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Alur King Phillips Olarker Rauni III has introduced by-laws granting clan chiefs additional powers to monitor antenatal care visits of expectant mothers in an effort to curb HIV infections in the kingdom.

The new health initiative will be formally launched during the 15th anniversary of the Alur king’s coronation in November, with clan heads working alongside Village Health Teams (VHTs) to ensure couples attend joint antenatal appointments.

‘By-laws will act as a working document to encourage husbands and wives to attend antenatal care together and know their HIV/AIDS status,’ said Vincent Ochaya Orach, Deputy Prime Minister of Alur kingdom.

The rules were outlined to clan heads and cultural chiefs during a series of cultural dialogue meetings focusing on voluntary HIV testing and awareness campaigns, chaired by the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC).

Dr Amos Nyathirombo, Health Minister for the kingdom, said the by-laws aim to reduce HIV infections by compelling men to escort their wives for antenatal care, a step often avoided due to fear of disclosing their HIV status.

‘The issue of antenatal care is real, and cultural chiefs must closely monitor mothers who visit health facilities with their husbands. Records must be well documented as mobilization tools to fight HIV/AIDS,’ Nyathirombo said.

He added the regulations would also tackle harmful cultural practices, including underage marriages, by ensuring a signed consent letter from couples and background checks.

Dr Hope Murungi, UAC Coordinator for Civil Society and Private Sector, highlighted national and regional HIV statistics indicating that ‘Five people are infected hourly, 711 weekly, and 37,000 yearly, with 54 daily deaths linked to HIV/AIDS. Cultural leaders must act positively to reduce this scourge.’

Murungi reported district-level infection rates of 3% in Pakwach and Nebbi, and 4% in Zombo. ‘Factors like cross-border trade and social functions, including traditional marriages and dances, contribute heavily to the spread,’ she noted.

Cultural Chief of Kebu Chiefdom, Luciano Macakadho, welcomed the initiative but emphasized the need for cooperation from both the government and VHTs.

‘Cultural leaders are strong in their areas when supported by their subjects. Health issues cut across all sectors, and joint efforts are essential,’ he noted.

Kingdom officials suggest that the initiative is a bottom-up approach by the Alur kingdom to address rising HIV rates through community-level oversight and engagement, combining traditional leadership structures with modern health strategies.

President Yoweri Museveni has called on Ugandans to take charge of their economic destiny by harnessing the potential of the Parish Development Model (PDM) to create wealth and prosperity. The PDM is a poverty alleviation program aimed at transforming the lives of millions of Ugandans and propelling the country towards economic growth.

Addressing a rally in Amolatar District on October 1, 2025, President Museveni emphasised the importance of the PDM in empowering citizens, especially those in rural areas, to break free from poverty and join the money economy.

“So, therefore, what I’m appealing to all of you Ugandans, chase poverty from your home, and do it by doing something that will bring food on your table but also money in your pocket,” he said. “The government has already given you how to start.”

The President highlighted the potential of the PDM, which allocates Shs100 million per parish, to transform the lives of Ugandans.

“This PDM money, one hundred million per parish. In five years, that is five hundred million in one parish. And in the third year, the ones who get first, go back to the circle. The money will never come back to the government. It will remain in your parish,” he explained.

The PDM is a seven-pillar strategy that focuses on production, processing, and marketing, as well as infrastructure and economic services, financial inclusion, social services, mindset change, and governance.

President Museveni urged Ugandans to tap into these pillars to unlock their potential and become active participants in the country’s economic growth.

However, concerns have been raised about the implementation of the PDM, particularly regarding the allocation of funds to vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and older persons.

Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, previously stated that these groups are not consuming all their allocations, with some funds being returned or given to other interest groups.

The President also touched on other issues affecting the region, including the upgrade of the Namasale-Amolatar-Ochero-Dokolo road to bitumen and the ongoing conflict between the fishing community and the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU).

While acknowledging the promise to upgrade the road, President Museveni did not commit to a timeline for its completion. Regarding the conflict, he said he would consult with leaders in the districts surrounding the water bodies before committing to a solution.

Mr Robert Kasibante, the National Peasants Party (NPP) presidential candidate, has halted his campaign rallies, citing internal challenges. The rallies, scheduled for Wednesday in Mubende and Kyegegwa districts, were canceled due to unforeseen difficulties within the team.

“Our roadmap was interrupted by internal challenges, which made it impossible to proceed with today’s program in Mubende and Kyegegwa,’ said Muhammad Luswa Luwemba, the party’s chief mobiliser. ‘But we remain committed to the people. Tomorrow, the candidate will be in Kyenjojo and Fort Portal City to continue with the program as planned.’

The sudden disruption has raised questions about the candidate’s organizational strength. Insiders hinted at logistical and coordination issues within Kasibante’s team, including inadequate mobilization structures and resource-related delays. Mubende and Kyegegwa, both politically significant in central and western regions of Uganda, were expected to give Kasibante a platform to connect with first-time voters and sections of the rural electorate.

By skipping the two districts, observers say Kasibante risks losing momentum in regions where early visibility is crucial for new candidates. Despite the setback, the campaign team insists that the trail remains on course.

‘We are moving forward with our timetable,’ Luwemba reassured. ‘The people of Tooro should expect us tomorrow, and we shall be there to listen to their issues and share our vision.’

Mr Robert Kasibante, one of the new entrants in the 2026 presidential race, has positioned himself as a candidate for accountability and inclusive governance.

His campaign promises include combating corruption at all levels, promising that public resources would be effectively used to benefit ordinary Ugandans. He pledged to prioritize farmers as the backbone of Uganda’s economy through improved agricultural support and better livelihoods.

The NPP candidate has also promised to roll out youth empowerment programs to create opportunities for young people and emphasized the need to uplift teachers and healthcare workers by improving their pay and working conditions.

Kasibante argued that his vision for Uganda rests on inclusivity, where ‘no citizen is left behind.’ Under his leadership, he says, the NPP would pursue policies that boost coffee production, reduce inequality, improve public service delivery, and drive growth in rural communities.

Amid mixed reactions and scepticism over gaps in service delivery, President Museveni launched his 2026 re-election bid at Bukalasa Agricultural College in the Greater Luweero sub-region yesterday.

His ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party sees Luweero as its cradle, owing to its central role in the 1980s liberation war. Yet, 40 years later, many residents question the slow progress in infrastructure, veterans’ welfare, and social services. In 2021, the Opposition triumphed in this symbolic ‘Mecca’ of the NRM, underlining discontent over unfulfilled pledges.

Observers argue that deliberate programmes such as those rolled out in northern Uganda after the conflict were never extended to Luweero.

‘Like the Northern Uganda Reconstruction Programme that targeted rehabilitation of infrastructure and economic recovery, the people of Luweero missed out on such opportunities,’ Mr Omar Kyagulanyi, a civilian war veteran and former Katikamu Sub-county chairperson, said. Former Minister without Portfolio and Presidential Adviser Abdul Nadduli blamed poor planning and lack of goodwill due to broken promises.

‘President Museveni knows Luweero better than many of the current breed of leaders in his government,’ he said, urging him to take direct charge.

Locals accuse both the government and the NRM leaders of frustrating progress.

‘I will not spare President Museveni because he superintends the top policy-making organs. Greater Luweero has had several sons and daughters in the Cabinet. We have always questioned their relevance if they cannot lobby for affirmative action projects,’ said retired teacher John Mary Kabanda.

The erosion of NRM support was evident in 2021, when the Opposition swept all four parliamentary seats in Luweero and two of four in Nakaseke. ‘It was a protest against our own government,’ said Ms Aidah Nakandi Ssemyalo of Wobulenzi, who recounted how her father, a civilian war veteran, died without compensation. Opposition leaders echo the sense of betrayal. Luweero District Chairperson Erastus Kibirango, a NUP member, said: ‘I don’t believe that the NRM government has a chance to run away from the blame of negligence of an area that procured their victory after a long liberation war.’ He called for a special programme to address Luweero’s recovery.

However, NRM officials counter that progress is being made.

Deputy Secretary General of NRM party Rose Namayanja cited Shs6.1 billion for the district administration block, Shs2.5 billion for Luweero General Hospital, and new mechanised farming equipment. Luweero Triangle Minister Alice Kaboyo pointed to Shs6.1 billion recently disbursed to compensate civilian war veterans and the establishment of 500 factories in the last decade.

Yet electoral data tell a stark story. In 2021, Museveni managed only 27.94 percent (41,166 votes) in Luweero, compared to 70.45 percent (103,782 votes) for Robert Kyagulanyi of NUP party. Both NRM and Opposition supporters cited poor service delivery and unmet promises as decisive factors. Mr Pascal Imarach, the Zirobwe Town Council chairperson and the head of the NRM veterans’ league, admitted mistakes but insisted they will improve. ‘Our people demand effective service delivery. Our people still believe that President Museveni is their tested leader,’ he said.

Lingering challenges

Despite some fulfilled pledges, unresolved land issues dominate local grievances. The government claims to have addressed them through the 2010 Land Act, but residents cite abuses by powerful individuals who override the law. Nakasongola District Chairperson Sam Kigula said about 75 percent of residents are squatters and vulnerable to eviction by absentee landlords.

‘We can only circumvent the land-related challenges if the government rolls out the land fund. Many cannot plan to cultivate land because of insecurity,’ he said.

In Luweero and Nakaseke, land grabbing and illegal evictions are rising. Lawyer Peter Kimanje Nsibambi said his firm is handling more than 200 cases. ‘Despite having land laws that protect Bibanja holders, many are victims of illegal eviction,’ he said.

Government’s defence

The NRM highlights achievements in health, education and infrastructure. In Luweero District alone, 32,722 residents benefit from the Parish Development Model (PDM), backed by Shs31 billion. Access to safe water has reached 87 percent, with 1,436 water sources. The district now boasts 230 UPE schools serving 129,287 pupils and 24 government secondary schools with 46,648 students.

Health facilities have also expanded, with 40 public units compared to just five in 1987. The district hospital has been upgraded, alongside operating theatres at Health Centre IVs and maternity wards at Health Centre IIIs. Infrastructure projects include the 29.7km road linking Luweero to Nakaseke via Butalangu and Kiwoko, now 55 percent complete, according to Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Mr Joseph Kyofatogabye Kabuye.

Despite these efforts, scepticism remains over whether development has matched expectations. Many residents still perceive Greater Luweero as neglected.

Political analysts warn that Museveni’s chances of regaining ground depend on addressing core grievances: land disputes, poor roads, and unfulfilled pledges. Unless these issues are tackled decisively, the NRM party risks another setback in its symbolic heartland.

When her husband died in 2017, life changed completely for 80-year-old Terisanta Okii. The grandmother from Anang Village in Alebtong District has no steady income and struggles to care for her three grandchildren. Every day, she goes to her small garden, picks pumpkin leaves, washes them in a saucepan, and cooks them over an open fire. That simple dish is what keeps her family going.

It is also the only meal they eat in a day. ‘I have one torn blanket which a neighbour’s daughter gave me seven years ago. My grandchildren sleep on a mat with only two bedsheets. I don’t have proper serving dishes, but at least I own two plastic cups and seven plates,’ she says. Her home, two small grass-thatched huts, leaks whenever it rains. In the past, she made clay pots to sell, but sickness has kept her away from the quarry where she used to dig clay soil for sell.

One of her grandchildren got pregnant while still in Primary Five. At just 16, she is now a young mother raising a baby.

‘We often go to bed hungry, but we don’t complain,’ Ms Okii says.

‘Every new day, I just wake up and try again.’

Despite the hardship, she still finds joy in her garden, watching her pumpkin leaves grow, and she leans on her faith, praying daily for a better tomorrow. Her struggles are shared by hundreds of other widows in Alebtong. According to New Jerusalem Christian Church, there are more than 400 widows in the district facing the same battles-hunger, poor shelter, and the heavy responsibility of raising children alone.

Seventy-year-old Pamela Acen from Apado Village lost her husband, Charles Akena, last year. Soon after his burial, she says her in-laws grabbed five of the eight gardens he had left her.

‘With only three gardens left, my biggest struggle now is paying school fees,’ she says.

Her son, Peter Awany, is in Senior One at Living Hope High School in Lira City. ‘Being an orphan, I can only contribute food-25 kilos of beans and 30 kilos of maize,’ the teenager says.

Another son, Oscar, sat his Primary Leaving Examinations in 2022 but had to drop out of school because there was no money for fees. In Epale Cell, 70-year-old Jenti Akao tells a similar story. Widowed since 2001, she is caring not only for her own children but also grandchildren from her mentally challenged daughter.

‘We eat once a day. When I fail to get food, we just go to bed hungry,’ she says.

Even the younger widows are not spared.

Grace Adongo, 32, lost her husband in 2018. Now bedridden, she cannot provide for her three children. Janet Akello, 40, from Alekodio Village, has been raising her two children alone since her husband died in a road accident in 2002. One son is studying at Gulu University on government sponsorship, but she is struggling to pay school fees for her daughter, who is in Senior Three in Jinja. Others, like 64-year-old Mildred Ekit of Oumo Village, are taking care of orphans left behind by relatives. ‘I have only one acre of land. We need support to start small projects like poultry or goat rearing so we can properly care for these children,’ she says.

Leaders speak out

Aloi Sub-county councillor Patrick Alengo says the situation is made worse by poverty, poor farming skills, and climate change. Rev Boniface Ongora of New Jerusalem Christian Church says many children have been orphaned by HIV/Aids and are left with poor grandparents. Some end up homeless and on the streets.

He mentions poultry and goat rearing as alternatives that can give widows income while requiring little land. Alebtong LC5 chairman David Kennedy Odongo, admits that the district has no programme specifically targeting widows and orphans.

National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has decried the poor state of infrastructure in Busoga Sub-region, saying it continues to undermine the region’s vast economic potential. Speaking during the second day of his campaign tour of Busoga in Buyende District yesterday, Mr Kyagulanyi highlighted poor road infrastructure, lack of electricity, and neglected public services as key barriers keeping Busoga in a cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.

He expressed concern over the underutilisation of Busoga’s vast natural resources. ‘Busoga is endowed with valuable resources, but poor road networks have hindered its economic growth. These roads must be upgraded and connected to major highways through tarmacking to stimulate development,’ he said. He urged the people of Busoga to safeguard their land from encroachment, warning that land grabbing could jeopardise the region’s future development.

Mr Kyagulanyi criticised the lack of access to electricity in the sub-region, highlighting the irony that electricity is generated in Busoga but many residents live in darkness, especially in the rural communities. He pledged that under his leadership, every homestead would be connected to electricity. He also promised to release all prisoners currently incarcerated across the country, though he did not elaborate on the conditions for such releases.

In his proposed government, Mr Kyagulanyi aims to improve the health system in Busoga and other regions, particularly to eliminate maternal deaths. He emphasised the need to uplift the welfare of security personnel by ensuring the lowest-ranking ones receive a monthly salary of at least Shs1m and are provided with proper housing and benefits. The lowest paid police officers are the police constables who take home Shs440,000, which the NUP leader said is too low to meet their needs. He further pledged to create regional cities based on geographical location and promote equitable employment opportunities.

‘Jobs should be given to all Ugandans, regardless of their region. It’s unacceptable that some government offices are dominated by individuals from only one region. That will not be tolerated in our government,’ he stated.

Meanwhile, security forces stopped Mr Kyagulanyi’s team from accessing Bukungu Landing Site in Buyende District, where two ferries are still waiting to be commissioned and a long-promised ice plant has reportedly been vandalised. The road heading to the site was blocked by armoured vehicles, preventing Mr Kyagulanyi and his team from inspecting the area. Instead, he was diverted to Bukungu Primary School, where he addressed a large crowd.

Despite this unforeseen incident, Mr Kyagulanyi said it spoke volumes about the government’s neglect of the region. ‘This regime doesn’t want us to expose the rot, the neglect, the exploitation, and the suffering they’ve subjected you to in your own land and community,’ Mr Kyagulanyi said. ‘But the statement has already been made. What you’ve seen today is evidence enough and that’s why we rally under the umbrella for shelter from this political storm.’ While addressing separate rallies in Kidera Town (Budiope West) and Irundu Town (Budiope East), Mr Kyagulanyi described his campaign as the beginning of a ‘new dawn’ in Uganda’s political landscape.

He called on all citizens, regardless of political or ideological affiliation, to join the struggle for regime change and national liberation. In Kamuli, security personnel were heavily deployed.

Expecting his arrival, crowds filled the streets and gathered at the town roundabout, eager to catch a glimpse of the singer-turned-politician. While addressing supporters in Budiope and Kamuli, Mr Kyagulanyi made several promises. He pledged to provide clean drinking water so that communities no longer rely on swamp water shared with cows, frogs, and mosquitoes.

He also promised to invest in irrigation systems to boost household incomes and reduce dependence on seasonal rains. For fishing communities, he vowed to provide free fishing gear to ease the burden of state-imposed restrictions. On education, he promised major reforms, including school feeding programmes and efforts to address inequalities in teachers’ welfare. But after his rally in Namwendwa, his convoy was placed under tight escort. He was driven through at high speed while sticking his head and upper part of his body through the sunroof of his vehicle and was not allowed to make any stopovers, leaving the waiting crowd disappointed.

About Busoga

The Busoga Sub-region has a population of 4.37 million people as of May 2024, representing 9.51 percent of the national population. In the 2021 presidential elections, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi (NUP) emerged victorious in eight out of 12 districts within the Busoga sub-region.

Opposition stalwart Dr Kizza Besigye has asked the High Court to allow him to personally raise concerns in his treason proceedings, prompting debate over the extent of a represented accused person’s right to speak in open court.

The four-time presidential contender, who is jointly charged with Hajji Obeid Lutale, told Justice Emmanuel Baguma that he had a matter of concern that he wished to present before the court could proceed with the plea taking.

“A very good morning, my Lord. I wish to raise a matter of concern before we proceed with this business,” Dr Besigye said after being recognised by the presiding judge. Justice Baguma responded by reminding the accused that he was represented by counsel, including senior lawyers Martha Karua, Frederick Mpanga, and Ernest Kalibbala, among others. “We must follow the procedure,” the judge said. “Since you are represented, you cannot simply put off your lawyers.”

But Dr. Besigye insisted: “I put off my representatives until I finish my submission. I will be brief. It is about our presence here. To give it a background, I would like to inform this court…” Before he could continue, Justice Baguma asked him to pause and later ruled that his legal team of 10 advocates should first capture and present his concerns formally.

“I have listened to you, and I am saying the 10 lawyers representing, unless they put in writing that they are no longer representing you. I am directing that the 10 lawyers get all the concerns and address them to court,” the judge ruled.

Senior Counsel Karua then intervened, noting that the court had given them only a few minutes to consult, and they had not received adequate instructions.

“Our client still wants to raise the concerns by himself, and he believes it is within your powers to hear him,” Karua submitted. Counsel Mpanga added that the size of the defense team made quick consultations difficult. Defense lawyer Ernest Kalibbala argued that an accused person never loses the right to directly speak to the court merely because they have legal representation.

“While it is true we are a team of ten lawyers, the accused retain overall authority to determine any of the matters over which they want to be spoken for by their lawyers,” Mr Kalibbala submitted. “Appointing lawyers or legal representation doesn’t close the mouth of the party. Otherwise, in all cases, all parties would cease to exist in the face of legal representation. There is no law that bars any of the people in the dock from speaking in court by raising or responding to any issues. Our prayer is that you allow Col. Besigye to raise any issues he wishes to.”

After hearing from both the accused and his defense team, Justice Baguma ruled that Dr. Besigye could only raise his concerns in writing. “I have listened to Besigye and his lawyers that he wants to raise his concerns, but on condition that they are raised in writing. I am giving you until Friday and come back here on October 8 for my response,” the judge directed.

The development is the latest in the drawn-out treason proceedings, which stem from allegations that Dr. Besigye and Hajji Lutale conspired to overthrow the government. Both men deny the charges and remain on remand. The case has also been marked by sharp disputes over judicial impartiality.

Earlier this month, Dr. Besigye and Hajji Lutale refused to appear before Justice Baguma for their second bail application, accusing him of bias and insisting that the case should instead be handled by the International Crimes Division of the High Court, where they were first committed. Their lawyers, led by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, argued that Justice Baguma should disqualify himself, citing remarks they said showed prejudice. The judge rejected that application, ruling that the question of recusal had already been disposed of in August.

With the new directive, the court will reconvene on October 8 to hear the written concerns from Dr. Besigye and his legal team, alongside the pending issues in the treason case.

Background to the case

The duo faces a charge of treason together with Capt. Denis Oola from the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), to which the state alleges was committed with others still at large between 2023 and November 2024, in various countries, including Switzerland, Kenya, and Uganda, contrived a plot to overthrow the government.

Campaign slogans are never accidental. They tell us not just what a politician promises, but also what they fear losing.

President Museveni’s 2026 campaign message ‘Protecting the gains’ is a revealing one. It forces us to ask, how do you actually protect progress? By holding onto power indefinitely, or by building systems strong enough to outlive any one leader? When Museveni first took power in 1986, he spoke words that electrified a weary country: ‘The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power.’ That pledge of renewal set him apart from the dictators of his time. Nearly four decades later, those words hang over his legacy like both a prophecy and a contradiction. Uganda has certainly registered gains since then; roads, schools, health facilities, and a degree of stability compared to the bloody turbulence of earlier regimes. But stability is not the same as permanence. True progress is only secure when it is institutionalised.

By scrapping term limits and age limits, Uganda has stumbled into the very trap Museveni once warned against turning leadership into personal tenure. If ‘protecting the gains’ is to mean anything today, it must begin with the one thing Uganda has never had: a peaceful, democratic transition of power.

It is legitimacy, not incumbency, that secures a country’s future. Another reality Museveni cannot escape is demographics. Uganda is one of the youngest nations in the world, with over 75 percent of its people under 30. For years, the ruling NRM has leaned on the youth as mobilisers and foot soldiers. But young Ugandans are no longer content to simply serve in someone else’s project. They want agency in shaping their own future. Ignoring their frustration risks

Turning Uganda’s greatest asset into its most volatile challenge.

That is why the 2026 race feels less like another election and more like a reckoning. It offers starkly different paths. Museveni embodies continuity, but continuity of a system that has calcified around patronage and control. His strength has been in reorganising power so thoroughly that even disempowered elites often rally behind him. Yet this continuity has left ordinary Ugandans, despite fertile soils and abundant resources, stuck in poverty that feels both unnecessary and permanent.

On the other end stands Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, the musician-turned-politician who has become the voice of Uganda’s restless youth. His movement has restored a sense of possibility, proving that Museveni is not invincible. But questions linger. Can raw charisma and street mobilisation translate into the discipline of governance? Uprooting a regime is one task; rebuilding institutions is another. Nathan Nandala Mafabi represents another strand of Opposition politics. In Parliament, he has been a fierce watchdog, relentlessly exposing

Corruption. Yet his style, often confrontational, risks deepening divisions at a time when Uganda needs broad coalitions and an inclusive national vision. Fighting corruption is necessary, but alone, it is not enough. Then there is Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu. He offers something rarer in Ugandan politics patience, principle, and discipline. His philosophy is clear ‘The human being is the core of development.’ For Muntu, Politics starts not with roads or ribbon-cuttings, but with rebuilding institutions, investing in education and healthcare, and reviving agriculture. These are not flashy promises, but they speak to the foundations of a sustainable State. Uganda’s options, then, mirror its history. Museveni offers continuity of the system he built. Kyagulanyi offers rupture, powered by youthful energy but still untested. Mafabi offers accountability through confrontation, but without yet a unifying vision. Muntu offers the slow, principled work of reconstruction.

Whichever path Ugandans choose, the stakes could not be higher. The median age in this country is just 15. If the post-Museveni era collapses into chaos or slips into populist cycles, it is young Ugandans who will pay the price. But if we seize this moment to rebuild institutions and refocus on citizens rather than personalities, Uganda could finally unlock the vast potential that has always been within reach. In that sense, ‘protecting the gains’ is not about freezing time or defending one man’s tenure.

It is about ensuring when leadership changes as it must, the country keeps moving forward. The truest legacy President Museveni could leave, after nearly 40 years in power, would be to oversee Uganda’s first peaceful handover of power. That would be the boldest infrastructure project of all: an orderly democracy.

The trial of suspects in the murder case of Kampala businessman Henry Katanga resumed yesterday, with the lead investigator suggesting a third party may have been present at the scene. The crime scene was Katanga’s master bedroom, where he was found dead on November 2, 2023. ‘My lord, the smears of blood on the wall, the ladder which was in the room. Like, I could not believe that someone could kill themselves and then again touch the wall with their hands. I could also not believe that a retired colonel could fire and have another live ammunition come out during suicide,’ Detective Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bibiana Akongo told Justice Rosette Comfort Kania.

‘You could see a sign of someone trying to mop after that observation, and the room seemed to have had a third party,’ she added.

Her remarks came after Assistant DPP Samali Wakooli asked what made her suspect more than one person was present. She, however, did not identify the alleged third party.

DSP Akongo, the 23rd prosecution witness, testified that while on duty in Kinawataka, she received a call from the Bugolobi OC about a suspected suicide by shooting.

‘We reached the scene of the crime and found the door closed. Otai (Charles, one of the suspects) was standing at the door. The legs were tied together using a gauze. On that same bed, at the edge, there was a pistol, a projectile, and one cartridge,’ she said. When asked what had happened, Otai allegedly told her Katanga had shot himself. He further said the deceased was a retired UPDF colonel and that Katanga’s wife, Molly Katanga, had collapsed on hearing the news and was taken to hospital.

The investigator said Otai later gave police three different versions of events. She added that a depression in the ceiling and a deformed projectile were discovered. ‘The one that hit the ceiling got deformed, but the one that shot the person (Katanga) was never recovered. When you shoot someone, he or she is not a hard rock to make a projectile deform,’ she explained. Her conclusion was that Katanga’s death was homicide, not suicide.

Fishermen on Lake Victoria have called for the reinstatement of Beach Management Units (BMUs) at landing sites, claiming that their absence has facilitated illegal fishing practices and weakened community control over the lake.

BMUs, introduced in the early 2000s, were community-based groups tasked with co-managing the fisheries sub-sector in fishing villages by registering boats, enforcing fishing regulations, and monitoring illegal gear at landing sites in collaboration with the fisheries departments in districts. But in 2017, President Museveni disbanded them and handed the responsibility of fisheries enforcement to the military-led Fish Protection Unit (FPU), citing corruption in BMUs.

Now, local fishermen say the vacuum has caused more harm than good.

‘BMU members could know every fisherman operating on the lake and those possessing illegal fishing gear at every fishing village. The soldiers we have today do not operate at the village level, so by the time they arrive at any landing site for an operation, illegal fishers will have hidden their nets or already done the damage,’ Mr Sunday Gerald Kayita, a fisherman in Mazinga said during an interview yesterday. Mr Godfrey Ssenyonga Kambugu, another fisherman and head of the Association of Lake Fishermen and Lake Users of Uganda (AFALU), said the enforcement of regulations on the lake without involving local structures is ‘next to impossible.’

‘Since BMUs were scrapped, there have been no landing site management committees. FPU tried to fill the gap by appointing committees, but those have only created more problems and divisions among us,’ he said. He added that some of the interim committees have been accused of corruption and favouritism, leading to widespread mistrust. ‘The fisheries ministry should redesign BMUs, involve genuine fishermen, and fill the leadership vacuum,’ he added. However, the FPU spokesperson, Lt Lauben Ndifula, defended the army’s role on Uganda’s water bodies.

‘In the past, local leaders at various landing sites worked tirelessly to protect the lake. But today, many fishermen don’t care. They fish right on the shoreline, use pesticides, or build beaches that destroy breeding grounds,’ he said. Lt Ndifula said Lake Victoria is under immense pressure. On Uganda’s side alone, the lake spans more than 13,000 square kilometres, with 6,000 landing sites, each hosting 300 to 500 people. He said more than 1.7 million people now depend on Lake Victoria, compared to a much smaller population decades ago.

He added that increasing population growth, coupled with illegal gear, has strained fish stocks in the lake.

‘Some landing sites that were planned for only 60 boats now have more than 100. Others were planned for 70 boats, but currently have 300 boats. Regulations allow only 50 fishing nets per boat, but some carry over 150 nets,’ he said. Lt Ndifula admitted that BMUs did valuable work during their time, but insisted they were not free from corruption. ‘Some members of BMUs used to work with illegal operators. Those calling for them now are genuine fishermen who love the lake, but we also know others want them back to resume illegal practices,’ he said.

He revealed that FPU is currently having discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries to review co-management regulations and explore how BMUs could be reinstated in a stronger, more transparent form.