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Countries in east and southern Africa have continued to experience high and volatile food prices despite good harvests this year. This is especially alarming as climate-related weather shocks will be deeper and more frequent. Yet the region does not lack the potential to expand agriculture. Parts of the region have abundant arable land and water resources.

The G20 Food Security Task Force convened by South Africa as part of its G20 presidency has recognised the wide and persistent extent of hunger and malnutrition in most sub-regions of Africa. The task force highlighted excessive price volatility and food inflation despite sufficient global food production. It affirmed: ‘the commitment to facilitate open, fair, predictable, and rules-based agriculture, food and fertiliser trade and reduce market distortions.’

Evidence from the African Market Observatory, however, points to action – not words – being required. The prices for food products such as maize meal, rice and vegetable oil are very high across the region. So are those of inputs such as fertilizer.

The African Market Observatory provides market information, including prices, for key food products at the wholesale and producer levels in east and southern Africa. This data is essential in evaluating whether prices are fair and markets are working well for smaller producers and other market participants.

To expand production, countries would need to develop sustainable agro-industrial strategies. Such strategies include initiatives to improve yields, value-adding and the creation of fair regional markets.

Improved water management and farming methods are essential along with investing in storage, logistics and processing. Countries would also need to address the issue of agricultural commodity markets in the region. The variance in commodity prices across the region are evidence that markets are working very badly.

Prices vary across countries

Maize prices vary tremendously across the region, with extremely high prices in Kenya and Malawi. This should not be the case. When production from other parts of the region is taken into account, the region has more than enough maize to meet demand. There have been good rains this year after El Nino affected countries like Malawi and Zambia in 2024.

Prices in Kenya have been above US$450/tonne while prices in Zambia from April to June 2025 after the harvest were around US$200/tonne. Tanzania and Uganda have also had good harvests with prices under US$300/tonne in producing areas.

Transport costs can account for around US$80/tonne of the difference, at most (less from Uganda and Tanzania). Zambia maintained export restrictions until August, which meant farmers received low prices and the traders who bought up the harvest made windfall profits when the restrictions were lifted.

There have been similar differences in soybeans between what farmers receive and prices paid by customers. Soymeal from beans is essential for animal feed to expand poultry and fish farming to improve nutrition of low-income households.

Solutions

It bears repeating, east and southern Africa is the best area in the world to expand production of crops such as maize and soybean. The expansion would mean some of the lowest instead of the highest prices internationally and lay the foundation for downstream food processing.

The G20 ministers adopted the African philosophy of ubuntu, ‘I am because you are’, to envision food systems which recognise interdependence across communities, borders and generations.

It means a complete change from the current situation where countries practise ‘beggar thy neighbour’ policies such as restricting trade when a neighbour is facing drought.

Market monitoring is a crucial part of rebuilding cooperation instead of division. The G20 points to the Agricultural Market Information System, an inter-agency platform to enhance food market transparency and policy response for food security launched in 2011 by G20 Ministers of Agriculture. Our analysis of market outcomes and factors influencing prices points to a straightforward set of measures.

First, regional monitoring of food markets is essential to guard against market manipulation. Monitoring needs to cover pricing, trade flows and associated barriers, and changes in market structure for a more robust understanding of markets. It is especially important in light of climate-related shocks.

Second, improved governance of food value chains to address food security and supply needs to be accompanied by enforcement of clear rules against abuse of company power that transcends national borders. Competition authorities need to be effective referees.

Third, investments in infrastructure such as storage facilities and appropriate irrigation are essential to adapt to the effects of climate change, improve resilience and yields, and safeguard against volatile markets. Fourth, financing should be mobilised for small and medium scale producers who form the backbone of agricultural production across the region.

A critical question, of course, is about the political will to take these measures forward.

Independent candidates emerged as the largest group in Kisoro District’s recently concluded two-day nomination exercise for parliamentary seats, signaling a potentially unpredictable contest in the January 15, 2026 elections.

Of 19 candidates nominated, nine ran as independents, six represented the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), two were from the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), and one each from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).

Kisoro District Electoral Commission Returning Officer Daniel Nayebare said the exercise, which ran smoothly over Wednesday and Thursday, produced a diverse slate of contenders.

‘The candidates that we nominated had the required documents and kept time as they had booked earlier,’ Nayebare told Monitor on Thursday, noting that only two individuals failed to complete their nominations due to personal scheduling issues.

Campaigns are set to begin on 10 November 2025, after the commission finalizes the election timetable.

Among Thursday’s nominees were Grace Akifeza Ngabirano (NRM) and Irene Mahirwe (Independent) for District Woman MP, Roland Kanya Nkrumah (NRM) for Bufumbira East, Fortunate Habyara Gatare (NRM) for Bufumbira North, James Owebeyi (FDC) for Bukimbiri County, and Paul Hategeka Nzovu (Independent) for Kisoro Municipality.

The six joined 13 candidates nominated on Wednesday, including independents Dr Leo Mfitimana, Abel Bizimana, and Tumwizere Christopher, as well as NRM, NUP, ANT, and Democratic Party (DP) flag-bearers.

James Owebeyi, FDC candidate for Bukimbiri County, said opposition parties participate to monitor the integrity of the process.

‘I challenge the Electoral Commission to conduct a free and fair election in order to avoid another court suit,’ he said, referencing alleged irregularities in the 2021 polls.

NRM flag-bearers emphasized development agendas and peace during the campaigns. Bufumbira East candidate Roland Kanya Nkrumah pledged

to follow up on government programmes to alleviate poverty, while Bufumbira North’s Fortunate Habyara Gatare promised to advocate for a fair share of the national budget, noting that ‘change of leadership is necessary’ for local development.

Kisoro District Woman MP candidate Grace Akifeza Ngabirano, addressing a viral social media video misrepresenting her, dismissed it as AI-generated and encouraged support for NRM’s achievements.

Independent contender Irene Mahirwe highlighted the need for competent leadership in Parliament to improve rural service delivery.

‘The lack of competent leaders in Parliament is a major reason why rural service delivery struggles,’ she said.

Chad Bowie scored a game-high 29 points as City Oilers won Game One of the National Basketball League Finals 76-70 Friday night at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.

The guard, acquired in the mid-season transfer window, was six-for-nine from downtown and four-for-11 inside the paint to deliver the defending champions’ first win against the Blazers this season.

It was the Blazers, however, who got out of the blocks early to get the partisan crowd going, with Joel Lukoji unstoppable in transition as his side took an early 7-0 lead.

Scoreless after three minutes, the Oilers were forced into a time out, from which Bowie emerged ready for the show.

Titus Lual was introduced and provided Oilers with some presence in the paint to stop the bleeding.

Bowie scored 10 points as the first quarter ended with the 10-time champions leading 18-13 despite the slow start.

Stephen Nyeko’s charges relied on an 8-2 run to lead 21-20 with 5:22 left on the clock in the second frame and force Oilers into another timeout.

Bowie took charge again to end the first half with 21 points to end the first half with a six-point advantage (37-31).

Kurt Wegscheider had a slow start to the game but got into rhythm in the third frame to keep the scoreboard ticking whenever the Blazers put on a run.

Joseph Chuma and Ben Komakech also chipped in with timely plays on offense to keep the game in Oilers’ control.

Tough night

The Blazers had threatened to boycott Game One on Friday night, tasking Fuba to stick to the initial scheduling of October 26.

But the club released a statement a few hours to tip off confirming that there had been talks within in their camp to go on with the game.

That distraction clearly got into the players heads and the result will largely be blamed on how management chose to handle the situation.

Only Lukoji, with 22 points, managed to score in double figures for the Blazers on a night they shot a dismal two-for-27 from three-point range.

Arthur Wanyoto and Jimmy Enabu contributed nine points each while Anthony Chukwurah had 13 rebounds and six points.

Wegscheider scored 16 points while Chuma recorded 12 points and eight rebounds for Andrew Tendo’s charges.

The best-of-seven series return on Sunday, with the Blazers looking to level and avoid going 2-0 down.

Lady Jaguars win

In the women’s finals, JT Lady Jaguars won their first ever NBL finals game, defeating JKL Lady Dolphins 69-52 to take a 1-0 lead.

Sandra Wangeshi (15), Shakirah Nanvubya (13), Sarah Ageno (10) and Brenda Kayaga (10) all scored in double figures for Sudi Ulanga’s charges to oust the defending champions.

Mercy Batamuliza dominated the boards, picking a 19 rebounds to go with her six points on the night. Brenda Ekon (16) and Hope Akello (12) were the only JKL players to reach double figures on the night.

National Basketball League

Finals

Game One Results

Women: JKL 52-69 JT L. Jaguars

Men: Nam Blazers 70-76 City Oilers

There is a unique, almost universal, magic to the secondary school experience. It is a formative liminal space, a four-year crucible where innocence is gradually replaced by reality. It is a time of first loves and first heartbreaks, of navigating the exhilarating peaks of academic and social triumphs and the devastating valleys of failure, often for the first time without the immediate safety net of childhood.

This period is so profoundly etched into our psyches that few look back upon it without a deep, complex sense of nostalgia.

In The Lion’s Revival: Ntare School (1991-1996), Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa masterfully captures this essence, but he does far more than evoke sentimental memories. He delivers a compelling, rigorously detailed case study on transformative leadership, using the pivotal restoration of a national icon as his canvas.

The book is set against a backdrop of national recovery. Emerging from the political and economic turmoil that had crippled Uganda in the 1970s and 1980s, Ntare School, like the nation itself, was a lion limping.

Mwesigwa’s focus on the 1991-1996 period is, therefore, strategic; it zooms in on the precise moment when diagnosis turned into decisive action. The book is meticulously structured into two complementary parts, mirroring the very harmony the author identifies as crucial for institutional success.

The turnaround

The first section reads with the urgency and insight of a strategic playbook for educational and organisational turnarounds. It opens with the arrival of a new head teacher, Mr Nathan Kamuhanda, an outsider from Kings College Budo, who immediately faced entrenched resistance as the first non-old boy to lead the school.

Mwesigwa, writing with the clarity of a historian and the empathy of a church leader, astutely identifies a universal and often overlooked truth; even in the most dysfunctional systems, there exists a hidden economy of benefits, and those who profit from the status quo are its most formidable guardians.

The formation of the now-legendary “trio”, Head teacher Mr Kamuhanda, Deputy Mr Mwika from St. Mary’s College Kisubi, and the author himself, Mr Mwesigwa, from rural Kibubura Secondary School, marks the ignition of the revival. The book brilliantly outlines their multi-pronged strategy, which serves as the core thesis for any successful institution:

A culture of discipline

Mwesigwa argues that discipline is not a burden to be borne solely by students. It is a shared value that must be embraced by teaching staff, non-teaching staff, and administration alike. He posits that only when these three parts of the school organism work in synchronised harmony can you expect to harvest the fruits of excellence.

Inclusive governance

Perhaps the most innovative takeaway is the deliberate involvement of the student prefect body not as mere enforcers of rules, but as partners in the planning and execution of decisions.

Aa cycle of competition

The trio’s introduction of a rewards system for academic performance was a masterstroke. This “small innovation acted as a leaven for the whole school,” creating a visible, aspirational benchmark for success. It shifted the school culture from one of passive acceptance to active striving, demonstrating that recognition is a powerful catalyst for widespread improvement.

The human legacy

If the first part provides the strategic map, the second part proves the treasure was real. This section is composed of powerful, first-person testimonies from the students who lived through this period of renewal.

Today, these individuals are leaders in law, medicine, business, and public service. Their narratives, from both privileged and impoverished backgrounds, speak with one powerful, unified voice, celebrating the transformative impact of their teachers and the school environment.

This collection is far more than a tribute; it is the living, breathing validation of the strategies outlined in Part One. It offers incontrovertible proof of the book’s central argument that a student’s background is not their destiny.

When placed in an enabling environment, one built on discipline, high expectations, and genuine encouragement, potential is unlocked, and excellence is democratised. The diverse successes of these alumni are the ultimate metric by which the revival’s success must be measured.

‘The Lion’s Revival’ transcends the category of a simple school history. It is an essential text for a wide audience: a must-read for school administrators and policymakers seeking a practical, proven blueprint for institutional transformation; an inspiring chronicle for alumni of any institution who understand the fragility of legacy; and a motivational tool for current students who can see in these testimonies that their own struggles are the forging grounds of future leaders.

Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa deserves profound praise for his dual role as both a key architect of this revival and its diligent historian. In committing this story to paper, he performs a vital service.

He reminds us that our individual and collective stories matter, and that in sharing them, we deny future generations the excuse of ignorance.

The continued success of Ntare School, an institution that has shaped figures of global stature such as Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame, stands as a beacon of hope for Ugandan education.

‘The Lion’s Revival’ is the indispensable and brilliantly told story of how that beacon was relit.

When 45-year-old Myleen Kyomuhendo lost her ability to walk after a road crash in 2007, her world fell apart.

Confined to a wheelchair in her late teens, the former basketball player thought her dreams were over.

‘I cried for two years,’ she recalled, telling Monitor that: ‘But after that, I knew I had to start all over again with my life the way I was. I sought knowledge so that I can impact society.’

Today, Kyomuhendo leads the She-Cranes on Wheels, Uganda’s wheelchair basketball team, which recently won a silver medal at the East Africa Games in Nairobi.

Yet, despite her success, she says life for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Uganda remains a struggle marked by stigma, inaccessibility, and neglect.

Speaking at the second Disability Inclusion Summit convened by TAHI Uganda, Kyomuhendo described her recent visit to Mulago Hospital, where she was forced to relieve herself outside because no accessible toilets were available.

‘The building where I had to get my treatment was two floors with all having small doors which couldn’t support me and my wheelchair,’ she said in Kampala on Friday.

She added: ‘I felt so bad because I couldn’t hold my bladder since it was greatly affected.’

She urged government agencies to prioritize inclusivity when constructing public buildings and designing health facilities.

‘Policies are there, but some things can’t wait,’ she said, citing poor access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information for people with disabilities.

‘When we reviewed the implementation of HIV programmes, it was clear that nothing was shared with PWDs. This leaves a gap since it will continue spreading among them,’ she said.

Kyomuhendo also highlighted stigma in government hospitals. ‘They ask who got them pregnant rather than focusing on their being human too,’ she noted.

At the summit, Robert Mukwangu, Executive Director of the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), urged the government to provide free mobility devices for PWDs. ‘Why would wheelchairs be heavily taxed by the Uganda Revenue Authority? Those with legs didn’t pay for them, why are those with disabilities paying for them?’ he asked.

Dr Irene Mwenyango, assistant commissioner for adolescents at the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving access and inclusion. ‘The health ministry aims at ensuring that PWDs receive quality healthcare services, including SRHR, without facing barriers or stigma,’ she said.

Charles Tumwesigye, team leader at TAHI Uganda, said stigma and weak implementation of laws continue to marginalize PWDs. ‘The laws crafted do not favour PWDs since they only remain on paper,’ he said.

As Uganda pushes for universal health coverage, voices like Kyomuhendo’s are a reminder that accessibility remains far from universal.

Kampala is no stranger to international cuisine and themed nights, but what unfolded at Emin Pasha Hotel during the celebration of Día de la Hispanidad felt refreshingly unique and different. It was a cultural showcase of living, breathing reunion of worlds, led by Chef Álvaro Useleti, and embraced by a colourful guest list representing not just Spain, but Latin America, Uganda, and beyond.

From the moment the first pan of paella began to simmer, guests were drawn in by the aroma and conviviality that Spanish gatherings are known for. It was more than a Spanish event. It was a celebration of the global Hispanic spirit, which naturally extends to communities from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Cuba, many of whom were present and proudly representing their culinary and musical influences.

Ugandan guests, food lovers, and international residents mingled freely, plates in hand, discovering that culture tastes even better when shared family-style. Chef Álvaro cooked and shared some narratives with the curious ones. As the giant paella pan sizzled with saffron, seafood, and paprika, he offered small culinary anecdotes, tracing the dish’s Moorish influences and its journey from Valencia to the world.

Some guests compared the flavours Ugandans noted with delight how the smokiness of the chorizo echoed familiar luwombo firewood notes.

This spontaneous exchange of cultural references was perhaps the most authentic celebration of the day- food as conversation. It was heartwarming to watch nations mingle and unlike formal embassy receptions, Día de la Hispanidad at Emin Pasha felt deeply personal. The Latin American community in Kampala, though small, turned out in colourful style, bringing with them a generosity of spirit.

Ugandan guests reciprocated with curiosity and warmth, proving once again that Kampala remains one of Africa’s most welcoming cultural crossroads.

In a city where global influences often arrive through commercial gloss, this event felt delightfully human; laughter over paella, new friendships formed over sangria, and a gentle reminder that culture, when unboxed from formality, becomes a shared emotion.

Food and music experience

It was a celebration of the global Hispanic spirit, which naturally extends to communities from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Cuba, many of whom were present and proudly representing their culinary and musical influences.

It was a cultural showcase of living, breathing reunion of worlds, led by Chef Álvaro Useleti, and embraced by a colourful guest list representing not just Spain, but Latin America, Uganda, and beyond.

Conservationists at the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) are troubled by the invasion of a rare plant species threatening the survival of the natural plant cover and animals in the park. The wild plant, sicklebush (dichrostachys cinerea), first noticed in 2014, has defied high-end containment measures like mechanical uproots and is highly resistant to fire.

Philemon Tumwebaze, the ecological monitoring and research officer at the park, says the deadly plant-locally known as Kalemanjonjo-has, since invasion, eaten up 40 percent of the 1,978 square kilometres that make up the park. With the park covered by savannah, a combination of the invasive plant and changing rainfall patterns has left it looking like a bushland. Wild crops have thrived, and this has created a picture that’s not soft on the eye.

‘These conditions have given opportunities to sicklebush to flourish. This invasive species is dangerous in a way that it grows and occupies areas that were formerly grazing areas for wild animals. As it grows, it forms a canopy and suppresses the native grass and fire can’t burn it,’ Tumwebaze says. He adds: ‘So far, over 40 percent (79,120 hectares) of the entire park has been invaded.’

What is the scale of the problem?

In 2014, authorities were concerned enough to commission a study after the sicklebush reared its ugly head and took out crops that wild animals in the park-both herbivores and carnivores-thrive off. ‘With this challenge threatening the ecosystem, as of 2014, we started studies of how it can be managed using both biological, mechanical and manual means. Between 2018 and 2019, a big area of about 4,000 hectares of the park that had been invaded by sicklebush was opened up using bulldozers. It looked beautiful at the beginning, but the regrowth became worse and the area worked on again covered up,’ Tumwebaze says. He adds: ‘A biological method of using climbers and insects to feed on them wasn’t successful.’

The vast bulk of tour guides at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) attached to the park say at first, locals near the park advised against the use of highly mechanised tools such as bulldozers to wipe out the plant. We understand that their advice was ignored.

Has a manual approach managed to bear any fruits?

It has in fact been surprisingly effective. After a series of failed attempts, management deployed locally sourced personnel from within the community to manually uproot the plant. The gamble paid off. ‘Later, manual removal of cutting sicklebush, uprooting and burning plus seeding or planting native grass species in a worked area has proved to manage the invasives by 80 percent to 85 percent,’ Tumwebaze says.

He adds: ‘From last financial year to date, we have been able to clear 761.5 hectares manually out of the total area invaded using registered community groups. To achieve 85 percent success, you work in one area in three phases. The first phase is for cutting, uprooting and burning; the second phase, done after six months, involves the removal of the regrown and plant native growth.’ There is also a third phase that involves removing any regrowth and further replanting the grass. After, the monitoring begins. Tumwebaze says whereas ‘this approach is labour intensive and costly, it so far the only ecologically friendly intervention’ that the park conservationists are counting on to tackle the deadly plant species.

What costs are we looking at here?

Tumwebaze says management spends a minimum of Shs6m to clear each hectare colonised by the sicklebush. That is for the first phase. The cost for the second and third phases is, he discloses, Shs2m per hectare. ‘The Shs4m per hectare includes six percent withholding tax, equipment, food and accommodation for the workers. To work on a hectare, you need 25 people, who do the work in 10 days. We pay Shs16,000 per person per day, including everything,’ Tumwebaze says.

Specifically, how has the plant impacted animals in the park?

It has pushed them out of the park because it is thorny and cannot be consumed by herbivores. It also does not provide shelter to animals. Lawrence Kajura, a senior tour guide and ranger, says the plant has ‘colonised much of the grazing land for herbivores, hence resulting in animal migration into communities due to limited grazing space inside the park.’

Tumwebaze describes the plant as ‘dangerous.’ The park, he adds, ‘is a place that has lions, kobs, water bats that are supposed to live together. Where you have kobs is where you will have lions. And as the area is covered with invasive species, kobs have to move and as they move close to the communities, lions follow them and then, at the end of the day, lions come out of the park and they start causing human conflicts. That’s why we have interventions like electric fences to make sure our relationship with the park is harmonised.’

How are locals selected to manually uproot the invasive plant?

Eric Enyel, the Chief Warden of the park, says management employs local labourers drawn from communities surrounding the park to uproot the sicklebush.

These locals apply to take up the job through open bidding processes announced by UWA through the park offices in Kasese District. Successful applicants are then deployed to uproot the sicklebush by clearing up a hectare at a time.

In addition to the financial payment the labourers are given in the process, UWA management also permits the labourers to convert the uprooted wild plant into charcoal. In the process, this saves the pressure on the natural forest cover around the park.

What challenges are being faced?

Besides the invasive plant, UWA management at the park keeps grappling with poaching and the human-wildlife conflict. For the latter, animals such as elephants, lions, leopards, hippopotamuses, among others, often cross from the park to the community. They then eat and destroy people’s crops. Some people and livestock have also been killed.

The park is also affected by the population pressures occasioned by local persons surrounding the park. ‘There are 11 fishing villages inside the park. There is increased demand for resources, including wild meat, access roads and firewood, among others, making conservation difficult,’ Kajura says. The animals in the park are often affected by disease outbreaks, which are in some cases fatal to the animal population. Speaking to the interventions, Enyel discloses that part of the solutions in electric fences, but this has not come on the cheap.

‘To fence 11km alone, we use Shs645m,’ Enyel says, adding: ‘There are other areas we are trying to close.’

The electric fencing material is imported from countries like South Africa and Kenya. The materials are bulky and, therefore, costly to transport to various areas of the park before being erected. Previously, the electric fence was hinged on wooden poles, but these would rot. Metallic poles would also rust and pose a danger to the soil. Consequently, management resorted to using plastic material mixed with sand to give off a solid substance that has proved more reliable. To contain poachers, Kajura says there is ‘need for funding to procure more drones to enable us to surveil a wider area.’

How important is tourism to the park?

Enyel shares that ‘in the Financial Year [FY] 2024/2025, we received 128,608 visitors compared to the FY2023/2024 where we received a total of 90,851 visitors.’

As a result, ‘a total of Shs8.8b was collected as actual revenue from Queen Elizabeth Park in the FY2024/2025 against Shs7.8b the previous year. This is an annual increment of Shs1b, which translates to 11.8 percent.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s second largest national park, spanning 1,978 square kilometres.

Lawrence Kajura, a senior tour guide and ranger, says it ‘is also connected to Rwenzori Mountains National Park, which covers an area of 996 square kilometres; wildlife reserves such as Kyambura, which covers an areaof 157 square kilometres; and Kigezi wildlife reserve, which covers an area of 330 square kilometres, bringing the total to 3,461 square kilometres.’

He further says the park, then called Kazinga National Park, was gazetted in 1952, but was changed to Queen Elizabeth National Park in 1954 after the visiting of the Queen of England. He adds that the park is quite unique in that it’s easily accessible from all points using both Kampala, Mubende, Fort portal road and Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara road. The park is also home to ”climbing lions, houses 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species and has an underground forest in Kyambura where we do chimpanzee tracking.”

Kajura details that the park also has ’50 explosion craters, giving a great impression and scenic beauty and Nyamusingiri bat cave where you will see various species of staying around such as bats, leopards, snakes such as pythons and cobras, among others.’

There are people who travel far and wide to attend motor racing rallies. Some pay high prices to go watch football matches live. Others ride into the sunset with camping gear strapped on their motorcycles.

And then there are those among us who are drawn to fine food. Fine food is their thrill the same way yours is football or rafting. They gravitate to fine dining the same way a motoring enthusiast gravitates towards a great Italian super car.

While we all love food (obviously), these are the chosen ones. True gastronomes. They were born with a gifted palate. They are able to isolate hints of all the ingredient in a dish.

Some people can run fast, some can sing, epicures can taste a rare species of red apple or aged oak in their single malt whisky. True epicures part with hundreds of thousands of shillings to attend fancy culinary experiences in high-end venues in Kampala just to cool off and feel alive again.

For an outsider, this might come off as snooty and snobbish because you fail to understand why they pay as much as your rent for a mere meal and few glasses of premium whisky. But that is failing to remember that we all have our thrills on which we would spend copious amounts of money if we had it. And theirs is fine dining.

When you have been to a few of these exclusive parties like I have in recent times, you realise that they really aren’t just paying for the food and drinks. They are paying for the experience, the same way football fans pay for a stadium ticket instead of watching the match on TV.

They pay to not just enjoy the food but also to meet like-minded people. They like to watch as their fellow gastronomes leak their fingers from the same brisket that they are just about to dig in. They feel right at home with the strangers they find here because they know how the other person feels.

They share the same thrill and their love is mutual. Which makes conversation so unlaboured and natural at these events.

This is exactly how I felt when I attended The Smoke Out at Mediterraneo Restaurant in Kololo recently. The Smoke Out, as the name suggests, is a culinary experience where patrons enjoy all tribes of smoked meats. The meat is smoked over special types of wood for hours before they are slow-cooked on low indirect heat for even more hours to give the meat a smoky, spicy flavour.

As is often the case, the chef was on hand at the end of the buffet table to answer any questions about his food, be it about the juicy brisket, the oversised South African farmer’s sausages, or the pulled pork.

‘This brisket was smoked for seven hours and finished in the oven as well. Sometimes they are smoked longer. Depends how big the pieces are. But I did not want it to get too, the flavour to get too strong. It can be too smoky,’ Chef Ian, a stoic, middle aged expat explained to curious diners, hanging on his every word.

From the chicken to the beef ribs to the barbeque, everything came with a smoky flavour. But it wasn’t just the meat. There were other non-meat dishes like what the chef called the world’s best macaroni and cheese, mini burgers and roasted corn.

‘That corn, we actually take it in the skin and leave it in water for an hour. And then we just roast it on the fire, still in its skin, until it turns black. After it’s gone black, you peel it and the corn is cooked. You actually get more flavor when you roast it in the husk. It keeps the natural flavor,’ he added.

Upon picking their food, the next part of the experience was to pair it with The Singleton whisky. This single malt scotch is one of those that are known for its mellow, smooth flavor and true gastronome swear that pairing it with smoky flavored meat makes the meat tastier.

Their palates are so well tuned that they will enjoy the spices in the meat better when paired with a non-spicy whisky like The Singleton. You won’t because your palate is just too regular. They will pick hints of caramel or cayenne peppers when all you taste an indescribable sourness.

The crowd at the The Smoke Out was a good mix of expats, young, well-to-do Ugandans and girls whose legs went on and on. The dresses were mostly short and round, accentuating their most attractive aspects.

And the music, some mixes just have the ability to bring people down to the moment, away from their worries and their smartphones. But then again, it’s a party where people part with real bucks to get in.

All stops have to be pulled with reckless abandon. It was one of those parties where the spirit of dance was strong. Or maybe there was something The Singleton cocktails.

On Thursday, the Electoral Commission (EC) completed the exercise of nominating Ugandans aspiring to be part of the national leadership (Parliament and presidency). Throughout human history, leadership at the national level has always determined national progress. National leadership determines and enables citizens to pursue and enjoy social and physical security, access to public services, exercise rights and responsibilities (as well as transforming their livelihoods).

Therefore, seeking office comes with demands. Needless to say, the led also have a duty and responsibility to treat elections with the importance they deserve by choosing their leaders wisely.

Since the EC no longer carries out civic education, our people (voters and those seeking elective offices) should be told that elections matter.

The three major roles of an MP are frozen in the Constitution and the traditions of democracy. These roles are supervising the government, budget appropriation, and representation (constituency).

As a national leader, an MP may find that of the three major roles, representation is the least. Yet at a personal level, it is representation that offers the seat at the table of national leadership. If one appreciated his duty as a national leader, one would not find it difficult to reconcile the demands of the constituency and the exercise of national leadership.

As a national leader, an MP needs to explore and appreciate challenges preventing his or her constituents from experiencing social stability and improved livelihoods. However, in exercising his role of representation, an MP should not be parochial in outlook as to limit his or her leadership to the constituency. As a national leader, an MP should be able to link (and compare) the needs, opportunities, and challenges in his or her constituency with other parts of the country.

Those seeking to be MPs ought to work towards a national vision. With a national vision as a guiding principle, it is easy to appreciate the needs of the people and leverage them (needs) into a national narrative (leading to national policy positions and ultimately budget appropriation).

During elections, people seeking leadership offices need to do some kind of self evaluation based on the national vision. Ditto the voters. Uganda needs MPs who recognise their limitations and are able to work with others. Voters have to exercise the duty and responsibility to choose MPs who are not ambitious for personal gain. Ugandans don’t need leaders with a record of misusing or abusing public offices and resources for selfish ends.

Those seeking to be MPs should be women and men who do not use ethnicity, political party or religious affiliation as a basis for determining the human and social value of other Ugandans. For MPs, voters should choose women and men who have an understanding of government structures and how those structures work. With this knowledge, an MP would be able to guide his or her constituents on accessing public services.

At a personal level, I urge Ugandans to treat these elections as very important. These elections kick off the beginning of a national transition of power to the next generation. It would be a folly on your part as a voter to choose an MP who is unable to appreciate the importance of Parliament in circumstances of managing the transition of power.

It will be a folly on the part of the voter to choose an MP whose main driver is the monetary expectations. Voters should not choose an MP who limits his or her role to signing the attendance book just to secure the trigger for the processing of allowances and other accruals. Voters should not choose MPs who don’t view themselves as national leaders.

The International Rural Women’s Day is celebrated annually on October 15. Locally, it is marked to honour the critical role rural women play in agriculture, environmental sustainability and community development.

The day serves to raise awareness of the systemic challenges the rural women face, including limited access to land, education, finance and decision making and to advocate for policies that promote equality and empowering rural women and the girl-child.

This year’s event was celebrated under the theme ‘Rural women sustainable nature for our collective future, building climate resilience, conserving biodiversity and caring for land towards gender equality and empowerment of women and girls’.

The theme highlights the essential contribution of rural women to climate change adaptation, biodiversity protection and sustainable land management.

It aligns with global goals such as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 which talks about gender equality and 13 which talks about climate action recognising rural women not just as beneficiaries but as active agents of environmental and social transformation.

The celebrations in Uganda was hosted by the Young Farmers Federation of Uganda (UNYFA), Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFEE) and the German Association of Rural Women (dlv).

These bodies have been implementing a two-year project focusing on young rural farmers in agribusiness related activities which project has been concluded with a number of young rural women coming up with agricultural value addition products which they are marketing across the country.

Background

Women in rural Uganda have very limited opportunities for income generation. Majority are engaged in subsistence agriculture often as part of a combined livelihoods strategy, meaning they farm specifically for household use and do not generate income from their crops.

Statistics show that women do the vast majority of agricultural work in the country, yet men are the ones who reap the economic benefits. Small scale rural farming is a challenging occupation for men and women alike. However, women face more constraints to income generation through agriculture than men.

Without a source of income generation, women are often unable to meet cash needs for themselves and their families, including medical expenses, household items and school fees. Additionally, small scale agriculture may not even provide enough food to ensure household food security, let alone income.

Therefore UNFFE and UNYFA came up with a strategy of sensitizing the rural woman including the youth engaged in farming to help address some of the most pressing challenges rural Ugandan women face in creating sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families through small scale agricultural production.

Selected women representatives gathered in Kampala to celebrate the Rural Women celebrations were able to interact with Seeds of Gold explaining their agricultural initiatives they are engaged in and below are the details.

Project implementation

Ms Gina Krebs, the project manager at dlv, says the organisation has been facilitating exchange programme for selected women, who are taken to Germany farmers’ fields around Berlin for experience, which upon return, is implemented in their farms back home. About 20 women were identified as role models in agribusiness acquiring skills in branding agricultural products which knowledge is shared in their communities.

‘About 87 percent of the women acquired leadership skills and 40 women took part in the international exchange and training programmes and 95.5 percent successfully implemented new transfer ideas exceeding the 70 percent target,’ she says.

Young women farmers under UNYFA were empowered through capacity building and women who went to Germany were given start-up capital of Shs1.2 million to start their agribusiness initiates. Ms Rehema Nassejje, the Gender and Project Officer for UNYFA explained that the three year project kicked off in 2023 and has benefited and both elderly and youthful rural women.

‘The pilot project was implemented in the districts of Kasese, Mbarara, Kiboga, Lira, Busia, Pallisa, Agago, Kayunga, Tororo and Arua. In West Nile, the emphasis was in bee keeping and honey processing but other regions focused on all agricultural produce including fish farming,’ Ms Nassejje said.

The women were sensitized on how to make agriculture a business by adding value to various agricultural produce to earn better income. In Northern Uganda and West Nile, the women engaged in adding value to beekeeping by processing its wax to candles, propolis and others added value to groundnuts by making pea nut butter. There is continuity for the project because there are other projects being implemented by the farmers’ organisation which will definitely bring on board the young farmers.

Project Outcome as the women speak out

Having completed her Social Sciences bachelors from Makerere University, Ms Janet Nachan, briefly worked with Save the Children Fund but found satisfaction in farming and agribusiness.

Two years back through her effort, Kotido District Farmers Forum was born. The group comprising about 560 members bulks farm produce – mainly Maize, Sorghum, Millet and Ground nuts – and market it to achieve better prices.

Apart from engaging in bulking farm produce, Ms Nachan grows Sorghum and Groundnuts.

‘In 2024, UNYFA run advert calling for young female farmers to participate in an exchange programme in German.I applied and was successful. In German, my group visited mainly Diary farmers,’ she says, adding that she I was able to come up with agribusiness idea of processing soap from shea butter oil.

She began implementing her agribusiness idea by purchasing shea butter from farmers in Lango Sub region. During the processing, she mixes the oil with sodium hydroxide which is poured in a wooden box and left to solidify for 24 hours. Previously, she used a wooden mould which would not shape the bar of soap well.

However, the district has since given her support and she purchased a better cutter to process better bar of soap. Each one kilogramme bar of soap goes for Shs5, 000.

Nachan says she has managed to train members of her group in soap processing both solid and liquid and the next step is for her group to engage in growing Shea butter trees in order to get the materials on farm.

Ms Jude Isaburu is another farmer hailing from Maracha district who is a beneficiary of the project.

She belongs to Okuyo Women’s Farmers Group comprising 27 members. Isaburu, who participated in the 2023 German exchange programme, says she gained leadership skills upon which she can now amply talk and negotiate for the rural woman.

Her group mainly deals in Kitchen gardening – growing edible plants like vegetables, fruits, and herbs for fresh use – and energy saving stove processing for clean cooking to maintain clean environment. She also learnt how to make the chicken pens during her visit in Germany and has since passed on the skills to her group members.

However in as far as kitchen gardening in concerned, the group has teamed up with Maracha District Farmers association who availed to them vegetable seed for onions, Amaranth and tomatoes which group members are growing as income earning initiative. They also grow traditional vegetables such as Okra and cow pea leaves mainly as diet for home consumption.

Help

Young Farmers Federation of Uganda (UNYFA), Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) and the German Association of Rural Women (dlv) came up with a strategy of formalizing the rural women youth-dedicated farming to help solve some of the most pressing challenges rural Ugandan women face in earning a sustainable livelihood for themselves and their families through small-scale agricultural production.