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The retired Bishop of Namirembe Diocese, Rt Rev Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira, has urged the government to urgently address the ongoing teachers’ strike, warning that the industrial action risks disrupting national examinations scheduled to start this month.

‘Yes, it is true that some teachers have had their issues, and I trust that they have presented them to the relevant organs to handle. My appeal is that the government, through those responsible, continues to listen to the issues raised by teachers because, as we listen, we can reach a lasting solution,’ he said on the sidelines of commissioning Elite Junior School on Saturday.

The prelate warned that failure to resolve the standoff could cause devastating consequences to the country’s education system, which is already battered.

‘We do not want this to go on and on because it is the learners who will be affected, and the entire system could fall into chaos. Our God has good plans for all learners, and He has positioned parents, teachers, directors, and government officials to look into their education affairs. Let us handle these grievances decisively and move forward in good faith for the good of our children and our country,’ he said.

The prelate’s appeal comes at a time when the fate of more than 430,000 Senior Four candidates scheduled to start the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams next week remains uncertain following the teachers’ industrial action.

Many government schools, especially in rural areas, have been unable to reopen for the third term due to the Arts and Humanities teachers’ strike over unequal pay that began on August 6.

The strike was declared by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) and supported by other labour unions after the government failed to implement a comprehensive salary enhancement for all teachers despite several earlier promises.

The educators argue that the selective salary increment favouring science teachers is discriminatory and undermines morale in the profession.

Despite the government issuing a seven-day ultimatum early this week demanding that all teachers return to classrooms, union leaders have remained defiant, insisting they will not resume work until the government commits to a clear and time-bound plan for pay harmonisation.

UNATU Secretary-General Filbert Baguma said Saturday that the union was ready to negotiate but not to bow to intimidation from the government.

‘We are open to dialogue, but we cannot be forced back to classrooms when our concerns remain unaddressed,’ he said.

With national exams around the corner, UCE starting on October 11, and UACE in November, the deadlock has caused growing anxiety among parents, school administrators, and learners.

Many schools have been forced to rely on volunteer teachers and retired educationists to coach candidates in the final days before examinations.

‘We have been praying for our students that the Lord gives them sound mind, good health, and calm hearts as they face their final exams. This is what they have been waiting for, so there is no need to be anxious, but rather to rejoice that the moment they have been preparing for has finally arrived,’ Bishop Luwalira said Saturday during the dedication of senior four and six candidates of Elite High School to God as they prepare for their final exams.

He expressed concern that the strike could disadvantage learners who have spent years working hard towards this crucial stage in their education.

Schools across the country have since Friday been dedicating their candidates ahead of the national examinations, with heads of institutions expressing readiness to conduct the exams.

Mr Lawrence Onyango, the head teacher of Elite High School, told this publication in an interview that his school has prepared learners beyond expectation, saying it is their time to shine.

‘Teachers and schools across the country faced several challenges previously, but these have since been resolved. Teachers are now well versed with the new curriculum, and we are hopeful that our learners will perform better in this year’s exams. As a school, we have done all our continuous assessments and submitted them to UNEB. We have also completed all the projects required under the new curriculum and done everything it takes to ensure our learners excel,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of the school, Mr Drake Lubega, said they have broadened their horizons by introducing a primary and nursery section, which is expected to start next year.

‘We want to groom our children right from the grassroots and produce learners who are well grounded in science and technology,’ Mr Lubega noted.

A month ago, I decided it was time to relieve the stress that comes with a workaday existence. Thus, I went to a bar in Bukoto with a curious name. It’s clear that whatever happens there does not stay there. It becomes part of the tales told about world-class Ugandan boozers. That’s why I’m sharing my own tale. It’s a big place.

But its size should be taken with a grain of salt at 1am, a time you’re most likely already seeing double. Anyway, as soon as I stepped into the joint, several women began winking suggestively at me.

Surprised that I had become an overnight Mukazi magnet, I was incredulous. So, I kept looking behind me to see who they were winking at. There was nobody. Clearly, it was me.

Feeling like a freshly minted superstar, I puffed my chest. I had to look like the star that they were looking at. After this briefly ridiculous theatricality on my part, my friend and I ‘attacked’ the counter like it was the UPC government and we were both Salim Saleh.

Clearly, by that time, we had already started seeing double. As soon as I ordered a drink, a woman materialised out of the blue. For a minute, I thought she came with the beer in a sort of hourglass-shaped beer promotion. Her smile earned her an instant drink, on me.

I asked her what she was drinking and her answer took aim at my wallet, then pulled the trigger. My wallet almost died of its wounds from that order.

The woman picked the most expensive drink in the house, in tots. That way, each drink she took, my wallet took a hit. Her radiant smile and noticeably buxom endowments were no longer placebos enough to get my wallet out of intensive care.

The bill for its restoration to health was close to Shs1m. Still, refusing to die in my own movie, I gave her tot upon tot like her body was a baby factory and I was its production engineer. It was a charmed night. I thought I was even in love. Then came the bad news. I was told that ‘big’ bars nowadays place alluring women at the bar counter to fraternise with the punters. Naturally, after being approached by a comely woman with sights and shapes in all the right places, a punter would even buy subsequent drinks with his land title as security.

Hence, the more the customer spent, the more commission the sultry bar counter queen received. Crushed by this revelation, I looked into my pocket and its inners looked at me, vacantly. I was broke. Immediately, the inequities of the world crystallised around me.

It was the President’s fault. If he had left power in the early 2000s, I would be rolling in money. This knee-jerk reaction to one’s problems in the context of the Museveni presidency is common. Many times, our over-the-top spending habits and poor saving culture have spelt ruin to our finances.

To compound matters, every week there’s an event, a wedding or a burial one must contribute to. Frugality having died of natural causes as soon as we resuscitated an economy savaged by the Bush War. The economy reflects how people make money and spend it.

If we spend every cent we make on women whose beauty comes with an exclamation mark, wedding launches and meetings, as well as weekly burials and other events, the economy shall continue to flounder at a personal level. That’s because its wellbeing is tied to our discipline, not our politics.

Police in Kisoro District in Kigezi Sub-region have detained a woman and her son on allegations of killing her 52-year-old husband in a domestic fight after he reportedly sold part of the family land without their consent.

Francis Hitimana, a resident of Rukoro Village, Muhindura Parish, Kanaba Sub-County in Kisoro District, is said to have been attacked by members of his family on October 4, 2025 following a disagreement over a land transaction.

‘It is alleged that the deceased was attacked by his wife, son, and two daughters, who beat him and cut him on the head, leading to his instant death,’ Kigezi regional police spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, said.

The family’s rage reportedly stemmed from Hitimana’s sale of a piece of land three days earlier without their consent.

‘They refused to sign the land sale agreement, and this disagreement escalated into a fatal assault,’ Mr Maate added following the 10 am attack.

In a chilling attempt to conceal their crime, the suspects allegedly moved Hitimana’s body from their home to a nearby road toward Gasheregenyi before returning it to the sitting room, where they placed it on a mat.

A vigilant neighbour who noticed bloodstains around the home alerted the village chairperson, who in turn reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspects.

‘I saw what looked like blood all over their compound, and I knew something was terribly wrong,’ said the neighbour, who requested not to be named in this story.

Police visited the crime scene, recorded witness statements, and recovered suspected murder weapons, including a panga, hoe, and axe.

‘We have exhibited the weapons and conveyed the body to Kisoro Hospital mortuary for postmortem as inquiries continue,’ Mr Maate confirmed.

The gruesome killing and arrests have sent shockwaves through the Rukoro community.

‘This is a quiet village; we never expected such a tragedy from a family dispute,’ said one of the residents, Mr John Nteziryayo.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as they work to uncover the full details of the brutal killing.

Fatal land disputes are common in Uganda, partly due to poverty, greed or ignorance, among others.

According to the latest annual crime report, at least 397 cases of land-related crimes were reported to the Police in 2024, compared to 271 cases reported in 2023, presenting a 46.5 per cent increase in the crimes reported in this category.

By the end of 2024, a total of 1,016 cases of Murder by Mob Action were reported to the Police compared to 1,039 cases reported in 2023, giving a decrease of 2.2% in this crime category. Victims of mob action were mainly suspected to have committed the following offences: Theft, Robbery, Murder, Witchcraft, and Burglary, thereby making suspects take the law into their own hands.

The former Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Kampala, Rt Rev. Dr. Hannington Mutebi, has condemned the rampant abductions of opposition members by security forces, saying it undermines the spirit of humanity.

While officiating at the confirmation of 47 young faithful at St. John’s Church, Makerere, on Sunday, Dr. Mutebi emphasized that the ruling government should champion the rule of law rather than abducting citizens and others with dissenting views.

“The torture of people who are not part of the ruling class, where we see people being tortured, put in safe houses, and some in prison, not brought to the courts of law, we want a country where everybody’s rights are respected,” he said.

His message came two days after reports emerged that two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were allegedly abducted by plain-clothed gunmen after attending the campaign rally of Robert Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party flag bearer in Namutumba district.

Mr Kyagulanyi condemned the abduction, saying, “We condemn the continuing lawlessness by the rogue regime and demand that these brothers be released unconditionally!”

Dr. Mutebi also called for a peaceful presidential campaign, urging security to respect the Electoral Commission’s program.

“As people are going to the campaign, it started well, but we have started seeing some pockets here and there, where those campaigning are prevented from reaching certain places where they are supposed to go,” he said.

The NUP President, Mr Kyagulanyi, was forced to suspend his two planned rallies in Iganga Municipality and across Iganga District after police and military officers blocked key roads.

Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) also faced a similar challenge when police tried to block his entrance of Iganga district on his third campaign day.

The confirmation was held under the theme “Church as a caring family.” Dr. Mutebi emphasized that the church must be felt in the community, saying, “The church must be felt in the community, that is why we have been encouraging people to go out and visit the sick, prisoners, feed the hungry, and this is the ministry of the church, and by doing that we are doing what Jesus is supposed to do, meaning he is doing it through us.”

On a regular afternoon in downtown Kampala, a boda boda rider leans against his motorcycle, nursing a bandaged arm perhaps with vivid healing wounds or visible scars on his face. The motorcycle, his lifeline, is scarred with a cracked fender from a minor accident the week before or a day before.

He still has to pay the bike owner daily rental fees, buy fuel, and send money home to his family in the countryside. This is a common story for many boda-boda riders. When asked how they handled the hospital bill, they say their friends collected some money for them.

For thousands of boda riders across Uganda, one incident on the road can derail not only their ability to work but also the survival of the families that depend on them. Yet, most of these men and women, who form the backbone of Uganda’s urban transport, move through life without any insurance cover.

And that’s where the question arises: what happens if your boda guy had insurance? Uganda’s roads remain among the most dangerous in Africa. In 2024 alone, the country recorded 25,107 road crashes, a 6.4 percent increase compared to 2023. These accidents resulted in 25,808 casualties, up from 24,728 the year before. Of these, 4,434 crashes were fatal, according to police data.

Boda bodas are at the centre of this crisis. At Mulago National Referral Hospital, the country’s largest emergency care facility, the statistics are grim. Dr Justine Okello from Mulago’s accident and emergency unit, says at least 30 of the 40 admissions his department receives daily are accident-related, with more than 60 percent involving boda boda riders or their passengers. ‘People think treatment in government hospitals is free of charge,’ Dr Okello explains.

‘But there is no free medical care. The government pays part of the cost through taxes, but the sheer numbers of road accidents overwhelm the system. We see patients who need surgeries costing between Shs10m and Shs20m, sometimes more. Without insurance, these families are left destitute.’ Despite the risks, Uganda’s insurance penetration remains below 1.0 percent. Most car owners stick to the bare minimum: statutory third-party cover, which offers little protection beyond a small payout for bodily injury. A 2020 Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) study showed that 86 percent of motorists buy third-party insurance, while only 14 percent opt for comprehensive cover. Worse still, many Ugandans still see third-party cover as nothing more than a ‘police tax,’ something to show at checkpoints, not a shield against risk. For boda boda riders, the picture is even bleaker.

Few have any form of cover, leaving them and their passengers entirely exposed to the financial shocks of accidents. This is the backdrop against which a wave of insurance innovation has begun to emerge, driven by partnerships between technology platforms, banks, and insurers. Christian Wamambe, country director of SafeBoda Uganda, recalls how the journey began.

‘Every week, we would check on drivers who were no longer active. Many of them told us the same story: they had an accident, they were sick, or they had a family emergency. They simply didn’t have a safety net,’ he says. SafeBoda, which started as a boda-hailing platform, but has since expanded into car-hailing under the brand SafeCar, realised that offering affordable insurance could be a game-changer. In 2022, the company partnered with Liberty General Insurance and Stanbic Bank Uganda’s bancassurance arm to introduce a low-cost insurance product for riders and passengers.

Customers could opt for trips with built-in accident cover. Within months, more than 1.5 million insured trips had been taken. ‘For the drivers, it was about peace of mind,’ Wamambe explains. ‘For passengers, it meant protection if anything went wrong. We wanted insurance to be as easy as sending a WhatsApp message.’

Building on that foundation, the three partners have now launched Protecta Bode, a product designed for SafeCar drivers but with lessons that resonate across the entire transport sector. The name itself is a nod to Uganda’s cultural roots. ‘Protecta’ borrows from the English word ‘protect,’ while ‘Bode’ is derived from the Luganda word for ‘body,’ emphasising the focus on the car’s physical structure. According to Liberty’s head of marketing, Raphael Bisaso, Protecta Bode was designed to address the gap between third-party insurance (cheap but insufficient) and comprehensive insurance (thorough but too expensive for most Ugandans).

For a premium of just 1.5 percent of a vehicle’s market value, this product offers comprehensive coverage. It includes protection for accidental damage to the car body, covering costs for repairs, panel beating, and the replacement of parts. Additionally, the policy addresses third-party liabilities, covering expenses related to bodily injury, death, or property damage caused by the insured vehicle. Finally, it provides medical benefits for the driver in the event of an accident.

For SafeCar drivers, many of whom operate lower-value vehicles like Spacios, Wish, and Vitz, this offers affordable peace of mind. A bumper replacement or cracked windscreen that might once have forced a driver off the road for weeks can now be handled more easily. But the principle goes beyond cars. As Wamambe notes, the same thinking can and should apply to the boda riders who ply Kampala roads every day.

Insurance for boda riders is not just a concern for the riders themselves, but for everyone, due to three compelling reasons. First, it involves protecting livelihoods: a single accident can be financially devastating. A rider typically earns between Shs20,000 and Shs40,000 on a good day, but one crash can wipe out weeks of earnings, particularly if hospitalisation is required.

When a riders’ income vanishes, their entire household, including wives, children, and siblings suffers. Insurance acts as a crucial cushion, helping riders recover and return to work faster, stabilising their family’s finances. Second, it is essential for safeguarding passengers. For the passengers who rely on boda bodas, an accident can instantly translate into sudden, unexpected hospital bills. When insurance is incorporated into the service, passengers gain essential peace of mind, knowing they won’t be left financially stranded after a crash.

Finally, insuring boda boda riders helps ease the massive strain on the national health system by reducing pressure on hospitals. Public facilities like Mulago hospital are already buckling under the weight of accident victims. If more riders were insured, a significant portion of their treatment costs would be covered privately, directly reducing the burden on taxpayers and the country’s limited resources. As Dr Okello aptly summarises, “Every boda rider insured is not just protecting himself, it’s protecting the hospital system and the country’s limited resources.” Insurance innovations like Protecta Bode are possible because of Uganda’s insurance sandbox, introduced by the IRA in 2020. The sandbox allows companies to test products in a controlled environment without going through the full licensing process immediately.

‘Traditional insurance would never have allowed a product like Protecta Bode to launch as quickly as it did,’ says IRA’s Erimo Marcos from the Department of Strategy and Market Development. ‘The sandbox gave Liberty the flexibility to test it. If it works, it can later become a fully licensed product.’ The regulator has also introduced the Insurance Innovation Awards to reward creative solutions, many of which target low-income or underserved groups. Liberty, Stanbic, and SafeBoda’s earlier collaboration, SafeRide, won the Most Innovative Bancassurance Agent Award in 2023. For Stanbic Bank, the partnership is part of a broader vision of financial inclusion. ‘Insurance is not a luxury. It’s an investment in resilience,’ says Samuel F Mwogeza, the bank’s executive director and head of personal and private banking.

‘Products like Protecta Bode allow us to bridge banking and insurance, making protection simple and affordable.’ The bank’s language is clear: choose resilience over risk, security over uncertainty, and progress beyond fear. For Liberty General Insurance, it is about building products that speak directly to the lived realities of Ugandans. ‘We found that eight out of 10 cars on the road have a dent or a scratch,’ says Bisaso. ‘That’s the everyday problem drivers face. Protecta Bode addresses it without demanding they pay for full comprehensive cover they can’t afford.’

Last school holiday had me clash with one of my sons. He is an adolescent, and if you know anything about that age group, you probably know that they can be lazy. He could drink from a cup but leave it unwashed, sleep in a messy room, and walk past a dirty floor without touching the mop. For a parent like me, strict on cleanliness, it was maddening.

But is it really laziness? Experts say not always. Many teens avoid chores for reasons deeper than meets the eye. For some, it is perfectionism: the fear of doing a task ‘wrong’ and facing criticism. Others feel overwhelmed, ‘clean your room’ sounds like a mountain, so they give up before starting. A lack of appreciation also kills motivation; if their efforts are only met with ‘you missed a spot,’ why bother?

Chores can also become a battlefield. Refusing to help may be a teenager’s way of asserting independence. And when chores feel too advanced or are handed out inconsistently, they only breed frustration.

Parents sometimes make things worse by stepping in and doing it themselves, teaching children that stalling works.

The way chores are framed matters, too. If they are used as punishment, children learn to resent them. Without routines, chores feel like random interruptions rather than part of daily life.

And if children do not see the point, why tidy a room that looks ‘fine’ to them, they will struggle to care. Add in the lure of TikTok and video games, and housework does not stand a chance.

So before branding your child ‘lazy,’ ask what is really going on. Often, their reluctance is less about work ethic and more about structure, motivation, or how chores are introduced.

With patience, consistency, and explanation, chores can shift from punishment to participation, and that messy bedroom may just get a broom after all.

Here are strategies you could deploy:

Set your clear expectations

Teenagers thrive when they know exactly what is expected of them.

‘It should not be hard for a 13-year-old to lay his bed in the morning,’ I reminded my son. He may rebel, but he knows my expectations and they ring in his mind every time.

Building for them routines

Children learn best through predictable patterns. Martha, a mother of five, explained her approach: ‘I divide the work according to age. As they grow older, the roles interchange. All of them are hardworking, though some are more efficient than others, and that is okay.’ Routines make chores part of daily life rather than random interruptions.

Reinforce effort, not perfection

Praise matters. Appreciating the attempt, not just the spotless outcome, encourages children to keep trying. Labels such as ‘lazy’ crush confidence, while recognition builds it.

Be the model

Children watch more than they listen. A parent who tackles chores with diligence sets the standard. Doing the hard jobs yourself from time to time shows that you are not above the work you assign.

Equip and empower

You cannot expect dishes washed without soap, or a floor mopped without a bucket. Providing the tools, and showing how to use them, removes excuses and builds competence.

Simplify for them big tasks

‘Clean your room’ can sound like climbing a mountain. Breaking chores into steps, open the windows, fold the curtains, sweep, then mop, makes the process less intimidating and more achievable.

Tap into the children’s interests

Children excel when their passions are respected. If your daughter loves music, let her put on a playlist while cleaning. If your son dislikes cooking, do not force it as his main responsibility, find what he does well and allow him to shine there.

Limit screen time

No competitor is fiercer than a smartphone or television. Without boundaries, screens will always win over chores. Wise parents curb passive screen time and open doors to active, creative pursuits.

Teach planning and goal-setting

A simple to-do list can teach a child the power of priorities. Learning to order tasks and manage time is a life skill that reaches beyond housework.

Stay consistent with consequences

Children test boundaries. When they fail to meet expectations, consequences must be calm and predictable. Sometimes, natural outcomes are the best teachers, a missed homework deadline leading to a poor grade speaks louder than a lecture.

Ultimately, a child who is lazy or unmotivated may be due to several issues.

By shifting our perspective from one of frustration to one of empathy, we can better understand the underlying challenges our children face.

As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) doubles down on the Parish Development Model (PDM), questions about its design, implementation, and economic logic remain unanswered. This is the darling policy proposal that NRM is hyping.

A critical look exposes its misgivings. In its latest manifesto, NRM has placed PDM at the forefront of its poverty alleviation strategy, even proposing to triple its funding.

While the government presents PDM as a transformative solution, a closer examination reveals a programme beset by structural flaws, questionable economic assumptions, and a troubling gap between political ambition and practical reality.

Rather than doubling down, this is a moment for a sober rethink. To dismiss the PDM entirely would be to ignore the tangible benefits it has brought to some Ugandans. Verified reports from local media and government communications highlight genuine cases of transformation.

In Ntoroko District, a PDM beneficiary group used a loan to purchase a motorised boat, revolutionising their fish trade on Lake Albert. In Luweero District, a farmers’ cooperative used PDM funds to acquire a collective maize mill.

In Lira, several individuals have successfully invested in retail shops, motorcycle (boda boda) businesses, and small-scale poultry farming, citing PDM’s accessible credit as the crucial seed capital they previously lacked.

However, these individual successes exist alongside worrying systemic data. The central pillar of the PDM’s sustainability-loan repayment-shows alarming signals.

According to the Ministry of Finance’s report on the implementation of PDM for Financial Year 2022/2023, the national loan recovery rate was projected to be a concern, with many local governments reporting collections below 30 percent in the initial phases.

A more recent Parliamentary Committee on Finance Report from mid-2024 noted that while recovery is improving in some parishes, the national average remains “unsatisfactory and a threat to the revolving fund model.”

This data aligns with the unofficial figures often cited by critics and mirrors a familiar pattern. This is not a new problem for NRM’s poverty alleviation schemes.

A direct comparison with past programmes reveals a discouraging trend: The Youth Livelihood Programme, launched in 2013, was plagued by exceptionally low recovery rates. A 2021 report by the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cited a national recovery rate of just 3.8 percent.

The Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme has also struggled with recoveries. The same 2021 PAC report indicated a recovery rate of approximately 24 percent.

PDM, with its early recovery rates hovering in a similar low range, risks following this well-trodden path to fiscal insolvency. PDM’s core mechanism-providing low-interest loans through a digital platform-is touted as a way to leapfrog bureaucratic delays and inject capital directly into the grassroots. However, this very design is its primary weakness.

By framing poverty alleviation primarily as a problem of access to credit, PDM misdiagnoses the issue. It loads financial risk onto the most vulnerable populations, whose challenges often extend far beyond a simple lack of capital. Could this be a debt trap in disguise? The most immediate red flag is the abysmal loan recovery rate. Furthermore, the model provides a lump-sum “windfall” without the necessary scaffolding for success. A Shs1m loan, devoid of sustained business development support, mentorship, or a step-laddered investment plan, is a high-risk gamble.

The programme’s one-size-fits-all allocation model is another critical flaw. By allocating the same Shs100m to a densely populated, economically dynamic parish in Mutungo, Kampala, as to a remote parish in Abim District, PDM promotes a geographical fallacy over economic sense.

Population density is a key indicator of economic activity; people migrate towards opportunity. Equating these vastly different parishes on a map ignores their wildly divergent economic potentials and needs, rewarding inefficiency and diluting the impact of scarce resources.

NRM’s manifesto pledge to increase PDM allocation from the current Shs2.4 trillion annually to a potential Shs7.2 trillion is, therefore, a fiscally irresponsible proposition. Instead of pouring more money into a leaky system, Uganda must have the courage to explore more innovative and direct approaches.

The debate around a Universal Basic Income (UBI), for instance, deserves serious consideration. A UBI would provide a direct, no-strings-attached financial floor for all citizens, stimulating local economies from the ground up, empowering individuals to invest in their own priorities.

Climate change is a concern due to flash floods, air pollution, and depletion of forests. The government, through the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), has taken action such as educating the public about the dangers of encroachment on wetlands, issuing restoration orders, and demolition of houses illegally constructed in swamps. The most recent restoration exercise commenced in May 2024 with the demolition of houses in the Lubigi swamp in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District. Over 2,000 people were left homeless, with the majority setting up makeshift tents where they lived for over four months. This eviction exercise awakened climate action activists, like the Africa Tourism and Environment Initiatives Uganda (ATEI-U), to work towards preventing future evictions.

The Initiative is a youth-led organisation that promotes climate change awareness through sports, music concerts, seminars, and beauty contests, among others. According to Bismac Moses Amumpeire, the executive director, the organisation chose these avenues to bring youth on board to spread climate change awareness. With other partners, ATEI-U organised a climate change awareness marathon last week at Makerere University in commemoration of World Car Free Day. ‘We aimed to raise funds towards climate resilience in the Karamoja sub-region. On such a day, the public is expected to use clean mobility other than fuel in vehicles and motorcycles,’ Amumpeire says. The marathon themed: Running for a Green Future: Youth Innovation and Action for Climate Justice, attracted over 200 participants, including university students from Makerere University, Cavendish University, Kyambogo University, and youth from neighbouring communities.

‘I commend the management of Makerere University for respecting their initiative by stopping the movement of vehicles for three hours, to honuor the day. Our mission in Karamoja will focus on tree planting and cleaning valley dams in Karenga-Kaabong agro-tourism village,’ Amumpeire explains. The organisation will promote agro-tourism and eco-tourism. They will also plant indigenous tree species, mostly fruit trees, to curb food insecurity. Other areas that will benefit in subsequent fundraisers include Kotido, Moroto, and Abim districts. To date, at least 2000 trees have been planted. ‘We want to clean and maintain the valley dams to ensure that during the drought, the local communities irrigate the trees we have planted.

We want to plant as many trees as possible near the water points before stretching out to the rest of the community,’ Amumpeire adds. This was the first climate change marathon, and Amumpeire is hopeful that with time, Ugandans will start adopting electric transport to mitigate the dangers of fuel emissions if the government makes deliberate efforts to put in place tax incentives on electric vehicles and motorcycles. In Uganda, it is estimated that over 30,000 people die annually due to air pollution-related illnesses. According to NEMA, the transport sector contributes 60 percent of nitrogen oxide exhaust emissions within the city. It was suggested that regulating emissions would greatly reduce the air pollution.

Miss Climate Change Awareness

After realising that climate change awareness needed a wider advocacy campaign to reach the grassroots, ATEI started Miss Climate Change Awareness, which is always held on Women’s Day, to put women at the forefront of advocating for climate action. This year, eight contestants were crowned at the regional level, basing on different aspects, including community impact and conservation, among others. Sandra Namirembe was crowned the overall Miss Climate Change Awareness Uganda. Resty Mbwali, the ATEI-U’s programme manager, says this year they focused on clean mobility because every hour a car is stalled in a traffic jam, it burns fuel, emitting carbon into the environment. ‘This is a call to action for city planners to put in place lanes which cyclists, skaters, and pedestrians can use,’ she advises.

The organisation also uses music, anti-poaching initiatives, and Ekkula Sustainable Tourism Awards to inspire conversations around climate change, especially for those who find it difficult to read articles about climate change. Maria Moureen Nabuule, who was crowned Miss Climate Change Awareness Central Region, says she holds outreaches in schools every month to educate learners about climate action. ‘I am advocating for the introduction of green jobs in schools and communities, for example, people who recycle plastics to reduce plastic pollution. We also held restoration exercises in Bunjako and Lazarus forests, where we planted native tree species. Before the restoration exercises, we held community meetings, rallying people to support our initiatives,’ she explains. Through the ‘Pet a Tree’ campaign, ATIE-U plants a tree and gives it a pet name.

The campaign encourages people to view trees as companions, fostering a culture of emotional bonding and stewardship through actions like planting, naming, nurturing, and celebrating the growth of trees, similar to how one would care for a pet. The goal is to promote tree planting and conservation to combat climate change and increase vegetation in Uganda. ‘In urban areas like Kampala City, we are planting small forests also known as Miyawaki forests due to limited space. Such forests have been planted at some schools within the city,’ Nabuule notes. Miyawaki forests are dense, multi-layered mini-forests created using the Miyawaki method, which focuses on planting native, diverse tree and shrub species at high densities on degraded soil, accelerating natural processes to rapidly establish a self-sufficient and resilient forest ecosystem within a few years.

These mini-forests provide significant environmental benefits, including enhanced biodiversity, increased carbon capture, and improved local climate conditions, making them a valuable tool for urban greening and climate change mitigation. Sandra Namirembe, the reigning Miss Climate Change Awareness Uganda, hails from Bweyogere, an urban area. She has embarked on community awareness about proper waste management. ‘Poor waste disposal is the root cause of flash floods because when it rains, garbage gets stuck in trenches, blocking water flow. This has led to loss of lives and property. I have sensitised people on how to separate plastics from decomposing material,’ she says.

Namirembe discloses that once a month, the community cleans up the trenches, unblocking the drainage system. In Western Uganda, she has held outreaches to schools to initiate children into being environmental stewards. Stella Aber, the Climate Change Awareness Queen for the Northern Region, has engaged cultural leaders in the climate change awareness campaign. ‘Northern Uganda has suffered a high rate of deforestation due to charcoal burning. The land is bare, causing excessive heat, and when it rains, there are no organisms to open up the earth so that water can penetrate the soil. The most affected districts are Agago, Pader, and Amuru,’ she says. The Western region Miss Climate Awareness Queen, Christine Kirungi, uses her social media platforms to reach out to the public. She is planning to conduct tree planting campaigns in Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, and Kabarole districts.

Government response

The government, through MWE launched a five-year tree planting campaign, called the ROOT (Running Out Of Trees), with a target of restoring Uganda’s tree cover by 200 million trees by 2026, planting 40 million trees each year. According to the ministry’s statistics, Uganda has 440 indigenous species of trees, but people prefer artificial species like pine and eucalyptus because some of the indigenous species are not commercially viable. ‘Since the launch of the ROOTS campaign, the government, working with private partners and non-governmental organisations, planted 8.3 million trees in 2021, 13.7 million in 2022, and 20.9 million in 2023.

The ministry also organises an annual National Tree Planting Day, planting millions of trees in different areas in commemoration of the day,’ says Isa Katwesigye, the assistant commissioner for Forestry. David Okurut, the commissioner for Wetlands Management, warns those who encroach on wetlands that they will be evicted, especially those who were issued with restoration orders and did not comply. ‘The areas likely to face the eviction exercises include Lubigi, Munyonyo, and Nakuwadde. Some of these people were issued with restoration orders last year, and their houses were marked for demolition. The law is clear that all wetlands are gazetted and belong to the government,’ he warns. Muhammad Ssemambo, the assistant commissioner in charge of the Climate Change Department, appreciated ATEI-U for the initiative, revealing that the MWE indicated in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that the government will move towards reducing emissions in the transport sector.

Anthrax, locally known as ‘Kooto’ in Runyankore and ‘Kakooto’ in Luganda, is a zoonotic disease that continues to recur in Uganda, causing severe impacts on both livestock and human health.

Over the past decade, outbreaks have hit districts across the cattle corridor, including Isingiro in 2017, Kiruhura and Kween in 2018, and Ibanda, Kyotera, Amudat, and Sembabule between 2023 and 2024.

In 2024 alone, outbreaks in Kazo, Kanungu, and Sembabule led to deaths and quarantines. Suspected cases in Kabale and a confirmed outbreak in Bushenyi this year underline that anthrax remains a persistent public health threat. Anthrax is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

Its spores can survive in soil for decades, infecting animals that ingest contaminated soil, plants, or water. Spores form quickly when a carcass is opened and persist in the environment. In animals, anthrax presents with distress, loss of appetite, breathing difficulties, high fever, and sudden death.

Humans can be infected through contact with animals or animal products, inhalation of spores, or consumption of contaminated meat. Once in the body, the bacteria release toxins that can cause severe illness or death if untreated.

A co-creation engagement in Sembabule revealed mixed community perceptions of the disease. Many dismissed anthrax until deaths occurred. Some believed cooking meat eliminated the risk or argued that markets for dead animals remain, so business had to continue. Others became cautious only after human and livestock deaths were confirmed.

‘I only realised it was anthrax after the deaths of animals,’ one participant said, reflecting low risk perception until tragedy strikes. Communities often turn first to traditional healers, small clinics, or prayers before visiting government health facilities. Such delays can endanger lives and allow the disease to spread.

The engagement highlighted key challenges: underestimating anthrax risk, handling and consuming meat from animals that died suddenly, and delayed health-seeking behaviour.

Economic incentives often outweigh public health concerns. Anthrax is preventable: communities must avoid touching, skinning, or consuming suspicious carcasses, report cases to veterinary or health authorities, wash hands after handling animals, and seek immediate medical care if exposed.

Herders, abattoir workers, butchers, veterinarians, livestock traders, and consumers of uninspected meat are particularly vulnerable, and women and children also face risks due to their roles in food preparation and herding. Knowledge alone is insufficient to prevent anthrax.

Risky beliefs such as ‘well-cooked meat is always safe’ or ‘business must continue,’ contribute to outbreaks.

Preventing anthrax requires sustained social and behavioural change communication, supported by local leaders, religious and cultural organisations, health workers, and women’s groups, to shift norms and encourage safer practices.

Communities should avoid touching, butchering, or eating animals that die suddenly or under suspicious circumstances, report such deaths promptly, wash hands after handling animals or animal products, seek immediate medical attention if exposed, and bury carcasses in 2-4 metre pits under supervision of trained burial teams. In summary, anthrax remains a threat in Uganda because risky behaviours persist.

The disease will only be controlled when people change their behaviour by reporting animal deaths, avoiding dangerous practices, and seeking timely medical care.

Behaviour change, adopted as a social norm rather than an individual choice, is Uganda’s most effective defence against anthrax.

When the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) announced sweeping reforms for the 2025/26 season, many expected excitement-higher stakes, more competitive matches, and professionalised clubs. What no one anticipated was the high-profile standoff between Fufa and one of the league’s most powerful clubs: Vipers.

The reforms, introduced in September 2025, include a three-phase league format: 16 teams play a single round-robin in the first phase, split into two groups of eight for home-and-away matches in the second, and finish in a final phase where the top six contest the championship while the bottom six fight to avoid relegation.

While most clubs agreed to participate, the rollout was far from smooth. Some of the top-flight sides, including SC Villa, KCCA and NEC, initially raised objections similar to Vipers. They questioned the fairness of resetting points for the second phase, the potential fixture congestion and the administrative pressure on clubs. After consultations and internal deliberations, however, these clubs decided to accept the reforms and play under the new format. Their acquiescence left Vipers increasingly isolated in its opposition.

How other leagues do it

Several leagues around the world use multi-phase or split-season formats. In Belgium’s First Division A, for example, 16 teams play a regular season, then the top six advance to a championship playoff while points are halved to maintain competitive balance. Scotland’s Premiership splits the league after 33 games: the top six fight for the title, the bottom six for relegation, with points retained in full. South Africa’s MTN Premiership experimented with a similar playoff system for top clubs, while bottom-tier teams continue with a straightforward aggregate table. These examples highlight ways to balance fairness, maintain excitement, and manage fixture congestion.

Vipers argues that Uganda’s new format differs because it resets points between phases, a change they claim devalues early-season performance, strains smaller squads and increases administrative burdens.

Vipers’ objection

Despite Fufa’s insistence, Vipers remains unyielding. The club argues that the three-phase format devalues first-phase performance, introduces fixture congestion, and imposes administrative pressures that could strain smaller squads. For Vipers, the reforms are not merely a governance issue but a challenge to the club’s autonomy, reputation and operational planning.

In a strongly worded October 2, 2025 letter to Fufa CEO Edgar Watson, Vipers President Lawrence Mulindwa accused the federation of disrespect and blackmail, stating that the club’s repeated petitions had been ignored despite engagements in August and September. Mulindwa emphasised that Vipers would not participate in the upcoming fixture against Kitara scheduled for October 4 until Fufa formally and respectfully addresses the issues raised in the club’s previous correspondences and petitions.

Fufa’s response

Fufa, for its part, has remained firm. On October 3, chief executive officer Edgar Watson sent a letter to Mulindwa highlighting that Vipers had already applied for a club license and signed compliance forms to participate in the season.

Watson pointed out that 12 matches had already been played under the new regulations, and that Vipers was expected to honour its fixtures. The letter also referenced Mulindwa’s repeated refusal-three times-to pick calls from Fufa President Moses Magogo following a September 2 meeting, which Mulindwa had walked out of.

Fufa reiterated that the reforms were part of a long-term Technical Master Plan submitted to Fifa, aimed at professionalising the league, expanding competition to 18 teams by 2026/27, and aligning Uganda’s top-flight football with international standards.

A history of standoffs

The current standoff between Vipers and Fufa is far from an isolated incident. Ugandan football has a long history of tense relations between the federation and clubs or administrators who challenge its authority.

During the 2012/13 season, when Uganda had two parallel leagues running-the USL and UPL-Maroons emerged as USL champions, only to later face sanctions and exclusion from top-flight competition due to disputes with Fufa over league recognition and administrative compliance.

Similarly, Proline, a top-flight club known for its disciplined management and youth development programs, was punished for publicly resisting Fufa directives, including fines and point deductions.

The club had raised concerns over scheduling and administrative transparency, but the federation responded with sanctions, signaling a strict stance against dissent.

Disputes have also reached the level of administrators. Kavuma Kabenge, a former Express administrator, publicly criticised Fufa governance and decision-making processes, arguing that transparency and consultation with stakeholders were often lacking.

Kabenge faced disciplinary action from Fufa, including a decade long ban from football management roles, highlighting that the federation has historically responded firmly to criticism-regardless of the profile of the individual.

These precedents frame the current Vipers standoff in a wider historical context. It raises a compelling question: Can FUFA punish Lawrence Mulindwa, the man widely credited with rebuilding the federation and helping Moses Magogo rise to power, while he now challenges the same leadership?

Analysts argue that this is more than a clash over league format; it is a test of FUFA’s governance philosophy, the balance of power between the federation and top clubs and the limits of accountability for leadership.

The dilemma

On one hand, FUFA’s reforms promise a more professional, financially viable and competitive league. On the other, Vipers’ objections reflect genuine concerns about fairness, fixture congestion and operational strain-issues that cannot be ignored.

‘The league has to modernize, but it also has to be credible. If top clubs feel sidelined, it could undermine the reforms themselves,’ said Haruna Kyobe, a sports analyst.

Vipers’ options

Vipers has several avenues to pursue if they feel Fufa has ignored their concerns. They can continue to engage Fufa’s internal mechanisms, including filing formal complaints to the Disciplinary and Appeals Committee, citing breaches of governance or sporting integrity.

Should internal remedies fail, the club could escalate the dispute to the Uganda Football Association Tribunal, which handles disputes over league rules and club rights.

If domestic mechanisms are exhausted, Vipers could take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the internationally recognised body for sports disputes. CAS can issue binding rulings, suspend league changes pending review, and ensure the club’s rights as a Fufa member are protected. While this option offers legitimacy and neutrality, it can be lengthy and expensive.