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The government’s pound 112.5 million (about Shs548.4 billion) solar-powered irrigation and water-supply project has delivered 434 systems across the country. The remaining 253 systems are expected to be delivered under Phase II of the project.

The investment was intended to expand irrigation and improve access to water through solar-powered systems in a country where more than 96 percent of farming households depend on rain-fed agriculture, according to the 2024 Uganda Water Accounts report by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos).

The Development of Solar Powered Irrigation and Water Supply Systems Project, implemented by the Ministry of Water and Environment through Nexus Green Ltd, was initially designed to establish 920 systems across the country. The target was reduced to 687 after the contractor’s bid exceeded the financing initially approved by Parliament.

The ministry says Phase 1 of the project has brought about 2,000 acres under irrigation and benefited more than 905,000 people in various districts across the country, even as lawmakers on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sought details on how many systems are commissioned and operational, and when the outstanding works will be completed under Phase II of the project.

LIST: HOW DISTRICTS SHARED SHS500B IRRIGATION PROJECTS

Last week, PAC chaired by Mr Patrick Nsamba Oshabe asked Ministry of Water officials to provide details on the project’s implementation record and site-selection decisions. Ministry officials had appeared before the committee to respond to the Auditor General’s queries.

From 920 systems to 687

The project was approved in September 2019, with Parliament initially authorising a loan of pound 101.8 million (about Shs496.6 billion) to finance the planned 920 systems. However, the bidding process produced a proposal from Nexus Green Ltd worth pound 279.6 million (Shs1.3 trillion), substantially exceeding the approved financing.

The government subsequently renegotiated the financing arrangement and reduced the project scope to 687 systems: 252 irrigation systems, 302 rural water-supply systems and 133 urban water-supply systems.

Parliament approved the revised financing arrangement on March 16, 2021. The revised UK Export Finance (UKEF) loan stood at pound 95.8m (Shs467.2b), while the government’s counterpart contribution increased to pound 16.6 million (Shs81.2 billion).

The changes were intended to align the project with the available financing, but the reduction also meant that fewer communities would receive the planned infrastructure than originally envisaged.

When contacted, Dr Alfred Okot Okidi, the Ministry of Water and Environment Permanent Secretary, dispelled legislators’ concerns and explained that the government returned to the UK government’s export credit agency to renegotiate the financing.

‘Initially, the plan was to construct 920 irrigation systems, but after the bidding process, the company contracted by the UK government asked for pound 279.6 million, yet the approved loan amount was only pound 101.8 million, with an additional government counterpart funding of pound 11.5 million,’ Dr Okidi said.

He added: ‘We returned to the UK government’s export credit agency and renegotiated the loan amount, and it came to pound 112.5 million. The UKEF loan was reduced to pound 95.8 million , and counterpart funding rose to pound 16.6 milliom.’

He said the revised financing and project scope were subsequently presented to Parliament by the Ministry of Finance for approval.

‘There were delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but we later resolved this and the project took off without further delay… All the approved funds were put to good use, and the projects can be traced on the ground. All the issues raised by the committee members and the Office of the Auditor General were responded to, and the list of the projects and the beneficiary districts attached,’ Dr Okidi told this publication last week.

2040 irrigation target

The Ugandan government has set a target of bringing 1.5 million hectares of farmland under irrigation by 2040. This ambitious goal aims to protect farmers from unreliable rainfall and boost agricultural productivity.

The government is shifting its approach from large-scale irrigation schemes to promoting smaller systems that can directly benefit individual farmers. Currently, only about 1.5 percent of irrigable land is covered, with 40,000 hectares added in the past five years.

Working alongside the private sector, the government sought to cut the red tape and established hundreds of irrigation schemes to support smallholder farmers across the country. In response to longstanding challenges – water access, financing, technology, and land – it has introduced new measures aimed at strengthening irrigation mainly in water-stressed districts across the country.

In pursuit of this strategic vision, the government, through the Ministry of Water, entered into a strategic partnership with UKEF to deploy solar-powered irrigation systems throughout the country.

The initiative was designed to address the impacts of climate change, reduce farmers’ dependence on unreliable rainfall patterns, and significantly increase agricultural productivity-with a particular focus on coffee-growing communities.

Delay explained

The project was initially scheduled for completion on July 26, 2024, but the deadline was extended to April 30, 2026.

The ministry has attributed the delays to Covid-19-related shipping disruptions and delays in government counterpart funding, which affected land acquisition for some facilities. It says the extension did not attract additional costs to the government.

‘The national and global lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic led to significant delays in shipment for long lead offshore materials in the first year of implementation. Additionally, the delayed counterpart financing affected the acquisition of land to house project facilities, especially for domestic water supply systems, causing delays in project implementation,’ Dr Okidi explained.

‘However, upon request, the contractor was given an extension to the revised completion date, at no additional cost to the government,’ he added.

Other implementation challenges included the need for additional boreholes, design changes and requests from communities to extend water-distribution networks beyond the original plans.

Dr Okidi stated that some urban systems were intended to replace diesel-powered water facilities, but most communities requested extensions to distribution networks, while rural communities sought longer pipelines to bring water closer to households.

‘This gave rise to larger systems with increased unit costs, increased coverage but with better per capita costs. As a result, the contract sum could accommodate up to 434 by April 30, 2026, comprising 203 irrigation systems, 148 rural water-supply systems and 83 urban water-supply systems,’ he said.

Dr Okidi said the 434 systems had been developed and handed over to beneficiary communities adding that the government had accounted for the money spent on the project. ‘Every penny has been accounted for, and all these projects exist in the communities,’ he said.

However, Mr Ronald Kato Kayizzi, the assistant commissioner for development in the ministry’s Water for Production Department, said commissioning was continuing and explained that the defects liability period allows the contractor to address problems identified after construction.

‘After the project is completed, there is six months, where if there are issues with the system, if it is not working well, if the users have experienced anything, the contractor can put it right, and they can commission,’ Mr Kayizzi said.

He said the commissioning exercise was taking time because the systems were spread across the country.

Adding, ‘These are separate projects scattered across the country. You can imagine the number, even if you are commissioning 10 every day.’

Audit concerns

The implementation record has also drawn scrutiny over whether some project sites had adequate water sources and the land required for construction.

Citing the Auditor General’s report for the financial year under review, Mbale City Industrial Division MP Karim Masaba told the committee that 122 systems had been completed at the time covered by the audit. Of these, 22 had been commissioned and only eight handed over to the umbrella organisation responsible for water supply and sanitation services.

He also questioned the feasibility assessments undertaken before sites were selected, citing audit findings that 162 sites had encountered failures associated with inadequate water sources and land-related challenges.

Mr Masaba questioned the suitability of some locations, asking: ‘How can you go and try to put a water plant somewhere where you know there is no water?’

He warned that weak oversight could undermine the investment, saying: ‘If we are not very strict and do proper accountability for this, the same people are going to mess up the loan that we’ve just passed.’

Responding to the concerns, Mr Kayizzi said the audit covered the project’s first year and that some circumstances had changed since then, saying, ‘That audit was looking at the first year of the project. So as we move ahead, some facts have changed.’

Mr Kayizzi cited land disputes and changes in ownership, as well as water-quality problems as examples of the challenges encountered at some sites.

‘Some are family land issues where one accepts the project to run, and in the due process someone comes up and objects and maybe they go to court; some are land wrangles which commonly interrupt who has the right to use particular land,’ he said.

Mr Kayizzi added that some sites had experienced water-quality problems.

Farmers see benefits

‘There could also be challenges when the water is salty. There was water initially available but later presented challenges and the quality is failing.’

Despite the implementation concerns, the project illustrates the potential of irrigation to protect farmers from prolonged dry spells.

In Kiwenjula Village, Bukomansimbi District, farmer Sarah Namutebi said irrigation infrastructure had enabled agricultural activities to continue during dry periods.

‘Even in dry seasons, farming and harvesting continues. Irrigation infrastructure has saved us, but those without it still face challenges,’ she said.

Mr Joseph Luwaga, the deputy Resident District Commissioner for Bukomansimbi, urged farmers who could afford it to adopt similar systems where government projects had not yet reached.

‘Farmers who are financially able in areas where such projects have not yet reached, copy this and establish irrigation. Government has demonstrated that it is possible to use irrigation to transform field earnings regardless of the season,’ he said.

The ministry also says the project has brought about 2,000 acres under irrigation for high-value crops, including coffee, fruits and vegetables, and benefited more than 905,000 people by improving access to water.

In some urban systems where diesel generators were replaced, energy costs reportedly fell by about 70 percent.

‘The distance households travel to water sources has been reduced from more than one kilometre to less than 500 meters in some communities. The provision of treated water is helping reduce exposure to waterborne diseases by replacing contaminated surface-water sources,’ Dr Okidi added.

Second phase

The scrutiny of the performance of the first project comes after Parliament approved a government request to borrow up to pound 168.9 million (823.4 billion) from UKEF and Citi Bank to finance Phase II of the Solar Powered Irrigation Systems Project aimed at boosting coffee production and strengthening climate resilience.

The loan, approved on June 10, 2026, during a sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, is intended to bolster the project, whose irrigation systems will cover about 4,768 acres and directly benefit an estimated 2,562 households.

Statistics from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development show that Uganda has only 23,595 hectares under irrigation out of an estimated potential of 3.03 million hectares nationwide.

During the sitting, Parliament suspended Rule 162(2), (3) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure to allow consideration of the request without scrutiny by the Committee on National Economy and relevant sectoral committees, which had not yet been constituted then.

Invoking Rule 8 (1), the Speaker defended the move, saying the urgency of the matter justified immediate consideration.

‘We do not have the committees; that is a reality of fact, and this loan is as important as water itself,’ Speaker Oboth said.

Uganda’s latest available coffee export revenue is $2.1 billion (about Shs9.1 trillion) for the 12 months to August 2026, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries’ coffee export report.

The total export volume for coffee stood at 8.6 million 60-kilogramme bags exported between June 2025 and May 2026, marking a 16 percent increase compared to 7.4 million bags during the previous coffee year.

Tabling the motion, Finance Minister Henry Musasizi said the project will establish 427 solar-powered irrigation systems, down from the initially targeted 700 irrigation sites in coffee-growing areas across the country to fit within the available fiscal space, to cushion farmers against prolonged dry spells and climate change.

‘Currently, farmers are losing a lot of crops due to prolonged dry seasons, and this in turn affects their livelihoods,’ Mr Musasizi said.

Uganda topped pool swimming at the 11th Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships, finishing well clear of challengers Kenya.

When the pool programme closed on Saturday at Kampala International School of Uganda, Bukoto, the hosts had 3,656 points thereby defending their title for a third successive time Kenya were second on 2,728, with Tanzania third on 2,547. Rwanda (1,356) and Burundi (927) followed.

The medal table told the same story. The six time (2015, 2021, 2023 – 2026) Zone champions Uganda collected 83 gold, 58 silver and 43 bronze across age-group, open-age and relay events. Kenya’s 25 golds and Tanzania’s 20 were the nearest challenge.

The relays were a Ugandan fortress. The hosts won 15 of the 16. The only one they lost was the boys’ 15 and over 4×100m freestyle relay, where Kenya touched first by three hundredths of a second, 3:36.83 to 3:36.86.

Uganda’s most dominant swimmer was Zara Marie Mbanga. The 15-year-old won all five 15-16 girls events she entered: the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, the 200m freestyle and the 200m individual medley. She added gold in the open 400m IM (Individual medley) and 400m freestyle. Her perfect record earned her the 15-16 girls’ age-group title.

Her teammate Tyrah Muganzi won more age-group medals, seven to five, but two were silver.

Opolot’s balancing act

In the 13-14 girls, Gabriella Opolot won four golds, in the 50m breaststroke, 100m butterfly and both backstroke sprints, plus two silvers.

“I am really proud of myself for being able to push to my limits,” she said. “I’m also very thankful to my coach and my parents for helping me get to the position I am in right now.”

The spread across strokes was deliberate. “I have been concentrating on doing my best in all of my strokes, especially in my fifties,” she said after sharing that she had beaten all her personal bests.

Namesake Gabriella Eleanor Ndyanabo, competed in the same age group and said she was happy to have turned what she described as disappointing nationals in July into a golden week in Zone III. She won the 800m freestyle in 9:57.88 and the 400m free, then held off Tanzania’s Nicolene Viljoen in the 200m free, 2:15.41 to 2:17.27.

“We have been training stamina a lot,” she said of her final 50 metres kicks in the middle and long distance plus the relays where she said she ‘had to put my head down and not breathe in the last 25m so I could not cost Uganda a gold.”

Viljoen was Tanzania’s standout. She won the 14 and under 200m butterfly in 2:41.49, plus the 13-14 200m backstroke, breaststroke and IM.

“I feel good and proud of myself, but I expected more,” she said. She struggled over the last 100m of the 200m fly but said she had learnt to pace herself.

Jonathan Kaweesa won the 15-16 boys 50m butterfly and 200m IM, with four silvers and two bronze medals. He said a new gym routine had changed his preparation.

Tara Kisawuzi won the 17 and over 50m and 100m breaststroke and took five silvers. She finishes high school in two weeks and joins university two months later, and hopes her swimming improves there.

In the 17 and over, Uganda’s Gloria Muzito and Tanzania’s Filbertha Demello took four golds each but the hosts’ squad was made deeper with the presence of Kirabo Namutebi. Matthew Mwase and Ryland Andrew Mathew won three apiece.

Ibrahim Lule won six golds in the 12 and under boys. Kenya’s Don Ndirangu (13-14 boys) and Katja Kimani (12 and under girls) took five each.

Masters earn revenge

In the separate masters standings, Uganda Masters ran away with 2,608 points from 52 golds, 51 silvers and 35 bronzes. Kenya Masters were second on 444, ahead of Tanzania Masters (154), Burundi Masters (128) and Rwanda Masters (23).

Zone III present Donald Rukare, who swum and won the men’s 55-59 50m backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle, described the swimming in the region as ‘scintillating’ and added that ‘water polo is still evolving and will hopefully take on the same path.’

Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships

Junior and Senior Swimming (points; gold-silver-bronze)

Uganda 3,656 (83-58-43)

Kenya 2,728 (25-39-45)

Tanzania 2,547 (20-27-31)

Rwanda 1,356 (1-3-4)

Burundi 927 (1-1-4)

Somalia 200 (0-1-0)

Djibouti 99 (0-1-1)

Masters Swimming (points; gold-silver-bronze)

1. Uganda Masters 2,608 (52-51-35)

2. Kenya Masters 444 (10-8-3)

3. Tanzania Masters 154 (3-2-0)

4. Burundi Masters 128 (5-0-2)

5. Rwanda Masters 23 (0-0-0)

Age group winners (by golds)

12 and under girls: Katja Kimani (KEN) – Five gold medals

12 and under boys: Ibrahim Lule (UGA) – Six gold, two silver

13-14 girls: Gabriella Opolot Asima (UGA) – Four gold, two silver

13-14 boys: Don Ndirangu (KEN) – Five gold, two bronze

15-16 girls: Zara Marie Mbanga (UGA) – Five gold

15-16 boys: Baraka Nyakundi (KEN) – Four gold

17 and over women: Filbertha Demello (TAN) – Four gold, one silver, five bronze

17 and over men: Matthew Mwase (UGA) Three gold, one silver, one bronze

7: golds won by Zara Mbanga, counting open events

Police in Kitagwenda District have arrested 20 Senior Six students of Mahyoro Secondary School following an incident in which they allegedly assaulted their headteacher and robbed him of his personal belongings.

The incident occurred on Monday, October 26, 2026, at about 8:05am at Mahyoro Secondary School in Mahyoro Town Council, according to a police incident report.

Rwenzori West Police spokesperson SP Vincent Twesige said in a statement that the incident involved a student strike and an alleged robbery, adding that investigations were ongoing.

He identified the headteacher as Mr Denis Baguma, 44, a resident of Nyakasura Cell, Nyakasura Parish, Mahyoro Sub-county in Kitagwenda District.

According to the police report, the incident began when Senior Six students invited Mr Baguma to their classroom to address what they described as pressing concerns.

The headteacher reportedly responded promptly and went to the classroom, where the students began presenting their grievances one after another.

‘The students started raising their burning issues one by one. During the process, one of the students known as Bizimungu got up and closed the classroom door, and the whole class ganged on the HM and started beating him, but fortunately he managed to escape,’ the report reads in part.

Mr Twesige said Mr Baguma reportedly escaped from the classroom, but the students allegedly pursued him outside, grabbed him by the necktie and tied him with ropes.

The students are also accused of taking his wallet containing Shs150,000, driving permit, national identity card and a smartphone valued at Shs930,000.

Mr Twesige added that a teacher reported the incident to Mahyoro Town Council Police Station after noticing what was happening.

Police officers responded to the scene and rescued the headteacher, according to the report.

Police said 20 students were arrested in connection with the incident as investigations continued.

Those named in the police report include Peter Bizimungu, Collins Juuko, Kenneth Ngabirano, Bright Alex Buregeya, Edwin Akansemeza, Francis Banpabura, Owen Nasasira, Nicholas Nsaba, Mikairi Twiziremana, Edwin Akansinguza, Angupasi, Derick Alinaitwe, Peter Muhairwe, Erick Muhanguzi, Robert Legend, Michael Tweheyo, Fred Arinairwe, Benson Tamara, Erias Mucunguzi and Laurence Kiiza.

The report indicates that police officers led by AIP Fabiano Kyarituha, the officer in charge of Mahyoro Town Council Police Station, visited the scene and intervened to calm the situation.

Police also recorded statements from eyewitnesses and the headteacher, who was issued with a Police Form 3 (PF3) for medical examination.

Later, the Kitagwenda District Police Commander, SP Joshua Akankunda, returned to the school with a team of officers, including Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO), and addressed the students.

Police said inquiries into the incident were still ongoing on Tuesday, with further details expected as investigations progressed.

Defending champions Hotel Africana could face Centenary Bank in a third consecutive tug-of-war final at the climax of the Corporate Sports Network on November 29. The two sides, arguably the strongest and wisest in this game of mass and power, Africana and Centenary, have met each other in the past two finals, each winning once. And it is clear the organisers and neutrals alike are praying for a rematch between these two giants who are also big contenders for the overall title.

During the October 23 outing at Legends Club Lugogo, both sides cruised to the last six of the championship, almost effortlessly. In round one, Centenary, the 2024 champions, saw I and M Bank 2-0 to book a date with Roofings Limited, who had advanced by walkover after Pearl Bank did not show up.

Meanwhile, Africana defeated beverage makers Haris International 2-0 in round one before meeting Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL).

In round two, Roofings came with reserved energy after a walkover against Pearl Bank, but it was not enough to trouble Centenary, who won 2-0. Elsewhere, Uganda Bureau of Statistics, who had eliminated Electricity Regulatory Authority 2-0, also ejected Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA), who pulled with nine players against 10 because they lacked a woman on the team.

Equity Bank knocked out flower farmers Royal van Zanten 2-0. Last year’s quarterfinalists DTB stopped

Movit products 2-0 while dfcu ejected Quality Chemicals with the same score. Such was the mismatch in the last game of the day that fans jokingly begged Africana to use only three men against UETCL’s 10 that even the 2-0 scoreline does not tell the entire story.

‘We want to retain our trophy,’ Africana captain John Opio told Daily Monitor. ‘I think Centenary, as usual, are the strongest challengers.’

In round three, Centenary will take on fellow bankers DTB, Equity Bank will face UBOS while Africana will face Quality Chemicals before the final.

SELECT ROUND ONE RESULTS

Equity Bank 2-0 Graphic Systems

Hotel Africana 2-0 Haris International

Centenary Bank 2-0 I and M

DTB 2-0 Crown Beverages

Movit 2-1 Stanbic Bank

ROUND TWO RESULTS

Centenary Bank 2-0 Roofings

UBOS 2-0 MODVA

Equity 2-0 RVZ

DTB 2-0 Movit

Dfcu 2-0 QCIL

Africana 2-0 UETCL

ROUND THREE FIXTURES

Centenary vs DTB

Equity vs UBOS

Africana vs QCIL

The Ministry of Works and Transport has assured motorists and residents of Kasawo and Seeta Namuganga in Mukono District that construction of their road will be completed despite delays caused by equipment breakdowns, waterlogged sections and difficulties in sourcing suitable construction materials.

The Kasawo-Seeta Namuganga road project has stalled at about 15 per cent completion since the contract was awarded to Jefflen Industrial Solutions Ltd in May, raising concerns about whether the contractor will meet the April 2027 deadline for the Shs1.2 billion project.

Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a senior communications officer at the ministry, said officials were closely monitoring implementation and engaging local leaders to address the challenges affecting progress.

‘The contractor has been directed to submit a recovery plan. The Ministry is closely monitoring progress and engaging local leaders,’ he said.

The assurance comes amid growing frustration among residents, traders and motorists who say the delayed works have left them struggling to cross River Matumbwe whenever it rains.

Some residents have accused the contractor of dumping loose soil into the river, allegedly obstructing water flow and worsening flooding during heavy rains.

The delays have also raised questions about contract supervision and accountability for public funds committed to the project.

According to a project update from the ministry, the contractor has opened up 1.1 kilometres of road and widened and deepened drainage channels along one kilometre of swamp sections to improve water flow.

However, delayed mobilisation of construction materials pushed critical works in the swamp sections into the September-November rainy season, making construction more difficult because of persistent waterlogging.

Mr Ainebyoona said the contractor had also encountered difficulties sourcing approved fill material suitable for swamp conditions, while equipment breakdowns had further slowed progress.

Ms Margaret Musanje, popularly known as Maama Matumbwe, who represents the area at the district council, said local leaders were frustrated by the slow pace of construction.

‘This road is being done shoddily and the contract period is almost expiring with nothing tangible on the ground,’ she said.

However, Mr Benjamin M. Webooya, the site engineer representing Jefflen Industrial Solutions Ltd, acknowledged the challenges but assured local leaders that work would continue and the road would be completed.

‘I can confirm that our team is now on the ground and working. The rains had disrupted our operations and exposed some issues that needed to be addressed during construction,’ he said on Monday.

The ministry’s recovery plan directive and continued monitoring are expected to address the delays as the contractor works to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe.

Service delivery has collapsed in Tororo District after over 30 officers were interdicted on directive of Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi.

Key departments – Education, Health, Finance, Procurement and Lands – were found locked Tuesday as residents stranded at headquarters.

The minister said officers face corruption, abuse of office, extortion of PDM and Emyooga funds, sale of government jobs and illegal sale of government land.

“Following numerous complaints from wanainchi and the RDC’s report, I have directed the CAO Tororo to interdict all officers implicated in corruption to pave way for investigations by IGG and State House Anti-Corruption Unit,” he said at a baraza at Children’s Lions Park during his Bukedi anti-corruption tour.

A spot check found over 50 head teachers from Kwapa, Sop Sop, Soni and Ojilai sub counties stranded and unable to submit PLE data.

“We spent transport but there is no DEO to sign documents. If PLE data is not submitted, our children will not sit exams,” said Ticaf Primary head teacher Irene Langa, also president of Tororo head teachers association.

“We support fighting corruption, but you cannot interdict 16 officers at once and leave a district empty. Salaries are not being processed, teachers are not being paid,” she said.

Affected include 8 sub-county chiefs, 5 parish chiefs, 4 accountants, procurement officers, commercial officer, staff surveyor, lands officer, DEO and Inspector of Schools.

LCV Chairperson John Okeya said operation was not phased.

“You cannot remove 30 officers and leave a district empty. Salaries are not processed, services are zero. It should have been phased,” Okeya said, adding education is worst hit with capitation grants delayed.

“I have also been instructed to disband the district service commission on allegation of selling jobs, meaning I have to go back to council to constitute a new one which might take time yet we need to recruit,” he said.

“But the minister did a good thing because corruption was becoming normal. Duty bearers had built a strong network to extent office assistants could extort money,” Okeya said, citing an assistant who extorted a job applicant in his name and was forced to refund.

CAO Richard Wambi said interdicted officers are heads of departments and key vote signatories.

“We are at crossroads. We are temporarily filling gaps with junior officers as investigations take course,” Wambi said. He said salary payment for September was piecemeal and October likely affected.

Interdicted officers called it witch-hunt.

“We were not given chance to be heard. Minister just issued directive without investigations. This is witch-hunt because we refused to give land to some powerful people,” one sub-county chief said anonymously

The streets of major European cities; Paris (France), Brussels (Belgium), Lisbon (Portugal), Rome (Italy), Tirana (Albania) and Madrid (Spain) are still smoldering following weeks of protests over economic hardships.

Back home in Uganda, the looming housing crisis that is about to strike us, is still making push-ups.

About a month ago, at a friend’s insistence, I reluctantly agreed to ‘check out’ as millennials and Gen Z’s love to say, his favourite spot.

One of things that nudged me to go was that I wanted to establish for myself and empirically so, whether ‘froth’ tastes better at upscale nightspots. Located in the leafy Kololo suburbs, the place sits close to a diplomatic installation belonging to an emerging global power.

Beyond the sassy and classy clientele and the fuel guzzlers lining the route to this haven of happiness, patrons are also welcomed by fresh air.

But it was the surroundings that caught my eye. Nearby stood a building of five or so storeys, tucked inside a gated, tiled compound and boasting some of the most attractive terraces I have seen in a while.

An askari told me the building houses rental apartments. Judging by its appearance, I figured out that a single unit must be going for well over Shs1 million. Which still sounds as an understatement in my ears.

Across Kampala, posh rentals are sprouting up everywhere like mushrooms while high-rise apartments continue to pierce the skyline.

However, this construction boom is not matched by a corresponding expansion in affordable housing for low-income earners. Consequently, Uganda’s cities risk witnessing a proliferation of slums and slum-like settlements and a rise in homelessness.

Regarding the latter, I do not mean street kids or people living with mental health challenges, but hardworking citizens who simply cannot earn enough to put a roof over their heads.

Going by figures National Housing and Construction Company (NHCC) Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Kaijuka supplied to the House Committee on Lands chaired by Edson Rugumayo, on August 5, Uganda’s housing deficit stands at seven million units when calculated solely on the basis of permanent houses, defined as those with a lifespan of at least 50 years.

When semi-permanent houses, with a lifespan of 15 to 49 years, are included, the deficit drops to five million units.

Including temporary housing units, which have a lifespan of up to 14 years, further reduces the estimated deficit to about 2.4 million units.

Using his own words, Kaijuka said all the projects they have developed over the years have been financed by commercial loans at interest rates ranging between 18 and 25 percent. A situation he said had led to small and costly products.

To deliver affordable housing, Kaijuka said NHCC needs about Shs500b over the next five years. While I doubt whether our government which recently splashed Shs166.8b on cars for MPs would readily commit such a sum to a national priority, either way, our leaders have no option.

Because, as they will soon discover, it is foolhardy to leave the housing sector entirely in the hands of private players who can increase rent whenever they wish. Secondly, few city dwellers can afford the growing number of apartments, save for those holding heavily-salaried jobs in public and private sectors.

The situation becomes even more worrying when one factors in surveys such as the 2021 National Labour Force report conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics which showed that half of the country’s employed population earns a median monthly cash wage of just Sh200,000. This is the reality for many Ugandans who brave the daily traffic jams to get to work early every morning.

The situation is hardly any better for professionals, such as primary school teachers, some healthcare professionals and security personnel, as well the other segment eking out a living in the private sector, many of whom earn between Sh500,000 and Sh1.5m a month.

It is public knowledge that whereas incomes have largely remained stagnant over the years, the cost of living has steadily risen. School fees, for instance, has risen exponentially over the past five years. So much so that kindergarten going kids have to part with a Shs1million to learn doodling.

Similarly, a one-kilogram bar of soap that cost Shs3,500 five years ago now goes for Shs6,000. For motorists, a litre of petrol that cost about Shs3,900 five years ago is now approaching Shs8,000.

Over the past three years, Entebbe Club has remodelled its monthly mug tournaments to the Monthly Tee following an uplift from partners telecom MTN.

Off the course, MTN’s bond has come with a halfway pod and facelift to the oldest golf clubhouse in East and Central Africa. Back on to the tees, fairways and the greens, Entebbe’s final Tee tournament of the year is called the MTN Grand Tee of Tees.

This week, Entebbe Club captain announced the final Tee of this year will be a unique one by announcing the build-up Corporate Edition.

‘This is about Entebbe Club and MTN inviting the different partners, corporate partners that we work with, do with, come to Entebbe Club and participate in what is really the centre of the sporting world around golf, scrabble, and darts,’ Walusimbi remarked at the clubhouse terrace.

‘It is really us opening Entebbe Club up, thanks to MTN which is the connecting bond here. They are in the business of connecting people, whether through voice or data. They are also connecting us through sport. What we are doing is inviting corporates to have a league. We are now just left without about three months,’ he noted.

The Corporate Edition of the Grand Tee of Tees will have a league kind of format with points scored in golf and other indoor games being played on knock-out basis scheduled for this weekend, November 21 and the finale on December 12. In 2027, the corporate format will then blanket the legs of the Tee all 12 months.

More than 20 corporate entities have been entered already. ‘This one is unique because it brings a new spin, the corporate edition which we hadn’t done before,’ said MTN’s senior business development manager Paul Luyima.

Besides golf, the six indoor games considered are pool table, table tennis, chess, darts, scrabble and foosball.

‘Each corporate brand will flag off 10 participants, four for golf and a representative for each game. It’s going to be competitive. We believe that these (corporate) relationships are not only built in the boardroom, but with events like this, we are able to connect more,’ added Luyima.

Entebbe’s indoor games captain Milton Edimu seemed to hint on more games being included in the 2027 calendar activity.

‘Entebbe Club has a multitude of games. Beyond golf, we have cricket, basketball, lawn tennis, scrabble, table tennis, pool, snooker, ludo and we are grateful for MTN coming to Entebbe to showcase what other options are available in Entebbe,’ he said.

‘It also feeds into the multitude of skill sets that corporate members have. In terms of the format, similar to golf, we will have three rounds (over the mentioned days) and then an accumulation of points. For the indoor games, it will be a knockout format,’ he added.

The tournament has already attracted entries from entities such as Parliament, Uganda Communications Commission, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (CPA), Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Uganda Revenue Authority (Ura).

Meanwhile, NCBA, Cfao Mobility, Stanbic Bank, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), I and M Bank, Total Energies, National Medical Stores (NMS), Equity Bank, Uganda Airlines, Uganda Breweries, Absa Bank and Dfcu Bank are all assembling teams.

ABOUT ENTEBBE CLUB

Started: 1901

Age: 125 years

Location: Entebbe, Uganda

Sports: Golf, Cricket, Basketball, Lawn tennis, Table Tennis, Pool Table, Darts, Chess, Ludo, Foosball, Snooker, Scrabble

Golf Course: Par-71

Size: Par-71 (18 holes)

Distance: 6784 yards

Club Membership Size: 330 Members

Current Chairman: Jacob Byamukama

Club Captain: Serwano Walusimbi

Trustees: Maxi Byenkya, Dr. Twinemanzi Tumumbweine, Jonathan Bakwega

Captain: Serwano Walusimbi

Lady Captain: Maureen Okura

Major Tournaments: Uganda Golf Open (2018, 2021, 2024), 2014 World University Cross-country Championships, 2019 East and Central All Africa Challenge Trophy (ECAACT), 2017 World Cricket League Division Three, 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League (CWCCL) B

With heavy rains threatening to unleash landslides and floods in Bugisu Sub-region, the government is racing against time to relocate families in high-risk areas.

Several ministers led by the Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, are currently camped in Bugisu on the orders of President Museveni to oversee the relocation of families living in landslide-prone areas, especially in the districts of Namisindwa, Bududa, Bulambuli and Sironko.

However, as the resettlement drive, which was launched in Namisindwa last week gathers pace, the verification exercises has revealed ghost beneficiaries, inflated figures and cases of extortion of money allegedly by the Gombolola Internal Security Officers (Gisos), who were reportedly the enumerators in charge of the registration process.

The new resettlement package initiative will see households in landslide-prone areas receive Shs18m each to facilitate their relocation to safer areas before the end of this year, much as it is also facing other impediments, including unwillingness by the beneficiaries to vacate.

Some beneficiaries in some high-risk areas like in Bududa and parts of Namisindwa have expressed reservations, citing cultural attachments on aspects such as circumcision, burial grounds, fate of their agricultural land and inadequacy of money. But in some places like in Bulucheke Sub-county in Bududa, there are people willing to receive the resettlement package.

The relocation plan

Government has put aside about Shs43b to relocate about 8,700 families currently living in landslide prone areas in the Bugisu Sub-region, according to an assessment carried out by the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

Ms Nabbanja, while addressing journalists on Saturday after the field visit in Bududa District, decried the penetration of ineligible people/beneficiaries on the list.

‘Some people are not in high-risk areas but are on the list. Others paid to get their way on the lists and others were put by Gisos. We will deal with them,’ Ms Nabbanja said, adding that the number of the beneficiaries had been inflated to 13,000 families, but after the verification exercise, it is now about 8,000 families.

She further said some people are not willing to relocate because they have cultural attachments to their ancestral places.

‘I am writing a paper to the President to give us advice because some of the people have graves in front of their houses. For example, I met a 83-year-old woman while climbing a cliff and she told me, her father and husband have lived on the land for decades and have never had a threat of landslides.’

On the issue of little pay, the Prime Minister insisted that the money might not be commensurate with the chuck of land and other property one owns, but it’s enough to support a family to find a home away from the threat of landslides.

‘The beneficiary households are encouraged to vacate landslide-prone areas immediately after receiving the resettlement package. This time, nobody will be allowed to resettle back. However, they will be allowed a grace period until December 31 to harvest their produce,’ she said.

Ms Nabbanja said the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) will take over the land vacated by the beneficiary households for integration into Mt Elgon National Park.

‘The homes of beneficiary households shall be demolished by UWA in collaboration with other security agencies upon a beneficiary receiving the Shs18m resettlement package,’ she said.

Ms Nabbanja warned that the government will compel residents who refuse to relocate move from high-risk areas, arguing that authorities cannot continue allowing people to remain in locations that threaten their lives.

Taking stock of past efforts

Relocation efforts in the region have for long faced challenges. Following the deadly 2010 landslide, hundreds of families moved from the Mt Elgon area to Kiryandongo District.

However, some later returned to their former homes, citing difficulties associated with resettlement and sustaining their livelihood.

Later, the government acquired about 2,800 acres of land in 2013 in Bunambutye Sub-county in Bulambuli District, where it has resettled households at high-risk of landslides.

Since 2024, 1,106 households have been resettled in Bunambutye Resettlement Camp, with an estimated total number of 5,530 people resettled in the first phases and allocated constructed houses and two acres of land to each household.

However, leaders kept saying the resettlement was too slow even after government last year acquired another 1,318 acres of land in Girik, including plots 756, 757, and 805 to resettle more households.

Dr Davis Mwenyi, the Commissioner for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management, said: ‘That is why we moved away from giving people land because people don’t want to stay away from their homelands. Its better to give them money and they relocate themselves.’

Mr Mwenyi explained that registration of the beneficiaries was done by the Gisos under the office of the resident district commissioners.

The decision of cash payments was reached during an emergency meeting chaired by Ms Nabbanja with leaders from Bugisu, including Members of Parliament at her office in Kampala last week.

The meeting followed a Cabinet meeting held on October 5, where President Museveni directed the Prime Minister to resettle the people immediately.

Residents speak out

However, Mr Zephaniah Mayeku, a resident of Mutukuya Village in Buwere Parish, Bupoto Sub-county in Namisindwa, questioned how a household with more than 10 children can purchase land, construct a house and relocate with financial support of only Shs18m.

He said the beneficiary families need sufficient time to establish themselves in safer locations before leaving their current homes.

‘The Shs18m package may not adequately cover relocation costs and the loss of agricultural investments.

For instance, my land contains coffee and other crops that support my family. Can that money help me reestablish a new home and all these projects?’ he said.

Similarly, Mr Bosco Wanabwa, a resident of Nabisakala in Buneboshi Parish, Busiriwa Sub-county in Bududa, also raised concerns about the fate of their agricultural plantations after relocation.

Mr Wanabwa said his two acres of land contain coffee and other crops that help him pay his children’s school fees.

‘I ask the government to allow us to continue harvesting our crops after relocating,’ he said.

Despite the concerns, some residents support the programme.

Mr Richard Mukwana, a resident of Mutukuya in Namisindwa District, said he is ready to use the Shs18m package to acquire land in a safer location.

Mr Mukwana said cracks have developed in the area where he lives, making relocation an important step towards protecting his family.

Mr Fred Watira, another resident, said strong winds had previously destroyed his house and he is ready to relocate to a safer area.

The Woman MP for Mbale City, Ms Lydia Wanyoto, said the government’s immediate priority is to save lives, given the history of landslides in the Mt Elgon region.

‘The scientists have told us that Mt Elgon area is at the highest risk because it has a component of life. So, crop production and livestock are all important, but the government has prioritised life,’ she said.

Ms Wanyoto, who is Minister of State for Public Service , said some families are hesitant to leave because of their attachment to circumcision rites and burial grounds in high-risk areas.

‘They are also talking about their land because every homestead has a different size of land, but we have told them let us first save lives,’ Ms Wanyoto said.

Bududa District Chairperson Geoffrey Natubu urged residents in high-risk areas to embrace the programme, noting that landslides continue to threaten lives and property in the area.

‘Relocating people to a safer area is the preferable option because in a high-risk location, families face the possibility of losing their lives,’ Mr Natubu, said.

The Bubulo East MP, Mr John Musila, said its common in Bugisu to experience disasters after a dry spell.

It is true the pinnacle of world sport is at the Summer Olympic Games which come every four years.

For countries which have mastered the art of medaling at the Olympics, they build talent from the greatest of youth and junior levels.

And that’s what makes the Summer Youth Olympics very relevant. On Saturday, Africa will stage the first-ever Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal.

The two-week multi-sport stage for the teenagers has 25 entries from Uganda, a team which was flagged-off at Lugogo by National Council of Sports (NCS) general secretary Patrick Ogwel.

This is the fourth edition of the Youth Olympics and Uganda has appeared in all but Dakar is special. ‘We are going five-fold, more than the previous editions,’ remarked Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) general secretary Beatrice Ayikoru.

In Dakar, Uganda will compete in seven disciplines; rugby, athletics, cycling, rowing, swimming, badminton and table tennis.

The contingent led by chef de mission Lydia Dhamuzungu comprises a total 47 athletes and officials, who are travelling in different clusters depending on events’ schedule.

‘You guys are part of history. It’s the first time the Youth Olympics are being held in Africa. We thank the government of Uganda for the support, we thank the IOC (International Olympic Committee) for the support,’ said UOC president Donald Rukare.

For Dakar, Uganda’s team has 17 male athletes and eight female competitors. That is sizably bigger than the six competitors who featured across four disciplines at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010.

At the Nanjing 2014 edition in China, six more athletes competed in athletics, badminton rowing and table tennis. For the Bueno Aires 2018 edition in Argentina, five athletes featured in athletics, rowing and weightlifting.

As a motivation, Ogwel announced that each athlete will receive an out-of-pocket allowance of $160 (Shs790,000) per day in Dakar, through their parents.

‘Uganda is potentially a nation of talents and we are very happy to have 25 distinguished athletes who are ready to represent us,’ stated Ogwel.

‘Some of the athletes who have featured before (at Youth Olympics), later became world champions,’ he added.

True, Uganda won 2000 metres steeplechase bronze through Zakaria Kiprotich in Singapore while Geofrey Balimumiti won 800 metres silver in Nanjing.

In Buenos Aires, Sarah Chelangat won 3000 metres gold while Oscar Chelimo collected a bronze medal over the same distance.

Some former competitors such as Halimah Nakaayi from Singapore, went on to win the 800 metres gold medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Nakaayi, Chelangat and Chelimo were all part of Team Uganda at the Paris Olympics. And the belief is there that Dakar-bound unit can rise through the ranks too.

‘It’s going to be hot. When you go there, don’t undermine yourselves. You’re the best we have,’ added Ayikoru.

Meanwhile, Nakaayi and former national team swimmer Jamillah Lunkuse, who featured in the London 2012 Olympics, are part of Dakar 2026 as the Games’ role models.

TEAM UGANDA TO DAKAR YOUTH OLYMPICS

Athletes: Michael Kibet, Timothy Cheptoyek, Baskaline Cherotwo, Rachael Chelimo, Keren Chelimo (all Athletics), Ramiah Bukenya (Badminton), Ali Ssali (Cycling), Marcel Andrew Otim (Rowing), Mark Arthur Mwase, Peter Inhensiko, Zara Marie Mbanga, Mary Peyton Suubi (Swimming), Joseph Sebatindira, Jemimah Nakawala (Table Tennis), Victor Ampiire, Bonamy Asiimwe Bwambale, Trey Gateja Rugumba, Jeremy Iragaba, Sanyu Junior Katushabe, Moses Kibet, Deogracious Muliira, Shafik Okole, Abdulrahman Ongima, Almadi Otema, James Tyron Ssebuufu (all Rugby)

Officials: Ziana Cheptoyek, William Kabindi, Isaka Bukenya, Batenga Nakisozi, Elijah Namunyu, Ezekeri Kalali, Alvin Katumba, Dorothy Nekesa, Solomon Aryampa, Peter Ochol, Jude Rwakayanga (all coaches), Miriam Nalubega (Physio), Patricia Ayebare (Safeguarding Officer), Shadir Musa Bwogi (Athlete Representative), Elijah Njawuzi and Annie Nankya (Team Administrators), Lydia Dhamuzungu (Chef de Mission)