasiimwe and two defence lawyers moved to the court holding cells to personally assess her condition. On returning to the courtroom, the magistrate announced that Chief Magistrate Roselyn Nsenge had already authorised an ambulance for immediate evacuation.

“She has told me she is on medication and still continuing with it,” Magistrate Agumasiimwe told court. Adding, “The Chief Magistrate has called for high evacuation services to ensure she is taken to hospital for specialised care. We apologise that this was not brought to our attention earlier. We are also responsible for these prisoners.”

Madaada’s mother, who broke down upon learning of her daughter’s condition, was permitted by the Chief Magistrate to accompany her in the ambulance. “I have given access to her mother to move with her,” Agumasiimwe said.

Ten other accused persons appeared in the dock, but Madaada remained in the cells throughout due to her condition.

Background

The unlawful drilling case traces back to February 12, 2025, when security operatives arrested several NUP members at the party’s Makerere-Kavule offices in Kawempe Division.

Prosecution alleges that the accused convened a meeting where individuals were trained in military-style exercises without the Minister’s permission, contrary to Section 45 of the Penal Code Act.

Some of the accused include Mr Edward Ssebufu alias Eddie Mutwe, Mr Kivumbi Achileo, Mr Tasi Calvin alias Bobi Giant, Mr Edwin Sserunkuma alias Eddy King Kabejja, Mr Lukenge Sharif, and Mr Yasin Nyanzi. Another accused, Mr Tonny Kawesi, faces a separate count of unlawful drilling.

They were charged with unlawful drilling, conspiracy to commit a felony, and offences related to the wearing of uniforms resembling those of the armed forces. All have denied the allegations.

Fatuma Nabikolo and Angel Katushabe, Uganda’s female boxers who were excluded from the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for lack of mandatory genetic sex test certificates, regret missing an easy medal opportunity but remain focused on their career goals.

The duo were just among the many who were knocked out by the rules which required females to prove their biological genders through an SRY test or an equivalent before entering any competition organised or sanctioned by World Boxing, the new international boxing governing body.

August 20, World Boxing (WB) communicated to all its member federations, including Uganda about the new gender eligibility rules which first applied at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, where a total of female boxers from France, Philippines, Fiji, Dominican Republic and Nigeria, were excluded without sex test certificates.

The technical handbook from the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association clearly says that boxing at the Riyadh Games would be run according to WB rules. But the Uganda Boxing Federation blamed WB and the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) for not clearly communicating that necessity regarding the Islamic Games.

The night before the technical meeting in Riyadh, Nabikolo had first heard from the coach of the Iraq national team that some ladies may be ruled out due to sex tests. ‘I didn’t take it seriously. But when we were told we weren’t going to fight, I was utterly disappointed,’ Nabikolo told Daily Monitor days after returning from Riyadh.

‘I was eager to continue my fine form after winning gold in Nairobi. But then this test drama was a huge shock. I was so annoyed and no explanation could console me.’

Nabikolo and Katushabe had just won gold and bronze respectively at the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championship in Nairobi in late October when they travelled to Riyadh.

‘We had no idea about the sex tests. Fresh from Nairobi, all our bodies and minds were tuned up for action. Then came the shocker. It was really a terrible blow. We didn’t see it coming,’ Katushabe said in a tone that smelt indignation despite being careful with her words.

‘It was very disturbing to say the least. We sacrifice a lot, for instance, I put my classes on halt to do two tournaments in quick succession,’ the senior five student at Winston Standard Secondary School said.

‘Basically, our preps and expectations were just wasted.’

‘You would rather lose in the ring than being denied the chance to fight.’

The duo resorted to supporting teammates Jimmy Adriko and Alfred Ojok, who won bronze-Uganda’s first boxing medal at the Games-after reaching the semifinals of the Men’s 80 kg division.

What we missed

The tournament expected 120 boxers-60 men, 60 women-but ended up with just 69 boxers. As a result, most divisions started at the quarterfinal stage.

‘I surely would have won a medal because I didn’t see much competition in my weight category,’ featherweight Nabikolo said.

‘Even coaches from other countries came to our camp begging me to spar with their boxers. They told me I should have won a medal.’

Riyadh was Katushabe’s first major international assignment, having debuted in Nairobi, where she got flyweight bronze.

‘Actually, I’m not proud of that bronze I got from Nairobi. I don’t go to tournaments for bronze. So, in Riyadh I wanted to do better and I think I would have reached the finals. But without a fighting chance, Riyadh was a wasted opportunity!’

But the ladies want to treat this as a knockdown-not a knockout-and are keen to beat the count.

‘I haven’t resumed training but very soon I shall resume pursuing my goals,’ Nabikolo said.

‘I hope the federation will help us in making these tests. And I have no doubt I will continue with my career.’

Katushabe agrees. ‘We shall do the tests and resume chasing our dreams. We have a lot in sight.’

The victims are no longer green about sex tests. While nursing her heartbreak, the inquisitive Nabikolo asked fellow athletes about the tests.

‘Saudi boxers told me their federation took them for the tests but it’s an expensive process and the results took about two to three weeks to come out,’ Nabikolo said.

From this experience, Katushabe believes boxers will ask more questions about their eligibility ahead of tournaments.

‘We now know better that travelling to a tournament is no guarantee for participation.’

COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY SEX TESTS

Egypt, Palestine, Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Morocco, Algeria

President Yoweri Museveni has advised Ugandans to shift their focus to farming to foster development, rather than vying for political slots.

While campaigning in Buyende District on Tuesday, President Museveni noted that the agricultural sector has a wide range of multiplier effects on Uganda’s economy.

“Some people think that jobs are in government, but there are very few jobs compared to the population. One can use farming to create work for development,” Mr Museveni said, referencing Mr Johnson Basangwa, a farmer who pulled out of the District LCV race to concentrate on agriculture.

According to Mr Museveni, Mr Basangwa’s decision to focus on poultry keeping has transformed his life and created jobs for nearly 300 people.

“Basangwa was among those people who wanted to kill each other because of the LC5 seat. When he joined farming, wealth came to him,” Mr Museveni said, noting that Mr Basangwa now owns 110,000 chickens which give him 2000 trays of eggs every day making him to earn Shs600 million monthly which one cannot get serving as district chairperson.

Mr Museveni expressed concern that some Ugandans concentrate on idling instead of utilising opportunities to fight poverty. He emphasised the NRM government’s efforts to create industrial parks to solve unemployment, but noted the population growth poses challenges.

“The population is growing overnight, and it’s a challenge for the industries to accommodate everyone. We need to think of ways to create jobs and wealth for our people,” Mr Museveni said.

The President urged Ugandans to take advantage of the prevailing peace to support him for their prosperity, promising improved social services, including health centers in every sub-county.

“I want to assure you that we will continue to improve social services. We will ensure that every sub-county has a health center III, and we will upgrade some to health center IV,” Mr Museveni said.

First Lady Janet Museveni called for national unity, saying, “My prayer is that the people of Uganda will always remember that all of us have the responsibility to protect unity.”

Budiope East MP Hashim Magogo requested the President to consider constructing an international football stadium in Busoga, citing the region’s contribution to the national football team.

“Your Excellency, our national football teams are doing well in international matches, but this region lacks a good stadium. I request you to construct one because there are many questions coming to me from these people,” Mr. Magogo said.

Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among pledged 98% votes for the President in Buyende District, promising to personally handle vote soliciting.

“We will ensure that the President gets 98 per cent votes in Buyende District. I will personally handle it,” Ms Among said.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, has promised to transform Uganda into a prosperous and peaceful nation.

Addressing a rally in Akokoro Sub-county, Apac District, Mafabi emphasised his commitment to serving the people and improving their standard of living.

“I come here seeking your vote in these coming elections. I am here to tell you that I am the best person to sort your problems out and have money in your pockets,” he said.

Mafabi’s platform focuses on inclusive development, job creation, and leveraging Uganda’s natural resources to drive economic growth.

He promised to transform the economy of Lango sub-region through a comprehensive agricultural programme centered on cotton growing.

“This area is very fertile for cotton and cassava. Poverty is about to finish you because it is a deliberate decision by the government to make us beggars. That’s why I’m here to tell you that it is time for change. We have the best manifesto as FDC. If you vote us to power, you will see real change coming,” he said.

Key highlights of Mafabi’s vision include economic transformation, improved infrastructure, and enhanced social services. He vows to invest in roads, energy, and water to support economic growth and improve the quality of life.

“We want to tell you that we are going to fix roads so that all roads get tarmac. Because you have been reduced to a beggar, you cannot ask for accountability. For every kilometre of road done in Uganda, 19 kilometres are stolen. This is not fine because 90% of what is used including labourers are from Uganda,” Mafabi added.

For the past 25 years since Dr Kizza Besigye joined the opposition, the year leading up to a General Election has often been marked by trauma for him, his family, and his supporters.

Dr Besigye has spent much of the pre-election period in and out of court facing capital offences, arrests, and detentions.

Even ahead of the 2026 General Elections, he again found himself battling capital charges. What sets the current ordeal apart from previous prosecutions is that this has become the longest period he has ever spent in incarceration. It is now a year since Dr Besigye was arrested in Kenya, transported to Uganda, and charged before the General Court Martial on allegations of treason. Repeated attempts by his legal team to secure bail have been rejected on grounds that he is likely to interfere with investigations.

This marks the longest time he has been detained since his first arrest in 1981. According to a statement he made during the 2016 presidential debate, Dr Besigye was first detained by Milton Obote’s government in Nile Mansion, Kampala, due to his support for Mr Yoweri Museveni, then a presidential candidate for the Uganda Patriotic Movement.

He said he endured severe hardship for two months before escaping into exile. He later joined the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) rebels led by Mr Museveni, who captured power five years later. Dr Besigye served in government without major incident until 1999, when he authored a document accusing the NRM of deviating from its founding principles. This publication led to his arrest and prosecution in the General Court Martial.

The charges were dropped a year later after elders from Kigezi Sub-region intervened with President Museveni. When he announced his intention to run for president in 2001, he was swiftly hit with new criminal charges. After the elections that year, he was arrested in June on allegations of treason but released on bond. In August 2001, he fled to exile in South Africa, where he lived for four years. Dr Besigye returned to Uganda in October 2005 and declared his plan to run for president. Before he could be nominated, he was arrested on rape charges allegedly committed in 1997. He was remanded, but on November 25, 2005, the High Court granted him bail.

Immediately thereafter, he was re-arrested and taken before the General Court Martial, which charged him with illegal possession of weapons. He spent nearly six weeks in jail before securing bail on January 6, 2006. Another major arrest came in 2011, following the General Elections, during the Walk-to-Work protests that began in April. On April 28, he was arrested near Mulago Roundabout, pepper-sprayed in the eyes, and beaten.

Although he was arrested several times, he was often freed on police bond or court bail. In March 2012, Dr Besigye was again arrested, this time over allegations that he murdered an assistant inspector of police on Ben Kiwanuka Street during a protest. He was remanded but granted bail a few days later. The Walk-to-Work demonstrations continued, prompting a change in police tactics.

On October 18, 2011, police arrested Dr Besigye and returned him to his Kasangati home, where he was held under preventive arrest laws for eight months. Police finally withdrew from his residence in May 2022. His next major arrest occurred in 2016, a day before the presidential swearing-in ceremony in Kampala City. He was accused of declaring himself president. Security forces flew him to Moroto District in the Karamoja Sub-region, where he was detained. He was later produced in court and remanded for two months before being granted bail. One bail condition barred him from engaging in any ‘illegal activities.’ The latest incident happened on November 19, 2024, when he was abducted in Kenya, transported to Uganda, charged with treason, and remanded to prison.

Current charges

Dr Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale are facing treason-related charges. State prosecutors allege that the two men-together with several others, conspired to overthrow the Government of Uganda. The prosecution claims the alleged plot involved meetings in Nairobi, Geneva, and Athens.

Uganda and Burkina Faso delivered the shocks of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup Round-of-32 stage on Saturday, with the Cubs edging Senegal 1-0 before the Burkinabè knocked out holders Germany by the same scoreline.

The two teams are now looking to extend those fairytale runs in Tuesday’s round-of-16 knockout clash that will again provide more room for surprises.

It is for that reason that Cubs coach Brian Ssenyondo expressed optimism about his team’s chances of further progress in the competition where they were never expected to go beyond the group stages at the first time of asking.

“At the back of my mind I knew that knock out stages are easier than the group stages because now anything is possible and the boys will be motivated to go further,” Ssenyondo, never short of optimism, stated ahead of what should be another physical encounter against West African opposition.

Ssenyondo has further been encouraged by the signs of character exhibited by his team that overcame the pain of a last minute 2-1 loss to Canada before forcing a 1-all draw against Chile secured with the last kick of the game.

Consecutive 1-0 wins against France and Senegal have further given credence to Ssenyondo’s belief in his players especially after seeing goalkeeper Edrisah Waibi thwart wave after wave of the Senegalese attacks.

“I think the character and resilience has stood out but overall the team work and putting the tactics of the day into action has also been key.

I credit the boys for that because each game here is handled differently. It’s high quality football here much as its U17 but the football played is far from that.

It is so much high level football so you must do deep game analysis on each opponent and organise the team accordingly because we hardly have training especially with not much time in between games,” Ssenyondo explained.

No Bogere

The Cubs have scored four goals from as many games in the competition thus far and half of those have come from the boot of James Bogere.

The striker is however suspended for the game after accumulating bookings which will be a major concern for Ssenyondo.

Young forward Enock Bagenda who Ssenyondo handed a first team slot at KCCA this season seems the likely replacement having made cameos in three of the four games thus far with the other option that of Derrick Ssozi, scorer of the late equalizer against Chile.

The rest of the team is likely to remain unchanged if Hamuza Sengooba overcomes a knock from the previous game with Brian Jara, Abubakali Walusimbi and Isma Magala expected to provide the blend of steel and creativity in midfield.

The Burkinabes on the other side also view this game as winnable after eliminating tournament hosts Germany courtesy of Mohamed Zongo’s second goal of the tournament.

“We’ll start working tomorrow (Sunday) to figure out how to go into this match, so we’re not caught off guard and can continue our fine form.

Uganda have made it to the Round of 16, which shows what a quality side they are, so we need to prepare accordingly. We played them in a friendly match, but every team has changed their style and appearance since then,” he observed.

That friendly back in March ended in a 3-2 Burkina Faso win in the lead up to Afcon tournament. With the stakes much higher a close game seems a more likely outcome.

The sight of scattered and waterlogged banknotes following the floods that ravaged businesses in downtown Kampala was striking. It laid bare an outdated and risky way of storing money, while exposing how many Ugandans still lack access to formal banking services.

In addition to ravaging properties of mostly traders in the central business district while exposing Kampala’s plan less city infrastructure, it has emerged that the recent floods also damaged some cash.

The culprits, from what BD Life has gathered, were a few traders who keep or hide their last-minute sales in their places of work.

Soggy or moldy paper money can deteriorate quickly and become worthless.

The quality of damp paper money, like the ones a couple of downtown merchants claim, is twice as susceptible to deterioration compared to well-handled and kept currency.

Should the cash be damaged, it will require replacement, but at what cost?

Who picks up the cost?

BD Life could not verify how much in total of the affected merchant’s cash was flooded and therefore risked being rendered useless.

However, in an interview with leadership of the traders, this was not an issue to cause an alarm as most currencies were not exposed to floods despite pictures making rounds of salvaged cash carefully spread for the sun to evaporate the moisture.

The director of research and policy at Bank of Uganda, Dr Adam Mugume, reveals that on average, printing costs of money are in the range of about 20 percent to 30 percent of the face value of the note.

In other words, this means for each Shs1,000 note about Shs200 to Shs300 may be required to print it.

According to Dr Mugume, replacing a damaged Uganda shilling note follows a particular procedure.

He says: ‘If the signatures are visible and the security features can authentically be proved, then the note can be replaced at the Bank of Uganda branch. But if the notes are severely damaged and the security features are unable to be verified, it would be difficult to replace the notes.’

So, the traders at the city centre whose merchandise was either destroyed in full or partially, better be sure that their money which they kept or hid in their stores, was not damaged to a point that the security features are now unrecognisable.

To bank or not?

The formal-informal divide is deeply entrenched in service provision across many economic sectors, according to the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

Further, it is no longer a secret that most economic systems and institutions are designed to serve the formal sector with the expectation that those operating in informal settings must cross to the ‘other side’ for them to count and get served.

An Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) study shows that formal financial service providers often cite the high cost and risk of serving people in informal settings.

Meanwhile, potential customers in informal environments still complain about the strict requirements and high costs of joining the formal financial system.

Despite the informal sector employing by far the largest share of the population, estimated at 85 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 75 percent in Uganda, only half of the players in informal operations have a bank account according to EPRC findings.

Informal traders also don’t use banks due to lack of trust and financial illiteracy.

Some people view banks as institutions meant only for the wealthy or the educated who work in the formal economy.

Others feel that banking procedures are very complicated, with high minimum balance requirements.

Those operating in urban areas often have to endure poor mobile network coverage when attempting to use digital channels or platforms.

Therefore, the need for systems and solutions to serve the informal sector is undeniable.

It would be unfortunate if people still kept money as part of the merchandise in shops when bank branches are readily available, plus their agents.

Amidst all that, Dr Mugume, referring to traders’ flooded money, believes it is incomprehensible in this age for merchants handling millions of cash to avoid the services of a bank.

‘The role of the banks, among other things, is to protect against loss of cash in unfortunate events like floods, fires or thuggery,’ Dr Mugume tells BD Life.

Not as bad

In an interview with the board member of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), Mr Kanakulya JJemba Mulondo, it emerged that whereas some cash was waterlogged, particularly from the sales made after 5 p.m, the biggest damage was on properties and merchandises.

He says: ‘It will be an exaggeration to suggest that traders lost hard cash to floods that ravaged their places of businesses. Many have a proper safe except for a very tiny minority. ‘

He, however, concurs that for those whose money was affected by floods risk counting more losses should the currency get damaged ‘beyond repair.’

Farmers have been urged to prioritise food safety, post-harvest handling and market financing as part of efforts to strengthen agriculture value-chain development.

The call was made by State Minister for Agriculture, Mr Fred Kyakulaga in a speech delivered on his behalf by Mr Julius Twinomatsiko, the coordinator for food and nutrition security at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

This was during the Food and Nutrition Security Marketplace, a function held at Butansi Sub-county headquarters in Kamuli District under the theme ‘Connecting farmers, partners and innovations.’

The minister commended the Kingdom of the Netherlands for embedding planning components and actionable strategies that advance shared goals for improving food security and nutrition in Uganda across its various projects.

‘This gathering is a significant step forward in our collective journey towards enhancing agricultural productivity, food security, nutrition and overall food system transformation in our country,’ Mr Kyakulaga said.

He observed that although Uganda is endowed with favourable agro-ecological conditions that support year-round food production, its potential has not been fully exploited due to limited access to technology, inadequate infrastructure, and poor food production and post-harvest handling practices.

Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands, Bouwe Jan Smeding, emphasised the need to strengthen food and nutrition systems through inclusive and participatory approaches, saying agriculture remains central to economic development.

He reminded participants that despite Uganda’s discovery of oil, it is a temporary resource, whereas agriculture remains the most sustainable and rewarding enterprise supporting families, communities and the nation.

‘Today is a day to connect, learn, and be inspired through our participatory integrated planning approach, which shows how people can meaningfully contribute to improving their own livelihoods,’ Smeding said.

Ms Judith Okuonzia Tomma, the deputy project manager for the SNV INCLUDE Project, highlighted challenges such as soil fertility loss, low yields, pest and disease outbreaks, all of which hinder food production and resilience.

‘While the INCLUDE Project focuses on livestock production, INSPIRE supports crop production and small-scale irrigation. Our work focuses on improving soil health, promoting value addition and enhancing access to both input and output markets,’ she explained.

Ms Christine Isanga Kimbugwe, the vice chairperson of the Greater Kamuli Cassava Cooperative, reported significant progress through innovations and empowerment from the SNV Marketplace, noting improved market connections due to better post-harvest cassava handling that eliminates aflatoxins.

‘Because farmers now practise proper post-harvest handling, our cassava is clean and aflatoxin-free. We currently supply over 50 tonnes monthly, and when the Dei BioPharma vaccines factory opens in Kamuli, we will supply cassava as raw material, transforming livelihoods,’ she said.

Ms Florence Muyama Wakoba from Bukalasa Women’s Group in Bududa testified that the Netherlands-supported projects have liberated women economically and reduced poverty, helping stabilise homes.