Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Mental health experts have linked the rising cases of mental health issues among young people in Uganda to poor parenting, highlighting the need for parental love, bonding, and guidance.

Speaking at a one-day mental health camp organized by Freed Hearts-Uganda, at alcohol addiction treatment and rehabilitation center in Mbarara, Ms Macklean Tumuhimbise, a counselor and Freed Hearts co-founder, said many clients are young people, especially students.

“Parents have become so busy and have no time for their children, they trust them with too much money and this money starts controlling them,” Tumuhimbise said. “When you tell a parent that you are the source of the problem, they say ‘but I gave my child everything’ – they don’t understand it’s not material things a child needs but love, parental bonding, and attachment.”

Some rehabilitated children, she added, “don’t want to leave because they feel more loved here than at home because parents have no time for them.”

Counseling psychologist Justus Musoke noted detachment between parents and children, with parents prioritising work over children’s inherent needs.

“Parents give financial resources or objects to mean care and get detached from them; they end up hooked to worldly things including drugs,” Musoke said, linking this to risky behaviors like drug abuse and early marriages.

Public health specialist Annet Nambi said parents of children with mental health challenges often claim they’ve provided everything.

“The parents say ‘we gave our children everything’ – they only know life stops at giving material support; lack of parental attachment, love, and guidance drives mental health issues among young people,” Nambi explained.

Dr. Chris Kigezo, an addiction treatment expert and Freed Hearts director, warned that inaction could lead to a significant wave of wasted young generations by 2035.

“Let us borrow a leaf from Kenya and create an Authority to deal with drug abuse. The government should have a centralized Authority to work with private players,” Kigezo urged.

Resident Dinavance Koburunga shared her experience of being neglected by her children.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) 2024 National Census report, approximately 12 per cent of Ugandans aged 10 and above – about 5.5 million people – are experiencing probable mental health challenges.

I have written several times on this topic and don’t mind returning to it, however many times might be necessary to open the eyes of the legacy media. To recap previous articles, over the past decade, the media split into two branches – traditional or legacy media (newspapers, radio, TV, magazines) and social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok). Owing to the huge numbers and users on social media, advertising naturally and logically followed the crowds to their new location. This left mainstream media with a crisis. In the late 1990s, traditional media was one of the first sectors of society to embrace the Internet, as well as one of the first to establish a presence when social media arrived.

The assumption was that the old formula of eyeballs attracting advertising shillings and dollars in the Internet era. The media got the crowds, thanks to their already established household brand names. But it soon became clear that this new online traffic was not translating into meaningful revenue. The main beneficiaries of the social media era were the new big names from Silicon Valley such as Google, Facebook, and others. Traditional media had followed in the footsteps of the music industry a decade earlier, when the latter industry was severely disrupted by the new music format, the MP3, and how easy and convenient to download music from websites and share it with friends.

However, even with this decline, the bulk of newspaper revenue still comes from their print editions. Online paid subscriptions are increasing, but not nearly enough in numbers and revenue per subscriber to offset the loss in the full-page brand advertising of yesteryear. It’s as easy to point an accusing finger at the Internet and Silicon Valley for causing this existential crisis to the mainstream media industry as it was to accuse music file-sharing sites like Napster for disrupting the music industry. The question is: Is this the fault of the new disruptors, or did they succeed because they created products and methods that rode on the efficiencies that came with the Internet? About 30 or 40 years ago, a typical music record album would have three or four strong songs that would be released as singles and often go on to become hits, and then the other five songs on a nine-track album were basically fillers.

As there was no way to buy only the songs that one liked, one was forced to buy the whole album on cassette tape, compact disc, or vinyl LP. To take an example, to most music fans, the essential album that was Michael Jackson’s 1982 Thriller was the four songs Billie Jean, Thriller, Beat It, and Wanna Be Startin’ Something or, for others, Human Nature. Not many remember the other songs like Lady In My Life, Baby Be Mine, P.Y.T, and The Girl Is Mine. The rather unimaginatively repetitive titles Baby Be Mine and The Girl Is Mine show that these were merely fillers for the album. The new MP3 digital format, on the other hand, made it possible for a music fan to compile only the exact songs that one might like on a particular album.

As it was with the music album, most readers glance through or read the lead story, a few inner pages, and that’s it for them. Even though a particular day’s edition is only one or two memorable stories, often on the front page, a newspaper that dares deliver a four-page edition to the newsstands would look like it had failed. By contrast, the Internet’s format of web pages, social media news feeds and WhatsApp groups makes it possible for one to read only the individual news or feature stories one is interested in. To use another example, as business-like and respectable as a desk or fixed-line phone looks in an office or home, landline phones were so limited in their functions and convenience than hand-held mobile phones when these arrived in the mid-1990s.

The greatest convenience was their portability. Much later, when the old Nokia, Motorola, and Alcatel phones were succeeded by smartphones, the fact of being a hand-held computer completed the disruption of the landline phone. So, the Internet and associated digital technology have simply proved to be far superior publishing, formats, and distribution channels than the traditional music, news media industries and analogue products. We might, out of sentiment, lament the loss of the old, 100-year publishing and communication legacy, but what we have today is the best there has ever been. Now that the Internet is an ocean of information, most of it free and accessible at the tap of a screen or click of a mouse, where does this leave the legacy products?

On a daily basis, for at least six days of the week, the number one topic of concern, effort, anxiety, and action for most of the public is the economy – the struggle to pay taxes, office and business rent, salaries, get customers, and make a profit. Economic activity is high-stakes in an intense and personal way that politics is not, and unlike politics, almost every adult is directly, on a daily basis, affected by the reality of the economy, be it via shopping or paying bills. Why are they not being given enough of it? Casual content and filler content have found a new home in social media.

But where the stakes are highest (medical emergencies, school fees, home or office rent, national exam results, travel, paying utility bills, buying food, clothing), people will put their money. People, companies, and institutions are looking for information to help them navigate the economy and all its complexities and challenges. Produce newspapers or TV content with content on these high-stakes areas, and the audiences and their shillings will follow.

If you have ever wanted to embrace the ‘Buy Uganda, Build Uganda’ spirit, discovering homegrown fashion brands might be the perfect place to start. Not too long ago, finding well-made, ready-to-wear clothing in Uganda was almost impossible. Today, a new wave of designers is making stylish, high-quality everyday fashion a reality.

One of them is Lamara, a name quickly becoming synonymous with effortless elegance. Founded by Gisella Nadia Abwoyo, the brand blends simplicity, comfort, and sophistication in a way that feels distinctly Ugandan and wearable.

Whether you’re dressing up for date night, a fun day with your girls, or just want something chic and easy, Lamara has you covered. We caught up with Nadia to talk about what inspired Lamara, and why she believes Uganda is ready for ready-to-wear fashion.

Tell us about Lamara

Lamara is an Acholi name meaning ‘my love.’ It is actually a surname I wish my mother had given me. The inspiration came from my frustrations with tailors; I often struggled to get exactly what I envisioned. One day, I decided to take matters into my own hands, I learnt to sew. What began as a personal project quickly grew into a passion. I started Sew Simple, a small custom-made clothing business. As my skills and vision evolved, I rebranded to Lamara, a name that reflects the love and care I pour into each creation.

Describe Lamara’s signature style

Effortless and elegant. Our designs lean toward a vacation-inspired feel easy, flowy pieces that make women feel confident and beautiful wherever they are. The brand represents style, comfort, and pride in being Ugandan.

What gap do you think Lamara fills in Uganda’s fashion market?

There’s a gap in high-quality, everyday wear that still feels special. Many Ugandan women want clothes that are stylish, well-made, and practical , not just for events, but real life. Lamara offers locally made pieces that are comfortable, elegant, and timeless. It’s about showing that Ugandan design can stand proudly anywhere in the world.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Inspiration comes from so many places , a flower I see by the roadside, a photo my mother shows me from her younger days, or even a custom order from a client. I like taking small, personal moments and turning them into designs that feel meaningful and relatable.

What does your design process look like, from concept to finished piece?

It usually starts with an idea or feeling, sometimes it is a colour, a fabric, or even a dream. From there, I sketch, experiment with shapes and textures, and bring the idea to life.

Once the design feels right, my team and I create samples, test the fit, and refine every detail. It’s a very hands-on process, and I love seeing an idea transform into something real that someone can wear and connect with.

Are there any cultural or personal influences that shape your work?

Absolutely. My Ugandan background influences almost everything I create. I am inspired by the colours, textures, and patterns I see every day, from traditional mats and local flowers to the way people dress and express themselves. Our culture is beautiful, and I like to reflect that in my work.

What materials or techniques do you enjoy working with most, and why?

I love working with natural, breathable fabrics like linen, cotton, and silk because they feel good on the skin and move beautifully. They help achieve that relaxed, elegant look I love. I also enjoy adding hand-finished details, small touches that make each piece feel thoughtful and special.

How important is sustainability or local sourcing in your production process?

Sustainability is essential. I ensure that even small fabric cuttings are turned into scrunchies or accessories instead of being thrown away. I also prioritise working with local tailors and sourcing materials within Uganda whenever possible. It is about more than reducing waste, supporting local talent and building a responsible, homegrown fashion ecosystem.

What do you think of the Ugandan fashion industry?

The industry is growing so fast as more people start to appreciate local fashion and wear Ugandan-made designs. I think we are moving toward a time when Ugandan fashion will be recognised globally for creativity and craftsmanship. Lamara fits into that story by offering timeless, wearable pieces that highlight Ugandan beauty.

How has the response from your customers been so far?

The response has been really encouraging. Our clients love the attention to detail and the comfort of our pieces. Many tell us they feel confident and special when they wear Lamara. That connection seeing real women love what we create, means everything to me.

What has been your proudest moment as a designer so far?

Winning my pitch after completing an eight-week training with the Bold Woman Fund. It was such a validating moment proof that hard work, creativity, and belief in yourself can truly pay off.

What’s next for Lamara?

We are working on new collections that we believe our customers will love and exploring ways to share Ugandan fashion with a wider audience. The goal is to keep growing while staying true to who we are , elegant, authentic, and proudly Ugandan.

There is this big guy sitting in front of you, and you cannot see properly the exciting events in the arena. To make matters worse, he keeps shifting his elbows on the armrests of his chair. If you have no special attachment to him, you probably wish he was not in the stadium at all. Well, Raila Odinga did not have the natural charm and intellectual range of Tom Mboya or even Dr Robert Ouko; two Luo politicians who had fallen in Kenya’s sometimes very deadly politics. But he stayed around for so many years that his longevity and political endurance compensated him. Mboya was already a towering figure at 39 in 1969, and Ouko at 58 in 1990 when they were assassinated. Odinga died naturally at 80.

He was the big man sitting and shifting in front of many Kenyans. When Africans love, they are sometimes not satisfied until their emotional intensity veers into folly. In the stampede that spontaneously formed after his death, at least five mourners were reported to have been trampled to death. Those who died were probably not Odinga family members; or managers in his many business outfits; or politicians who had been raised to high positions because of their connection with him. They were probably ordinary people who were sufficiently distanced from him to see him as a figure of worship; not the big guy sitting in front of them and obstructing their vision. An observer has described Odinga as an enigma, which suggests ‘inscrutable’, perhaps avoiding the description of ‘inconsistent’, which is less dignified.

Could Odinga avoid two common African problems? If in Western democracies, rich men sometimes seek high political offices, in Africa many people of modest means seek high political offices to get rich. Then again, those with power often use their different tools to financially weaken their political rivals. You had to lodge inside Odinga’s mind to know whether his political/ideological passion was stronger or weaker than his desire to make money; whether his targets of transforming Kenyan lives and consolidating the East African block were not overarched by the goal of growing his business empire; whether his weird political turns and twists after every defeat were for preserving Kenya or hedging his business interests against politically driven sabotage by his conquerors. In the end, perhaps, it did not matter.

There were so many Kenyans – especially of Luo stock – who believed that what was good for him was good for Kenya. To them, the worshippers who died on the journey of his body can be remembered only in footnotes. Riding with hordes in the cults of big men has its hazards. The high and mighty in Kenya were unreserved in singing the virtues of the departed. Their acrimonious relationships with him had magically been transformed by death into the most beautiful alliances made in heaven.

In neighbouring Uganda, where alarm signals for dynastic autocracy now sometimes sound louder than the celebrations of democratic progress, Opposition politicians have been extolling Odinga for being strong and resolved enough to create for Opposition causes visible space and pushing through some major constitutional reforms, even though the presidency had eluded him.

For their part, ruling NRM bigwigs have been extolling Odinga for exemplifying the spirit of compromise and always being able to work with the winners ‘for the sake of Kenya’. Tomorrow, when his grave is firm and the big man is unable to shift or come out, naughty storytellers may stealthily begin to blemish the enigma with insinuations of duplicity.

“From a Distance, God is watching us.’ This song by American singer-songwriter Julie Gold, is very popular, and actually, happens to be one of my favourites. Its lyrics and accompaniment are very inspiring. It is meant to be a song of hope for humanity.

Yet, the chorus, which says God is watching us from a distance, tends to be rather misleading, especially from a Christian prospective. Some critics even refer to the song as theologically awful.

Distance refers to a point far away. In such a situation, one might feel less connected, less trusting, less intimate, and even lonely at times. Would God really, be that impersonal and detached from the affairs of this world?

Indeed, some religious systems start from the premise that God is far away from us. But if the worshipper says the right prayers, performs the right rituals, pays the right amount of money (tithe), or does the right required works, then he might be drawn closer to God.

The Jews believed that to come closer to God, one had to obey His law as scrupulously as they could. But the Biblical truth is God reveals Himself to through His Son, Jesus Christ, through His Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures, and through creation.

Although the song under scrutiny bears some theological error, it still carries a very good and encouraging message. It is meant to instill in us the God’s promise that He is always watching over us.

It invites us to be trustful of His providence and salvation. Yet His watching goes far beyond mere observation. God does not stand back simply witnessing the events of our lives. Instead, He enters into our circumstances. He is actively watching over and protecting us.

The Bible tells us of a God who is very close to every one of us, delighting in those moments in which we acknowledge His presence and opening our lives up to his love.

In fact, God is said to be closest to us, especially in our darkest moments. In love for us, God came into this world through his Son Jesus Christ, not only to be with us and, but, actually, to dwell in us.

Through the mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus became one with humanity, to experience life and death, with and for us. If we accept Him, He is as close to us as our heart.

The nearness of God is made especially clear in the way in which we are saved. When we live in a society riddled with conflicts, wars, starvation, poverty, etc, we begin to doubt in the creative, provident and saving power of God. But we are assured that God constantly watches over us, because He is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (present in all places at once).

Jesus, our model of perfect Christian living, would often go away alone into the wilderness to pray and commune with His Father (Luke 4:1). Psalm 121:8 expresses, ‘The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.’

This doesn’t mean that we will always be fine or without hurdles. But when we encounter difficulties, we can know that God goes before and behind us. He hems us in and offers refuge and respite when needed.

Psalm 23 suggests God is the only one we actually need. Sometimes, before God saves us from affliction, He enters into those circumstances with us. Jesus teaches us to call God ‘Our Father’ and ‘Our Friend’. When it seems God is not hearing or answering our prayers, we can wait actively and patiently, knowing He is faithful.

He has not stepped away but is closely watching over us. Romans 8:34 assures us that Jesus is at this moment in Heaven interceding for us.

His prayers are powerful because He is well acquainted with our conditions and He knows the heart of God! When we’re unsure of the way ahead or overwhelmed by the world around us, we can rest in God, who constantly watches over us, guards our ways, hears and answers our prayers, and enters into our hardships while interceding for us. Such belief accords relevance to the Christian greeting:’ The Lord be with you’.

Tip

The nearness of God is made especially clear in the way in which we are saved. When we live in a society riddled with conflicts, wars, starvation, poverty, etc, we begin to doubt in the creative, provident and saving power of God. But we are assured that God constantly watches over us, because He is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (present in all places at once).

Over the past six years, the government’s unbridled appetite to borrow has hit a notch higher, currently placing liability of over Shs2.5m on each Ugandan, including newborns.

About the same time last year, with pretty much the same population of nearly 46 million Ugandans, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, every Ugandan carried a debt burden of Shs2.3m.

This liability has since increased by nearly Shs280,000, which is more than the wages earned monthly by half of the working labour force in the country, according to a survey conducted by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC). The average salary of 50 percent of the labour force in the country is about Shs200,000.

Paying this debt off would take about 10 years if each Ugandan citizen makes a prompt annual payment of Shs280,000 each without fail over the next decade.

‘Uganda’s total public debt, currently at Shs116 trillion, presents a significant per capita burden, approximately Shs2.58m per citizen,’ Ms Peninah Naiga, a public debt researcher, told Business Outlook.

She added: ‘The growing public debt portfolio raises concerns about [the] government’s ability to sustain these payments without putting a strain on available resources for funding Budget activities to achieve the desired economic and service delivery plans in the National Development Plans.’

The Office of the Auditor General, in its report to Parliament in the Financial Year (FY) ended June 2023, indicated that the public debt increased by 104 percent in five years from FY2018/2019 to FY2022/2023.

This debt liability owed to multilateral institutions, creditors, financiers, suppliers and banks must be paid by mostly the youth, who collectively currently bear a debt burden of Shs56.3 trillion, going by the Uganda Debt Network (UDN) expert analysis on public debt and its management.

The issue, Mr Julius Mukunda, the executive director of Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), says is not about whether to borrow or not. It is about making every coin count, something that hasn’t been apparent over the years.

A section of the population believes the government is going about borrowing business in a manner that could mortgage the country’s future or simply compromise the country’s long-term economic stability. This fear has been corroborated by a team of public debt experts and policy analysts, who revealed that the country’s public debt has grown at an alarming rate, raising critical concerns about the country’s fiscal/financial health and long-term economic resilience.

In freefall

Our investigation indicates that public debt surged from approximately Shs45 trillion ($12.82b) in FY2018/2019 to an estimated Shs113 trillion ($32.3b) in FY2024/2025.

A major catalyst for this debt accumulation has been the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant measures undertaken by the government, including shutting down the economy for a substantial part of the two-year lockdown, straining public finances while increasing reliance on external support.

Further exacerbating the situation are geopolitical tensions particularly the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the suspension of concessional aid from key development partners such as the World Bank and the US government.

Experts say mismanagement by way of not utilising the loans properly after acquiring them-moreover at unfavourable terms-emerged have not helped matters.

As a result, Uganda’s debt-to-GDP ratio, which is a measure of the country’s debt burden, has increased from 49 percent in FY2023/2024 to an estimated 52 percent in FY2024/2025, surpassing the 50 percent ceiling the IMF recommends for low-income countries.

It has also breached the Charter for Fiscal Responsibility (CFR), a document outlining the government’s commitment to properly manage public debt within the 50 percent threshold.

On account of the growing risks, which include fear that Uganda might not meet her public debt obligations, Moody’s downgraded Uganda’s credit rating from B2 to B3. Observers say this also signals the economy’s heightened vulnerability to external shocks and the tightening of global financing conditions.

As borrowing terms become more restrictive and expensive, Uganda faces rising debt servicing costs, which strain the National Budget and limits the government’s use of taxation and spending to influence the economy-fiscal policy flexibility.

Addressing these challenges requires prudent debt management and policy realignment, experts say, to safeguard economic growth, something the deputy Secretary to the Treasury at the Finance ministry, Mr Patrick Ocailap, acknowledges.

‘What makes you think we are not already ahead of that curve – we think ahead.’

The burden

Of the Shs72 trillion in the FY2024/2025 National Budget, more than 57 percent is allocated to debt servicing, a significant burden on the shoulders of the taxpayer.

External debt repayments alone amounted to Shs4.1 trillion ($1.17b), with interest payments and related fees comprising 31 percent of this total. Overall, Uganda spent Shs21 trillion ($5.99b) on debt servicing, equivalent to approximately 67 percent of total revenue collected.

This level of expenditure, Ms Naiga says, severely limits the government’s capacity to invest in critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure. This is because it diverts resources away from public services and development programmes, undermining social progress and economic transformation.

Furthermore, she said: ‘External repayments place pressure on foreign reserves, reducing Uganda’s ability to respond to external shocks and increasing vulnerability to global economic fluctuations.

The Business Outlook investigation also uncovered the country’s increasing reliance on non-concessional loans or simply funds borrowed with unfavourable terms. Coupled with a rise in public administration expenditures, this has further exacerbated the debt situation.

As of June 2025, domestic debt comprised approximately 52 percent of the total public debt portfolio, indicating a marked shift toward internal borrowing.

A value for money audit on the management of public debt by the Finance ministry reveals that public debt management in Uganda still remains a public concern.

The report of the Auditor General that became public in late December 2024, noted that in spite of an earlier audit undertaken on Management of Public Debt by the Finance ministry in 2015, the problems identified and recommendations made to address key concerns as high cost of domestic borrowing, inadequate technical and economic assessments of new loan uptake the challenges around public debt management still remain.

The report also discloses that several loans have been poorly utilised due to delays in project readiness and execution.

For instance, 15 projects were approved without prior feasibility studies, while others faced decade-long delays caused by unresolved land acquisition issues, lack of counterpart funding, and weak inter-agency coordination.

Although, according to UDN analysis, government-guaranteed debt exposure decreased from $59.8m (Shs210b) in 2024 to $44.61m (Shs156.5b) in 2025, overall risk remains elevated due to weak oversight and the underperformance of debt-funded projects.

To mitigate these risks, the UDN expert analysis shared with Business Outlook recommends that authorities strengthen State-Owned Enterprises governance frameworks, improve transparency, and enforce robust monitoring and reporting systems.

Our investigation also found out that Uganda’s current debt trajectory is increasingly misaligned with global and regional development frameworks.

This was also corroborated by UDN expert analysis of the debt structure, revealing that the poor performance of debt-funded projects hinders progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to employment, infrastructure, and innovation.

‘Public debt is sustainable’

Uganda’s debt, however, Finance minister Matia Kasaija says, is sustainable and is projected to remain so in the medium to long term. He said over the last 10 years, the areas which public debt has financed include integrated transport infrastructure and development of industrial parks.

To maintain public debt sustainability, he said the government is looking to increase revenue collection and reduce borrowing.

And where borrowing is necessary, it will be through concessional financing from international financial institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), among others. The World Bank cleared Uganda this past workweek to partake of its concessional loans.

When Uganda hosts Zimbabwe and South Sudan in the 2025 IBSA Blind Football African Championship Division II starting today at Hamz Stadium in Nakivubo, the cardinal goal will be finishing among the top two teams to enter the coveted Division I.

South Africa, Kenya and Senegal shall miss the event due to lack of financial support from their respective governments but that will not change the format of the tournament.

‘It remains that the top two teams qualify for Division I, which will play another tournament on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games,’ Patrick Synole, director administration at Uganda Paralympic Committee told Daily Monitor.

‘That means the teams which haven’t played this tournament have disqualified themselves from the pathway to Los Angeles because they have no chance to play at the next qualification stage.’

Meanwhile, Uganda’s 10-man squad has been camping at Martyrwood Hotel in Namugongo since the end of the National Disability Gala in Masaka on October 18.

Ali Zinda, who guided Makerere University Business School to bronze at the national gala, is the head coach, assisted by Maurice Matte of Uganda Martyrs University.

‘The training has been going well for the last one week. We have no cases of injuries or illness. So, we are just ready for the job,’ Zinda told Daily Monitor during an evening session at Hamz Stadium Saturday.

‘I can’t tell you much about our opponents’ profiles because the sport is generally new in most African countries. But I can tell you we are ready and focused on qualifying for Division I. Hopefully, home advantage will be on our side.’

The Ugandan delegation also includes referees, coaches and medical personnel from Mulago Women’s Hospital. The opening ceremony is on Monday.

BRIEFLY

When: October 27-29

Venue: Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo

Teams confirmed: Uganda, South Sudan, Zimbabwe

Games Hotel: Golden Tulip

Host federation: Blind Football Uganda

Umbrella body: Uganda Paralympic Committee

Funder: National Council of Sports

UGANDAN SQUAD

Lawrence Apil, Ronald Kamusiime, Gad Rauben Tumusiime, Rashid Ssemakula, Kizito Nalugoda, Dan Niwamanya, Douglas Bbira, Disan Nsereko

GOALKEEPERS

Moses Musasizi, Adam Kainerugaba

I was recently seated in Cafesserie restaurant with a friend. The friend I was with is the cat’s pajamas, as the expression goes, when it comes to geopolitics and geostrategy. As I listened to him, a comely woman, who must have been in her early 20s, was seated at a table near ours.

I was decked out in a suit, so I looked fairly urbane and somewhat distinguished. Indeed, I have been told that suits transform me. The young woman was seated with her back to us, but close enough to hear our conversation amid Cafesserie’s discreet hubbub. Turning around abruptly, she displayed the book she was reading: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a business and self-help book written by Stephen R Covey.

Explaining why she was reading the book, she asked me: ‘You look like a highly effective person. What would you say is required to be highly effective?’ Flummoxed, I told her that I was not ‘highly effective’. The friend seated with me, however, was highly effective. She just looked at me, waiting for my response. I thus told her consistency is key in whatever you do. It shapes the metaphorical road on which you travel. To the extent that even if you do not think you’re going in the right direction, you are. Our reality denies this. Wananchi are frozen in the headlights of an economy in reverse. That’s why our young people are fleeing to the Middle East for work. In the process, they are disconnected from themselves.

Karl Marx’s theory of alienation describes how capitalist systems estrange workers from their labour and their own human essence. Essentially, workers find themselves “outside of themselves”. This occurs partly because they are forced to sell their labour for wages, here and in the Middle East, by the depredations of a remorseless wage economy. Our workers’ alienation from their labour (combined with emigration from home and hearth) will create a generation that is desultory, being neither here nor there. In this scrambled existence, the State pulls up the drawbridge to keep the world out, hoping our battlements will preclude battle. Yet the government’s militocratic dispensation makes conflict probable by its very posture on the domestic and international stage.

Furthermore, public money is tragically not seen as taxpayers’ money. All the while, urban blight takes root as traffic in our cities is boda-bordering on the insane, and everyone is bedding in with the corrupt. It’s like gangsters’ paradise. Despite this, our current and future generations must pick up the tab for our current governance issues. That’s what Ugandans do. They pick up the pieces where our leaders come apart at the seams. This seems to be our particular burden of history. Sometimes, though, to forestall the negativities that arise from poor governance, we create public institutions. However, public institutions do not guarantee good governance.

They qualify it through departments, agencies, and local authorities in tandem with economic and socio-political realties. Instead, our governance has fallen short. None of our candidates is talking about how our institutions must be consonant with the precepts of economic as well as political democracy. To be so would require a socialist system. One in which producers (the workers) take control of production in a blaze of industrial democracy. It would return the means of production to workers, unshackling them from a creeping serfdom and freeing them towards creative expression. One far removed from a forced, necessary means of survival where workers become mere cogs in a machine. If we can consistently achieve this, all of us can become highly effective people.

John Atem’s family fled conflict in South Sudan and settled in Uganda as refugees. He would later be admitted to the elite Stanford University in the United States. While in the US, he has set up a tech company that he hopes will inspire young people who emerge from a similar background like his, writes Derrick Kiyonga.

When John Atem Agwer’s parents gave birth to him in the border town of Nimule in 1999, the last thing on their minds was that their boy would one day attend Stanford University in California, USA.

It was hard for them to envisage this scenario because Atem was born amid the second Sudanese civil war, which started from 1983 to 2005 between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) led by John Garang, who would pass in 2005, after the Ugandan helicopter he was travelling in crashed on the South Sudan-Uganda border.

The second civil war in South Sudan was largely a continuation of the first Sudanese civil war, which started in South Sudan but spread to the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile, lasting more than 22 years, ultimately resulting in the independence of South Sudan six years after the war had ended.

It’s within this context of violence that Uganda became a home of refugees trickling from South Sudan. By 1995, an estimated 170,000 – 210,000 Sudanese refugees were settled in Uganda and by the end of 2020, there were more than one million refugees in the country.

Among the South Sudanese refugees who settled in Uganda were Atem, who started going to Kampala metropolitan schools. In 2012, he sat his Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Kings Way Primary School, where he obtained Aggregate 6. Yet in his education journey, his performance in Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations at St Mary’s Boarding Secondary School, Kitende, stood out as he obtained Aggregate 8 out of 8 subjects, qualifying him among the best performers in the country.

Yet within this moment of victory, reality set in that he could actually miss out on A-Level due to lack of school fees. The reason behind his lack of school fees again was attributed to the politics of South Sudan, where, having obtained independence, the newly born state would be plunged into a civil war.

Tensions erupted into civil war in December 2013 following a political struggle between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar. Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup d’état against him, leading to Machar’s removal as vice president.

Soon after, violence erupted between presidential guard soldiers from the two largest ethnic groups in South Sudan. Soldiers from the Dinka ethnic group aligned with Kiir, and those from the Nuer ethnic group supported Machar. Violence quickly spread to the states of Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity.

From the outbreak of conflict, armed groups targeted civilians along ethnic lines, committed rape and sexual violence, destroyed property, looted villages, and recruited children into their ranks. This violence affected Atem in the sense that his father, Jacob Aguer Atem, was a serving military officer in the SPLA assigned to ensure peace in Wau, Bahr al Ghazal.

Self-trained developer

His mother, Elizabeth Achol Makuach, tells Atem’s love for technology, saying that as a teenager, her son would grab any gadget around and begin working on it. She had to hide her mobile phone at times because her son ought to allocate some good time for books.

‘Atem investigated all electronic and electrical appliances in the house,’ the mother says. ‘He would question everything that is man-made, and this relieved the family of petty repairs on the household.’

During his O-Level, Atem formed a WhatsApp group baptised ‘FAST’ (Finalist Alliance of ‘Scientists’) meant to facilitate discussions for science subjects. He would build on that to start thinking of software development therein, adopting five software design languages.

Still, during his O-Level, he attempted to build what he called an ‘ultralight plane’, some sort of a drone. His mother recalls that the small indoor ‘helicopter’ almost flew. Its rotors could propel, and the lighting worked, but the idea died down due to a lack of design materials.

His idea of the ‘frog chopper’ was inspired by an online challenge from some company, and the fact that he wanted to win the hearts and souls of some people to support his secondary education.

Luckily, he was able to obtain school fees and completed his A-Level, and he dared to apply to a couple of colleges.

‘I applied to a couple of schools in the United States before I was admitted to Stanford, in California. I did my undergraduate, then my Master’s then I started my start-up that I’m building,’ Atem says.

Unlike Uganda, where there are concentrated efforts by the State to support talented young people in Information Technology, California is famous for start-ups due to a combination of factors, including its historical role in technological innovation, strong access to venture capital, a culture of risk-taking, and supportive legal and academic environments.

These elements have created a dense ecosystem, particularly in Silicon Valley, where leading universities, a large pool of talented professionals, and a history of successful companies foster new ventures.

‘I have always had an interest in applications. The year before joining Stanford, I was a firming engineer. So, when I got to Stanford, I was excited because there is no other place in the world where you can easily start start-ups,’ he says.

He explains how he started his company. ‘I was involved in starting start-ups in Uganda, but it was difficult to get funding. One of the advantages of going to Stanford is getting access to all these opportunities and raising venture capital funding. In general, in the US, the opportunity of setting up a company is higher and easier as well,’ he says.

Atem says he still harbours the same ambition that he had when he was a teenager.

‘From the time I was 15 or 16, I always wanted to have a big tech company. I’m fortunate to have graduated at the dawn of a new era of technology. In the world of start-ups, these are the best times to build something new. I could have gone and got a job at one of those big technology companies, but I thought it’s time to start something of my own,’ he says.

About Atem’s company:

Bfloat is a vibe coding platform for mobile apps. It enables people without programming experience to build mobile apps through natural language.

‘I founded the company a little over a year ago in August of 2024. And I’m the sole founder and CEO. I lead everything product and engineering. The company is based in Palo Alto, California. My vision with Bfloat is to build and democratise tools that empower individuals to create through software,’ he says.

It will head into the 2026 General Election as one of Uganda’s youngest political parties, but the Democratic Front (DF) has been keen to style itself as the adult in the room. After being nominated as its flag-bearer in the Nyendo-Mukungwe parliamentary race, the party’s president, Mathias Mpuuga, talked this past week about having an eye on the bigger picture by ‘thinking Uganda’. His party, he added, ‘has a bearing and thinking on grooming and bringing through a leadership that will work for the people.’

The DF was keen to make the most of David Musiri’s switch from the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda’s leading Opposition party. Musiri swapped NUP’s red for the DF’s green after he was denied the flag in the Makindye West parliamentary race.

Before the nominations, Lubega Samuel Walter Mukaaku-who would go on to be cleared to fly the party’s flag in the Rubaga South parliamentary race-spoke about an intention to turn a new page. ‘The DF is not a party of excitement. No. We are a serious party that is out to give the people of Uganda a new meaning of our independence, a new meaning of a free people, a people capable of determining their destiny, a people capable of building afresh, to be able to give a bequest worth passing on to our children and grandchildren,’ he said. Mpuuga told Sunday Monitor that Uganda has reached a juncture where it needs ‘a second Lancaster’.

He added: ‘The consensus that was made by our forebears in 1962 somehow got lost, and the successor of that consensus altered it, and it collapsed. There was an attempt for a third consensus at the making of the 1995 Constitution. But you also agree that the consensus of 1995 (the current Constitution) has had perforations, and somehow it has had overriding issues that must be brought back on the table of the owners of Uganda.’ Since he believes that the country is currently ‘transitioning fraudulently.’ Mr Mpuuga said the DF recently authored a series of documents on reforms critically required before and during the transition. Because the country is bottling ‘dangerous anger’ occasioned by injustice meted out upon communities by the NRM government, Mr Mpuuga says the questions and discussions around reparations are unavoidable.

‘There are injustices that need State-level understanding, building consensus, and in many communities, there is a need for reparations.’ It is an observation that Mr Mukaaku agrees with, adding that, unlike other parties, the DF has made consultations that are broad in outlook; not as a small enclave of friends. ‘We want to build a new brand of leadership that can steer this country to a balance,’ Mr Mukaaku disclosed. Before this past week’s nominations, the DF claimed to have attracted 1,520 aspirants who intended to carry its flag during the 2026 General Election. It added that 128 of these were eyeing parliamentary seats. It is not immediately clear what number the party finally settled with. By press time, the Electoral Commission had not reverted to Sunday Monitor with the final figure.

Events of this past week, however, make it abundantly clear that the party has every intention to make the Greater Masaka Area its stamping ground. Observers say this will put it on a collision course with NUP, upsetting any semblance of a united front by the Opposition. ‘From the word go, the DF was for an alliance of parties. We even proposed a law that would allow political parties to either merge or align without losing their identity. That law was never given a chance,’ Mr Mpuuga said, adding: ‘The Political Parties Amendment Bill, which I presented before Parliament, was never given a chance. That’s why political parties, small and big, are all looking at each other; they speak about cooperation, but they are never serious about it because the existing legal framework has a lot of issues.

It was done in bad faith and cannot facilitate the cooperation of parties in a manner that we believe in.’ Mr Mpuuga has also disabused observers of views that frame the DF as being parochial, with influence limited to the Greater Masaka Area. ‘I have been known as a leader who is never inward-looking. I have the best understanding of how this country is structured. It is a melting pot of critical realities of culture, ethnicity, religion and political differences. I am alive to all these differences,’ Mr Mpuuga said, adding:’We are going to offer the country a national party.’