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The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, has expressed concern over the appointment of Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury.

In a statement issued on October 3, Archbishop Kaziimba was particularly concerned about appointing a person who has reportedly supported behaviours that contradict the biblical doctrines.

Biblical doctrines of marriage define it as a permanent, lifelong, heterosexual, and monogamous covenant between one man and one woman, initiated by God.

“I am writing to share the sad news that the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, has been appointed as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Our sadness about this appointment is her support and advocacy for unbiblical positions on sexuality and same-sex marriage that reveal her departure from the historic Anglican positions that uphold the authority of Scripture for faith and life,” he states.

He added, “As a founding member of Gafcon, the Church of Uganda considers this appointment to further deepen the tear in the fabric of the Anglican Communion that began in 2003 with the TEC consecration as Bishop of a divorced father of two living in a same-sex relationship. The tear in the fabric of the Anglican Communion has now reached the highest level of the Communion. There appears to be no repentance. Make no mistake.”

He described the contentious decision as a grievous decision at the highest levels of the Church of England to separate itself from the vast majority of the global Anglican Communion.

He extended his prayers to those in the Church of England who are disillusioned by the appointment and hand of fellowship to them through Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans.

“As we declared in our 2023 Gafcon statement from Kigali, we no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as having global authority and the office is certainly no longer an ‘Instrument of Communion,’ he added.

‘With this appointment, the Archbishop of Canterbury is reduced simply to the Primate of All England,” he said.

He assured Christians in the Church of Uganda that, through Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, they are part of a worldwide communion of Anglicans who continue to proclaim the historic and Biblical faith of Anglicanism – faithfulness to Christ and submission to the authority of Scripture.

He explained that the future of Gospel-centred mission in the Anglican tradition is bright, noting that: ‘The fields are ripe for harvest; we pray for labourers to go into the harvest.’

As we declared at our 2018 Gafcon meeting in Jerusalem, ‘We will proclaim Christ faithfully to the nations.’

Uganda’s Anti- Homosexuality Act criminalises homosexuality and same-sex marriages.

Mullally was appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on October 3, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England in 1400 years’ history.

She is expected to be installed next year in March.

Ugandan food exporters are struggling to compete in global markets due to the country’s landlocked status, with entrepreneurs citing high transportation costs and logistics delays as major barriers to international trade. Mr Elie Nsabimana, the chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of MIECA Uganda Limited, says while demand for Ugandan organic foods such as matooke, cassava, and sweet potatoes is growing in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, the cost of getting those goods out of the country is undermining profits and slowing scale-up.

‘We are exporting over 100 containers of food every year, but we cannot satisfy the market because transport from Uganda to the port of Mombasa is very expensive,’ Mr Nsabimana tells Monitor during a visit to MIECA’s new 20-acre food processing facility in Buwama, Mpigi District. Mr Nsabimana, whose company employs more than 500 workers and sells over 70 value-added food products globally, says Uganda’s inland location increases the final price of goods.

This makes them less competitive compared to products from West African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon that have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. ‘Our competitors in West Africa are close to the sea. They move goods directly from the factory to the ship. For us in Uganda, we must first go through Kenya, via Mombasa to access the Ocean. That journey eats into our margins,’ he says.

Road transport

Uganda depends on road transport through Kenya to access the Port of Mombasa, which is its primary gateway for international trade. According to data from the Uganda Freight Forwarders Association (UFFA), this route adds between 25 percent and 40 percent to the logistics cost of an export container, depending on the weight, perishability, and mode of transport.

MIECA, which stands for Mugisha Import and Export Company, started operations in 2018 with a focus on adding value to traditional Ugandan foods. Its flagship product is matooke (green bananas), which the company dehydrates, grinds, or vacuum-seals for long shelf-life export. Mr Nsabimana claims that Uganda’s matooke is in high demand abroad because it is still organic and chemical-free.

‘Our land is virgin. We don’t use chemical fertilisers, so when our matooke reaches the international market, people love it. But the problem is not demand; it is getting the goods there affordably and consistently,’ he added. The company exports to Canada (with stores in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal), the United States, France, Belgium, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. However, despite this global presence, Mr Nsabimana says MIECA remains constrained by limited access to affordable shipping, high fuel costs, delays at the border, and lack of access to financing. Mr Nsabimana warns that the lack of investment in export infrastructure is limiting Uganda’s competitiveness in agro-processing.

Nearly 100 Ugandan cyclists have been flagged off for the Jubilee Live Free Race due Sunday in Nairobi.

The annual event, powered by Grand Nairobi Bike Race (GNBR), will attract over 3500 cyclists from over 20 nationalities competing in distances ranging from 45km to 75km.

This year’s edition is dedicated to improving children’s physical mobility and overall wellness and Jubilee Holdings chief distribution officer Linda Byaruhanga said the company has dedicated Shs560m to buy prosthetic limbs for amputee children at Katalemwa Cheshire Home in Wakiso.

‘Sport has a unique power to bring people together, inspire action, and shape healthier habits. As our cyclists fly the national flag, we wish them the very best,’ said Byaruhanga during the flagoff at Sanyuka Gardens, Lubiri, Mengo Friday afternoon.

‘We are thrilled to have a team representing Uganda at the Jubilee Live Free Race for the third consecutive year. Our team consistently secures podium finishes, and we are optimistic that this year will be no different. Beyond competition, this is a fantastic opportunity to come together through sport, to engage with communities, and to make financial planning both accessible and relatable for everyone.’

Jordan Ssekanwagi was the first to win the 75km main race, followed by Paul Lomuria in 2023, followed by 2024 Olympian Charles Kagimu last year, where Aziz Ssempijja bagged gold in the Black Mamba category.

‘You all know Kagimu has been at the World Cycling Championship in Rwanda last week. He has been competing with greats like Remco Evenepoel [the Paris 2024 Olympic champion] and I know he is going to ride for gold,’ said Lance Ismael Ssebayiga, director Moonlight Events, who also commended Jubilee for the consistent support to Ugandan cycling.

Another Shs107m will be shared among the cyclists as prize money for the top performers in each of the categories: Main Race (75km), Team Race (75km), Black Mamba (45km), Para Cyclists (45km), Family Fun Ride (1km), and Kiddie Race (1km).

Uganda Cycling Association president Sam ‘Mahaba’ Muwonge also praised Jubilee’s dedication to cycling and requested that an event of such magnitude be organised in Uganda.

CATEGORIES

Main Race (75km)

Team Race (75km)

Black Mamba (45km)

Para Cyclists (45km)

Family Fun Ride (15km)

Kiddie Race (1km)

When: Sunday October 5

Where: Nairobi

Ugandans to Watch: Charles Kagimu, Aziz Ssempijja, Shamal Nakabuye

Prize money: Shs107m

Cause: children’s physical mobility

In the corporate world, many people primarily introduce themselves by their job title and the company they work for. Traditionally, branding focused on companies; logos, colours and slogans that distinguish one business from another.

However, in today’s hyper-competitive workplace, personal branding is equally essential. Every employee, regardless of position, should see themselves as a brand. Your personal brand is the unique value proposition you bring to the table.

Gone are the days when promotions and opportunities relied solely on tenure or qualifications. Today, visibility, credibility and influence matter just as much. Employers, clients and colleagues make decisions based not only on what you know but also on how you are perceived. So, what value do you add beyond your job title?

Consider LinkedIn, the modern marketplace of talent and ideas. Professionals with strong personal brands stand out, attract opportunities and build influence across industries. They don’t wait for recognition, they create it. Those without a brand risk blending into the noise, regardless of their competence.

Many brilliant employees remain invisible because they believe that hard work alone will speak for them. But competence without visibility is like a well-kept secret. If decision makers don’t know who you are, your chances of promotion or recognition diminish. Worse, someone less competent but more visible may seize opportunities meant for you.

Your personal brand is about clarity, consistency and authenticity. It’s essential to demonstrate competence and thought leadership in your field. Are people recognising you as a go-to person on a particular subject?

Can you confidently share insights that influence industry conversations? Developing this requires strong communication skills, especially public speaking, which can significantly enhance your personal brand. Branding without visibility is like winking in the dark, only you know what is happening.

Corporate workers must intentionally leverage platforms, networks and professional spaces to showcase their value. Present at conferences, publish opinion pieces, mentor juniors and engage actively on social media.

In an era of restructuring, downsizing and rapid technological change, personal branding acts as career insurance. A strong brand ensures your value is recognised beyond your current role or employer. If you need to transition careers, your network and reputation serve as a safety net.

Building a personal brand isn’t a quick fix; it takes years of consistent effort and deliberate positioning.

Like commercial brands that stand out after years of awareness campaigns, your personal brand requires ongoing investment. This ensures others experience your brand positively and have a compelling story to tell about you.

To strengthen your brand, speak up in meetings, write blogs or contribute articles that showcase your insights. Be mindful of your online presence, curate your social media profiles to reflect professionalism. Ensure your LinkedIn profile, posts and interactions align with your personal brand.

Most corporate employees already have a personal brand; the question is whether you are managing it intentionally or leaving it to chance. In today’s workplace, branding is no longer optional, it is a career imperative. A strong personal brand amplifies your voice, opens doors and prevents your competence from being overlooked.

While companies may own logos and taglines, your professional brand is the story you tell and the legacy you leave. Invest in it deliberately. In the marketplace of ideas, your personal brand is your power.

Uganda’s 2022 updated climate plan is bold in both ambition and cost. It commits to cutting emissions 24.7 percent below business-as-usual by 2030, up from 22 percent in 2016, with adaptation as the first line of defence. The plan carries a $28.1b (Shs97.1 trillion) price tag to 2030. Government pledges about 15 percent ($4.1b (Shs14.2 trillion)), leaving the rest to external finance, technology, and capacity support. By 2030, Uganda wants electricity access for three in four citizens, up from 24 percent to 28 percent in 2020. Achieving this requires not just Karuma’s generation but distribution expansion, rural connections, and affordable tariffs to avoid stranded megawatts.

What are the key planks of the plan?

Transmission is central: high-voltage lines are set to expand from 2,354km in 2019 to 6,300km by 2030. Per-capita use should rise nearly sixfold, from 100 to 578 kilowatt hours. The logic is that access without consumption is hollow. Connections must power households, businesses, and factories at levels that drive growth.

Agriculture is another priority. Irrigated land is expected to grow from 19,776 to 152,622 hectares by 2030. With farming still Uganda’s largest employer, irrigation is critical for buffering rainfall shocks and boosting rural incomes.

Forests serve as a climate and livelihood safety net. Uganda pledges to restore 2.5 million hectares of degraded land under the Bonn Challenge, alongside new planted forests and agroforestry. These absorb emissions while providing timber, fuel, and other products sustainably-where mitigation and adaptation overlap.

The plan also emphasises awareness and governance. By 2030, at least 11 million people should understand climate change, and half of local governments should have action plans. The message is that technology alone cannot deliver resilience; institutions and communities must plan, budget, and enforce.

The most striking feature, however, is reliance on land use. Agriculture, forestry, and other land use are expected to deliver 82.7 percent of reductions by 2030, compared with transport (7.6), energy (6.4), waste (3.0), and industry (0.4).

Forests and farms are Uganda’s cheapest levers-while renewables and transport electrification are capital-intensive, protecting peatlands or scaling agroforestry can deliver quicker, lower-cost gains. The gamble is fragile. Land-use gains face enforcement gaps, community resistance, and global carbon-price swings. If deforestation outpaces restoration or farmers cannot afford sustainable practices, Uganda could miss its targets even with new dams and grids.

In effect, the plan is only as strong as the governance of forests and fields-sectors long underfunded and weakly managed. This explains why land-use measures are paired with infrastructure and awareness. Irrigation, electrification, and climate literacy aim to reduce the social and economic pressures that drive deforestation. Without reliable power, resilient farming, and alternative incomes, forests will remain Uganda’s fall-back fuel and frontier.

What promises on the same are being made in party manifestos ahead of the 2026 polls?

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, under whose watch the climate plan was updated in 2022, in its manifesto ahead of the 2026 General Election, has consequently promised to ‘invest in more energy transmission infrastructure.’ It has vowed to ‘rehabilitate and refurbish our existing energy transmission and distribution infrastructure to improve grid reliability.’ It also plans to ‘construct more electricity generation plants, including Buyende Nuclear Power Plant (8,600MW), Kiba Hydropower Plant (400MW), a solar power plant (500MW), and wind energy systems (70MW).’

In priority 10 of its manifesto, the leading Opposition party, National Unity Platform (NUP), makes the grand promise to ‘ensure sustainable management of natural resources and climate resilience.’ Using government statistics that indicate that ‘annual economic losses due to climate change could range between $3.2b (Shs11 trillion) and $5.9b (Shs20.4 trillion) between 2025 and 2050,’ NUP has proffered seven solutions. They include strengthening international climate finance partnerships; adopting a climate-responsive budgeting framework; establishing a dedicated National Adaptation Fund; and commissioning long-term climate-fiscal analysis.

Other solutions are accelerating early warning and early action systems; promoting green jobs and climate-smart enterprises; and scaling up nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration. The commitments of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), another Opposition party, include promoting ‘responsible sourcing of forest products through certification and labelling.’ It is also keen on encouraging ‘economic diversification to reduce dependence on a single industry or sector, making communities more resilient to natural disasters’ as well as promoting ‘sustainable land use practices, including agro-forestry and conservation agriculture’ to mention but two.

Will Uganda’s climate goals be hard work as many fear?

Unfortunately, yes. And two baselines show why. The first is electricity. Access stood at 51.5 percent in 2023, according to World Bank data. To reach 75 percent by 2030, Uganda must climb another 23.5 points. It is a steep rise, but not impossible-especially after the 600MW Karuma hydropower plant came online in September 2024, pushing installed capacity past 2,000MW.

The catch is that capacity alone does not deliver connections. Karuma’s testing phase exposed this when a nationwide blackout in June 2024 highlighted weaknesses in grid stability and maintenance. To move the numbers, generation must be matched with reliable transmission, expanded distribution, and tariffs that households can afford.

Distribution remains a problem. Former distributer Umeme’s filings long showed efficiency gaps: in 2000, only 50 of every 100 units received from transmission were converted into cash. By the time it handed over to Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited in March 2025, that had improved to about 80 units.

‘If you compare between 2020 and this year, the network is carrying over 70 percent more power than five years ago, around the Covid-19 period. Now, we are pouring all that power into the system which requires investments,’ said Mr Selestino Babungi, former Umeme chief executive officer and managing director.

‘The network requires it to be invested in and expanded to carry the load that is being driven by economic development, being driven by the number of connections we are making through various government programmes. The challenge we are experiencing now is that we are loading the network with more volume power without opening the arteries to carry that power,’ he added.

The second baseline is irrigation. Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) puts it at 19,776 hectares, though broader estimates suggest about 77,000 hectares in 2022-still under 2.0 percent of potential. Reaching 152,622 hectares by 2030 will require sustained investment in water storage, distribution, and farmer support to ensure irrigation translates into yields and incomes.

Forests are the third pressure point. Uganda’s updated NDC shows protected forest cover shrinking from 8.0 to 6.0 percent of land area, with even sharper losses outside reserves. Restoring 2.5 million hectares is therefore both urgent and uphill and without clearer land rights, stronger enforcement, and alternative livelihoods, the target risks slipping out of reach. The direction of travel is right-more power, more irrigation, more trees-but the gap between paper targets and field realities remains wide.

How important is finance architecture?

To deliver the paper targets, Uganda needs financial machinery that channels capital into projects-connections, irrigation, and forest recovery-at scale. That is the role of the new climate-finance architecture. The first piece is institutional muscle. A Climate Finance Unit (CFU) was set up in the Ministry of Finance in 2023 with UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) support. Its mandate is to mobilise and track climate finance and, crucially, weave climate priorities into the national budget-giving projects a seat at the fiscal table rather than being treated as add-ons.

The second is transparency. Uganda is rolling out Climate Change Budget Tagging (CCBT), a system that tracks climate spending across public accounts. It makes it harder for funds to disappear into general expenditure and lets government and donors see if allocations reach power lines, water systems, and forest programmes.

The third is standards. With the EU’s Support Programme to Enhance Access and Retention of Climate Finance in Uganda backing, Uganda launched a National Green Taxonomy and a National Climate Finance Strategy (2025-2030). The taxonomy defines what counts as ‘green,’ reducing disputes between lenders and ministries, while the strategy outlines how to draw in private capital and improve reporting. For banks and pensions, it provides a rulebook for compliant loans and investments; for the government, it ensures comparability across projects. The fourth is markets. In 2025, the government issued Climate Change Mechanisms Regulations, providing a legal base for Article 6 and voluntary carbon projects. This gives developers and verifiers the certainty to build forest-restoration or cookstove projects that generate revenue from credits. With GGGI’s support, Uganda is also working on fee frameworks and fiscal design.

Taken together, these reforms form the backbone of a modern climate-finance system: definitions (taxonomy), a plan (National Climate Finance Strategy [NCFS]), a treasury-side engine (CFU), budget tagging (CCBT), and market regulations (carbon). If they work, they reduce friction for lenders, help local banks originate compliant green projects, and give Uganda credibility with global funds.

More importantly, they connect directly to delivery challenges. Budget tagging and taxonomy alignment can ensure Karuma’s megawatts are matched with financed grid expansion and last-mile connections. The CFU and NCFS can structure blended finance that pairs public risk buffers with private irrigation investment. And carbon-market rules can create revenue streams that make forest restoration bankable, while budget tagging ensures those revenues are reinvested locally.

In short, if Uganda’s climate-finance architecture functions, it becomes the system that can turn power plants into connections, canals into irrigated fields, and restoration pledges into living forests.

What is the trickiest macro variable?

It isn’t rainfall; it’s oil. Government timelines have slipped from ‘first oil in 2025’ to 2026, even as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) secures financing from African lenders. Uganda expects to earn $1.5 billion (Shs5.1 trillion) to $2 billion (Shs6.9 trillion) annually once production begins, though revenues will depend on global prices and contract terms.

The National Treasury hopes to use oil money to cut budget stress and build infrastructure, but the revenues also risk raising emissions and undermining trust in its climate pledges, which rely more on forests and land than on cutting oil use. That is why investors, think-tanks, and development partners are watching closely. The question is whether a share of oil inflows will be ring-fenced for adaptation, electrification, and resilience-or absorbed into recurrent spending.

Petroleum Authority of Uganda data suggests priorities include the Standard Gauge Railway, highways, health and education investments. These are strategic but do not automatically advance climate goals.

Uganda’s Petroleum Fund, created under the Public Finance Management Act, is meant to prevent rapid drawdown and promote long-term stability. How prudently it is used will matter as much as the inflows themselves. Equally critical are the social and environmental risks along the Eacop corridor, where livelihoods, land rights, and biodiversity face scrutiny from local communities and international campaigners. Poor management could undercut Uganda’s ability to access concessional climate finance, regardless of oil revenue. Handled well, oil could provide the fiscal cushion to underwrite a green transition. Mishandled, it risks reinforcing the ‘oil versus climate’ narrative and weakening Uganda’s case for global capital to support its 2030 targets.

Can the numbers add up?

The financing math sets the strategy. Uganda’s climate bill is $28.1 billion (Shs97.1 trillion) by 2030, according to its updated NDC, with only about 15 percent expected from domestic sources. That leaves an external gap of roughly $24 billion (Shs82.9 trillion)-too large for any single instrument or funder.

Closing it requires a stacked capital approach: concessional anchors to absorb early risk, guarantees to unlock local banks and pensions, and market instruments like green or sustainability-linked bonds once cash flows are proven.

The new NCFS and taxonomy matter only if they channel projects into that stack. In effect, the taxonomy must serve as a credit manufacturing standard for lenders, not just a policy paper. Fiscal consolidation also reshapes the sequence. Plans to cut domestic borrowing in 2026/2027 by the National Treasury are aimed at easing crowding-out and lower yields-good for macro stability-but could leave the State with less room for equity-style co-financing. A couple of energy economists reached out for this article note that public funds need to move from being owners to acting as risk buffers: first-loss capital, guarantees, viability-gap grants, and results-based subsidies that catalyse private investment, with the budget serving more as a risk warehouse than a chequebook.

Execution risk lies in sequencing, not just money. The commissioning of Karuma hydropower supports the headline access target, but generation alone does not create livelihoods. Without distribution build-out, loss reduction, tariff clarity, and last-mile investment-the ‘unsexy middle’-connections lag, cash flows disappoint, and lenders-re-price risk upward.

Can you size up the payoff?

Clean cooking is tougher than it looks-but it offers the biggest social payoff. Cutting biomass use from 88 percent to 40 percent by 2030 is less an engineering problem than a demand-side finance and logistics problem: getting affordable stoves and fuels into homes at the moment people need them.

That means making costs bite-sized and predictable. Using results-based finance that pays on verified adoption and sustained use; pairing it with PAYGo (pay-as-you-go) so households buy energy the way they already buy electricity or mobile data-small top-ups via mobile money, using only what they can afford at a time. Add local manufacturing to bring prices down and shorten supply chains so restocking fuel or parts is easy.

Carbon revenue can be the catalyst, but only if contracts share value with consumers and last-mile distributors and if monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) is solid. Without that, projects look good in pilots and then stall when the subsidies fade. Scaling itself requires embedding the taxonomy inside financial institutions. For banks, that means adjusting credit policies, loan templates, and management information systems so climate screens are built in at origination.

For pensions and insurers, it means explicit allowances for taxonomy-aligned infrastructure debt and equity within prudent limits. Supervisors such as the central bank and Insurance Regulator must oversee risks and volumes system-wide.

Pair this with climate-tagged budget data and outcome reporting, and investors won’t need thousands of projects but a handful of bankable deals with hard numbers-capital expenditure, revenue model, risk mitigants, and timetables-as the World Bank has noted. Carbon markets add another lever. Their regulations have just been released. If structured properly, Article 6 can turn verified mitigation into hard-currency inflows and credit enhancement. But order matters.

What needs to be done?

Uganda needs to first build monitoring and verification systems, then set a transparent revenue-sharing system with communities, and keep transactions on-budget and visible. Three clean pilots-a forest-restoration project with benefit-sharing, a distributed solar aggregation, and a municipal waste-to-energy scheme-could then prove credibility before scaling.

Oil adds both risk and opportunity. Modelling by Rystad Energy and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) shows government earnings could average $1.9 billion (Shs6.5 trillion) a year under a slow transition, or $1.0 billion (Shs3.4 trillion) under a moderate one. The hedge does not offer better forecasts but stronger rules. Ring-fencing a share of oil inflows for grids, clean cooking, and resilience-and codifying it in Public Finance Management Act regulations-would flip oil from ‘versus climate’ to ‘backstopping climate.’ ‘The Petroleum Fund should be treated as risk capital to guarantee climate deals, not a rainy-day drawer for recurrent spending,’ NRGI’s July 2025 energy research notes.

So, what next?

With capital scarce, Uganda is looked at as one that should prioritise a first wave of projects already close to bankable: distributed solar with last-mile grid extensions, irrigation and water-storage clusters tied to committed off-takers, and forest landscape restoration under the 2025 carbon rules with verified credits and community benefit-sharing.

These combine cash-flow potential with strong mitigation and adaptation impact. Governance can be the multiplier. A dedicated Climate Transactions Project Management Office could shepherd deals from concept to close-issuing standard term sheets, pooling procurements, building shared data rooms, and publishing a weekly traffic-light dashboard for Cabinet and the Finance Ministry. Quarterly scorecards tracking dollars mobilised, megawatts connected, households adopting clean fuels, hectares restored, and losses reduced would give markets visibility. And markets price what they can see.

Uganda has already put its climate ambitions on the table: a 24.7 percent cut in emissions, millions more on the grid, forests restored, and irrigation expanded. The numbers are bold, the architecture is taking shape, and the oil windfall could provide the fiscal cushion. Yet the real test is not how much money arrives, but how credibly it is used. If petroleum revenues are ring-fenced, if banks and pensions internalise green rules, and if carbon markets deliver real projects, Uganda could prove that a resource-rich African economy can grow and decarbonise at once. If not, the pledge risks becoming another statistic-grand on paper, fragile in practice.

The guest list underscored its significance, with Hon. Anthony Wamala, Minister of Culture, and Nnaalinnya Lubuga Agnes Nabaloga in attendance. Many left convinced that this was the beginning of a new era-where bark cloth could shed its stigma and find renewed relevance in daily life.

‘This exhibition was more than a display of clothing; it was a call to action to challenge the stigma around traditional materials and provide an alternative, innovative way of using them,’ Katende affirmed.

At POATE, Katende was not alone. The showcase became a tapestry of Uganda: Gabriel channelled the warrior traditions of the Lango, his garments evoking resilience and ancestral memory. Aminata Mayanja reimagined the Bagisu Imbaluinitiation, her beadwork echoing the rhythm of the Kadodi dance. Sanvra, from Buganda, crafted a refined bark cloth kanzu adorned with cowry shells for continuity and fertility. The Ankole were represented in garments inspired by their long-horned cattle, symbols of dignity and pastoral pride.

Together, the designers created a living cultural map, proving heritage is not static but alive, adaptive, and globally relevant. Katende’s work carries urgency because of its environmental edge. Bark cloth is harvested without cutting the tree, regenerates annually, and requires no chemicals. Banana-fibre textiles recycle agricultural waste into fabric. Raffia and cowry shells carry symbolism as well as beauty, leaving no ecological footprint.

‘These are not just fabrics. They are knowledge systems,’ Katende insists. ‘They remind us of who we are, and they show us a path forward.’ IGC Fashion embodies this ethos. Many of Katende’s pieces travel beyond the runway into museums and galleries, sparking curiosity and education. His self-taught journey, sourcing bark cloth from Masaka and fabrics from Owino, underscores a grassroots process with a global outlook.

At heritage sites like the Kasubi Tombs, bark cloth continues to serve sacred roles. Yet in Katende’s hands, it is also modern, adaptable, and globally resonant. As the lights dimmed at POATE, and as guests left the Woven Worlds exhibition carrying Mutuba seedlings, the message was the same: awakening. Katende’s manifesto stitched in bark cloth urged Uganda-and the world-to see heritage not as relic but as resource, not as past but as future. Gugumuka-Awaken-was not just a costume. It was a declaration, bold and unapologetically African: ‘Awaken to who we are, to what we have, and to the solutions hidden in our heritage.’

In a tourism expo dominated by safaris, wildlife, and landscapes, Ugandan designers reminded audiences that creativity and culture may be the country’s greatest treasures. Fashion, in their hands, became a bridge between past and future, heritage and innovation, art and activism.

And for Katende, The Evolution of Olubugo and Woven Worlds are more than exhibitions. They are manifestos-stitched in bark cloth, rooted in Mutuba, and carrying Uganda’s fashion renaissance into the future.

The Executive Director of the Uganda Media Women Association (UMWA), Ms Margaret Sentamu, has implored journalists to report sensitively on issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to help eliminate the vice in Uganda.

While launching the 2025 Gender Media Awards at UMWA offices on October 3, Ms. Sentamu emphasised the media’s responsibility to report on GBV issues with fairness, objectivity, and sensitivity.

“A 2019 UMWA study revealed that 90% of GBV story sources were men, while over 90% of survivors were women and girls,” she said. “This gap demonstrates how much work remains for our media to amplify women’s voices and report on gender issues with depth, balance, and empathy.”

Ms Sentamu noted that journalists often rely on police statements and narrations from others instead of survivors, which can perpetuate judgment and hinder the fight against GBV.

“The media can play a key role in shaping public opinion and changing attitudes, deconstructing existing gender stereotypes and ending violence against women and girls,” she added.

The awards aim to motivate journalists and media houses to adopt gender-responsive journalism. Ms Joanita Sanyu Nankya, Program Officer at UMWA, stated that the awards will cover stories published between August 1, 2025, and October 15, 2025, and will recognize outstanding reporting in three thematic areas: GBV, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, and Refugee Rights.

“The awards come at a critical time in Uganda’s media landscape,” Ms. Nankya said. “Responsible reporting can play a significant role in challenging gender stereotypes, influencing attitudes, shaping policy, and protecting rights.”

Ms Cotilda Babirekere, Project Officer Gender at UMWA, added that the awards will not only celebrate outstanding journalism but also build a movement of responsible journalism that prioritizes human dignity, equality, and justice.

Award recipients will receive certificates and trophies, and their work will serve as a standard and inspiration for journalists in Uganda and beyond.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, has demanded an explanation from Electoral Commission chairperson Simon Byabakama over why he was blocked from holding a campaign rally in Iganga Municipality.

Mr Kyagulanyi was scheduled to address supporters in Iganga on Friday, but was intercepted by police and the UPDF while traveling from Mayuge District, where he had earlier held a rally.

He questioned why he is being singled out, claiming his rival presidential candidates have freely campaigned in the same area.

‘I want Justice Byabakama to tell me why only I am being mistreated,’ Kyagulanyi said. ‘I am a presidential candidate like the others, and I am entitled to be treated the same.’

Mr Kyagulanyi added that ever since he arrived in Busoga sub-region, he has been barred from using tarmac roads and holding rallies in urban centers.

‘I have tested the potholes on rural roads, which has delayed us from reaching other venues on time due to long distances and poor road conditions,’ he lamented.

Mr Nasser Mudyobole, the NUP flag bearer for Iganga Municipality MP, said the actions of the police and army show that NRM’s presidential candidate, Mr Yoweri Museveni, lacks support in the region.

‘We defeated him in Busoga in 2021, and we are going to do it again,’ Mr Nassa claimed.

Ms Mercy Walukanba, NUP flag bearer for Bugweri District MP , said she wasn’t surprised by the blockade, noting that Mr Kyagulanyi had also been prevented from opening a party office in Namutumba Town Council on Thursday.

‘We are not scared. This only strengthens our resolve and shows Busoga loves its candidate,’ she said.

Mr Chris Wakalanga, NUP chairperson for Namutumba District, emphasised that Mr Kyagulanyi deserves equal treatment like any other presidential candidate.

According to Mr Kyagulanyi’s campaign schedule, he is expected to campaign in Namayingo and Bugiri today.

However, police said Mr Kyagulanyi cancelled their campaign in Iganga after failing to heed police guidelines.

“The rally in Mayuge was successfully held. On their way to Iganga, Candidate Sentamu and his group were advised to follow the agreed-upon route to Iganga Municipality and specifically to Namungale Grounds. However, they opted to take an alternative route where they encountered our cutoffs. Consequently, they decided to head to Jinja City and cancelled their campaign in Iganga.

We urge him and his team to adhere to security guidelines to ensure smooth and peaceful campaigns,” reads part of the police statement.

In the remote village of Magada, Magada Sub-county in Namutumba District, farmers are revolutionalising their agricultural practices by adopting post- harvest technologies to minimise losses and maximise profits from their produce.

The farmers under their cooperative, Magada United Rice Farmers Cooperative Society Limited, previously produced poor quality rice due to poor post-harvest handling methods. These included harvesting rice using traditional methods, as well as drying their harvested rice on the bare ground.

Now, with the acquisition of rice thresher and storage facilities, farmers say post-harvest losses have been reduced.

‘Previously, we would cut and leave the rice in the paddy field for three or four days which would destroy it. On other days, we would dry harvested rice on the ground due to lack of tarpaulins,’ Ms Tapenence Namugaya on Saturday. ‘This meant the end product contained stones which fetched a low price,’ she adds.

Ms Namugaya is one of beneficiaries of Agra Cereals project being implemented by Kilimo Trust. The project is focused on reducing post-harvesting losses, improving grain quality and increasing market access for farmers in over nine districts in the eastern region.

The three-year project, running from 2024 to 2027, targets maize, beans and rice value chains, promotes efficient post – harvesting handling through provision of threshers, shellers and solar dryers to ensure quality grain.

About 105,000 smallholder farmers in the target districts of Bugiri, Iganga, Namutumba, Bulambuli, Mbale and Kween found in the Sub-regions of Busoga, Bugisu and Sebei have been trained on post- harvest handling practices for maize, beans and rice.

Mr Samuel Kiirya, another rice farmer in Magada sub-County said under the project, they have signed agreements with traders who buy their grain at better prices compared to middlemen. Mr Moses Mushebo, the chairperson of the association says as a cooperative with over 1,000 farmers, they now have access to hermetic storage bags.

‘Hermetic bags keep pests and moisture levels low, extending the shelf life of grains,’ he says, adding that each farmer now harvests about 500 kilogrammes of rice. Formerly, Mr Mushebo said, without a rice thresher, a farmer would spend about four days to harvest a four acre rice field.

‘The rice thresher is improving our produce because immediately after harvesting the rice you thresh it and return with it to the field on same day for more harvests,’ he says.

Significant losses

In Busoba Town Council, Butaleja District, Mr Paul Wananda, who received a solar dryer on behalf of Busoba Rural Farmers Association, said drying and preserving maize had been a challenge.

‘We often made significant losses due to poor drying and storage practices. That affected our income from the grain and also food security,’ Mr Wananda said.

The solar dryer, Mr Wananda said, would prevent mold growth and also preserves the quality of the maize. Mr Stephen Ekoom, the chief executive officer of the Farmers Guide Uganda Limited, said solar dryers ensure that the grains are not exposed to direct sunlight, winds and contamination.

‘The high temperatures deter insects and the risk of spoilage from microorganisms,’ he says.

Ms Rachel Ajambo, the country team leader, Uganda Kilimo Trust sayid they have since distributed service handling technologies including solar dryers, maize threshers, maize shellers, rice threshers and beans threshers, with the main aim of increasing the quality of the grain that is traded in our local markets and also in the regional markets to prevent future cases of rejection of Ugandan produce.

‘Without these technologies, farmers dry these commodities on the bare ground and this increases the input of foreign matters, for example, stones, animal dung, and things like this, which automatically reduce the quality,’ she said, adding that they have also linked farmers to structured markets.

‘We have several buyers that have been linked to these farmers. And so far, we have seen about 14,000 metric tons traded through these market linkages,’ she says, urging farmers to get organized in groups and adopt good agricultural practices and good post-harvest handling practices to ensure that they capture regional markets, which are more profitable.

Her call was reechoed by Mr Alex Ewinyu, the technical assistant, Kilimo Trust, who said there is an improvement of quality grain trade being traded with adoption of alternative energy post -harvest processes such as drying and threshing.

‘This is the goal of the project – to ensure that farmers actually get to produce quality grain,’ he says.

In January 2023, congregants flocked to Our Lady of Fatima Kayunga Catholic Parish in Kayunga Town, Kayunga District, for Mass. As is characteristic of many urban churches, this House of God fills every Sunday. However, during the Mass, a yet-to-be-identified female worshipper, who had entered the church with three children, excused herself. She asked her elder child, who was five at the time, to mind his siblings while she went out to ‘ease herself.’

The children – two boys and one girl – were aged between five years and three months. The church’s toilets are located about 100 meters away. The children waited patiently for their mother’s return. However, almost an hour later, as Rev Fr Emmanuel Walakira, the Parish priest, ended the Mass and gave the believers the final blessing, the mother was nowhere to be seen. As the congregants walked out of the church, the children were stranded. They attracted the attention of the believers, among them, Ruth Nakitto, a primary school teacher. A search for the missing mother proved fruitless.

It was later established that she had abandoned her children and disappeared into thin air. As the congregants pondered what to do next, Nakitto offered to look after the children until their mother resurfaced. ‘The other believers helped me to take the children to Kayunga Police Station, where a case of child abandonment was recorded. Then, I took them to my home in Kisaaba Village for the night. The Probation Office gave me official documentation that allowed me to look after the children as authorities searched for their mother,’ the teacher says.

The 46-year-old Nakitto is a teacher at Kayunga Girls Primary School. The three children are among the over 15 abandoned children that she has helped to take care of through the years. The children she picked up from the church are now aged eight, six, and three years. ‘I believe these children are a gift from God. They have no memory of their biological mother. I look forward to the day when she will surface again. One of them used to fall sick regularly, and we discovered that he was HIV positive. Today, the child takes the medication regularly,’ she says.

Charitable beginnings

Recently, the Rotary Club of Kayunga awarded Nakitto a certificate in appreciation for her work. The teacher’s desire to help the vulnerable started long before she qualified in her profession in 2002. ‘As a young learner at St Agnes Girls’ Primary School, Naggalama, I used to assist my fellow learners who were in need. I also remember getting food for the elderly, disabled cleaner of our school compound,’ Nakitto recollects with a smile.

Her charitable heart and discipline earned her many friends, among them the now deceased Rev Sr Ann Elizabeth, who was the headteacher. Nakitto comes from a family of over 20 children who were raised by a single mother, who is a tailor. ‘I am asthmatic, so the situation must have been difficult for my mother, who also faced challenges with paying school fees for all of us. Because I was sickly, the headteacher offered me a half-bursary,’ she says. Interacting with the nuns at her school inspired her to join religious life and serve God. Her dream of becoming a nun was, however, frustrated because of her constant sickness.

‘One cannot be allowed to become a nun with an asthmatic condition. However, I was blessed that St Ann paid for part of my secondary education. After I completed O-Level, the headteacher advised me to join a teacher training college,’ Nakitto recalls. In 2002, she qualified as a Grade III teacher from the now-defunct Rakai Primary Teachers College (PTC). In 2009, graduated with a Diploma in Primary Education from Kyambogo University. A teaching job took her to Kayunga, where she has since built her house and become a resident.

Last year, Nakitto, who does not have biological children and is neither married, took on two children whose mother had developed mental problems. The children are aged 13 and nine years old. ‘I still want to be a nun, although now it seems impossible. I do not have any plan to get married or have my own children because I have devoted my life to serving God and helping vulnerable children. These vulnerable ones are my children,’ she explains.

The challenges

Nakitto, who is a catechist at Our Lady of Fatima Kayunga Catholic Parish, singlehandedly fends for the children and pays their school fees on a meagre monthly salary of Shs450,000.’I was helped by well-wishers to become what I am today, so I have to help others as well. I am glad that we have never gone to bed on empty stomachs. I know God would reward me for my charity work,’ she notes.

To supplement her salary, the teacher operates a small retail shop in one of the rooms of her house. The shop sells sweets, bread, cooking oil, soap, and children’s toys. When Nakitto is not in class, she is at home operating her shop with the elder children. Additionally, she sells Bibles and rosaries at the church every Sunday to raise more income. Nakitto says she faces a challenge trying to instill discipline in the children because most of them come from a bad social background.

‘Sometimes, when I discipline them, they get depressed. Two of the children ran away. I have tried looking for them in vain. I am also financially constrained when it comes to meeting their basic needs. The child who is HIV positive needs to eat a balanced diet, but sometimes I do not have the money to provide it. But, I try my best,’ she explains.

Official stance

Damali Mirembe Manyindo, the founder and director of Sonrise Baby Home in Jinja District, says most of the babies and children she looks after are from Kayunga and the surrounding districts of Buikwe, Jinja, Mukono, and Kamuli. ‘Parents abandon children at health facilities, marketplaces, the roadside, and in public toilets, where they think they can easily be seen and taken away by Good Samaritans. Currently, our home is taking care of 34 babies,’ she says. However, Mirembe points out that many more are brought in, but the home does not have the capacity to contain them.

Dr Charles Iga, the director of production for Kayunga District, says poverty and domestic violence are the leading causes of child neglect in the area. ‘The government has put in place poverty alleviation programs such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model (PDM), but not everyone has benefited. In some parishes in the rural areas, about a quarter of the intended beneficiaries have not received the PDM funds, so poverty is still a challenge,’ he says.

Collins Kafeero, the probation and social welfare officer for Kayunga District, says cases of child desertion are on the rise in the district. Sometimes, he receives two cases a month, brought by local leaders, the police, or the community. ‘When we receive a case of an abandoned baby, we take the baby to a home or orphanage. The child will be taken care of until it is five years old. If we fail to trace any relatives, we start the process of adoption, although we desire to reunite the children with their families,’ he says.

Kafeero blames the vice on domestic violence, fathers who neglect their responsibilities, poverty, mental disorders, and the death of parents. He also notes that some single mothers abandon their children when they find men who are willing to marry them. ‘My office is working closely with the Family and Child Protection Unit of the police to ensure that acts of child neglect are mitigated. We are also sensitising the public on the rights of children to have caregivers. If we find the relatives of abandoned children, we either counsel them and reunite them with the children, or arrest them and prosecute them,’ he explains.

Last year, a widow in Nawankonge Village, Kayonza Sub-county, abandoned her children, all of whom are below 11 years, to go and get married. She was arrested, but when she asked for forgiveness, she was reunited with the children. The community is now contributing to the children’s school fees. According to police statistics, 11 cases of child abandonment were reported to Kayunga Police Station in 2024, up from nine cases in 2023. The Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2004 indicates that 3,663 cases of child neglect and 1,597 cases of child desertion were reported countrywide, while in 2023, 4,730 cases of child neglect and 1,918 cases of child desertion were logged.