Category: Daily Monitor

Centurion and UKA Japan Motors-sponsored Pak Shaheens sealed promotion to the Silver Division of the CU Men’s 50 Overs League after a gripping round of Bronze Division semi-finals that mixed resilience, firepower and heartbreak in equal measure on June 21.

Centurion survived a tense early collapse before debutant Davis Karashani announced himself in style with a match-defining century, while UKA Japan Motors-sponsored Pak Shaheens produced a ruthless all-round display to crush Tornado CC and book their silver berth.

Centurion captain Allan Ssemakula admitted his side’s qualification journey was built on more than just match-day brilliance.

‘Qualification was built on consistency, discipline, and teamwork throughout the season,’ Ssemakula said.

‘Every player understood their role and bought into the team’s vision. We stayed united even in difficult moments.’

He added that the achievement was only the beginning of a longer project.

‘Our ambition is to continue growing, compete strongly at the next level and build a winning culture that lasts,’ he said.

The surge

At Lugogo Cricket Oval, Centurion were pushed to the edge after slipping to 24 for 3 in pursuit of 199 against Kifaru CC.

But what followed was a turnaround built on belief and composure, led by two former Cricket Cranes skippers; Karashani and Brian Mark Masaba, who stitched together a 174-run partnership that flipped the contest. Karashani struck a brilliant 103 off 84 balls on debut, while Masaba anchored the chase with an unbeaten 62.

Ssemakula later praised the calmness inside the dressing room when pressure peaked.

‘Naturally there was tension because the stakes were high, but nobody panicked,’ he said.

‘We trusted the players at the crease. Cricket is about partnerships and momentum can change quickly.’

For Karashani, the moment was not only a delight but also a statement of arrival.

His innings blended timing, patience and authority as Centurion recovered from a shaky start to seal promotion with 35 balls to spare. Masaba, often the quiet operator, ensured there were no late scares as he carried the chase home.

Shaheens power

At Florida Oval, alias The Akbar Baig Cricket Ground, UKA Japan Motors-sponsored Pak Shaheens delivered one of the most dominant performances of the round, hammering Tornado CC by 98 runs to confirm promotion.

Batting first, Shaheens posted 187 all out, with Sunil Kumar top-scoring on 56, while Yasir Malik added 40 and Abdul Basit Habib contributed 38.

Captain Muhammad Sarwar Raheel, who was mentored by Pakistan legend Saeed Ajmal, said the win carried emotional weight beyond cricket.

‘This Father’s Day was unforgettable,’ Raheel said. ‘I wore a ‘DAD’ cap during the match to carry my son with me onto the field as I was celebrating my first anniversary as a father.’

He dedicated the victory to his family. ‘Leading Shaheens to victory in such a pressure game made it even more meaningful. I dedicate this win to my son Zayan Raheel,’ he said.

Tornado wilt

Traditional giants Tornado never recovered from early blows as they were bundled out for 89 in reply, with UKA Japan Motors-sponsored Pak Shaheens’ bowlers tightening the grip through disciplined spells.

Cricket Cranes paceman Bilal Hassun and skipper Raheel led the charge as wickets fell at regular intervals. Elsewhere in Gold Division, Rounders CC’s survival hopes collapsed under pressure as they fell to Kutchi Tigers CC by 61 runs at Entebbe.

Their chase of 153 never recovered after an early collapse left them 26 for 4, eventually folding for 91 and confirming relegation.

Tough reward

Centurion and Pak Shaheens will now meet in the Bronze final this Sunday (June 28) at Lugogo after sealing promotion to Division Two in contrasting but commanding fashion.

Centurion did it the hard way – with recovery, patience and a debut century – while UKA Japan Motors-sponsored Shaheens stormed through with ruthless dominance.

Either way, both teams will leave the Bronze Division not only as mere winners but as teams ready for a bigger stage.

CU MEN’S 50-OVER LEAGUE

Results – Gold Division

Ceylon Lions 209/10 | Aboojo 186/9

Ceylon Lions won by 23 runs

Kutchi Tigers 152/10 | Rounders 91/10

Kutchi Tigers won by 61 runs

JACC 183/9 | Mukono Warriors 119/10

JACC won by 64 runs

Bronze Division – Semi-finals

Kifaru CC 198/10 | Centurion CC 202/4

Centurion CC won by 6 wickets

Pak Shaheens CC 187/10 | Tornado CC 89/10

Pak Shaheens CC won by 98 runs

In boardrooms, conference halls and high-level meetings across the world, Ambassador Frederieke Quispel has noticed a pattern that refuses to disappear. When the meeting begins, women are often the ones making sure everyone is comfortable, pouring coffee, taking notes or quietly supporting the discussion. By the time the real decisions are being made, many have already stepped back from the conversation. As she concludes her tour of duty in Uganda and prepares to return to The Hague, the Netherlands’ ambassador has one message for young women determined to lead.

‘Do not get the coffee, join the conversation. Stay at the table. Your ideas matter,’ Quispel urges.

Quispel believes confidence is rarely something people are born with. Instead, it is built through preparation, experience and the courage to speak, even when self-doubt whispers otherwise.

“If you have prepared, if you have done the work and if you have something to contribute, then speak,” she says. “The world needs your ideas just as much as anyone else’s.”

The advice carries extra weight because Quispel nearly abandoned her own dream before it had even begun. Today, she is ending a diplomatic assignment that caps more than two decades of service in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She has represented the Netherlands in Rwanda, Burundi, Canada and Uganda, and will soon return to The Hague to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Childhood

But as a teenager growing up in the eastern Netherlands, she never imagined she would one day become one of her country’s senior diplomats. Born in the western Netherlands and raised in the east, Quispel grew up in a family where public service was part of everyday life. Her mother, a lawyer, was born in Indonesia during the period when it was still a Dutch colony, while her father served as a civil servant in the Netherlands. Today, she is married to Richard and is a mother of two children. Long before diplomacy entered her life, curiosity did. She spent hours reading books about distant countries, fascinated by cultures she had never experienced and people she had never met. Those stories sparked dreams of travelling the world and understanding societies far beyond her own.

“When someone explained to me what a diplomat was, I immediately thought, ‘That sounds like the most interesting job in the world,'” she recalls.

Yet one casual conversation almost shattered that dream.

‘A neighbour once told me that only the brightest students ever made it into the diplomatic service. The message stayed with me,’ Quispel says.

Instead of testing herself, she ruled herself out.

‘I remember thinking, ‘Well, then it is probably not for me.’ Looking back, it is funny because I rejected myself before I had even tried. Many women do exactly that,’ she recalls.

Today, Quispel says many young women continue to make the same mistake, disqualifying themselves before opportunity has the chance to do so. That early self-doubt, rather than examinations or interviews, became the first real obstacle she had to overcome. Everything changed during her university years when she secured an internship at the Dutch Embassy in Amman, Jordan. For the first time, diplomacy was no longer something she read about in books. She was living it. The experience erased years of uncertainty. Encouraged by what she had seen, she applied to join the Dutch foreign service, despite believing she was not among the country’s top students. Her father even showed her a newspaper photograph of the latest diplomatic recruits.

‘I looked at that photograph and thought, ‘That is exactly where I want to be.’ I was not top of my class, but I applied anyway,’ she explains.

She was accepted and began diplomatic training before serving in several overseas postings, including Rwanda, where she had her first assignment. Looking back, Quispel says decision taught her perhaps the greatest lesson of her career.

“People will always tell you that something is impossible or too difficult, or that only the very best can make it. What I have learnt is that you should never let other people decide your limits. Give it a try first. You might surprise yourself.”

Learning confidence, the hard way

Diplomatic training followed, and with it came a new environment, formal, competitive and filled with high expectations. Like many young professionals, she quickly discovered that a room full of senior figures can be intimidating.

‘When I was a young diplomat, I would sit in meetings surrounded by senior people and think they knew everything. Later, I realised confidence and expertise are not always the same thing.’ Instead, she says, preparation became her greatest strength.

‘I prepared thoroughly. I knew my files and my briefings. When I spoke, people listened because I knew what I was talking about. Preparation gave me confidence,’ she says.

Over time, the Dutch ambassador says she has learnt that credibility is not built on volume or dominance, but on readiness and clarity.

‘You do not always have to be the smartest person in the room. Sometimes you simply need the courage to prepare and speak,’ she explains.

First posting

Her first diplomatic posting was in Rwanda, an experience she describes as formative.

‘It taught me so much. I had almost entirely Rwandan friends because I wanted to understand the country. I spent a lot of time with local people,’ she reveals. Living in Kigali also introduced her to Uganda, just across the border.

‘Kigali was much quieter than Kampala,’ she says with a smile. She adds, ‘So whenever we wanted a lively weekend, we would come to Uganda. We would fly here with friends and enjoy the music, the energy and the atmosphere.’

Those early experiences in the region deepened her appreciation of East Africa’s complexity, warmth and cultural diversity, an understanding that would later shape her work as ambassador.

Focus on girl education

Over time, Quispel’s work expanded beyond traditional diplomacy into issues of gender equality and girls’ education. She says one of the biggest challenges facing girls begins at home, long before they reach school or the workplace.

‘Very often, if a family has limited resources, the boy will be prioritised over the girl. That means girls start their lives already disadvantaged. It is not because they are less capable. It is because society often expects less from them,’ she says. For her, this inequality is not a women’s issue alone, it is a societal one.

‘We often talk about the girl child as though she is the problem that needs fixing. Men, women, boys, girls, religious leaders, cultural leaders and parents all need to be involved,’ Quispel explains.

She adds, ‘Imagine missing nearly a week of school every month because you do not have access to sanitary products. That affects confidence, attendance and future opportunities.’

Simple solutions, she believes, can have significant impact.

‘Sometimes people think development must involve massive projects. But something as simple as reusable sanitary pads can completely change a young person’s life,’ she says.

Teenage pregnancy, she adds, remains one of the leading causes of school dropouts.

‘A significant number of girls become pregnant before the age of 18, and many never return to school,’ she says.

She insists that addressing such challenges requires open dialogue.

‘These discussions can be culturally sensitive, but avoiding them does not solve the problem. Young people need information. Parents, schools and communities all need to be involved,’ Quispel urges.

THE FUNSIDE

Favorite food: Cow peas stew and chapati rolex

Outside work: Working out, playing golf

One trait that you love import to Netherlands: Ugandans are fantastic people

Habit to drop: Always regretting

Police have arrested five suspects and recovered dozens of computer components during investigations into a break-in at Buwambo Seed Secondary School in Wakiso District, where thieves stole computer equipment valued at about Shs60 million.

According to police, unknown assailants broke into the school’s computer laboratory in the early hours of June 18 after cutting through the perimeter fence.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects gained access to the premises at around 2 a.m. and stole four HP server central processing units (CPUs), causing losses estimated at Shs60 million.

Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said detectives from Matuga Police Station launched investigations and traced the movements of the suspects, leading to the impounding of a motorcycle believed to have been used during the theft.

Police subsequently arrested two suspects, whose interrogation led investigators to locations in Kampala where some of the stolen equipment had allegedly been sold.

‘On June 23, 2026, a police team conducted an operation at E-Tower along Kampala Road, where 15 computer CPUs, nine UPS units and 11 HP monitors suspected to be stolen property were recovered,’ Owoyesigyire said.

He added that additional computer accessories were recovered from other premises linked to the investigation.

‘A total of five suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue to identify and apprehend other individuals connected to the theft and recover more stolen property,’ he said.

Police did not immediately disclose the identities of the suspects, citing ongoing investigations.

The recovery comes amid growing concern over thefts targeting schools and institutions. Investigations are ongoing.

The Deputy Chief Justice, Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, has urged judicial and investigating officers to pay attention to quality investigations for proper prosecution of cases and preserve exhibits properly.

The Deputy Chief Justice, who is also the head of the Appeals Court, was addressing judicial officers and litigants during the opening of the criminal appeals court in Arua on Monday.

‘Please prepare the records properly, how certified are the records to be presented to the courts. In courts, you see records with missing pages, you do not see the exhibits, you get perturbed, you write a letter to request the records, and files don’t come. Please and please, colleagues, let us do our work,’ he said.

The three-day appeals session will see three justices of the appeals court, Justice Christopher Gashirabake, Lady Justice Margaret Tibulya and Justice Cornelius Kakooza Sabiiti, listen to 28 appeals cases.

He continued: ‘I call upon investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers to pay particular attention to the quality of investigations, documentation and record management. Every testimony matters, every exhibit matters, every detail presented in the trial record must be preserved and presented to the appellate court.’

Among the cases lined up are 14 murder cases, 9 aggravated defilement, 2 aggravated robbery and 4 rape cases.

Mr Richard Muhereza, the representative of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the region, appealed to the Judiciary to operationalize the two high court circuits of Nebbi and Moyo districts, saying it was too costly for litigants in far districts to travel up to Arua. But Justice Kazibwe said he will present the issue.

Ms Daisy Yayi, the chairperson of West Nile Bar Association, also appealed to the Deputy Chief Justice to see to it that appeals courts for civil cases also sit.

Uganda’s open-door policy and land-for-livelihood programme for refugees has been hailed as a game changer for both refugees and host communities, a new report has revealed.

The report, titled ‘Hiding in Plain Sight: Africa’s $27b Displacement Market Opportunity,’ says the policy has created employment and income opportunities for both refugees and host communities.

The government-led settlement model allocates small farm plots to refugees under a liberal legal framework, enabling cultivation and market participation for 1.7 million people, while investments in host districts have gone a long way in helping refugees earn a decent living.

The report says investments in roads, water, schools and aid inflows have catalysed trade and employment for host communities. Guaranteed freedom of movement and the right to work also allow the State to allocate plots, enabling land-based livelihoods, providing starter inputs, extension services and market support, with directed financing to refugee-hosting districts to improve host community outcomes.

Although country-specific figures on revenues generated are not available in the report, it says Africa’s displaced population of 43.1 million people, comprising refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), generates an estimated $27 billion (Shs100.8 trillion) in annual income.

‘That is an economy the size of Uganda’s GDP in the 2010s, and Zambia’s today. Yet it operates almost entirely without the financial infrastructure that any comparably sized economy would take for granted: no banking sector, no formal retail chains, and no structured access to credit,’ the report says.

The research team interviewed 36-37 percent of primary households of Africa’s displaced population and validated the findings against UNHCR, World Bank, Oxford University and ILO datasets.

Mr Tito Mbathi, the head of partnerships at Amahoro Coalition, said Africa’s displaced communities are not waiting for rescue but are innovating to overcome financial exclusion.

‘They are running businesses, farming land and moving goods across borders, with almost none of the financial infrastructure available to everyone else. That gap is where the opportunity is,’ Mr Mbathi said.

The report also says Uganda, with more than 1.7 million refugees, hosts more refugees than any other country in Africa, and its land-based self-reliance model has become the continent’s most cited example of what is possible when policy creates the conditions for economic participation.

Data from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) shows that 91 percent of refugees in Uganda live in settlements with allocated farm plots. The report also notes that more than 86,000 refugees were trained in agriculture in 2023 alone, with investments of more than $200 million (Shs727.8 billion) made in refugee-hosting districts since 2017, benefiting both displaced persons and host communities.

‘Uganda demonstrates that the constraint on displaced people’s economic participation is not capacity or willingness, it is access. Where land, credit and market linkages have been unlocked, commercial viability has followed,’ the report says.

The Omia Agribusiness Farmer Hub is among the entities cited in the report. Its model has served 49,000 farmers and channelled more than $413,000 (Shs1.5 billion) directly to refugee and host farmers, operating commercially in corridors previously considered high-risk.

Which sectors are driving the $27 billion income?

Data from the report indicates that of the estimated $27.7 billion (Shs100.8 trillion) annual income generated by Africa’s displaced populations, $22.1 billion (Shs80.4 trillion) comes from internally displaced persons, while refugees contribute $5.6 billion.

The report also indicates a 56 percent labour force participation rate among displaced populations in Uganda, compared to many African national averages. It adds that displaced persons have a 12 percent entrepreneurship rate, higher than many host community averages.

According to the report, there are an estimated 3.4 million displaced-led MSMEs across the continent, and where lending to refugees has been extended, repayment rates have exceeded 95 percent, often outperforming host community microfinance benchmarks.

The report says a $3.2 billion (Shs11.7 trillion) formal financial services opportunity could be realised if displaced populations achieved continental access parity, alongside a $2.4 billion (Shs8.7 trillion) agricultural opportunity if adequate land access were provided. It notes that 88 percent of African countries still lack formal land access frameworks for displaced populations.

Displaced persons are estimated to hold up to $2.7 billion (Shs9.8 trillion) in formal savings, while up to $500 million (Shs1.8 trillion) in formal credit has been advanced to displaced entrepreneurs and households.

The estimated annual manufacturing output generated by displaced labour across Africa stands at $2.8 billion (Shs10.2 trillion).

The report further estimates annual earnings potential of displaced businesses at $4 billion (Shs14.6 trillion), while the potential formal financial services opportunity at continental access parity stands at $3.2 billion (Shs11.7 trillion).

However, the report notes that most refugee economies are not reflected in national statistics despite their significant contribution to revenue generation, adding that much of Africa’s displaced population lives, economically speaking, off the grid.

‘Kyangwali Refugee Settlement is home to 83,558 refugees, more people than Uganda’s internationally known city of Entebbe. Yet Kyangwali is rarely recognised as an economy in national statistics or investment strategies,’ the report says.

‘This invisibility is the product of documentation requirements, regulatory frameworks and financial systems designed for settled populations-systems that exclude displaced people not because of any economic failure on their part, but because they were never designed to include them. These design failures are, for first-mover investors, the opportunity,’ the report adds.

Banks step in

For many years, most banking institutions largely watched as refugees struggled for survival. However, banks are now stepping up after recognising the enormous potential among displaced populations across the continent.

In Uganda, dfcu Bank has partnered with the Amahoro Coalition to translate the report’s findings into concrete financial products and pathways for displaced entrepreneurs across Uganda’s settlement corridors.

Ms Maryann Wanjiku Michuki, the Chief Business Solutions and Marketing Officer at dfcu Bank, said the bank’s 57-branch network and established agribusiness and SME portfolio position it well to serve the displacement economy.

‘At dfcu, we believe financial inclusion must extend to every enterprising community with the ambition and ability to build sustainable livelihoods. This report reinforces what we see across Uganda: displaced people are not only participants in the economy, they are entrepreneurs, farmers, customers and partners in growth. Through our work with Amahoro Coalition, we are committed to supporting practical financial solutions that unlock access to credit, markets and enterprise development for refugees and host communities alike,’ she said.

Centurion and Pak Shaheens sealed promotion to the Silver Division of the CU Men’s 50 Overs League after a gripping round of Bronze Division semi-finals that mixed resilience, firepower and heartbreak in equal measure on June 21.

Centurion survived a tense early collapse before debutant Davis Karashani announced himself in style with a match-defining century, while Pak Shaheens produced a ruthless all-round display to crush Tornado CC and book their silver berth.

Centurion captain Allan Ssemakula admitted his side’s qualification journey was built on more than just match-day brilliance.

‘Qualification was built on consistency, discipline, and teamwork throughout the season,’ Ssemakula said.

‘Every player understood their role and bought into the team’s vision. We stayed united even in difficult moments.’

He added that the achievement was only the beginning of a longer project.

‘Our ambition is to continue growing, compete strongly at the next level and build a winning culture that lasts,’ he said.

The surge

At Lugogo Cricket Oval, Centurion were pushed to the edge after slipping to 24 for 3 in pursuit of 199 against Kifaru CC.

But what followed was a turnaround built on belief and composure, led by two former Cricket Cranes skippers; Karashani and Brian Mark Masaba, who stitched together a 174-run partnership that flipped the contest. Karashani struck a brilliant 103 off 84 balls on debut, while Masaba anchored the chase with an unbeaten 62.

Ssemakula later praised the calmness inside the dressing room when pressure peaked.

‘Naturally there was tension because the stakes were high, but nobody panicked,’ he said.

‘We trusted the players at the crease. Cricket is about partnerships and momentum can change quickly.’

For Karashani, the moment was not only a delight but also a statement of arrival.

His innings blended timing, patience and authority as Centurion recovered from a shaky start to seal promotion with 35 balls to spare. Masaba, often the quiet operator, ensured there were no late scares as he carried the chase home.

Shaheens power

At Florida Oval, alias The Akbar Baig Cricket Ground, Pak Shaheens delivered one of the most dominant performances of the round, hammering Tornado CC by 98 runs to confirm promotion.

Batting first, Shaheens posted 187 all out, with Sunil Kumar top-scoring on 56, while Yasir Malik added 40 and Abdul Basit Habib contributed 38.

Captain Muhammad Sarwar Raheel, who was mentored by Pakistan legend Saeed Ajmal, said the win carried emotional weight beyond cricket.

‘This Father’s Day was unforgettable,’ Raheel said. ‘I wore a ‘DAD’ cap during the match to carry my son, who was celebrating his first birthday, with me onto the field.’

He dedicated the victory to his family. ‘Leading Shaheens to victory in such a pressure game made it even more meaningful. I dedicate this win to my son Zayan Raheel,’ he said.

Tornado wilt

Traditional giants Tornado never recovered from early blows as they were bundled out for 89 in reply, with Pak Shaheens’ bowlers tightening the grip through disciplined spells.

Cricket Cranes paceman Bilal Hassun and skipper Raheel led the charge as wickets fell at regular intervals. Elsewhere in Gold Division, Rounders CC’s survival hopes collapsed under pressure as they fell to Kutchi Tigers CC by 61 runs at Entebbe.

Their chase of 153 never recovered after an early collapse left them 26 for 4, eventually folding for 91 and confirming relegation.

Tough reward

Centurion and Pak Shaheens will now meet in the Bronze final this Sunday (June 28) at Lugogo after sealing promotion to Division Two in contrasting but commanding fashion.

Centurion did it the hard way – with recovery, patience and a debut century – while Shaheens stormed through with ruthless dominance.

Either way, both teams will leave the Bronze Division not only as mere winners but as teams ready for a bigger stage.

CU MEN’S 50-OVER LEAGUE

Results – Gold Division

Ceylon Lions 209/10 | Aboojo 186/9

Ceylon Lions won by 23 runs

Kutchi Tigers 152/10 | Rounders 91/10

Kutchi Tigers won by 61 runs

JACC 183/9 | Mukono Warriors 119/10

JACC won by 64 runs

Bronze Division – Semi-finals

Kifaru CC 198/10 | Centurion CC 202/4

Centurion CC won by 6 wickets

Pak Shaheens CC 187/10 | Tornado CC 89/10

Pak Shaheens CC won by 98 runs

Anxiety and frustration gripped hundreds of supporters of former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago yesterday after the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court made a U-turn and didn’t deliver its much-awaited ruling on his bail application, extending his stay in Luzira Prison as concerns over his deteriorating health continued to mount. The court premises was guarded by heavily armed security personnel.

Supporters dressed in People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) colours filled the courtroom, while dozens more crowded windows and corridors in the court grounds. Mr Lukwago, 56, who is facing a charge of misprision of treason, was brought to court at around 10:25am while his hands were handcuffed. His appearance was greeted with excitement from mammoth supporters, many of whom have followed every stage of the case since his arrest.

The immediate past former Lord Mayor, who had spent exactly a week in detention following his arrest, had hoped to know his fate at 2pm when Chief Magistrate Sarah Basemera was due to rule on his bail application. However, shortly before the appointed time, lawyers from both sides were summoned into the magistrate’s chambers instead of open court, triggering speculation and concern among the anxiously waiting crowds. Moments later, lead defence lawyer Medard Lubega Ssegona emerged from the magistrate’s chambers downcast before delivering disappointing news. ‘Her Worship, the Chief Magistrate, has advised that her ruling is not ready,’ Mr Ssegona told supporters, family members and journalists gathered outside the courtroom. He explained that the magistrate had opted against returning to the packed courtroom to announce the delay due to the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the case.

‘Owing to the sensitivity of the case and all the environment as you see it, she was informed that it was not advisable to come back and convey the news that the ruling is not ready. She did not want to gather the crowds that we have, especially when the ruling is not ready,’ Mr Ssegona said. According to the defence lawyer, the magistrate committed herself to delivering the ruling electronically through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) within 24 hours. ‘She undertook to deliver the ruling by ECCMIS within 24 hours from the time we met her in chambers. She invited us to understand the situation and requested us to go back and glue ourselves to the computers as we wait for the ruling,’ he added. The main criminal case remains scheduled for mention on June 30.

But beyond the delayed ruling, it was Lukwago’s health that dominated discussions outside court, with some of his supporters sobbing since he was heading back to prison. Earlier during the proceedings, Mr Ssegona informed the court that his client’s condition was worsening despite receiving treatment while on remand. ‘The defence maintains that Lukwago is suffering from a spinal condition involving a dislocated disc that requires specialised MRI-guided examination and treatment, which cannot adequately be provided within the prison health system,’ he said He added: ‘Unfortunately, the seemingly dislocated disc has accelerated, causing excruciating pain to the accused (Mr Lukwago), and certainly cannot be examined and treated in Luzira or anywhere in Uganda.’ He also raised concerns about Lukwago’s vulnerability to infections due to a declining white blood cell count, warning that his closeness to inmates suffering from tuberculosis (TB) could place him at greater risk.

Outside the courtroom, Mr Ssegona drew comparisons with previous cases where accused persons complained of serious health conditions while in detention. ‘For Hon Lukwago, his health situation is not any better. It gets worse day by day,’ he said. ‘I must mention this because we have seen cases before. There was a German national denied bail in Kalangala who died, and then we had Hon Muhammad Ssegirinya, who kept telling courts that he was in bad health until it was too late. We have put all these materials before the court, and we trust that the court will understand,’ he added. The State has since strongly opposed Lukwago’s release on bail, arguing that the offence he faces is grave, carries a potential life sentence, and raises national security concerns.

Prosecutors have also challenged the suitability of some of his proposed sureties and questioned claims that his age and health condition justify his release. Yesterday’s proceedings also unfolded against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the deportation of Kenyan lawyer and former Justice Minister Martha Karua, who had travelled to Uganda intending to attend Lukwango’s proceedings. Ms Karua and Mr Lukwago are both lead defence lawyers in the treason and misprision case that incarcerated Dr Kizza Besigye is currently facing. Asked about the matter, Mr Ssegona criticised the decision to deny her entry into the country.

‘I know that Martha Karua was not denied entry into the country but detained at the airport and deported. It is not within the spirit of the East African Community,’ he said. ‘An accused person is entitled to have a lawyer of his own choice from anywhere. I don’t think Martha is a security threat to this country,’ he said. As evening approached, supporters slowly dispersed from the court precincts, still uncertain whether the ruling expected within the next 24 hours would finally secure Lukwago’s temporary freedom. For now, the opposition politician remains behind bars at Luzira Prison, where his lawyers say each passing day is worsening an already fragile health condition.

Dear Tingasiga, There is a particular kind of wisdom that cannot be taught in a classroom or acquired from a book. It comes only from living – from decades of watching the world shift beneath your feet, from translating motivation into productivity, from burying friends, raising children, navigating institutions, and surviving one’s own mistakes.

Stephen Lwanga’s blog, Fork in the Road: Reflections on Life, is precisely that kind of wisdom made public. It is quiet, considered, deeply humane, and unexpectedly essential reading. Lwanga is a Ugandan scholar, my teacher in medical school, a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, a member of the International Epidemiological Association, and a Major Donor Rotarian.

He spent over two decades at the World Health Organisation in Geneva, providing statistical support across key programmes, contributing to methodologies that helped shape data-driven policy across the globe. Yet none of that institutional weight bears down on the reader when they open a blog post. What greets you instead is something far warmer: the voice of a thoughtful elder inviting you to sit down and think with him. Lwanga describes his blog as “fireside musings on the reasonably long life I have lived so far” – a way of thinking aloud over everyday issues, and sharing his views with people around him, physically and virtually. That framing is apt. Reading his posts genuinely resembles sitting by a fire with someone who has no interest in performing expertise, but every interest in honest reflection.

The range of topics Lwanga has addressed across the blog is remarkable in its breadth and its ordinariness: growing old, happiness, trust, friendship, death, faith, loneliness, hunger, retirement, education, poverty, hair, lies, tears, and salt, among many others. These are not the grand geopolitical themes of op-ed culture. They are the textures of daily life – the things most of us experience but seldom stop to examine with any care. This is the blog’s greatest strength. Lwanga takes something as unremarkable as a word like “goodbye” and unpacks it into something genuinely moving. In another post on reciprocation, he moves from the simple social norm of returning a favour all the way through to bribery, retaliation, and coercion – tracing the moral complexity embedded in an act most of us perform without a second thought.

He draws a careful distinction between ethical reciprocation and a bribe, noting that the key difference lies in intention and expected outcome. His most recent post, published last week, is titled ‘Motivation.” It unpacks this important subject in a manner that is accessible and gripping. The psychologists define motivation as the ‘impetus that gives purpose or direction to behaviour and operated in humans at a conscious or unconscious level.’ That is a great definition, but it can intimidate one who has not had some grounding in the discipline of psychology. Lwanga presents definitions and examples that are very easy for most of us to relate to.

An earlier blog in May titled ‘Head Covers” is a fine example of how Lwanga turns a seemingly trivial subject into a rich meditation on identity, responsibility, and trust. He traces his interest in the subject back to an earlier musing on hair, when he began wondering how people with shaved heads managed in the scorching sun without a cover – and from there, his wandering mind took him considerably further. What follows is a tour of head coverings across human experience: surgical caps in operating theatres; religious headwear from the hijab to the Jewish skullcap to the Sikh turban; the Rastafarian cap in its symbolic colours; the academic mortarboard; the traditional crown; the chef’s hat; the soldier’s beret.

Each is treated not as a fashion object but as a carrier of meaning. The post arrives at a powerful conclusion: that across all these professions and traditions, what we wear on the head often represents what we carry in responsibility – and that a bishop’s mitre, a nurse’s cap, a soldier’s beret, and a chef’s hat all convey something similar: “I am accountable for what happens under my care. This kind of thinking – ranging freely across medicine, religion, culture, and daily life, then landing on a unifying moral insight – is characteristic of Lwanga at his best. What is immediately striking about Lwanga’s writing is how unpretentious it is. He acknowledges his own habits openly – noting, for instance, that he tends to begin posts with definitions of key terms, a carry-over, he suspects, from his mathematical training, where one must lay out premises before making an argument.

This kind of self-awareness is disarming and earns the reader’s trust quickly. Writing about the challenges of growing old as a man of more than eight score years, he describes memory loss with a mixture of candour and gentle comedy – the trick of working through the alphabet to find a forgotten name, the frustration when it fails, and then the sudden moment when the name simply pops up once he has given up. There is no self-pity here, and no false cheer either. Just observation, honest and clear. And I related to it easily. Lwanga draws freely on Ugandan cultural references. He invokes a Baganda proverb – that it takes only one lungfish clan member to eat the lungfish to tarnish the whole clan – to illustrate how quickly trust can be destroyed by a single bad actor. These inclusions give the blog a cultural rootedness that enriches it considerably.

This is not a generic meditation on the human condition produced from some imagined global vantage point. It is a Ugandan man writing from Kampala, drawing on decades of lived experience in a specific place and culture, and the specificity only makes the universals land harder. Perhaps what is most striking about this blog is its motivation. Lwanga does not write to build a brand or accumulate followers. In response to a reader’s gratitude, he described his posts simply as “deeply felt ramblings of an old man” – his way of sharing the little he has gained in life with the world around him.

That is what the sages of days gone by used to do – driven by a spiritual generosity that seems to be in retreat these days. Lwanga’s blog is not flashy. It is patient, reflective, and quietly confident that ordinary experience, examined carefully, is worth writing about and worth reading. Whether the subject is something as large as death or as small as a hat, Lwanga finds in it a thread that leads somewhere worth following. This blog offers something increasingly hard to find: the considered perspective of a long life, offered freely to whoever wants to sit by the fire.

Farmers in Busoga Sub-region are losing up to 40 percent of their grain harvest due to poor farming, handling and storage practices. This costs them millions of shillings while exposing consumers to dangerous levels of aflatoxin contamination.

Experts say the losses, which occur across the entire value chain, are undermining food security, reducing farmer incomes and limiting Uganda’s competitiveness in regional grain markets. Mr Humphrey Mutasa, the chief technical advisor at the Uganda Grain Council, said aflatoxin contamination has become widespread in grain-producing districts across Busoga, making the sub-region one of the most affected in the country. ‘There is widespread aflatoxin contamination in Busoga. The sub-region has some of the poorest quality grain in the country due to poor handling practices throughout the value chain,’ Mr Mutasa said.

Aflatoxin is a toxic substance produced by moulds, which grow on improperly dried and stored grain. It has been linked to serious health complications, including liver cancer. Mr Mutasa said grain losses begin right from planting due to poor seed selection and continue through harvesting, transportation, drying and storage. ‘Farmers are losing food at every stage. Some losses occur during harvesting, others during transportation, drying and storage. By the time the grain reaches the market, farmers have already lost between 38 and 40 percent of their harvest,’ he said. The Uganda Grain Council estimates that farmers only recover about 60 percent of what they produce, largely due to failure to follow recommended agronomic and post-harvest practices. Mr Mutasa attributed the high losses to inadequate farmer training, weak enforcement of quality standards and poor market organisation.

He noted that many farmers continue to dry grain on bare ground, transport it in inappropriate containers, and store it in poorly ventilated facilities, conditions that encourage mould growth and pest infestation. ‘When grain is not properly dried and stored, mould develops and aflatoxin contamination sets in. This not only affects market access but also poses serious health risks to consumers,’ he said. The council is now urging farmers to adopt proper drying and storage technologies, and to organise themselves into groups to improve access to markets. Mr Mutasa said Uganda has a strong regional market for quality grain, especially in neighbouring countries such as Kenya, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. ‘Uganda is the food basket of the region. The market is there, but farmers must produce grain that meets required standards,’ he said.

Mr Mutasa called on the government to strengthen agricultural extension services, enforce grain quality regulations and expand access to affordable financing for farmers. Experts warn that unless post-harvest losses and food safety concerns are addressed, Uganda risks losing both domestic and export opportunities despite its agricultural potential. Mr Godfrey Omony, the project manager of the Re-Gain Project at Farm Africa, said poor harvesting, drying and storage practices continue to contribute significantly to grain losses in Busoga. The Re-Gain Project (Scaling Solutions for Food Loss in Africa) is a major regional initiative spearheaded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to drastically reduce post-harvest losses and boost climate resilience across seven African nations, including Uganda.

Mr Omony said studies show that farmers lose about 40 percent of their grain after harvest, significantly reducing household incomes and threatening food security. ‘Late harvesting, drying grain on bare ground, and poor storage remain some of the major causes of post-harvest losses. A significant amount of grain is lost before it reaches the market,’ he said. Mr Omony noted that the Re-Gain Project is working with more than 76,000 smallholder farmers across seven districts in Busoga to promote improved post-harvest handling technologies. These include tarpaulins, airtight storage bags, grain moisture testers, grain harvesting machines, and storage silos, all aimed at reducing grain losses and improving quality.

Mr Omony said research has shown that proper post-harvest practices can reduce losses to below 10 percent, significantly increasing farmers’ incomes. ‘The studies show that farmers who adopt improved drying and storage technologies significantly reduce losses. The grain saved translates directly into more income and improved livelihoods,’ he said. He added that the project is also building the capacity of village-based advisors and farmer groups to improve awareness and access to post-harvest technologies.

Mr Omony warned that failure to address post-harvest challenges could worsen food insecurity, malnutrition and loss of market opportunities in the region. Ms Winnie Daisy, the partnership manager at Equator Seeds, said seed quality plays a major role in determining both yield and grain quality. She noted that farmers using certified improved seed varieties can harvest up to 2.5 tonnes of maize per acre compared to about 500 kilogrammes from recycled or home-saved seed. ‘Quality grain begins with quality seed. Farmers who plant improved seed varieties benefit from higher yields, better grain quality, and increased resistance to pests and diseases,’ Ms Daisy said. She added that some improved maize varieties are drought-tolerant and less prone to rotting in the field, reducing the risk of aflatoxin contamination before harvest.

‘When maize cobs begin rotting in the field, they become vulnerable to aflatoxin contamination and pest attacks. Improved varieties help farmers minimise such losses,’ she said. However, Ms Daisy observed that many farmers continue to recycle seed from previous harvests, a practice that reduces productivity and compromises quality. ‘Many farmers still plant grain saved from previous harvests instead of certified seed. This affects yields and limits the benefits of improved farming technologies,’ she said. Ms Daisy also cited poor agronomic practices, inadequate fertiliser use and declining soil fertility as key constraints affecting productivity. She called on the government to subsidise agricultural inputs and strengthen community grain aggregation centres equipped with drying and storage facilities.

‘If farmers are to benefit from quality seed, they must also have access to proper drying facilities, storage technologies, and reliable markets,’ she said. Mr Noah Ssozi, an agronomist working with Equator Seeds under the AGRA-supported project, said many farmers lose a significant portion of their harvest within days after leaving the garden due to poor handling. ‘Farmers spend about four months growing a crop but can lose much of their investment within three days after harvesting if proper post-harvest practices are not followed,’ Mr Ssozi said. He explained that losses often begin during transportation, where produce is poorly handled, leading to spillage and damage. The situation is worsened by drying grain on bare ground, which exposes it to moisture, soil contamination and stones, increasing the risk of aflatoxin development.

‘When grain is dried on the ground, it absorbs moisture and gets contaminated. This creates favourable conditions for fungal growth,’ he said. Mr Ssozi noted that maize is the most affected crop in Busoga due to low awareness of proper post-harvest technologies. He urged farmers to harvest at the right time, warning that delayed harvesting exposes crops to pests, while premature harvesting increases moisture content, encouraging fungal infections. Mr Ssozi said proper drying is critical in preserving grain quality and improving storage life. ‘Well-dried grain develops a hard-outer layer that reduces pest infestation and limits fungal growth. This improves both storage life and marketability,’ he said. He warned that consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated grain poses serious health risks, including liver cancer, and can lead to rejection of produce in regional markets.

Mr Ssozi encouraged farmers to adopt affordable technologies such as tarpaulins and hermetic storage bags to reduce losses. Mr David Wozemba, the Country Director of AGRA Uganda, said the Re-Gain Project was designed in response to high food losses across Africa, where farmers lose up to half of their produce after harvest.

‘These losses deny farmers income, reduce food availability, and undermine food security,’ he said. He noted that the initiative aligns with Uganda’s national development priorities and is being implemented in partnership with the government. Mr Wozemba stressed that reducing post-harvest losses requires participation from all actors in the agricultural value chain, including farmers, traders, processors, financiers and input suppliers.

‘We must create incentives for every actor in the agricultural ecosystem to invest in reducing food losses,’ he said. He added that the private sector plays a central role in ensuring sustainability through provision of services, technologies and market access. ‘The private sector is critical in driving adoption of technologies and improving access to markets,’ he said.

Mr Wozemba said improving post-harvest handling systems would strengthen food security, increase farmer incomes, and enhance Uganda’s competitiveness in regional and international grain markets. According to the Uganda Grain Council, Uganda produces 2.8-3.4 million metric tonnes of maize annually, but post-harvest losses mean only 30-40 percent of the demand for 1.2 million metric tonnes of maize and 650,000 metric tonnes of beans is met.

Uganda has overtaken Ethiopia to become Africa’s leading coffee exporter after shipping 8.6 million bags of coffee between June 2025 and May 2026, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).

Dr Gerald Kyalo, the commissioner for Coffee Development at MAAIF, said Uganda exported 8.6 million 60-kilogramme bags of coffee worth $2.3b (Shs8.3 trillion) during the period under review. ‘Between June 2025 and May 2026, we exported 8.6 million bags of 60kg coffee worth $2.3 billion, and as a country, we are happy that we are making more money from coffee while our farmers continue to earn a livelihood from the crop,’ Dr Kyalo said yesterday. He attributed Uganda’s rise to the top position partly to the fact that Ethiopia consumes a substantial share of its coffee domestically.

‘Ethiopia consumes about 50 percent of its coffee, while Uganda’s coffee exports have been growing exponentially over the last five years,’ he said. According to available industry data, Uganda ranked among the world’s leading coffee producers in 2023, with output estimated at 5.29 million bags. The country is projected to increase production to 5.86 million bags by 2028. Buoyed by the strong export performance, Uganda is seeking to strengthen its position in international markets through aggressive promotion campaigns. Uganda’s Embassy in Brussels, working together with MAAIF, is preparing to showcase the country’s coffee at the World of Coffee 2026 exhibition in Belgium.

Organised by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), the World of Coffee is Europe’s largest specialty coffee trade event, attracting producers, traders, roasters, baristas and coffee buyers from around the world. The event, which will take place at Brussels Expo, is expected to provide Uganda with an opportunity to market its coffee directly to buyers and investors in one of the world’s most influential coffee markets. ‘The World of Coffee in Brussels offers a unique platform for Uganda to present its coffee story directly to the European market,’ Uganda’s Embassy in Brussels said in a statement.

Officials say the campaign is intended to strengthen trade relations, attract investment and enhance Uganda’s reputation as a producer of high-quality coffee. For two days, Uganda’s exhibition stand will showcase specialty coffees from major growing regions, including the slopes of Mount Elgon, the Rwenzori Mountains, West Nile and the central Robusta-growing belt.