Category: Daily Monitor

Global rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S and P) has cautioned that while Uganda’s banking sector remains well-capitalised, its growing exposure to government securities continues to limit lending to the private sector.

In its latest assessment, S and P said commercial banks’ exposure to government debt had risen to 31 percent of total system assets by June 2025, reflecting banks’ preference for high-yielding government paper.

‘This has crowded out private-sector lending and slowed capital market development, resulting in a slowdown in credit extension to 8.2 percent in June 2025,’ the agency said.

However, it noted that banks remain well-capitalised, with a combined core capital ratio of 25.8 percent, well above the 10 percent statutory minimum.

S and P also noted that banks are maintaining low levels of nonperforming loans, at 3.7 percent of total loans by June 2025.

Bank of Uganda’s September State of the Economy report shows that yields on government securities continued to rise, mainly due to higher government borrowing toward the end of the 2024/25 financial year and frontloaded issuances in the early 2025/26 financial year.

In the three months to August 2025, yields on Treasury bills rose to 11.5 percent (91-day), 13.2 percent (182-day), and 15.4 percent (364-day).

For Treasury bonds, yields on the two-year, 15-year, and 20-year maturities rose slightly, while those on the three-year, five-year, and 10-year dropped modestly.

Interbank rates declined in the three months to August 2025 as liquidity improved, supported by Bank of Uganda’s foreign currency purchases and increased government spending.

Overnight rate dropped to an average of 9.5 percent from 10.5 percent, while the seven-day rate fell to 10.3 percent from 11.2 percent.

The use of the standing lending facility fell sharply to Shs2.5 trillion from Shs9.4 trillion, indicating that banks relied less on central bank funding.

Despite improved liquidity, private-sector credit growth remained modest. In the three months to July 2025, annualised private sector credit growth rose slightly to 9.7 percent from 9 percent in April. Shilling-denominated loans grew 11.2 percent, while foreign currency loans increased 5.5 percent, up from 3.6 percent.

Credit demand rose to Shs8.0 trillion in July 2025, while net credit supply climbed to Shs5.6 trillion, reflecting reduced risk aversion as non-performing loans declined. The rate of credit approval improved to 70.1 percent from 59.2 percent.

However, overall net credit extensions fell to Shs1.1 trillion from Shs1.4 trillion, mainly due to a sharp drop in foreign currency loan disbursements, which recorded net recoveries of Shs261b.

President Museveni has ordered the immediate resettlement of families affected by the recent landslides and those evicted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) from park land in the Sebei Sub-region. Speaking during a campaign rally in Kween District, the President said each affected family would receive two acres of land free of charge and Shs10m to aid resettlement.

‘We will resettle them. Shs56b is already in the budget, and the money is available. We are looking for more land. That is our plan to resettle people away from the danger areas,’ he said.

Last month, multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains ravaged several rural villages in Kween, Bukwo, and Kapchorwa districts, killing 21 people and leaving 12 others missing.

More than 6,000 survivors are currently living in temporary shelters at Benet Primary School (Kween) and Chemuron Primary School (Bukwo).

Museveni emphasised the need to protect the Mt Elgon ecosystem, including its forests, lakes, and rivers, to prevent future disasters. He compared careless environmental destruction to cutting one’s nails too deep.

‘If I cut my nails, that’s fine. But if I go too deep, I start bleeding. Nature works the same way,’ he said, warning that without Mt Elgon, Rwenzori, and Kigezi hills, ‘Uganda could turn into a desert,’ he said.

Museveni also announced plans to send a team to reopen and clarify the boundary between local communities and Mt Elgon National Park, a long-standing source of conflict.

‘I sent former prime minister Rugunda to handle this, but I now know why the boundary was never opened. Some people lied to me. I will deal with them,’ he said.

Land eviction dispute

More than 660 families, containing about 7,000 people, were reportedly displaced in 2014 when UWA claimed their villages fell within a protected game reserve.

Many have since lived in makeshift camps about 500 metres from their former land in Soseti Village, Nyiliti Parish, Sundeti Sub-county.

Mr Alex Lukhanda Natembeya, one of those displaced, recounted their ordeal.

‘UWA officials attacked us at night, destroyed our crops, beat us, and demolished everything. For 11 years we’ve lived like refugees in our own motherland. Families have broken apart,’ he said. Museveni expressed dismay over reports of brutality during the eviction.

‘Why beat people instead of arresting them? We will find out who is responsible. We are tired of lazy officers who don’t investigate properly,’ he said.

Corruption in Kween

Turning to corruption, the President vowed to send auditors to investigate the alleged theft of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds and other government resources in Kween District.

‘I will send auditors to investigate the stolen PDM money and other issues. The fight against corruption should be led by our elected leaders. That’s why we introduced the LC system,’ Museveni said.

Cattle compensation, development

On cattle losses suffered during past insurgencies and cattle rustling, the President assured affected families of compensation but warned against false claims.

‘We know which areas were affected. We don’t want lies,’ he said.

The President also highlighted his government’s achievements in infrastructure, health, and population growth.

He further pledged to establish a public university in the Sebei Sub-region, aligning with NRM’s policy of one public university per former independence district.

With the unpredictable weather patterns in West Nile caused by the effects of climate change, reliance on rainfall for agricultural production is no longer sustainable if farmers are to achieve increased yields. In the past, farmers could easily predict the onset of rainy seasons.

However, this is no longer the case, as the region now experiences erratic rainfall, sometimes excessive, sometimes scarce, leading to prolonged droughts.

Traditionally, West Nile would receive its first rains in March, signalling the start of the planting season, however, this pattern has since changed.

Moyo District, in particular, has suffered extended dry spells from mid-December to April, a trend seen across the sub-region. These challenges are compounded by high poverty levels among farmers, many of whom cannot afford modern irrigation technologies.

The dependence on rainfall has left them vulnerable to crop failure, reduced yields, and growing food insecurity. As a result, farmers in West Nile are being encouraged to prioritise water management for agricultural production.

In Moyo District, Ms Anzoa Clara Ayaa, the Executive Director of Anzoa Fixed Farm, emphasised the importance of effective water management in ensuring food security, improving crop yields, and fostering economic stability in a region heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture.

She said farmers should be supported to adopt affordable technologies such as solar-powered irrigation, rainwater harvesting tanks, and community-owned water systems.

Mr Innocent Ocaatre, the project coordinator at St Martin Comboni Missionaries in Palorinya Sub-county, underscored the importance of irrigation, explaining that it allows continuous vegetable production throughout the year.

‘With irrigation, crops can be grown without interruption year-round. In addition, greenhouses are critical in areas where open-field vegetable growing is not feasible,’ he explained.

He also urged farmers to embrace and apply the new technologies demonstrated at model farms.

Persistent challenges

Mr Ivan Iya, the field agronomist at Loluwesi Smart Farm in Toloro South Village, Vura Parish, Moyo District, said farmers continue to face challenges such as pests, diseases, and limited access to affordable credit.

‘We have a big problem, some Saccos charge high interest rates, making it difficult for farmers to purchase water-harvesting and irrigation kits,’ he said, appealing to commercial banks to extend agricultural loans to the region.

‘There are potential farmers here who could thrive with access to financial support,’ he added. Moyo District Production Officer, Dr Christopher Dratele, explained that the district trains farmers across different categories, from those outside the money economy to those engaged in value addition and export.

However, he said most farmers remain dependent on rain-fed agriculture.

Looking ahead

Mr Muddy Oyikuru, the project officer at the Agency for Community Empowerment, reported that the organisation has so far trained 1,388 farmers. He emphasised the need to introduce value-chain crops in the region through partnerships with other organisations.

After years of tension and uncertainty, the long-awaited peace talks in the Bugwere cultural institution have finally begun, offering a renewed sense of hope to the institution once torn apart by division.

The leadership crisis began soon after the death of the first cultural leader, Mr John C. Wayabire, in 2021, when rival factions within the institution failed to agree on the rightful successor.

What started as a disagreement over succession quickly escalated into widespread unrest. Many factions emerged, each claiming to be the duly elected cultural leader of the Bagwere.

The subjects, people of Ikumbania, watched helplessly as their land drifted towards chaos. But last week marked a turning point. Under the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRCU), a consensus-building meeting of aspirants and their representatives on the leadership of Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere cultural institution was held at Mountain Inn Hotel, Mbale.

The meeting was chaired by the Bishop of Bukedi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Egesa George Bogere, the respected voice of wisdom, where leaders (clans) from all sides gathered for mediation.

“The talks were not easy. Deep mistrust lingered and tempers flared more than once. They, for the first time in months, there was also genuine conversation-listening instead of shouting. Reasoning instead of accusation,” said Mr Claudeus Kikokonkoli, a representative of Joshua Musimami, one of the claimants.

Bishop Bogere spoke passionately about restoring the institution’s dignity through dialogue.

“We cannot build a future while fighting the shadows of the past. The throne was meant to unite us, not divide us,” he said.

His words struck a chord. By the second day, representatives of the rival factions and the claimants agreed to build consensus.

The claimants who attended the meeting included Mr Pangholi Samuku Mubbala, Geoffrey Wayabire, Erick Kasolo, Nzogi Ngobi, Mr Francis Kanku, and Mr Joshua Musimami, who was represented by Mr Claudeus Kikonkolo.

Mr Mubbala proposed a power-sharing government, with him as Ikumbania, the cultural leader of Bagwere. He also proposed a cabinet that would include Mr. Nzogi Ngobi as chairperson of the cultural council, Mr Geoffrey Wayabire as Prime Minister, Mr Joshua Musimami as Secretary General, Mr Francis Kanku as 1st Prime Minister, and Mr Eric Kasolo as Speaker.

However, Mr Kasolo and Mr Wayabire supported the idea of electing the Ikumbania by ballot by all clan heads. This left four against two to build a common consensus.

“We have people who have continued to confuse the subjects, which has left them totally divided on the leadership,” said Mr. Badiru Kirya, the cultural council chairperson.

The leadership troubles of the Institution of Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere started after the death of the first Cultural leader, John Wayabire, on February 6, 2021.

The institution continued to operate under the recognized constitution of 2013 under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Mr Joel Mugulusi, the speaker, Mr Jacob Maiso, and the chairperson, cultural council, Mr Badiru Kirya.

The Mbale High Court declared Mr Mubbala the lawful leader, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development requested implementation of the court order.

However, this did not happen as another rival party petition court.

The elections of a new cultural head of Obwa Ikumbania Bwa Bugwere has been indefinitely suspended pending the disposal of court case.

Several attempts by the Ministry of Gender to have warrying parties unite hit deadlock.

In the quiet villages of Budaka, the promise of quality healthcare is being eroded, not just by medicine shortages or underfunding, but by something far more basic – a place for health workers to live.

At most health facilities, the few available staff quarters are overcrowded, and some health workers are forced to rent or trek long distances to reach their duty stations.

“We cannot realize the vision to have a healthy and productive population that contributes to economic growth and national development when some of these challenges are not addressed,” said Dr Elisa Mulwani, the District Health Officer (DHO).

According to Dr Mulwani, the district has a projected population of 291,391 people, and there is a shortage of staff accommodation, with most facilities able to accommodate only 2 critical staff members.

The health sector staffing level stands at 26 per cent as per the new staffing structure and 78 per cent as per the old staffing structure.

The status of health facility staff accommodation is dire, with some health centers having only one or two units.

For instance, Iki-Iki health center III has only two units, Lyama health center III has one, and Naboa health center III has two.

Some sub-counties, including Tademerii Kamonkoli, Kakoli, Iki-Iki Kachomo, and Kabuna, have no accommodation at all.

The effects of this shortage are far-reaching, with health facilities struggling to operate 24-hour services, leaving patients unattended during nights and weekends.

This has contributed to delays in maternal care, increased referrals, and preventable deaths.

“The severe shortage of staff accommodation continues to undermine service delivery and morale among health workers,” said Mr Emmanuel Pajje, the Budaka District chairman.

‘The severe shortage of staff accommodation, continues to undermine service delivery and morale among health workers’ he said.

The Ministry of Health acknowledges the national shortage of health staff accommodations, estimating that a greater percentage of rural health workers in Uganda lack housing units.

However, progress in addressing the problem has been slow due to the limited budget envelope.

The Budaka district Planner, Mr Shaban Kabise, said that the FY 2026/27 budget will be the second year of implementing NDP1V and the corresponding fourth district local government development plan, which is the first plan to deliver the tenfold Growth strategy and the last plan to deliver Agenda 2030 of the sustainable development goals [SDGs].

According to the first budget call circular issued on September 15, 2025, the district resource envelop as per the MTEF allocations was Shs34.782.303.322 and this was broken into as Wage expenditure allocation for both programme conditional and the district unconditional was Shs22,283.431.955 and development Shs2.203.191.224

However, the envelope is pushed to Shs37,087,364,877 by funds from locally raised revenues, other transfers from Central Government and external financing.

A 35-year-old man accused of stealing a bunch of matooke from his parents’ farm and threatening violence was on Tuesday found dead in Rukungiri District police cells, where he had been detained.

The police spokesman for Kigezi Sub-region, Mr Elly Maate, said Alex Mugarura, a resident of Marumba B village, Kanyinya ward, Southern Division, Rukungiri District, was found hanging dead in what police are treating as a suspected suicide case.

Police said Mugarura had been detained after his 67-year-old father, Mr Charles Kakumu, a resident of Marumba ‘B’ Cell, on Monday (November 10) reported to police a case of theft against his son, whom he also accused of threatening violence.

‘And when they escaped from him, he got infuriated and cut down their banana plantation,’ Mr Maate said.

According to Mr Maate, detectives at Marumba police post intervened to save the situation, which resulted in Mugarura’s arrest and detention.

He was, however, found hanging dead in the cells, with police claiming he used his shirt to commit suicide.

‘Unfortunately, such an adult was threatening violence against his own parents yet it was his responsibility to protect them from any danger. Although this was not the first time the accused was being charged with the same offence, it was ugly for him to take his life while in the police cells,’ Mr Maate said.

Mr Maate further said the scene of the crime was visited by Rukungiri District Grade One Magistrate, the district police commander and his team, as well as a medical doctor who examined Mugarura’s body before it was handed over to the relatives for the burial.

Cases of suspects dying in police cells are common in Uganda, with officers attributing them to suicide.

When heavy rains recently pounded Kampala, they left behind more than just flooded streets and traffic chaos. In the city’s bustling downtown, the floods washed away millions worth of merchandise, leaving traders in despair. What was once a hub of business activity quickly turned into scenes of loss and heartbreak – soaked goods, shuttered shops, and livelihoods swept away in muddy water.

In the aftermath, one question lingered in many conversations: What if we had insurance?

For some, it was a painful realisation that insurance could have offered a lifeline – a way to recover at least part of their losses. But for many, it was a reminder of how little they knew about it. Despite its potential to protect against risks, insurance remains largely misunderstood among traders. Some view it as a savings scheme, while others don’t trust it.

According to the Uganda Insurers Association (UIA) market survey on Insurance Coverage and Needs among KACITA Members and Affiliate Trader Associations, only 4 percent of respondents currently have insurance cover. Awareness, however, stands slightly higher at 16 percent, with the highest rates recorded in Greater Kampala (4.4 percent), followed by Mbarara (4 percent) and Mbale (2.5 percent).

This gap, the report notes, highlights an urgent need for insurers to do more than just raise awareness. They must turn awareness into actual uptake, especially among small and medium sized traders who remain most vulnerable to shocks like floods and fires.

At Nabukeera Plaza, one trader pointed to the waterlogged floors of his shop. ‘All the buildings – Pentagon, Capital, Nabukeera – flooded. We have lost around Shs100 million, as you can see,’ he said.

Nearby, a woman who sells household items watched helplessly as her stock of carpets, towels, and mosquito nets floated away. She had just restocked a day before the flood. Like many others, she resorted to selling what little she could salvage at throwaway prices, hoping to recover part of her capital.

In total, more than 20 commercial buildings were affected, exposing the magnitude of losses traders have suffered and reigniting debate about the role of insurance in protecting businesses from financial shocks.

So, could insurance have saved them? If yes, why do a few traders have it?

Findings from the same UIA report reveal that lack of information is the biggest barrier to insurance uptake – cited by 42 percent of respondents. This is followed by the high cost of premiums (32 percent) and delays in claim payments (12 percent).

Alex Ngirimana, who owns a ladies’ salon in the basement of Parkview Plaza, was among those affected by the recent flooding. He recalls receiving a distressing phone call alerting him that water had submerged his salon.

‘When I got there, the water had already reached halfway up the room,’ he said. ‘A few items were destroyed – the seats, hair extensions, and some other equipment.’

Asked whether insurance could have helped him recover from the loss, Ngirimana admitted he does not understand how it works.

‘I don’t understand insurance or how it operates,’ he said. ‘In Rwanda, I have seen how health insurance works – money is deducted from people every year, and you can actually see the benefit when you fall sick. But here, it’s different. No one has ever come to explain or engage me about it.’

Perceptions

BD Life spoke to Hamza Mutebi, the chief executive officer of SWICO Insurance, said most traders are hesitant to take up insurance due to a perception problem – a matter of believability. He explained that many traders doubt insurers will compensate them when calamity strikes, yet, in reality, 50 percent of what SWICO collects from the public is paid back in form of claims.

’90 percent of those buildings have insurance,’ Mutebi said. ‘The buildings, not the traders because those buildings are mortgaged in banks, and every mortgage must carry property insurance.’

But the challenge lies in perception which can be addressed through experience.

‘You can’t learn how to swim by reading a book about swimming,’ he explained. ‘You have to test the water – step in at some point..’

Mutebi added that SWICO is now working on new innovative insurance products tailored for traders and those affected by market fires and other calamities. The company, in collaboration with the local government and the Kingdom of Buganda, is developing a market-specific insurance product expected to launch early next year.

‘We are working on something specifically for traders that will help them appreciate the importance of risk mitigation.’

Bridging trust and knowledge gap

According to Ibrahim Kaddunabbi Lubega, the chief executive officer of the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), the floods have underscored how crucial insurance literacy and preparedness are for business continuity.

‘We have made insurance awareness and education a top priority,’ he said. ‘We recently acquired a mobile awareness truck that is already moving through various communities – starting with the central region – to engage traders where they are.’

‘Disasters like floods are unpredictable. But insurance provides a cushion when they happen. We encourage every business owner to ask questions, and learn how insurance can secure their enterprises and future.’

He also pointed out that microinsurance products tailored for small business owners already exist and are accessible through SACCOs, market associations, and digital platforms.

‘We’ve encouraged insurers to use simple language and flexible payment options so that even the smallest trader can benefit,’ he noted. ‘My message to traders is this – when an insurance agent approaches you, don’t dismiss them. They are there to help you understand what protection suits your business best.’

On the issue of mistrust, Kaddunabbi clarified that most legitimate claims are paid.

‘In 2024, Shs442.73 billion was paid in claims – representing 43.6 percent of the industry’s total gross written premiums,’ he said. ‘Insurance is built on trust, and we are committed to ensuring that trust is never broken.’

Risk planning

Kaddunabbi notes that disasters like the recent floods are a wake-up call for traders to rethink how they plan for risks.

‘These floods have shown how important it is for traders to think about insurance as a key part of doing business, not as an extra,’ he said. ‘Just like you budget for rent or electricity, you should also plan for insurance. Climate change is not going away,’ he cautioned. ‘The best we can do is prepare.’

He revealed that IRA is working with insurers to develop products that directly address climate-related risks, ensuring that small and medium enterprises are better protected.

For most traders, the absence of any form of backup plan will continue to cost them. The survey further found that businesses are exposed to multiple risks – theft and burglary (76 percent), fire outbreaks (47 percent), and unstable commodity prices (36 percent) among the most common.

To cope, many rely on personal savings (34 percent) or borrow money (32 percent) to bounce back. Others secure their premises better (31 percent) or join village savings and loans associations (11 percent).

But only 2 percent mentioned insurance as a risk management measure – a statistic that clearly reflects the deep trust gap the sector still faces.

Imagine negotiating a high-stakes deal, one that would decide the fate of climate-stressed communities globally, but in the next room, another group is cutting one that would undo that.

That is the predicament that anti-fossil fuel activists have been facing at the UN’s annual climate conference.

Last year, as COP29 neared its final stretch in Baku, Azerbaijan, tempers flared. Developed nations had failed to commit to an ambitious climate finance package of USD 1.3 trillion per year, prompting delegates and climate activists from developing countries to storm into a pressroom in anger.

The climate negotiations had been hijacked right from the start by fossil fuel lobbyists to push ‘their own agenda.’

‘Do they come to look for solutions or for more clients? Things are already bad, for us but they still want to cash in,’ says Guillaume Kalonji Kayembe, an advocate of the Just Transition and founder of the Rise Movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

As COP30 draws closer, a raft of critical climate issues is expected to be discussed in Belém, Brazil, including transitioning away from fossil fuels and scaling up climate finance for developing nations. However, developing nations also want stricter reforms that can keep out the fossil fuel lobbyists from the climate negotiations.

The past three COPs have been hosted by petrostates. This year’s COP will be hosted in Brazil, a country that does not heavily rely on oil due to its diversified economy.

Bad for our business

Mr Harjeet Singh, the Global Engagement Director of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, states that the presence of fossil lobbyists at the COP is bad for business.

Mr Ali Adow, the founder of the Nairobi-based think tank, Power Shift Africa, describes the COPs as an ’embarrassment’ where ‘open talks have become a place for backroom deals’ for the fossil fuel lobbyists.

‘Would you invite big tobacco companies to lead discussions in a conference that is looking at fighting lung cancer? The COP is for the climate-affected and those that believe in science and take it seriously. Fossil fuel lobbyists distract us from reaching our climate goal.yet the elephant in the room is fossil fuel and a massive scale-out of renewables,’ he says.

Some fossil fuel lobbyists have clapped back. Mohammed Amid Naderian, who has been working for the Gas Exporting Coalition Forum (GECF), a coalition of 21 gas-exporting and consuming countries, as the Department Head of Economics and Forecasting, has attended several climate summits.

‘One of my roles at COP29, was strengthening collaboration with developing nations. The West has no right to dictate what Africa should do with fossil fuel because it developed because of fossil fuel,’ he says.

His colleague, Abubakar Jibrin Abbas, the GECF Senior Energy Forecast Analyst, notes that Africa still needs fossil fuel because ‘it is still the least emitter of carbon globally and this can still be absorbed by its dense forests.’

But such explanations are merely ‘rhetoric meant to create impressions that all is well,’ says Mr Dickens Kemigisha, the Executive Director of the Kampala-based African Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO).

‘COPs have been reduced to mere gatherings. We need an international tribunal put in place to handle this matter. All they (fossil fuel lobbyists) do is peddle eye-watering false climate solutions,’ he says.

Is carbon trading a permit for polluting?

Carbon trading is expected to be contentious at the COP30. Belem, a sweltering city of 2.4 million people located just some 130 kilometers away from the Amazon rainforest – the largest global carbon sink that has been under threat due to logging and mining – was strategically chosen by the Brazilian government for the COP30.

At COP29, significant amendments were made to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, encouraging countries to buy and sell emission reductions from carbon capture storage projects to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This, plus the first-ever global carbon tax, climate analysts say, only focuses on shipping emissions and ignores financing climate-hit countries. They argue that the amendments have loopholes that can still be exploited by fossil fuel industries and lobbyists to continue polluting more under the guise of investing in carbon sinks to compensate for their emissions.

The desperate and sometimes bare knuckle and even bloody fights for a parliamentary seat are driven by many factors, among them a search for a meal ticket or survival, opportunities, influence, power, and glory.

Little wonder that the Electoral Commission yesterday flagged off a whopping 2,700 plus candidates to fight for the 519 parliamentary seats across the country, with the campaigns expected to end on January 13, 2026, ahead of the January 15 polling date. Eight of these 2,711 candidates were cleared to join the 12th Parliament after the EC declared them unopposed.

The 519 seats include 353 for direct constituency, 146 District Women, and 20 for Special Interest Groups, including five each for the Youth, Persons with Disabilities, Workers, and Older Persons.

The MPs elected will join the 556-member 12th Parliament, alongside 10 representatives from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and other ex officio members. For the upcoming election, 1,283 candidates will run as Independents, while NRM has fielded 514, NUP 297, FDC 214, and DP 94, while the remaining candidates are distributed among the smaller parties.

Costs of the races

But the battles for securing these seats do not come on a silver platter. Ahead of the campaigns, Daily Monitor would later establish from several MPs from different regions that the price of running a well-oiled campaign varied from region to region, but contests for constituencies in Western Uganda were the most expensive, ranging between Shs400m and Shs600m.

Campaigning in constituencies in Eastern Uganda, according to the Kigulu South MP, Mr Andrew Kiiza Kaluya, costs between Shs300m and Shs500m. But there are also huge rewards for winning these hot seats, as being an MP in Uganda comes with a hefty salary and other additional perks, according to information obtained from the Parliamentary Commission.

The heavy perks

Each MP is entitled to a monthly salary of Shs25m, a one-off vehicle allowance of Shs150m, a subsistence allowance of Shs4.5m per month, a town running allowance of Shs1m per month, a medical allowance of Shs500,000 per month, a sitting allowance of Shs50,000 for committee meetings, and a plenary sitting allowance of Shs150,000; as well as mileage allowances.

A seasoned city banker who asked not to be named thinks the clamour for MP seats is ‘a lack of economic opportunities’. He maintains that many people look at politics as a ‘meal ticket’, hence its do-or-die diktat.

He believes if there were a threshold imposed on who can contest, for example, demanding that one must be a billionaire, chances are the quest for parliamentary seats would carry less allure.

‘If these people had economic opportunities, they would not battle for these seats like it’s a do-or-die. If politics were ceremonial, had token pay and no corruption deals, people would not be so desperate to win it at costs,’ he says.

Mr Chrispin Kaheru, an Independent Election analyst and member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, says politics in Uganda is not a contest for ideas, but ‘a contest for survival. Parliamentary elections feel like do-or-die battles because they carry both power and livelihood’.

He adds: ‘For many candidates, winning that seat will mean access to social status, income, and may be influence that are not easily available elsewhere in the economy. Politics seems to have become the most reliable ladder to opportunity, and elections become a scramble for limited foothold in a very small lift.

‘At another level, our politics still reflects personal-based networks more than institutional or ideological competition. So, a seat in Parliament isn’t just an individual win, but a victory for a whole web of dependents, supporters, and financiers who expect a return on their investment. Losing, therefore, can feel like collective bankruptcy.’

Mr Kaheru says. A 2021 report by the Alliance for Finance Monitoring notes an increase in overall campaign spending compared to previous elections at the parliamentary level, ranging from Shs50m for the lowest spender to more than Shs3.5b for the highest spender. The report found that the majority of spending was in the form of cash donations dished out for reciprocity on Election Day. Daily Monitor previously established that in Western Uganda, a candidate seeking to grab a parliamentary seat can spend up to Shs4b Mr Elioda Tumwesigye, the former minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, on June 20, 2019, wrote, reminding President Museveni of a promise he reportedly made to rescue him from campaign debts totalling Shs850m, which he piled up during a by-election campaign for the Sheema Municipality parliamentary seat in July 2018.

Mr Kaheru also adds the psychology of visibility to the lust of quests for a parliamentary seat, noting that politics in Uganda confers identity and relevance to the players. He says: ‘Once you have been ‘Honourable,’ life outside that title can feel invisible and that drives desperation; yet, beyond the drama and high stakes, these contests also reveal something positive – the intensity of political participation.

‘Ugandans take elections seriously because they know that whoever holds parliamentary office shapes their daily realities, including paying school fees, medical bills, and meeting funeral costs, among others. The challenge, therefore, is not the passion, it’s how to channel that passion into peaceful, policy-driven competition rather than winner-takes-all politics.’

Mr Simon Sonny Wejuli, a Human Resource for Health practitioner, describes parliamentary elections as ‘quite important’ because they define how laws will be made, and what the future of politics will be. These, among other roles, including being able to vote on decisions or put in place laws or policies that govern how the country is run, make them ‘very important’. ‘The people we choose to represent us need to be people of substance, those who understand what the people want and how best the country can be managed, and not be manipulated. In the past, MPs have been manipulated a lot by both ends of the spectrum; so, we need MPs with substance,’ he opines.

‘MP elections are very important because if you have stooges who can’t even reason in Parliament, and aren’t intelligent enough to reason things out and make decisions that positively affect the well-being of the people, then you are choosing the wrong people,’ Mr Wejuli says.

Mr Mike Buster Nandala, a technician, says parliamentary elections have recently become an issue of importance to almost every person in society, and have attracted many people, some of whom end up using up their savings and selling off their property in desperate bids to ensure they are elected. Mr Nandala says majority of the candidates aim at ’empowering themselves financially’, and other factors like attainment of social status, show of support for their political leaning, and participation in decision-making, among others, come into play.

Unemployment has emerged as the biggest concern for residents of western Uganda, according to a new study by Twaweza’s Sauti za Wananchi, a non-governmental organisation that tracks citizens’ views on governance and public services.

The survey, conducted between February and March 2025, found that 41 per cent of respondents in western Uganda cited unemployment as their most pressing issue.

This makes unemployment the region’s leading concern, ahead of other challenges such as hunger and poor health services. While this report shows unemployment is generally a nationwide problem, its prominence varies across regions.

For instance, Greater Kampala and the central region did not find it the most pressing issue, and rather reported the high cost of living as the most pressing issue, while both eastern and northern regions reported hunger as their biggest pressing issues.

In fact, unemployment ranked lowest among northern Uganda’s list of priorities, unlike in the West, where it stands out as the biggest threat. The findings come amid growing political debate over perceptions of privilege in western Uganda, the home region of President Museveni.

This alleged perception has since compelled several political figures to urge residents of western Uganda to vote out the incumbent regime, claiming that the regime has created a perception that people from western Uganda are doing well, while only a section of them truly benefit, and the majority remain in poverty, like many other Ugandans.

Such claims have been common from National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, who has on several occasions called on residents from western Uganda to vote out Mr Museveni, arguing that he has presented a misleading picture of the people.

Similarly, while addressing the media at the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) headquarters, 2021 presidential candidate Joseph Kizza Kabuleta, warned Ugandans not to think that the Ankole sub-region is exempt from suffering like other regions, attributing this to what he described as bad leadership and segregation by the incumbent government.

Kabuleta’s claim, like Kyagulanyi’s, was that, like any other region, a considerable number of people in Ankole are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, but a certain privileged few cover up the situation to make it appear as if all people from western Uganda are living a better life. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) 2024 Census Report, the unemployment rate among the working-age population (15 years and above) stood at 12.3 per cent.

Of particular concern is youth unemployment, with 42.6 per cent of individuals aged 15-24 classified as Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET). Beyond unemployment, western Uganda also reported hunger and health services as its most immediate pressing issues, each standing at 38 per cent and 35 per cent respectively. Furthermore, the study revealed that western Uganda reported having land/property issues more than any other region.

The only region that comes close to western Uganda when it comes to registering land issues is the Northern region. In the past, a section of Mbarara Municipal Council leaders protested what they described as rampant cases of land grabbing and corruption in the area. These leaders argued that these land grabbers were impeding the development of the proposed city.