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The most revealing part of the Inspectorate of Government’s inquiry into the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) may be the documents it wants to see.

In a letter dated September 14, 2026, and received by Fufa on September 22, the IGG requested records covering the federation’s governance, public funding, procurement, properties, affiliated companies and commercial arrangements, in some cases stretching back to January 2016.

The investigation concerns ‘allegations of mismanagement of public funds by officials’ of Fufa, according to the letter signed by Inspector General of Government Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala.

The demands are extensive. The IGG wants minutes and resolutions of every Fufa Executive Committee meeting since 2016, audited accounts for each financial year, details of every bank account held by the federation and its associated entities, and records showing how public money was received and spent.

It also wants the paperwork behind some of Ugandan football’s infrastructure and commercial arrangements, including Kadiba Stadium, national-team accommodation, and broadcasting and naming-rights agreements involving StarTimes.

The scope is significant. The inquiry is not limited to whether money was received and accounted for.

It seeks to establish who authorised decisions, which entities handled transactions, how contracts were awarded, what payments were made and where the money ultimately went.

Following the money

Among the most pointed requests is the demand for ‘a complete schedule of every bank account held by the Federation, at any bank, at any time from 1st January 2016 to date, whether open or closed’.

The IGG wants certified bank statements for July 2021 to August 2026, equivalent records for legal entities owned by Fufa, and audited financial statements and management letters covering each financial year since 2016.

It has also requested details of grants, subventions and other releases received from the National Council of Sports, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Finance or other public bodies between July 2021 and August 2026, together with expenditure returns, vouchers and accountability documents.

The request for Fufa’s statutes in force in every year since 2016, alongside Executive Committee minutes and resolutions, could help investigators establish how decisions were made and the authority under which they were taken.

Questions about changes to Fufa’s governance and electoral rules have featured in debate around the federation over the years.

Whether any particular change was improper, however, requires a comparison of the relevant versions, approval records and applicable rules.

The IGG’s demand for the statutes and decision-making records could provide material for that examination.

Questions raised five years ago

One of the most significant demands concerns Satellite Plus Systems (U) Ltd, the company Fufa contracted to produce television content for its competitions.

In July 2021, the Monitor examined corporate records at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) that documented links between Satellite Plus Systems and PearlSporto, a company whose ownership Moses Magogo, Fufa’s president, acknowledged.

PearlSporto had been contracted by Fufa in 2012 to fly Cranes fans to Zambia. Magogo was then Fufa vice-president in charge of administration.

The records showed that a one Daniel Isabirye, a director of Satellite Plus Systems, also appeared in PearlSporto’s corporate records as a director.

Company resolutions filed with URSB in January 2013 further listed Isabirye, Magogo and Faisal Musenze, a relative of Magogo, as signatories to a PearlSporto bank account at DFCU Bank’s City Hall branch.

There was another documented overlap: Satellite Plus Systems’ registered post office box, 28160, was also recorded as Magogo’s address in PearlSporto documents.

These connections raised questions about the relationship between the company producing Fufa’s television content, at a reported cost of $400,000 (about Shs1.7b at today’s exchange rate), and a business owned by the federation’s president.

They did not, by themselves, establish that Magogo owned Satellite Plus Systems.

Magogo denied owning the production company, while Fufa maintained that its procurement procedures had been followed and that its due-diligence documents showed Magogo was neither an owner of the company nor involved in its procurement.

The IGG now wants the complete Satellite Plus Systems contract file, including procurement and selection records, due diligence, contracts and variations, invoices, technical specifications and evidence that the contracted services were delivered.

Those documents could allow investigators to examine how the supplier was selected, who approved the arrangement, what the contract required and what payments were made.

Who received the broadcasting money?

The inquiry extends beyond the production contract to Fufa’s wider commercial arrangements.

The IGG wants the instrument transferring or licensing competition commercial rights to Fufa Media Services Ltd, the Executive Committee resolution authorising it, any valuation and evidence of consideration paid.

The relationship between Satellite Plus Systems and Fufa Media Services also warrants closer examination.

Fufa Media Services is understood to have taken over or assumed functions associated with the earlier production arrangement, but the precise corporate and contractual relationship must be established through company filings, resolutions and agreements.

Monitor’s 2021 reporting raised questions about the links between Satellite Plus Systems and Magogo’s business interests.

The IGG’s request for the rights-transfer instrument, authorising resolutions and corporate records could help establish how Fufa’s media rights were structured and who was authorised to manage them.

For the StarTimes and Star DTV (Uganda) Co. Ltd arrangements, the IGG wants the Uganda Premier League broadcasting and naming-rights agreements, amendments, revenue-sharing formulas and payment schedules.

It is also seeking evidence of the sums due and received, the accounts into which payments were made, deductions taken before distribution and season-by-season payments to each club since 2018/19.

The letter asks for ‘a full account of the consideration under the arrangement, showing what has fallen due, what has been received, by whom it was received, into which account, and how it has been applied’.

For clubs whose finances depend partly on their share of football’s commercial revenues, these are not merely corporate details.

They concern how income generated by competitions is accounted for and distributed.

The IGG also wants the instrument authorising StarTimes to remit fees to Fufa Media Services, whose Fufa TV televises some league matches, rather than directly to Fufa, together with the resolution or authority behind that arrangement.

Kadiba, Chan and the wider Fufa structure

The inquiry’s reach is equally striking elsewhere. For Kadiba Stadium, the IGG wants the land agreement, title documents, Fifa project agreements, disbursement statements, audits, procurement records, contracts, payment certificates and site records.

It also wants a reconciliation of expenditure against funds received from every source, the project’s current physical and financial status, and reasons for non-completion.

The letter requests ‘a full account of all expenditure on the project from inception to date, reconciled to the funds received from every source’.

On national-team accommodation, the IGG wants details of facilities used, dates, rates, numbers accommodated, total payments and payees.

It has specifically requested the full file relating to the Uganda Cranes accommodation during the 2025 Chan, including how facilities were identified, inspected, selected and approved.

The Cranes were accommodated at Fufa Hotel, also known as Paradise Hotel in Kisaasi.

The arrangement attracted public criticism after photographs and videos showed players walking along a dusty, unpaved access road to the facility.

Some critics questioned whether the accommodation met the standards expected for a national team hosting a continental tournament.

Magogo defended the choice at a media briefing at the hotel, arguing that a football hotel should be judged by its suitability for players rather than by the standards of a general commercial hotel.

‘A football hotel is customised,’ he said, pointing to its food arrangements and gym facilities. He also said the hotel had been approved by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

The controversy made the selection process and the hotel’s ownership legitimate questions for scrutiny.

The IGG’s request for the accommodation file and particulars of the business registered as Fufa Hotel Kisaasi could help establish how the facility was selected, what was paid and who received the money.

Other requests cover Fufa House and the Technical Centre at Njeru, Fufa Hospitality and Travel Agency Ltd, Scoreline Investments Ltd and other entities owned or controlled by Fufa or its registered trustees.

For these entities, investigators want ownership and incorporation records, directors, accounts, bank statements, board minutes and resolutions, as well as records of dividends, fees, advances and other transactions between the businesses and the federation.

Taken together, the requests seek a picture of the wider structure through which Fufa holds property, conducts business and receives or spends money.

History of accountability questions

The IGG did investigate alleged mismanagement at Fufa in 2014, one year into Magogo’s presidency.

The Inspectorate abandoned that inquiry after Fufa’s lawyers argued that the matter was already before the courts.

The current investigation is, therefore, not the first IGG inquiry involving Fufa under Magogo.

What stands out in the September letter is the breadth and specificity of the documentation now being sought across the federation’s governance, finances and commercial activities.

Sports lawyer Harold Atukwase said the latest investigation was perhaps the first of its kind under Magogo’s presidency, pointing to longstanding calls from Ugandans, particularly sports lovers, for greater accountability over public funds allocated to Fufa.

‘In recent years, several business entities have been established under Fufa, without full and transparent public disclosure of their ownership structures, business interests, or whether the proper procedures were followed,’ Atukwase said.

He was careful to distinguish those concerns from a finding of wrongdoing.

‘This is not to suggest that Fufa is guilty of any wrongdoing,’ he said. ‘However, considering the scope of the IGG’s inquiry, it may prove practically impossible for Fufa to satisfy every demand for documentation and accountability covering the last 10 years.’

Atukwase added: ‘If they don’t get you on one account, they may get you on another. But we wait and see how the investigations unfold.’

There is also a wider question around the timing of the inquiry. For much of the past year, speculation within football and political circles has been that powerful figures in government have been building a case against the Fufa leadership, and that the approach of Afcon 2027 has been the main obstacle to any decisive action.

The claims remain unconfirmed, and the IGG’s letter does not establish that the investigation is politically driven or linked to a plan to remove the Fufa president.

But the timing raises a question that the inquiry’s eventual findings may help clarify: will the authorities allow the process to run its course through the Afcon preparations, or could evidence emerging from the investigation prompt action sooner?

For now, neither the government’s intentions nor the investigation’s outcome can be assumed.

There is also a separate precedent in the Fifa Ethics Committee’s 2019 decision concerning the resale of tickets allocated to Uganda for the 2014 World Cup.

Fifa ratified a plea agreement with Magogo that imposed a CHF10,000 (about Shs52m in today’s exchange rate) fine and a two-month suspension from football-related activities.

Of course that case concerned World Cup tickets, not the allegations currently being investigated by the IGG.

It does not establish wrongdoing in the matters now under scrutiny, but the World Cup ticket case forms part of the documented history of accountability questions surrounding Fufa’s leadership.

The timing of the present inquiry is also striking. It comes amid wider political changes in Uganda, including the loss of the Speakership by Anita Among, Magogo’s wife, this year.

For years, claims have circulated in political and football circles that efforts to subject Fufa and its leadership to fuller scrutiny ran into resistance from powerful interests associated with Among’s position as Speaker.

These claims have not been independently established, and the extent to which such influence may have shaped previous attempts at scrutiny remains unclear.

But with Among no longer Speaker and the IGG now demanding extensive records covering Fufa’s finances, governance and commercial dealings, the question is whether this inquiry will progress where earlier efforts were said to have stalled.

Monitor contacted Fufa for a response to the IGG inquiry and the issues raised in this article. The federation had not replied to the email by the time of publication.

For now, the IGG has set out a detailed list of records it wants to examine.

The significance of the inquiry lies in whether those records can establish a clear account of public funds, commercial revenues, contracts and decisions made across Fufa’s operations over the years.

That is what football stakeholders and the public will be waiting to see.

In October, organisations are busy with vibrant posters, hosting webinars, sharing security tips, organising conferences and reminding us to be cautious online. The messages are familiar: Think before you click. Guard your password. Watch out for fraudsters. Keep your PIN private. Stay safe online.

But what happens when October ends?

In the hidden corners of the internet, cybercriminals might be quietly watching our awareness efforts, waiting for the banners to come down before they resume their activities. Unfortunately, these criminals do not follow our corporate schedules. They do not take breaks for public holidays, budget cycles or the end of a successful awareness campaign. Unlike some of our organisational efforts, their operations do not need fresh approval each financial year.

To be fair, Uganda has made significant progress in promoting cybersecurity awareness. Government bodies, financial institutions, telecom companies and professional organisations continue to invest in public education and digital safety. These efforts deserve recognition, especially as mobile money, digital banking, online government services and social media become more ingrained in daily life. However, the visibility of awareness campaigns does not necessarily mean better cybersecurity.

An organisation might hold several webinars, distribute numerous posters, achieve full staff participation and still have employees using weak passwords, sharing credentials or approving suspicious transactions without proper verification.

The awareness report might look impressive and attendance registers might be complete, but the cybercriminal is not interested in attendance statistics. Their focus is whether the door is still open. Increasingly, that door does not need to be opened through a suspicious email full of spelling errors.

Artificial Intelligence makes it easier to craft convincing messages, mimic voices and create deceptive content. A WhatsApp message requesting urgent financial help from a known contact or a notification threatening to block a mobile money account can prompt someone to act without verifying.

Cybersecurity awareness must therefore extend beyond memorising security slogans. People should understand how threats appear in everyday interactions and how to respond when faced with them. Knowing about phishing is one thing; recognising a convincing fraudulent message and resisting the urge to act is another.

Nonetheless, cybersecurity is not solely about individual behaviour. It equally concerns organisational governance, accountability, investment and operational resilience. Even the most cautious employee cannot compensate for outdated systems, excessive access privileges, unresolved vulnerabilities or inadequate monitoring. Awareness alone cannot fix an unpatched server or prevent the exploitation of a known vulnerability.

Policies may be approved, assessments conducted, risks documented and recommendations presented. Yet their true value depends on what happens afterward. Identified weaknesses must be addressed, recurring incidents must be analysed and security controls must be continuously evaluated. A vulnerability does not vanish simply because it has been noted in a risk register.

Instead of primarily measuring success by campaigns conducted, posters distributed or employees trained, more focus should be on whether awareness is influencing behaviour and strengthening security practices.

For individuals, this means developing everyday security habits: using strong and unique passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, keeping devices updated, verifying financial requests and reporting suspicious activities.

For organisations, it means integrating cybersecurity into daily operations rather than treating it as a periodic compliance task. Access rights should be reviewed, vulnerabilities addressed and incident response and recovery capabilities tested rather than just documented. Awareness should be reinforced year-round through practical exercises and lessons from real incidents.

Equally important, awareness initiatives must reflect how Ugandans interact with technology. A market vendor using mobile money, a student managing social media accounts, a parent making online school payments and a small business owner receiving digital orders face different risks.

Offering everyone generic advice about complex passwords may tick the awareness box without tackling their most pressing vulnerabilities.

The real value of Cybersecurity month lies in turning awareness into action and action into lasting habits and stronger controls.

Come November 1, the banners may come down, the webinars may end and communication teams may move on to the next campaign. Cybercriminals, however, will still be at work.

Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) has assured Bachelor of Pharmacy graduands that their degrees remain valid and recognised, despite a dispute with the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU), which says the university’s pharmacy programme will remain unrecognised by the professional body until its concerns are addressed.

The dispute centres on the appointment of a nurse as acting head of the university’s Department of Pharmacy, which PSU says raises concerns about compliance with professional training standards.

In a statement released on October 19, 2026, PSU said it had derecognised MUST’s pharmacy programme, citing regulatory concerns. In a subsequent letter dated October 21, the society maintained that the university’s accreditation by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) did not automatically guarantee recognition by the professional body.

Speaking to journalists at MUST’s Kihumuro Campus on Tuesday ahead of the university’s 33rd graduation ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pauline Byakika Kibwika said the pharmacy programme had undergone the required accreditation and review processes.

‘Our curriculum is approved, meaning by the time we rolled out the curriculum, we had the National Council for Higher Education come, review our curriculum, inspect our facilities. We had the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda come to MUST, inspect, review our curriculum, and they all agreed that MUST can offer the programme,’ she said.

Byakika said the leadership gap arose after the previous head of department resigned in May, leaving the university to make an interim administrative appointment as it sought a substantive replacement.

She said the acting head was a senior lecturer with nursing training and postgraduate qualifications in subjects taught to pharmacy students, while pharmacy instruction continued to be delivered by qualified pharmacy lecturers.

‘Our department head left in May and he left a gap at MUST where we did not have a senior lecturer of pharmacists to immediately take over the department. So having left that gap at a time when the semester was going to open, we immediately needed to close the gap and ensure that we received the students and the students are taught by the pharmacists who are existing,’ she said.

She added that the appointment was intended to address an administrative need rather than replace pharmacy lecturers responsible for teaching the programme.

However, PSU has maintained that NCHE accreditation and professional recognition are separate matters.

In its October 21 letter, signed by its secretary, Dr. Stephen Lutoti, the society said NCHE determines whether MUST can offer an accredited Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, while PSU must independently assess whether training and qualifications meet the requirements for entry into the pharmacy profession.

‘MUST may continue teaching under its NCHE accreditation; PSU cannot be compelled to disregard material professional-training deficiencies merely because that accreditation remains valid,’ the letter stated.

The society also said its role in professional oversight continued after accreditation and that its participation in earlier consultations with NCHE did not amount to an unconditional commitment to recognise the programme regardless of subsequent developments.

‘A programme may retain a valid accreditation while material questions subsequently arise about compliance with professional training standards. PSU’s responsibility is therefore continuing, not exhausted by its participation in an earlier accreditation process,’ the letter added.

In a further letter released on Tuesday, PSU said MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme would remain unrecognised by the society until the concerns were addressed to the satisfaction of its council.

The dispute comes as the university prepares to graduate students from the programme, with questions remaining over the distinction between the validity of their academic qualifications and recognition for professional practice.

Byakika said MUST was following the required procedures to recruit a substantive head of department, adding that an advert for a senior lecturer position was due to be published on Tuesday.

‘Recruitment, you have to follow the law. So we have followed the law to the dot. And we are going to recruit. The advert is coming out today for a senior lecturer,’ she said.

She said the acting appointment had been made for three months while the university sought funding for the wage and the necessary approvals from the public service authorities to recruit a substantive head.

Byakika added that a pharmacist serving as deputy dean of the faculty was available to take over as head of department.

The university maintains that its programme is accredited by NCHE, while PSU says the accreditation does not remove its responsibility to assess whether the programme meets professional standards required for entry into pharmacy practice.

A total of 58 pharmacy graduands are scheduled to receive their degrees this Thursday. According to university officials, the programme has an annual intake capacity of 60 students.

In an extraordinary early morning social media posting, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said he had stripped former Deputy CDF Lt Gen Peter Elwelu of his military rank and demoted him to the rank of Private.

The assertion, made via Gen Kainerugaba’s official X handle on Tuesday morning, lacks formal backing from official military channels and directly contradicts established procedures set out under the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act.

“The traitor Peter Elwelu is hereby stripped of his ranks. He is demoted to Private,” Gen Kainerugaba posted on X. He added that military authorities have arrested more than 20 soldiers previously linked to the senior commander.

“We have arrested over 20 of Elwelu’s former soldiers. They are co-operating well. They all agree he went insane a long time ago. Elwelu should surrender soon in order to save his own life,” Gen Kainerugaba wrote, without providing specific details regarding the identity of the detained soldiers or formal charges faced by the group.

Calling for the former deputy army chief to surrender, Gen Kainerugaba asserted Uganda’s sovereignty in security matters. “Let all the world know that we intend to remain the masters of our own house,” he tweeted.

‘We have also arrested Elweru’s wife who has been beating him for the last 8 years. That’s why he always looked confused in Parliament. Domestic abuse.’

By press time, Lt Gen Elwelu had not publicly responded to the statements or the allegations raised against him. Elwelu previously drew international scrutiny after being sanctioned by the United States over his role in the 2016 military raid in Kasese, which left more than 100 people dead.

Under the UPDF Act (Cap. 330), as amended by the UPDF (Amendment) Act 2025, any demotion of a senior commissioned officer is subject to strict judicial protections designed to prevent arbitrary administrative action. The law dictates that no commissioned officer can be demoted below their substantive rank except through a formal sentence handed down by a competent military court, subject to confirmation by the High Command. Furthermore, statutory protections establish that a commissioned officer cannot be demoted out of the officer corps into non-commissioned ranks or stripped down to Private, nor can a senior rank be altered through a simple administrative directive by a superior officer or the CDF.

Gen Kainerugaba’s Tuesday social media posts extended beyond army discipline to address regional security matters and economic conditions.

Commenting on the recent killing of a former Rwandan Defence Forces officer, Sgt Maj Robert Kabera, inside Uganda, the CDF suggested foreign interference.

“I hear there was a former RDF officer who was killed recently in the country. First of all, my office was never notified about the gentleman. I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible. Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth,” Gen Kainerugaba tweeted.

Turning to economic concerns, Gen Kainerugaba addressed the weakening Ugandan shilling, linking currency depreciation to delays in the commercial production of Uganda’s crude oil resources.

“On our currency, I’m not worried at all. The problem is delaying to produce and refine our own petroleum. Mzee is always let down by very well-paid technocrats. They must be working for our enemies. Our PLU government will not let him down from 2031 onwards,” he posted.

Suspected poachers have vandalised about 5km of electric fencing around Murchison Falls National Park, raising concerns that wild animals could stray into neighbouring communities, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has said.

On Monday, Mr Movadi Turyatemba, the warden in charge of law enforcement at Murchison Falls National Park, told Monitor in an interview that an investigation had been launched but no suspect had been arrested.

Mr Turyatemba said the vandalised section measures approximately 5km and that authorities suspect poachers were behind the destruction.

He warned that the damage could allow wild animals to leave the park and enter neighbouring communities.

‘We are getting challenged because our electric stretch is being vandalised by poachers with the intention of going into the park to poach,’ Mr Turyatemba said.

In 2022, UWA embarked on an electric fencing project to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts by preventing wild animals from encroaching on neighbouring communities.

However, Mr Turyatemba said poachers and possibly members of surrounding communities were vandalising the fences, creating openings through which wild animals could enter settlements and injure residents.

‘Every day we must send our team for inspections because they normally damage this fence at night, and more than 5 kilometres of fence were vandalised around Oyam district,’ he told the Daily Monitor.

‘The affected areas are in Oyam district in the parish of Juma parish, Zambia parish, Akuridia parish and Bombay parish, all in the sub-county of Myene and Kamdini,’ he said.

Mr Turyatemba said the damaged sections posed a threat to neighbouring communities because wild animals could stray into settlements and destroy property. He urged local leaders to sensitise residents against vandalising the fences.

Since 2022, UWA has installed 126km of electric fencing around Murchison Falls National Park as part of efforts to address human-wildlife conflict in Buliisa, Masindi, Nwoya, Oyam and Kiryandongo districts.

Residents in these areas have previously complained about frequent incursions by wild animals into their communities. Elephants, in particular, have repeatedly destroyed crops when they cross into settlements neighbouring the national park.

Bonny Omara, the LC2 chairperson of Juma Parish in Kamdini Sub-county, Oyam District, also blamed the vandalism on poachers.

‘This thing is happening, and these are poachers because they still go there illegally for poaching at night, and they fear being electrocuted once they come in contact with the fence,’ Mr Omara said.

Mr Omara said residents had been spared incursions by wild animals, particularly elephants and buffaloes, but warned that the destruction of the fences could expose them to renewed attacks.

‘We have been free from incursions by wild animals, especially elephants and buffaloes, but such acts could see us experiencing attacks by wild animals. We condemn the acts, and we don’t accept anyone vandalising these fences,’ he added.

John Luyinda has made his pledge. Whether Vipers SC are ready to make theirs is another matter.

Announced on Monday as the man in charge of the first team following Denis Lavagne’s departure, Luyinda, popularly known as Ayala, has promised to restore the standards expected at Kitende and give the club’s supporters performances worthy of their loyalty.

‘I know what it takes to succeed here,’ he said. ‘My focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club.’

But while Vipers have confirmed his responsibility, they have offered no indication of how long it might last or whether the assignment could become a permanent appointment.

Ambiguous terms

That ambiguity is noteworthy at a club with a familiar appetite for foreign coaches and a history of changing technical leadership, sometimes despite domestic success.

Ayala does not arrive without credentials. He and Fred Muhumuza guided the Venoms to the Uganda Premier League and Uganda Cup double in 2024/25, before Belgian Ivan Minnaert took charge and led the club to another league title last season.

Minnaert was subsequently replaced by Frenchman Lavagne, whose tenure ended by mutual consent on October 24, barely four months after his appointment.

Now Ayala is back at the front of the technical bench, having served as assistant to Nikola Kavazovic in 2024 and most recently to Lavagne.

Task at hand

He knows the club, its players and the expectations that come with working under president Lawrence Mulindwa.

The question is whether another successful spell will earn him more than the responsibility of steadying the team.

Vipers’ ambitions extend beyond domestic dominance. They want to make a lasting impact on the continent, a target that has repeatedly informed their recruitment of foreign coaches.

Yet the local men who helped deliver the 2024/25 double were not given the subsequent opportunity to lead the club into the next chapter.

Ayala now has another chance to make his case. His immediate task is to get the title defence back on track and unite a squad that has already experienced a change of leadership this season.

He insists there is still plenty to fight for. Results will determine how far the Venoms go, but the club’s decision-makers must eventually determine whether success is enough to earn him their confidence.

If Ayala delivers another title, Vipers will face a question that goes beyond results – will they trust the coach who has already delivered for them, or look abroad once more?

Karamoja sub-region leads in spousal violence against women, with 69.2 percent of women having experienced spousal violence in their lifetime, according to a report released recently by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Austrian Embassy.

Acholi sub-region comes second in this despicable act, with 61.3 percent, followed by Lango sub-region at 48.6 percent.

It is quite unfortunate and unacceptable that women and some men are being abused and battered by spouses who are supposed to protect them and provide an environment where they can thrive.

Spousal violence has, over the years, led to the injury and death of many women. Some have been maimed for life.

Due to the physical and psychological abuse they are subject- ed to by their spouses, some victims develop mental illnesses, and unfortunately, some commit suicide.

Spousal violence also leads to the breakdown of families, with parents divorcing and children’s emotional, academic, and social well-be- ing negatively affected.

The vice is perpetuated by misguided belief in some communities that men are within their rights to beat their wives for perceived transgressions.

This misconception is so deeply root- ed in some communities that even some women also falsely believe that they de- serve to be beaten for doing wrong.

Even some members of the clergy and elders, who should be condemning this vile act in the strongest terms possible, shamelessly condone it.

People routinely let men batter their spouses without interfering, claiming that issues between a man and his wife are private and they should therefore not interfere in them.

Police officers also exhibit reluctance when dealing with issues of domestic vi- olence, inadvertently perpetuating the vile act.

Victims who express a desire to leave their abusive partners are discouraged from ending the relationship by the rel- atives, clergy, and elders, even when their lives are in danger. To curb spousal violence, we call upon the public to intervene in cases where spouses batter their partners. Stop the beatings, if you can, report the matter to the local council authorities and police for further management.

The police and local council authorities must treat the mat- ter seriously, not dismissing it as a private matter between a couple, as some of them are wont to do.

Victims with partners who batter them should leave because no relationship is worth sacrificing their safety over.

More safe shelters should be built to accommodate victims of domestic violence, and the authorities must step up efforts to educate couples against resorting to violence to resolve their differences.

Five months after swearing-in in May, LC5 chairpersons in Busoga are reporting early gains – mainly latrines, boreholes, classrooms and roads – though Jinja City has nothing to show.

Jinja District: Chairman Moses Batwala said his second term started with sanitation fixes at Kagoma General Hospital.

“This hospital lacked separate latrine facilities for women and men, but we have now addressed the problem,” Batwala said.

He listed a borehole at the same hospital, commissioning of Kakira Health Centre III, latrines at Buweera, Nampumwire and Kagoma primary schools, launch of a health centre at Namagera Primary School and a public toilet at Lubanyi Trading Centre.

Iganga: Chairman Shabiru Isabirye Kalulu pointed to a 9km first-class murram road in Nawandala.

“I have introduced a system of inspecting every project before commissioning,” Isabirye said. “The Nawandala road was inspected and found satisfactory.”

He said his term opened with handover of renovated Iganga University buildings – formerly Busoga University closed in 2017 – for admissions next year, plus a donor MoU to renovate Nakavule Hospital.

Namutumba: Chairman David Kalulu Mukisa said 14 boreholes and over 40km of roads in Town Council, Namutumba, Bulange and Nangonde sub-counties were commissioned.

“We prioritised boreholes because our people were getting unsafe water from swamps,” Mukisa said. He also listed classroom blocks at Bubutya CoU, Bulange Teffe, Nawankofu, Kisiro, Bunangwe, Naikabara, Nawaikona and Namutumba Upper primary schools, but cited contractor delays.

Kaliro: ARDC Rogers Kiduma said only one road has been commissioned – Bwayuya-Bumaya-Budomero – under Road Fund. Nansololo Seed School is complete but uncommissioned.

Buyende: Chairman Sharif Mangaraine said classroom blocks were commissioned in Buyanja, Nkondo and Irundu, but his focus has been anti-corruption in PDM.

“By 8am, I am already in office to monitor staff who report late,” Mangaraine said, adding he found officials registering their own mobile money numbers for PDM.

He said roads like Nakabira-Kigweri and Kyabazinga were reworked after he measured them and found shorter stretches than specified.

Luuka: ARDC Umaru Ntogona said a Shs156m five-classroom block at Nakabaale Primary, Shs93m lab at Busalamu Secondary, Shs84m two-classroom block at Bukanga, and roads Kinu-Ikumbya, Kyanvum-Wandago and Buwologoma-Bugoma were commissioned. Five boreholes await inspection.

Jinja City: No project commissioned in five months, according to councillors Julius Kayiira Nabambula and Fazira Kawuma.

“If you are referring to this term, no project has been commissioned,” they said.

The chairpersons were elected Jan 22, 2026 and sworn in May for 2026-2031 term.

In West Nile in the 1960s to late 1990s, death was announced by a muscular youth on a Hero or Bayoun bicycle, leaves mounted in front, ringing the bell for three minutes as he neared relatives’ homes. He was thanked with a cock.

That was when there were no phones, radio announcements or WhatsApp.

Today, death starts with airtime to call relatives, radio announcements, mortuary fees, and ends with millions spent on feeding mourners.

For many households, a burial now costs Shs5m to Shs15m in a sub-region where poverty stands at 39% of 3.2 million people, according to UBOS 2024.

“Death no longer ends with grief. It begins with a huge bill,” families say.

From communal to commercial

Alur culture values community, elders and solidarity. Mourners brought food, firewood and sat under a tree. Burial was in 2-3 days with communal contributions.

Now commercialisation, religion and social pressure have changed it.

Elder James Muchek Chombe said a poor burial brings shame.

“If you serve mourners with only posho and beans, neighbours will gossip. People would say that family is poor, they failed to respect their father,” Chombe told Daily Monitor Monday.

“So people fear what people will say. If mourners and in-laws come from far and find no bulls slaughtered, they will say the person died miserably and didn’t leave responsible sons and daughters.”

Traditionally bodies were kept at home, not in mortuaries.

“We need to sensitise our people to adopt less expensive burials to stabilise our economy. If not, we shall remain poor because we are not following our right Alur culture,” Chombe said.

Former Zombo LC5 chair Emmy Kizito Kakura said families now sell belongings.

“We are copying other people’s culture without knowing the economic complication. The issue of mortuary should be discouraged. If a person dies, he must be buried within two days. The longer the body stays in the refrigerator, the more cost,” Kakura said.

He said budgets he has seen hit Shs10-15m, forcing land sales and loans.

Elly Adriko said: “We had to sell land and postpone burial because we had not collected enough money to feed mourners. We spent Shs70,000 per day for body preservation.”

“This became costly. We preserved body for five days and spent Shs350,000 and buried my dad on sixth day,” Adriko said.

The bill

Coffin, embalming, mortuary, food for days, transport, tents, chairs, public address system, church/mosque, grave, wreaths, fuel, accommodation and livestock.

Teacher John Bazilio Ongwech said: “I borrowed Shs8m salary loan for decent sendoff of my late father in 2015 but up to now I have financial implications. I gave my late father a good send off. Now I am struggling to pay for my children in good schools because I spent beyond my salary.”

In Arua City, Justine Yekoko said: “When I lost my mother in April 2026, family was in financial crisis. But because we wanted decent burial, we had to borrow Shs3m from microfinance. Burials have become more expensive and are leaving families in debts.”

What faith leaders say

Padyere Central Muslim County Sheikh Hamza Opoki said: “Have a little budget to bury your loved ones so that rest of money must be handed over to family to cater for orphans or widows.”

“In Islamic faith, when we lose beloved one, we come up with minimal budget of Shs100,000 for buying two wrapping cloths if deceased is male. But if female, budget could extend to Shs150,000 because female needs five wrapping pieces,” Opoki said. “We don’t allow deceased’s family to cook food but neighbours feed those who have come.”

Anglican Pastor at Nebbi Town Church, Rev Henry Ruben Ubedgiwu said: “In past, burial was less expensive because person would spend only two days and is buried. We need to reflect example of Jesus, Jesus died on Friday and was buried same day and less was spent, only wrapping clothes were used.”

Bishop of Nebbi Diocese, Rt Rev Pons Ozele Awinjo, urged in-laws to stop demanding goats and clerics to stop demanding transport: “When you are called to bury someone don’t select burials, go and bury because they have provided or failed to provide transport. These families are struggling.”

Alur Kingdom Prime Minister Prince Lawrence Opar Angala said: “This is not Alur culture. People would bring food, firewood, millet, sit under tree and plan. They never said sell land to buy most expensive coffins. This is showbiz, competition, and politics. The dead don’t need catering services, PA system, hiring of tents but living need school fees, feeding.”

Uganda Funeral Services advertises Christian packages from Shs1.5m to Shs5.35m and Muslim package at Shs2m, excluding feeding.

THE COST OF BURIALS IN THE PAST 1990’s

1 bull valued @ Shs 150,000

3 goats was @ 60,000

Coffin was @50,000

Two pieces of white clothes or blanket was at Shs 10,000

No transport was given to the religious leaders to preside over the mass/service.

CURRENT BURIAL COSTS

Transport for religious leaders Shs150,000=

A Bull at Shs 1.8 million

Public Address System Shs 500, 000

Treating body Shs 150,000- Shs 2,000,000 (depending on number of days)

Feeding mourners Shs 5,000,000/=

Coffin from Shs 250,000 to Shs 1.5 million

Suit (Male)- Shs 200,000

Gomesi (female)- 250,000

Wrapping clothes- Shs 100,000

Grave construction- Shs 2 million (funeral services)

Hiring of tents and Chairs- Shs 2 million

Transporting relatives Shs 500,000 (depends on the distance)

Hiring of Funeral services —————–Shs 5 million

Uganda’s recent shilling depreciation is a pressing concern for economists, policymakers and other stakeholders.

The Bank of Uganda’s October 2026 Monetary Policy Statement confirms the severity of the situation, as it notes that the global environment has ‘changed significantly’ owing to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, leading to ‘intensified depreciation pressures’.

This has been compounded by a deterioration in the current account deficit, which widened by $1.4 billion to $ 4.6 billion, driven by lower agricultural commodity prices, reduced tourism receipts, and soaring oil prices. While some pressures originate abroad, Uganda’s vulnerability reflects deeper structural weaknesses that demand our attention.

Our immediate priority must not only be to prevent further weakening of the shilling, but also to protect the economy from excessive volatility, imported inflation, and foreign exchange shortages. The Bank of Uganda’s decisive action of raising the Central Bank Rate (CBR) by 225 basis points to 12.0 percent and the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) to 13.5 percent is a necessary measure to contain inflationary pressures and anchor expectations.

However, monetary policy alone cannot resolve the structural foreign exchange imbalances, which are largely supply side in nature. Exchange rates reflect the interaction of foreign-currency supply and demand, expectations, capital flows, and underlying economic conditions. The Bank of Uganda’s assessment highlights that the goods deficit worsened to $ 2.8 billion in the 12 months to August 2026, while the services deficit deteriorated to $ 3.3 billion largely owing to freight charges.

Higher oil prices, seasonal import requirements, and dividend payments abroad further widen the imbalance. Expectations can intensify these pressures; when businesses and households anticipate further depreciation, they may bring forward dollar purchases, reinforcing demand and adding to downward pressure on the shilling.

Depreciation itself is not necessarily a sign of policy failure. Under a flexible exchange-rate regime, the currency can adjust to changes in global prices and domestic conditions. The danger arises when adjustment becomes disorderly, feeds inflationary expectations, or exposes businesses and financial institutions to unsustainable foreign-currency liabilities.

The international experience from Mexico in 1994 to Thailand in 1997 shows that interventions are only effective when consistent with credible monetary and fiscal policies. Selling dollars may restore liquidity during disorderly trading, but it cannot permanently offset sustained import demand or insufficient foreign exchange earnings.

Intervene selectively, not defensively. Foreign exchange sales should be used to address exceptional volatility or impaired market liquidity, not simply because the shilling crosses a certain level. Crucial indicators to warrant action should include unusually rapid price movements, widening bid-offer spreads, and abnormal changes in market turnover, with an assessment of economic fundamentals.

There is a need to manage derivatives prudently. Swaps and other instruments can support liquidity, but may create hidden exposures. Regular stress testing and transparency are essential.

It is also crucial to maintain monetary-policy credibility. Raising the CBR helps contain inflation, but tightening policy solely to attract short term foreign capital could raise borrowing costs and weaken private investment. Clear communication is vital to balance inflation control with growth because foregone GDP growth also implies foregone revenues.

Above all, the Ministry of Finance needs to complement monetary policy with credible fiscal management. Persistent fiscal pressures and poorly prioritised expenditure can weaken confidence and increase external financing needs. Fiscal discipline should go hand in hand with protecting productive investments in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and export-oriented industries.

Uganda must also expand and diversify foreign exchange earnings. Improving agricultural productivity, adding value to coffee and other exports, strengthening tourism, and supporting export-oriented manufacturing will reduce vulnerability to external shocks.

While oil revenues are expected in the future, current efforts should focus on preserving reserves, sustaining monetary policy credibility, and building resilience through diversification.

The objective should not entirely be to defeat the dollar but, rather, to build an economy that earns more foreign exchange, uses it productively, and can withstand external shocks without sacrificing price stability, investment, and economic growth.