Category: Daily Monitor

Uganda’s State Minister for Primary Education, Dr Joyce Kaducu, has admitted that the country faces a major setback in girls’ education, with low transition rates from primary to secondary schools undermining years of government investment.

Speaking at a three-day conference on girls’ education in Kampala, Dr Kaducu said the problem persists despite the launch of Universal Primary Education in 1997, which boosted enrolment.

‘Whereas enrolment has increased to 52.5 percent following the introduction of UPE, and majority of our learners sit for Primary Leaving Examinations, the transition percent is quite low for the girls as compared to the boys,’ she said.

‘There is a very critical gap. Once a girl completes secondary education, they become empowered and better citizens in terms of motherhood and function, as opposed to a girl who has not completed,’ she added.

Current figures show that only about 21 percent of girls make it to secondary school compared to 23 percent of boys.

The conference, titled What Works in Girls’ Education, has drawn hundreds of educationists from October 1 to 3 to discuss challenges such as negative cultural norms, high costs, and sexual violence that often lead to teenage pregnancy.

Dr Kaducu also raised concern about the performance gap in science subjects. ‘Much as girls outnumber the boys at primary level, the boys perform better than the girls in science subjects and many other subjects. At UCE, there are fewer girls than boys. At UACE it actually reduced further,’ she noted.

She added that the gender imbalance was stark at university level. ‘In 2021, intake for core courses like Medicine and Surgery showed that in some universities like Gulu, no single girl was taken. At Soroti, only one or two girls were admitted. Only Makerere and Mbarara admitted a few girls.’

Mr Cleophus Mugenyi, Commissioner for Basic Education and acting Director for Basic and Secondary Education, stressed the national impact of the crisis. ‘When girls are educated, families are uplifted, communities prosper and nations advance. It is no surprise it has often been said, if you educate a woman, you educate the nation,’ he said.

Dr Mary Gorreti, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda, echoed the concerns. ‘We are seeing more than ever before many girls entering education systems, but there are still very many factors that stop girls from enjoying the benefits of education. Child marriage, outdated teaching approaches, technology, financial challenges,’ she said.

Executives often hash out the same words to their reports , ‘let us create value.’ And it has become a standard language across the C-suite, value creation, and value propositions.

Everyone is looking for ways of creating more value for the consumer. It could be through better packaging, accessible pricing or even improving the product-service surrounding.

As a result, the customer or consumer is walking away with more value. And then organisations keep wondering – but we are creating all this value yet it’s not reflecting in both the top-line. In fact, it could be eroding the bottom-line as value creation often comes at a cost impact to the company.

What then is the challenge? Why is it that an organisation could create so much value yet not reap benefits of this endeavour? It comes down to the second thing – value capture. It is one thing to create value, it is another thing to capture it. Value creation is like energy generation, it is hard to capture every unit generated. It gets lost somewhere or somebody else captures it.

It then presents the famous two by two matrix, four-quadrant scenario. In the first quadrant are organisations that create low value, capture low value. No one wishes to be in this space. It’s the whisper before total annihilation. In the second quadrant are companies that create high value but capture low value.

So much so little

This is another miserable step. Because it means you are doing so much for so little. Then you have the third quadrant of creating low value but capture high value. It is the dream state, they are the kind of organisations that even sell their breadcrumbs, convert their waste into revenue. And finally, the ideal state of high value creation and high value capture.

One of the FMCG companies in Uganda pulled off the fourth state with one of their brands. They engaged in premiurisation, gave life to the label and the bottle.

Thereafter, they transitioned the new brand from a gin to a liqueur, and this meant a lower alcohol by volume (thus more savings). But because of this remiurisation (adding flavours to the original brand), they were able to sell it at a higher price and sell more volumes.

This was the ultimate signature example of high value creation, and high value capture. Such an endeavour requires a fully integrated innovation team. That is to say, an innovation team with an end-to-end approach around the product.

They can study the entire value chain of the product, create value at every line of the chain, and capture value at every stage of the chain. These are teams with a commercial outlook and financial sensitivity. You could call it strategic innovation that results in competitive advantage. It requires looking within what an organization already has and giving it a whole new approach. That could mean rethinking a process, rethinking a product, rethinking a structure. You could also think of when banks digitised and got many services on the phone. By creating value (convenience), they also captured it (more transactions volume, and thus more charging avenues).

The bottom line here is that organisations must take the conversation of value creation to its natural conclusion – value capture. It is no use creating value that will not be captured. There is no point throwing resources at immature markets, or markets that have not yet hit a critical mass that serves as a precursor to some innovations.

Sometimes, we call this high value creation, low value capture as organisations that were so ahead of themselves. They gave consumers more than what they could pay for at the moment. It is comparable to a technology startup releasing more features than what a user currently requires, rather than saving those features for later releases. Think of it as avoiding over-engineering or gold-plating.

The trap

Most organisations are caught up in the trap of gold-plating and over-engineering. Take the example of restaurants on an online food delivery platform. It is a beautiful thing to have branded paper bags. But does it translate to repeated purchases? Is it worth the cost to currently brand one’s packaging bags? Or would that effort rather translate into improving the quality and taste of the food which will enable one to command higher prices and lead to repeat purchases. The branded paper bag is high value creation, low value capture. The better food is high value creation, high value capture.

Again, it is back to what really matters to a consumer in each industry, as they make a purchase decision. For the food industry, one cares that their food arrives in one piece, it arrives hot and fresh, and it arrives tasty. All else is gold-plating. And the consumer won’t pay for that gold, but it will reflect on the operational cost-line of the organization.

As executives drive conversations in the C-suite, it is also time they drive the conversation of value creation is a futile attempt if it is not followed by value capture. If you do not capture the value that you create, you will be just an example of a company that was ahead of its time but did not survive to see the future. And those examples are endless.

Preliminary budget estimates for the financial year 2026/27 indicate that government plans to reduce the budget to Shs69.3 trillion.

This will be 4.2 percent lower, or Shs3.04 trillion less of the Shs72.4 trillion 2025/26 financial year.

In his first Budget Circular in preparation of the 2026/27 Budget Framework Paper, Finance Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi said the reduction is part of a larger plan that seeks to phase out certain expenditures.

The Circular also indicates that government plans to increase domestically generated revenue to Shs40.1 trillion, up from Shs36.8 trillion.

Mr Ggoobi also indicated that government’s discretionary funding – net of arrears, interest payments, and domestic debt repayments for the 2026/27 financial year – will amount to Shs31 trillion, down from Shs32.5 trillion this financial year.

In the 2026/27 financial year, government also plans to reduce domestic borrowing by Shs2.42 trillion to Shs8.95 trillion from Shs11.38 trillion as a way of keeping public debt sustainable and reducing interest payments.

The Circular also notes that domestic debt refinancing is projected to drop to Shs9.68 trillion, down from Shs10 trillion, while budget financing will drop from Shs2 trillion to Shs330.9b.

External project financing is projected to reduce to Shs10 trillion, from Shs11.3 trillion.

Mr Ggoobi, however, noted that accounting officers are expected to align their budget plans with the tenfold growth strategy, noting that: ‘Public resources must only finance activities that create economic value and improve service to Ugandans.’

The 2026/27 Budget will be the second in which government is implementing the ten-fold growth strategy, which seeks to grow Uganda’s gross domestic product to $500b by 2040.

The Circular indicates that government will continue to prioritise agro-industrialisation, tourism development, mineral-based industrial development, including oil and gas, science, technology and innovation, including ICT and the creative industry, and human capital development, among others.

Under agro-industrialisation, focus will be placed on reversing low productivity in agriculture by commercialising farming, while under tourism development, emphasis will be on increasing tourist inflows, doubling average expenditure, and lengthening their stay.

The Circular also notes that under mineral-based industrial development, government will prioritise the completion of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and build an overarching knowledge economy that will drive productivity and efficiency under science, technology, and innovation.

Government, Mr Ggoobi noted that under science, technology, and innovation, government will focus on the commercialisation of innovations by taking to the market products of Kiira Motors, Bio Pharma, Banana, and value-added coffee.

Government will also implement regulatory reforms to strengthen intellectual property rights, incentivise local manufacturing, and foster innovation-driven enterprises.

Government also plans to prioritise the completion of strategic roads and bridges, maintenance of core national roads, rehabilitation of the Metre Gauge Railway, and expedite the development of the Standard Gauge Railway, Bukasa port, and recapitalisation of Uganda Airlines.

The Supreme Court has granted an interim order staying execution of a Court of Appeal decision that struck out an appeal by businessman Patrick Bitature, his companies, and associates in their long-running loan dispute with South African investment firm, Vantage Mezzanine Fund II Partnership.

Justice Elizabeth Musoke, delivering the ruling, said the stay was necessary to preserve the status quo pending determination of the applicants’ substantive application for stay of execution.

‘This Court has powers, under Rule 2 (2) of the Rules of the Supreme Court, to make such an interim order to stay the status quo until the hearing and determination of the substantive application for stay of execution,’ Justice Musoke held on Friday.

The case stems from a December 11, 2014 agreement in which Vantage Mezzanine Fund II Partnership advanced $10 million to Simba Properties Investment Co Ltd, with Bitature and his companies Simba Telecom, Elgon Terrace Hotel, and Linda Properties as guarantors.

The lenders alleged default and initiated arbitration before the London International Chamber of Commerce.

On July 31, 2023, an arbitral tribunal issued a final award against Simba Properties, later supplemented with an addendum on 9 August 2023.

Vantage subsequently moved the Commercial Division of the High Court seeking recognition and enforcement of the award.

In November 2023, Justice Ocaya issued interim orders restraining Simba companies and their guarantors from altering ownership of mortgaged properties or shareholding, to secure Vantage’s interests.

Bitature and his associates filed a notice of appeal but Vantage challenged it. On August 22, 2025, Court of Appeal Justices Egonda-Ntende, Luswata, and Nambayo struck out the appeal, ruling that the Arbitration and Conciliation Act did not allow such an appeal.

The applicants then petitioned the Supreme Court, seeking both leave to appeal and stays of execution.

Counsel for the applicants, Brain Moogi Brian, argued that they had filed a competent notice of appeal on August 28, 2025 and a substantive stay application, satisfying conditions for an interim stay.

Vantage, represented by Kirunda and Co. Advocates, opposed the application, claiming the notice of appeal was defective and that there was no imminent threat of execution.

Justice Musoke disagreed, finding that while there may be some formalistic defects in the notice of appeal, it nonetheless indicates that the applicants are interested in appealing the decision in Court of Appeal Civil Application No. 305 of 2025 and is therefore sufficient for the relevant purpose.

On execution, the judge observed that ‘it should be possible to draw a reasonable inference that every successful party has an interest in ensuring the immediate execution of the decree.’

‘I therefore find, on a balance of probabilities, that there is a likelihood of imminent execution,’ the judge added.

Ruling

The Supreme Court therefore issued the following orders:

An interim stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s decision in Civil Application No. 305 of 2025 pending determination of the substantive stay application.

Costs of the application to abide the outcome of the substantive stay application.

Justice Musoke stressed that questions over the court’s jurisdiction and competence of the intended appeal would be decided later.

‘The main purpose of an interim order is preservation of the status quo to avoid rendering nugatory the determination of the substantive application for stay of execution and the appeal itself,’ she stated.

The ruling, delivered means Bitature and his companies retain a temporary reprieve from enforcement of the Court of Appeal decision as they pursue further remedies in the Supreme Court.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), according to Investopedia.com is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public.

By practising CSR, companies are aware of how they impact different aspects of society, including economic, social, and environmental ones.

Engaging in CSR also means a company operates in ways that enhance society and the environment instead of contributing negatively to them.

Early this week, a selected group of students donated more than 1,000 units of blood in a two-day blood donation drive at Kitebi Secondary School.

The drive, organised by SICPA Uganda in partnership with Uganda Blood Transfusion Services and the school’s administration, was a gesture of solidarity for those in need of blood in Uganda. With a student population of approximately 4,000, the school offers a large pool of potential donors.

According to UBTS guidelines, eligible donors must be aged 17 years and above. This makes students in Senior Three through Senior Six the primary target group for the drive. In addition, the campaign is rallying teachers, SICPA staff and the wider community to step forward and save lives.

For students, the experience was both patriotic and life-changing. Milly Harriet Namata, the school’s Prime Minister, speaking during the first phase of the drive, praised her peers for their courage.

She said, ‘It is not something simple and is a fear to many of the youth. However, those who come forward are not only heroes, but also patriotic,” Namata added.

‘I urge all students to dedicate themselves to this programme as a lifelong practice, because through it we are contributing to saving the lives of mothers, children and accident victims.’

However, according to William Mugisha, the principal blood donor officer at the UBTS, the issue of blood is a responsibility of everyone, whether an individual or an organisation, and donating blood should not be left to students alone.

He explained, ‘Let blood donation be a spiral in a way that it is everyone rising up and understanding that there are people who are needy and in need of blood.’

Mugisha added, ‘If we do it together, it becomes a renewed promise, because blood donation is continuous.’ It should be noted that as Uganda’s population continues to grow, even the need for blood also continues to rise. Upon this backdrop, Mugisha pointed out that while students’ contribution is commendable, relying on them alone is unsustainable.

He warned, ‘Students should not be like slaves or a burden even if they have the passion. Compared to the general population, their numbers are small and if students stopped donating, people would eventually lose out to the crisis.’

During blood drives, professionals conduct pre-donation counselling and rigorous screening to ensure that donors are safe and that only the safest blood is collected. Mugisha noted, ‘There is no pharmacy for life. Blood must come from healthy human beings between the ages of 17 and 60.’

In Uganda, the demand for blood goes far beyond what students alone can sustain. As such, hospitals across the country continue to face shortages, especially during emergencies such as road accidents, maternal complications, and surgeries.

Children suffering from severe malaria and patients battling cancer are also among the most vulnerable who depend on a steady supply of safe blood.

Experts warn that unless more adults embrace blood donation as a routine act of compassion, the health system risks being overwhelmed. However, Mugisha stresses, ‘When someone sees that people are committed to saving lives, they are assured of life tomorrow.’

Susan Kitariko, General Manager of SICPA Uganda, also noted that while blood cannot be manufactured or bought, it must come from people willing to give a part of themselves to others.

‘Every donor is a hero, and every drop counts,’ she said, adding that blood donation is a selfless act that directly saves lives, underscoring the need for communities and institutions to rally behind UBTS.

‘When communities come together, we can rise to meet the most pressing challenges that face us,’ she highlighted.

SICPA has been investing in community health initiatives, with Kitebi Secondary School standing out as a consistent contributor.

The school has now donated blood for the third time, contributing more than 10,000 units over the years. With a student population of over 4,300, Hajji Muhammed Kamulegeya, the team leader at Kitebi Secondary School, pledged continued support.

The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) Appeals Tribunal has raised concerns over persistent delays by accounting officers in making administrative review decisions on bidder complaints.

Speaking to the media during an engagement with officials from government ministries, departments, and agencies in Kampala on Friday, PPDA Registrar Mansour Atiku said such conduct violates the law and undermines confidence in Uganda’s procurement system.

“An accounting officer who receives a complaint is required to suspend the procurement process immediately and issue a written decision within 10 working days. However, many officers go beyond this stipulated time, frustrating bidders and casting doubt on the fairness of public contracting,” he said.

Atiku added that the authority has recorded repeated cases where accounting officers deliberately delay, mishandle, or completely ignore complaints raised by aggrieved bidders.

“The law is very clear. Once a complaint is received, the procurement must issue a decision communicated within 10 days, and going beyond this period is not only unlawful but also weakens the credibility of our procurement processes,” he emphasised.

Such delays deny bidders timely redress, create room for corruption, and undermine the principles of transparency and accountability.

“Procurement is about fairness and safeguarding public funds. When complaints are mishandled, service providers lose trust in the system, and the quality of competition suffers,” Atiku noted.

The PPDA Act requires that, upon request, a bidder who lodges a complaint must receive a report from the procuring entity detailing the reasons for rejection and the stage at which rejection occurred. Paul Kalumba, a member of the tribunal, warned that PPDA will not hesitate to sanction officers who fail to comply with the law. “Accountability starts with the accounting officer, and there will be consequences for negligence and non-compliance will attract personal liability,” he said.

Kalumba also urged officers to guide bidders properly on how to file complaints, including the payment of prescribed administrative review fees, instead of using technicalities to frustrate them.

Common complaints

PPDA data shows that bidders regularly raise grievances about irregularities in how procuring entities handle administrative reviews. These practices, Kalumba said, are damaging not only to bidders but also to the government’s bid to deliver services through credible contractors.

“The tendency to sabotage bid submissions, delay decisions, or cancel processes midway erodes trust. We urge all accounting officers to respect the timelines and procedures provided by law,” he emphasised.

The High Court in Kampala has dismissed a petition filed by Mr Jimmy James Michael Akena, the leader of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party, challenging the Electoral Commission’s decision to bar him from running for president on the UPC ticket in the 2026 elections.

In a ruling delivered via email on October 1, 2025, Justice Bernard Namanya upheld the EC’s decision, citing constitutional breaches and binding court orders that rendered Akena ineligible for nomination.

“It is practically impossible for this court to order the Electoral Commission to nominate Hon. Jimmy James Michael Akena as a UPC presidential candidate for the General Elections 2025/2026 because the nomination exercise is already closed,” ruled Justice Namanya.

Justice Namanya further ruled that Akena’s attempt to extend his presidency during a virtual delegates’ conference on July 26, 2025, was unlawful, having been convened in defiance of an interim court order.

“It is highly doubtful as to whether UPC could legally convene a delegates’ conference in contravention of the order prohibiting the convening of the virtual Extra-Ordinary Delegates Conference,” he said.

However, the judge granted UPC relief by blocking the Electoral Commission from enforcing its declaration that the party’s executive committee had expired, allowing the party to field parliamentary and local council candidates.

The Electoral Commission had disqualified Akena, along with Joseph Ochieno and Dennis Adim Enap, from contesting for the presidential nomination under the UPC ticket, citing their ineligibility to hold a valid UPC party card as required by the party’s constitution.

Akena had petitioned the court, seeking a court order to compel the Electoral Commission to include his name on the presidential ballot for the 2026 elections, thereby overturning the Commission’s decision to bar him from contesting on the UPC ticket.

The petition stemmed from UPC’s internal wrangles, with Akena’s leadership term having expired without formal extension by the party organs.

Lango Sub-region presents both wider concerns and district-specific issues that are likely to influence the 2026 general election outcomes. Recent aerial surveys in Lango Sub-region revealed deposits of minerals, including gold in Aboke and Alito sub-counties, Kole District.

The leaders argue that the government should update and publish a mineral map and provide clear plans for their exploration. Failure to harness these resources for socio-economic growth could become a major campaign issue in 2026, as residents demand jobs, revenue, and infrastructure from mining activities.

Compensation, historical injustices

In Kole District, the community is still waiting for the government to fulfil President Museveni’s 2017 directive to compensate Aculbanya Secondary School with a bus, after the NRA confiscated a school lorry during the insurgency in 1987. Unresolved historical grievances such as this may fuel voter dissatisfaction if not addressed before the elections due in January 2026.

Health services

The state of healthcare remains a top concern, with the communities demanding that Aboke Health Centre IV in Kole and Anyeke Health Centre IV in Oyam be upgraded to general hospitals to serve growing populations. Limited access to quality health facilities is likely to be a key campaign theme in the 2026 General Election.

Infrastructure and connectivity

The leaders demand adjustments to the Aboke-Bobi road design to link Aboke Market to Anekapiri Market, Ogur, and connect the district headquarters of Lira, Kole, and Apac by tarmac. Roads remain a visible development yardstick, and poor connectivity could influence voting patterns.

Access to electricity

Access to electricity in Lango is just 8.4 percent, which is far below the national average of 18.9 percent (Uganda National Household Survey). Calls for expanded rural electrification are urgent. Politicians will face pressure to show tangible progress on energy access, especially for households, businesses, and schools across the sub-region.

Agriculture and livelihoods

The communities are also demanding government investment in agro-processing plants, livestock farming with improved breeds, veterinary services, market access, and affordable irrigation technologies. With the majority of the voters in the area depending on agriculture, these demands will heavily shape the 2026 electoral debate.

Administrative and land issues in Oyam

The residents of Oyam District are calling for the creation of Aber District, citing a population of 572,000 with 1,169 villages, and 578 kilometres of district roads. There is also the unresolved dispute over 1,000 acres of land occupied by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in Loro. The land was originally given during the insurgency, but remains a sore point. These grievances could drive political mobilisation and voter sentiments in 2026.

Industrialisation and jobs

The leaders in Oyam are also lobbying for the establishment of an industrial park to boost employment. Given the high youth unemployment across Lango, this issue is likely to resonate strongly with the voters during campaigns.

Lira City

The city residents are calling for the construction of an airport in Lira Cit, and for this, land measuring about 1.8km by 4km has already been secured in Anai, Lira City, West Division. The locals also demand support for an agro-industrial park and the establishment of a sub-regional driving permit centre. These projects are seen as critical for business growth, trade, and employment, making them potential election issues.

Dokolo County North and South

The communities in Dokolo District want the Dokolo Health Centre IV that currently acts as a district hospital, upgraded to a general hospital. The Lango sub-region has the lowest paved road coverage in Uganda (3 percent), despite the ongoing work on the 191-km Rwenkunye-Apac-Lira road. The residents are also calling for the expedited tarmacking of the 88km Dokolo-Ochero-Namasale road and support for the development of an industrial park. Infrastructure and healthcare deficits remain major voter concerns.

Amolatar District (Kioga County and Kioga North)

The voters in Amolatar District demand a resolution of the conflicts between the fishing community and the UPDF on Lake Kyoga and the River Nile. There is a pressing need to improve electricity access that currently stands at 8.4 percent in Lango, compared to 18.9 percent nationally. The residents also demand investments in agro-processing plants, livestock development, veterinary services, markets, and irrigation technologies. These economic and service delivery issues could influence electoral support.

Alebtong District (Moroto County)

The residents are calling for the upgrading of Alebtong Health Centre IV to a general hospital. Similarly, with the Lango Sub-region’s paved road network standing at below 3 percent, the residents are also demanding the expedited tarmacking of the 120km-long Lira-Aloi-Kotido-Abim road. Likewise, healthcare and transport remain top voter priorities.

Kwania District (Kwania County and Kwania North)

The residents in Kwania are also calling for the upgrade of Aduku Health Centre IV to a general hospital. They also demand a ferry from Nambieso to Kwania, a critical transport link connecting the area to Amolatar. Lack of connectivity and limited healthcare services could shape voter preferences in 2026.

Lira District (Erute North and South)

The leaders in the district are advocating the creation of Erute District from Lira District due to administrative challenges caused by the carving of Lira City divisions from the parent Lira District. Currently, travel between the northern and southern parts of Lira District requires passing through Lira City, highlighting governance and administrative inefficiencies as potential election issues.

Mr Ashish Monpara, Chairman of the Modern Group of Industries, has been named Global Leader of the Year 2025. This was during the 26th Edition of the Asian Business and Social Forum on the 19th of September, 2025 at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai.

The Indo-UAE Summit was held under the theme ‘Celebrating the Spirit of Asia,’ where they spotlighted the strengthening of bilateral trade, investment, and innovation between India, the UAE, and the wider GCC region. They also look to foster strategic partnerships across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Mr Monpara was recognised for his significant contributions to industrial growth and private sector development across East Africa.

Commonly referred to as the ‘King of Sugar’, he has redefined industrial investment in Uganda, establishing at least one factory every year since 2017. Mr Monpara has set a bold vision for the Modern Group and for Uganda’s economic potential on the global stage.

His company Modern Group of Industries was also recognized as the World’s Greatest Brands 2025. Under his visionary leadership, the Modern Group has grown into one of Uganda’s most renowned industrial conglomerates, expanding across multiple sectors including sugar, alcohol distillation, aluminium profiling, tile manufacturing, and organic fertiliser.

Today, the Modern Group has reshaped Uganda’s industrial landscape. It operates seven factories across 10 industrial verticals, with total investments exceeding US $700 million (approximately Shs2.4 trillion). The group has contributed import substitution worth US $100 million (Shs356 billion) and employs over 4,000 people.

The journey began in 2017 with the launch of Modern Distillers, producing ethanol. In 2018 came Modern Gas, which also generated carbon dioxide for major clients such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The following year, the group introduced Modern Aluminium, producing high-quality profiles once imported from Dubai, China, India, and Europe. That same year also saw the birth of Modern Fertiliser.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the group established two new factories. One was Modern Hygiene in 2020, producing hand sanitiser, a crucial product during the pandemic. In 2021, spotting an opportunity to substitute imported tiles with locally produced, high-quality alternatives, Mr Monpara set up Modern Tiles. The company now employs 1,600 people and controls 45 per cent of Uganda’s tile market.

In 2022, the group expanded further with Kidera Sugar in Buyende District, now awaiting commissioning, plus Lamborghini Drinks and Beverages (Modern Spirits), a partnership that manufactures products in Uganda for export to the United States and Asian markets.

The highlight came in 2023 with the takeover of Kaliro Sugar, at the request of President Yoweri Museveni and Investment Minister Evelyn Anite. From an ailing sugar factory, Kaliro Sugar was completely overhauled to run at full capacity of 2,500 TCD, directly employing 1,500 people and paying our due taxes.

Commissioned in August 2022 by President Museveni, Kaliro Sugar has restored dignity to the district’s sugarcane farmers. Expansion plans are already in motion, with the plant expected to grow to 5,500 TCD within two years and 8,000 TCD in the longer term, a combined daily output of around 200,000 tonnes of sugar.

Leveraging by-products from sugar production, Mr Monpara also launched Modern Power in 2023, generating electricity both for factory consumption and for the national grid, presently at 12MW.

His industriousness and innovation have attracted other accolades, including the Best Foreign Direct Investment Project Award for Modern Tiles at the Annual Investment Meeting Awards in 2022. Modern Group has also emerged among the top tax contributors to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), averaging Shs12.5 billion annually.

Over the next three years, Mr Monpara plans to invest another $500 million. Priorities include a sugar refinery to reduce reliance on imported white sugar, a power plant in Buyende to expand capacity ramped up to 50 MW, new ventures in steel production, and pharmaceuticals. The ultimate goal is to cre¬ate 10,000 jobs and cement Uganda’s position as a regional industrial hub.

Reflecting on his journey, Mr Monpara, a first-generation businessman, said he started by investing his own money.

‘I bootstrapped my business by investing from my money. Now, with the business thriving, financing has become more accessible. My advice to every investor is to start with your own investment, and then you can tap into available financing options in the country.’

Uganda’s housing market is shifting. Young professionals are pooling funds to buy rental units, families are opting for off-plan projects with flexible payment plans, and more buyers are asking how their homes can double as investments, whether through long-term rentals or Airbnb. It is a fast-moving landscape, and standing right at the intersection of dreams and dynamics is Mary Mugoya, a sales executive at Fakhruddin Properties, who has built her career by treating each home not as a transaction, but as a story waiting to unfold.

She does not just talk about square footage or finishing. She listens. On a property tour, she might pause at a window and say: ‘This is where the morning light will pour in,’ or gesture toward a backyard and add: ‘Perfect for tenants or a small Airbnb Garden if you want income.’ For her, real estate is not just about selling structures but helping Ugandans secure both homes and futures. That outlook has carried her from her teenage fascination with Mbale’s estates to her present role as a professional guiding clients through the realities of Uganda’s property market.

Planting the seed

Her journey began long before she sold her first house. As a teenager, she would stroll through the organised neighbourhoods of Busamaga, Namakwekwe, Senior Quarters, Maluku, and Half London, admiring the homes and imagining the lives unfolding within them. She recalls: ‘I used to imagine the families inside. What meals they were sharing, which children were playing in the yard. I knew early on that I wanted to be part of creating those spaces.’

While her peers aspired to careers in medicine or law, Mugoya’s curiosity about houses and neighbourhoods quietly prepared her for the career she would later embrace. Her first professional nudge came from an engineer-contractor who served as her boss. He recognised her eye for detail and advised her to take real estate seriously. ‘He told me, ‘Mary, you should study real estate properly.’ That advice shaped my direction,’ she says. She went on to pursue a degree in real estate at Makerere University Business School (Mubs), and soon after, she was mentored by Rachel N. Kakungulu, a trailblaser who straddled tourism and property.

Kakungulu broadened Mugoya’s perspective, teaching her that selling real estate was not just about square metres, but about lifestyle, experience, and community. Those lessons became part of her ethos when she later joined Fakhruddin Properties under the guidance of Haidry Qusai, who offered her the platform to refine her craft and carve out her own space as a professional. Fakhruddin Properties is a leading reputable property developer from the United Arab Emirates, with a diverse portfolio of properties and a track record of delivering property and facilities management solutions across industrial, commercial and residential properties.

Finding her home

Her baptism by fire came sooner than expected. Covering for colleagues one day, she encountered a client who was abrasive, dismissive, and constantly comparing Ugandan apartments to those in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. ‘He insulted guards, sneered at apartments, and kept saying, ‘this is not up to Nairobi standards.’ I almost gave up,’ she admits. But she stayed calm, kept showing him the sites, and listened to his complaints with patience.

To her surprise, the man returned that same evening and made a purchase.

‘That was my baptism by fire. It taught me resilience. In real estate, patience and professionalism always pay.’ It was also the moment she knew she was exactly where she belonged. Over the years, Mugoya has learnt that the real heart of her work lies in the site visit. She insists that no brochure, no matter how glossy, can replace standing inside a property. She says: ‘People need to feel the space. It is not enough to see photos, you have to stand in the living room, hear the sounds of the neighbourhood, and ask yourself: ‘Can I imagine my life here?”

Site visits, she explains, help clients connect emotionally to a home while also revealing practical truths. Buyers can assess whether rooms are truly spacious, whether there are signs of water damage, and if the neighbourhood is too noisy for comfort. They can measure spaces for their furniture, envision possible renovations, and get a sense of the environment- schools, shops, public transport, and the general character of nearby properties. Mugoya has watched countless faces soften during these visits, as if a spark has been lit. ‘That’s when I know they have found their home,’ she says. For her, site visits are not simply about due diligence; they bridge the gap between dream and reality.

Service beyond sales

As Uganda’s market has matured, so has her purpose. She recognised a profound truth: a property transaction is not the conclusion of a need, but the genesis of a new set of responsibilities and aspirations. This insight led her beyond the familiar terrain of sales to the strategic field of Property Management at the Global Institute of Property Studies. This was not merely an addition of skills, but a fundamental expansion of her vocation. She transformed her role from a facilitator of deals to a steward of legacies. She now manages properties for the distant diaspora, ensuring their connection to home is not lost to miles. She advises investors with the acumen of a strategist, decoding the language of yields and occupancy rates.

She even steps into the realm of aesthetics, assisting with interior design, understanding that the soul of a property influences its value as much as its square footage. ‘I do not just sell property. I help clients look after it, shape it, and maximise its value,’ she explains. This philosophy acknowledges that a property is a living asset; it must be nurtured, adapted, and understood in the context of a life and a financial plan. This holistic approach has forged a new kind of relationship, one built not on a single transaction, but on generational trust.

Clients return not out of habit, but because she has become their strategic partner in wealth-building. In a market often characterised by fleeting interactions, she has built a practice on the deep, resilient foundation of fidelity. Her position affords her a unique vantage point, making her a seismograph of the nation’s economic and social shifts. The growing popularity of off-plan buying reveals a collective leap of faith in Uganda’s future, a bet on developers as nation-builders, fraught with both ambition and risk. She sees mortgages as more than loans; they are keys to class mobility for salaried workers, though the heavy lock of high interest rates keeps many doors shut.

The rise of group investments among young professionals is a modern-day adaptation of the communal tradition, a powerful, collective defiance against individual financial limitation. And the nascent promise of rent-to-own models speaks to a silent struggle, offering a flicker of hope to those marginalised by traditional finance. The most significant shift she observes is in the very psyche of the buyer. The question, ‘How do I make this house pay for itself?’ Is not merely a financial query; it is the mantra of a new, pragmatic generation. It signifies the fusion of home and enterprise, where a roof must also be a revenue stream.

Yet, amidst this fervor, she stands as a voice of seasoned wisdom.

‘Property is not a quick fix,’ she cautions. In a world chasing instant returns, her counsel is a call for introspection. She understands that land and brick are woven into the deepest layers of personal and cultural identity in Uganda. Her final advice is not about market trends, but about human nature: ‘Listen to your needs, think long-term, and not rush.’ In this, she does more than sell or manage property; she anchors ambition to foundation, ensuring that the pursuit of profit never eclipses the profound, lifelong significance of the investment.

Principles

Through it all, her values have remained steady. She believes in listening deeply to uncover what clients truly need, even when their initial requests mask a different reality. She has learnt to tell the truth, even if it means advising a client to wait for another project. She stays resilient in the face of difficult encounters, viewing each as a lesson. And she keeps faith in a profession that demands patience and grace. For her, the greatest reward has never been the commission slip but the phone call that comes years later, when a client says, ‘Mugoya, thank you. That house changed our lives.’

Looking ahead, Mugoya wants to mentor young women entering the real estate field and raise the bar for customer service in Uganda’s property sector.

‘This is a male-dominated industry, but women have an edge in empathy and detail. I want more women to see that this is a space for them, too,’ she says.

She also hopes to expand her expertise in management, investment, and design, ensuring Ugandans not only survive but thrive in a housing market that is becoming increasingly diverse, competitive, and creative.