Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

As Uganda marks its 63rd Independence Day today, we assess the country’s journey of self-reliance through local innovation. From laboratory breakthroughs to scalable industries, these homegrown advancements are essential in driving economic growth, job creation, and resilience in a rapidly changing world.

Dr Monica Musenero, the minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, says the country has made a significant progress in moving science out of the laboratories and into the economy. ‘We have transitioned from piloting ideas to building industries.We’ve seen the first clinical trials for locally developed therapeutics take place,’ she says.

In terms of e-mobility, where the country is also venturing into, through Kiira motors, the minister says the country is expanding its electric vehicle ecosystem. She says there are ‘over 5,000 electric motorcycles and 27 buses already on the road with up to 40 percent local content.’

The minister also says they have set up charging infrastructure across the country with more than 140 swapping stations and over 30 fast chargers for vehicles. Dr Musenero further observes that the secretariat has revitalised key manufacturing plants like Osukuru phosphates for making fertilisers, launched the Deep Tech Centre, and operationalised vaccine manufacturing lines for animals and humans. Our reporter couldn’t independently verify the remarks on vaccine manufacturing lines.

Agriculture and food

Many of the major breakthroughs and innovations in Uganda revolve around agriculture and food systems, where majority of the population is engaged. Improved crop varieties and improved breeds of animals like the new maize and soybean varieties and Kasolwe brown goat breed have been developed in the country. National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro), Makerere University and National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC and DB) have been at the centre of these developments. For maize alone, there are around 21 improved varieties developed between 2000 and 2019 and these include NAROMAIZE, Longe maize, and Myezi Mitatu. These varieties and breeds help to counter diseases and boost productivity. There are also ongoing efforts to start major manufacturing of anti-tick vaccines, separately developed in the country by Makerere University and Naro following promising results from field tests.

Besides this, there has also been an increase in value addition for local products like hides and skin, milk, tea and maize. This has seen construction of factories and opening of new businesses that have in turn led to creation of more jobs, reduced wastage and spoilage of products, increased average price of commodities, and improved export earnings from agricultural products. Still on food related innovations, this year, Ugandan innovators Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita were named among the top 10 winners of the prestigious 2025 Young Inventors Prize, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO) for their development of Karpolax. This is a biodegradable sachets that significantly extend the shelf life of fruits, reducing wastage and extending shelf-life.

Health

To move a step ahead of ongoing local manufacture of generic drugs and diagnostic kits (discovered in foreign countries), the government and local scientists are increasing efforts to develop vaccines and drugs locally for human use. Many of these research and development activities are still at laboratory stages. However, Prof Vinand Nantulya has been making diagnostic kits in the country. He also developed a kit for testing Covid-19, following the outbreak. His company, Astel Diagnostics is a private enterprise incorporated on the April 11, 2006 as a limited company to manufacture locally and make available rapid diagnostic tests for health conditions prevalent in Uganda and countries in the region.

There is also standardisation of local herbal medicines which has increased use in mainstream health system and enhanced National Drug Authority’s ability to monitor the quality of these highly used products. Some of these major products include Covidex, which was sold widely in Uganda and abroad for managing Covid-19 during the epidemic three years ago. There is also adoption of training of experts in the country, which is narrowing skills gap, especially in health sector and reducing brain drain. These include local fellowship programmes which has seen cancer and heart specialists, surgeons, and epidemiologists, trained in Uganda by available experienced persons, without having to travel abroad. The increase in the number of local health training institutions from certificate to degree levels have increased the availability of health workforce, despite challenges in quality, which should be addressed by the government.

Other notable innovations include one of the world’s biggest baby incubator for saving lives of preterm, that was developed by late Christopher Nsamba. He died in 2022. He came up with a big incubator that could accommodate 30 babies. He died before completing his work on an incubator that could be installed in an ambulance as a premature is brought to the hospital. Preterm birth is one of the biggest challenges in Uganda’s health system and a major cause of neonatal death. Around 200,000 babies are born preterm in Uganda annually. During this year’s Independence Day celebration, the Uganda Manufacturers Association and other partners, are running a trade fair where these Made in Uganda products are being exhibited. The exhibition is running from October 2 to 12 at Lugogo, Kampala.

Environment

Uganda grapples with challenges of waste management, especially in urban areas. There is also high level of air pollution, declining forest cover and wetland coverage. Some of the innovations to address these, include the Marula Proteen Limited, located about three kilometres from the Kampala City centre and the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI) in Wakiso, that have recycling plants making useful products worth millions of shillings every month from waste. Marula uses garbage from Kampala City markets to make Protilizer organic fertiliser which is fortified with antifungal and soil revitalising agents for better crop yield.

The company sell each 50kg bag at about Shs49,000. While Naro is using animal waste to make biogas and bio-electricity for internal operations, among other products. There is also an innovation by Makerere University scientists, AirQo who have developed and installed air quality monitors across the country to generate data for decision making. There have also been efforts by local organisations and government to promote planting of trees, protection of wetlands, although there is a lot of interference, often from the leaders, according to activists.

If you have your mobile phone or laptop, reach out to it and simply Google Uganda – interesting images you will land on. Refresh and make another search on Rwanda, and lastly, South Africa.

This then gets me to ask, who handles Uganda’s publicity, and who is shaping the narrative that we would want the rest of the world to know about Uganda?

Deemed as the Pearl of Africa, it can easily be showcased through its rich heritage, diverse culture, flora and fauna, and the achievements it has attained over the years. And when one does a simple Google search, these should be the things they interact with.

As an ardent soccer fan, my club’s kits, both home and away, have a visit Rwanda wording on the sleeves, and this simply means an invitation to the millions of fans worldwide to visit Rwanda. By simply seeing Visit Rwanda on a shirt sleeve, one’s curiosity would be raised about Rwanda.

Now let’s switch to South Africa. In 2024, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) teamed up with a renowned and celebrated South African-born international comedian, Trevor Noah, for a ‘Visit South Africa’ campaign, and this was mainly aimed at enabling the country to achieve a goal of attracting 21 million visitors by 2030, through tourism.

In such an age where everyone is a citizen journalist because of the digital and technology evolution, if you don’t tell your story, somebody else will tell it for you, and in most cases, they might miss out on some key facts.

But if there was a communications team and website where all this information was archived, maybe then we would tell a better story about our mother land. Public Relations (PR) is beyond crisis management, but how well you shape your narrative and what you want the public to perceive about you.

And with this, I mean the internal public, who in this case we, the citizens. The external public is the neighbour and all other countries that we have relations with on a diplomatic front.

Although I don’t have a great liking for the rival Red Devils, a visit to Uganda wording on a Manchester United jersey would be a nice one, this is simply because Manchester United is one of the biggest football clubs worldwide and leveraging on their large fanbase could, for example, do more than an advert on an international TV.

An article published on My Africa Magazine website on April 15 highlighted that in the very first year of the Rwanda-Arsenal deal, Rwanda recouped its entire £30m (Shs138b) investment, thanks to the exposure it gained.

The article cited that before the partnership, 71 percent of Arsenal’s global fanbase did not even think of Rwanda as a travel destination, whereas by the end of the first year, half of those fans said they would consider visiting Rwanda.

A group of people in London, UK, many of whom had probably never thought about Rwanda much before, are now eagerly discussing gorilla trekking and investment opportunities in Kigali, all because a football club’s sleeve saying ‘Visit Rwanda.’

As we mark the 63rd Independence Day, I would like to see more stories about who we are, what makes us the Pearl of Africa.

Uganda Tourism Board is doing an incredible job to market Uganda to the world, and we salute them, but their efforts need to be complemented, especially by gaining access to more resources to aid them in doing all the incredible things that will boost our tourism numbers.

A team needs to be tasked with shaping the narrative, and the first place would be the online presence. In this case, enhancing the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so that when one Googles Uganda, it’s the amazing things and achievements we have attained over the years that pop up.

Beyond the SEO, publicity related to our motherland needs to be harnessed.

PR continues to be a powerful asset in shaping narratives; hence, let’s not wait for a crisis to erupt and start thinking about what would be done. Let’s start now with telling the Ugandan story, beginning with the 63 years of Independence and beyond.

Looking disturbed at the Mbale High Court premises, 62-year-old Lucia Nalwanana folds her hands as she narrated her painful journey of an unresolved land case that tore her family apart and left her in emotional and financial distress.

‘My husband died in 2015. His brothers said I had no right to the land because I was just a woman,’ Ms Nalwanana, a resident of Butiru Village in Butiru Sub-county in Manafwa District, said. She added, ‘They took me to the police. I opted to go to court, thinking the court would grant me justice, but I have gone to court more than 20 times. Sometimes they said the file is missing.

Sometimes the magistrate has not come. Eight years now, no judgment. I have asked for mediation, but nobody is willing to mediate,’ she said. The land in question is about two acres, where Ms Nalwanana grows her crops as a source of survival for her children and grandchildren. Ms Daphine Nakayenga, a postgraduate student at the Law Development Centre (LDC) in Mbale, came across Ms Nalwanana’s case while doing her community legal placement.

‘It’s heartbreaking to see a woman like our mothers pour tears. This is a case that could have been solved through mediation,’ she said. Ms Nakayenga said many elderly women like Ms Nalwanana suffer because they lack legal awareness and can’t afford representation. ‘Our justice system must become more humane. Mediation should be embraced because it isn’t just a legal process, it’s a healing process,’ she added. Mr David Wamanga, the LC1 chairperson of Butiru, said Ms Nalwanana’s case is not isolated.

‘In my village alone, I have over 20 unresolved land wrangles. They all said the same thing: courts are slow, expensive, and hard to understand, Mr Wamanga said. He added: ‘Some people lose land because they can’t keep travelling to court. Others fight. We have seen machetes drawn,’ he said. He supports the introduction of mediation at the village level. ‘If the Judiciary can train more mediators and work with LC courts, we will reduce these fights. People want justice, not endless paperwork,’ Mr Wamanga said.

Ms Aisat Mugide, 32, mother of four and a resident of Wokoto Village in Kikobro Parish in Kikobero Sub-county in Sironko District, lost her husband in December 2019, and six days after the burial, some unknown people destroyed the banana plantation and other crops. She later learnt it was a planned move to evict her from the land. ‘I received a letter from the sub-county that was asking me to leave the land, which I was sure we owned,’ she said.

She added that most of the local leaders in the communities conspire with the oppressors of widows, orphans, and other vulnerable people. Ms Fatinah Mutonyi, 21, a mother of two from Nalugugu in Bulambuli District, is an orphan who lost her father in June 2019. She was left with her other two siblings under the care of their elder uncle. Their late father had left them six rooms of rental houses, several pieces of land, and other properties that their uncle reportedly forcefully took over from them in 2020, just one year after the death of their father.

‘He chased us away from our own house that our father had left for us, he told me to go and get married, and we left everything,’ she said. Mr Peter Mudoma, a resident of Bukonde in Mbale City, who has a long-standing land dispute, said, ‘If mediation could help us finish cases faster and cheaply, it would be a blessing in disguise,’ he said. He added, ‘I have spent so much money just going to court, transport every week, feeding myself, even giving small bribes here and there just to get files moved. It’s painful because I’m not a rich man. We suffer. Sometimes it feels like justice is for those with money.’ Mr Ivan Mooli, an aspiring district chairperson of Manafwa District, said whenever there is a delay in judgement, there is a breakdown of justice and the innocent suffer. ‘We must do better for our people, especially widows and the elderly; therefore Judiciary should decentralise mediation services, empower local leaders with legal tools, and increase access to legal aid. ‘Justice must be felt at the grassroots, not just on file shelves in Kampala,’ Mr Mooli said.

Ms Annet Kharuri Gyabi, an advocate and project manager at Redeem International Uganda in Mbale, said most vulnerable people end up giving up on cases because of the high costs involved in trying to pursue justice. ‘There are clients that have cases but don’t know where to report, even transport to the nearest police station, because they are impoverished, they cannot pursue justice,’ Ms Kharuri said. Mr Steven Masiga, spokesperson for Inzu Ya Masaba, the cultural institution of the Bamasaba people, praised the Judiciary ‘s growing use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). ‘Traditionally, our people always end their differences in a bad way of violence, isolation, or revenge. ADR brings a better way,’ Mr Masiga said. Mr Masiga said cultural institutions are ready to collaborate with the Judiciary to ensure mediation reaches the most rural households. ‘The Judiciary has done something very important with ADR. We now have a chance to end disputes before they destroy families,’ he said

Efforts by the Judiciary

So far, over 50 judicial officers from Mbale, Soroti, Tororo, Kumi, and Moroto have been trained by the Judicial Training Institute (JTI), aimed at promoting ADR mechanisms. Prof Andrew Khaukha, the executive director of JTI, said: ‘Nearly 99 percent of civil cases can be resolved through mediation. Delayed rulings in land cases break families and communities. Mediation offers a path to justice that is faster, fairer, and more humane.’ Prof Khaukha said the Chief Justice’s vision is to ensure justice is not only delivered but delivered on time and in a way that restores peace.

Justice Farouq Lubega, the senior resident judge of Mbale High Court, said many judicial officers are spending too much time in workshops and not enough time on the bench. ‘We must be in court full-time. But more importantly, we must embrace mediation to manage our caseloads and make timely decisions,’ he said. However, Mr Francis Gimara, the team leader at ALP Advocates, warned that for mediation to succeed, it must be demystified. ‘Let people understand that justice doesn’t always require a robe and a courtroom. We need trained mediators at the parish level, simplified forms, and the courage to say court is not always the answer,’ he said.

National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine has castigated the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government led by President Museveni for allegedly mocking Ugandans with Independence Day celebrations.

According to him, President Museveni’s government that has been in power for four decades has failed to live the true meaning of independence and instead chosen to enslave a bigger section of Ugandans in poverty and misery.

Mr Kyagulanyi who addressed a rally at Lusanjja Primary School playground in Nakaseke District as the country celebrated the 63rd Independence Day celebrations at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala on Thursday, accused Mr Museveni and his party of reversing the 1962 Independence gains, claiming many Ugandans are now forced to yearn for the pre-colonial days.

‘The true independence for Ugandans will come after the fall of this current government. Our children, parents and many other innocent Ugandans are in jail simply because they support people who don’t agree with Mr Museveni’s policies. We can’t enjoy our full rights as citizens, the colonialists did not act the way President Museveni and his government are curtailing freedom and rights of Ugandans,’ he said.

‘Even after 40-years in power, Ugandans are still suffering like before 1986 yet the current regime promised to liberate all Ugandans,’ he said.

He said when Mr Museveni took up arms to fight in the jungles of Luweero Triangle he laid down reasons that seemed genuine, making the war acceptable to the wider population in Buganda sub-region but after four decades in people, many who believed in him are in regrets due to increasing poverty levels, land grabbing, impunity, corruption, poor roads and poor health services, among others.

‘Recently, I heard President Museveni trying to enhance teachers’ salaries and promising free meals in public schools with each learner getting a cup of porridge mixed with milk and an egg. This is a mockery because the promises that have earlier been made for the last 40-years have not been fulfilled,’ he said.

Before Kyagulanyi addressed the rally, area MPs, Paulson Lutamaguzi (Nakaseke South), Allan Mayanja (Nakaseke Central) decried the rotten road infrastructure, including the feeder roads that are in poor state despite the government claiming that the area is the NRM cradle land.

‘In Kiwoko Town Council, we do not have a single health unit. Many people are victims of the ongoing land evictions and land grabbing by well-connected individuals in Mr Museveni’s government,’ he said.

The NUP presidential candidate earlier claimed that security agencies had denied him the opportunity to hold another rally in Ngoma, which is an NRM stronghold and also confiscated their public address system.

But Nakaseke Resident District Commissioner, Ms Rosemary Byabashaija in a telephone interview with this publication dismissed the claims, saying they agreed with NUP mobilisers in the area to hold only one rally due to limited manpower.

‘The security was only aware of the rally organised at Lusanja playground and not any other place. Those are false claims,’ she said.

Unlike the Monday that featured clashes between Kyagulanyi’s supporters and the Police in Mubende District, the Thursday campaign trail in Nakaseke was largely peaceful. From the border of Wakiso and Nakaseke, Kyagulanyi made several stopovers in Semutu, Kepeeka, where, through his car, he briefly addressed residents or waved to them.

Nakaseke is part of the Luweero Triangle, which was the epicentre of the five-year guerrilla war (between 1981 and 1986). Residents in both districts experienced significant losses during the war with thousands of lives lost, and the survivors were left to cope with the loss of family members, destruction of property, and a shattered local economy. While the war ended nearly 40 years ago, the impact lingered, affecting generations.

Despite all these, the area has for 35 yeas largely been loyal to Mr Museveni, generously contributing to his vote pool, but in the previous election, NUP made some inroads, winning two of the four parliamentary seats.

A section of residents in the villages of Bulima and Bukayu in Busamuzi Sub-County in Buvuma District have resisted plans by the National Oil Project (NOP) under the Ministry of Agriculture to take over their land before receiving their due compensation.

Although the government agreed to pay for private land as they seek to expand the project, a section of residents fear that they may not get their money as promised, citing examples of such projects in other parts of the country.

The Buvuma Oil Palm project kicked off in 2021, and the government needed enough land for the nucleus estate and several other hectares for outgrowers. Although the initial target was to secure 11,000 hectares of land for the project, they settled for 7,500 hectares of which 2,500 hectares are for the outgrowers.

On Wednesday, when NOP sent its surveyors to open the boundaries, the residents put up resistance, saying they needed their compensation packages first, without which the project would not take off.

Ms Josephine Nakibondwe, a resident of Bulimia Village, said she inherited part of the land NOP wants to utilize from her father and has no alternative land to relocate to without compensation.

‘This land is the only asset I have and I cannot allow a grader here before I receive my compensation,’ she said.

Mr Ronald Kasibante, another aggrieved resident from Bukayu Village, claimed that NOP has been taking residents’ land without compensation, an illegality they were not ready to tolerate.

“There are many people whose land was taken without payment; they come and start clearing the land, and after clearing they plant oil palm trees and tell people to wait for compensation. This is unfair,” he said.

Mr Muhammad Musisi, the chairperson of Bulima Village said the NOP team did not inform him about the planned boundary opening.

“I’m not happy as the village chairperson. How can the government send a team to open boundaries without notifying local leaders? This is unacceptable,” he said.

Mr David Ssenyonjo, the chairperson of Busamuzi Sub-County, rallied all affected residents not to allow NOP workers to trespass on their land before receiving their compensation.

Mr Anthony Wanyoto, a communications and knowledge management officer at NOP said the residents surrendered the land to the government willingly and their compensation is being processed.

‘No one is being evicted, the land where boundary opening is taking place is already controlled by the government, and the former owners are yet to receive their compensation packages. There have been some delays, but very soon they will receive their money,’ he said.

This is not the first time residents in Buvuma have blocked NOP staff from doing their work. In 2023, residents of Kakyanga, Bwaka, Kibondwe, and Bukiyindi blocked oil palm growing on private land until they received their compensation packages.

Out of the 89 villages scattered in the sub counties of Busamuzi, Buwooya,Nairambi and Buvuma Town Council, only 20 have been compensated.

The plan to grow oil palm on Buvuma Island is part of the government’s wider project to expand the edible oil industry in the country.

As Uganda joins the rest of the world in marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has revealed that the country has registered a decline in late-stage breast and cervical cancer diagnoses. Dr Alfred Jatho, the head of the Community Cancer Services Department at UCI, said cervical cancer alone accounts for 33 percent of new cancer cases in Uganda, followed by breast cancer at 14.6 percent, together making up about half of the country’s total cancer burden.

‘Ten years ago, nearly 90 percent of cancer cases were diagnosed at a late stage. Five years ago, this dropped to 80 percent,’ Dr Jatho said on Monday. ‘Currently, the late-stage diagnosis rate stands at approximately 70 percent for cervical cancer and 77 percent for breast cancer, while other cancers remain at around 80 percent,’ he added.

Dr Jatho emphasised that early detection significantly increases chances of cure, especially at pre-cancer or stage-zero levels, which can often be treated without chemotherapy or radiotherapy. ‘The drop in late-stage diagnoses is good news,’ he said. ‘However, the proportion remains high – only about 25 to 30 percent of cases are detected early. That still represents a major challenge, because late-stage cancers are far more difficult to cure,’ he added.

He explained that with roughly 30 percent of cases detected early, the majority of patients diagnosed late are unlikely to survive. Despite the growing cancer burden, Uganda currently has only one comprehensive cancer treatment facility – the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala. ‘The UCI expects to manage about 77,000 cancer patients annually, but our hospital capacity allows us to treat only about 17 percent, or 13,090 patients,’ Dr Jatho said. As a result, many patients resort to spiritual healers and herbalists for alternative care.

Lack of information remains a major obstacle in the fight against cancer, particularly in the Busoga Sub-region. Ms Sylvia Nakami, the executive director of Rays of Hospice Jinja (RHHJ), a specialised palliative care provider in the region, said ignorance continues to fuel fear and misinformation. ‘The biggest barrier in the fight against cancer is information,’ she said. ‘Some people believe that screening for cervical cancer involves removing the uterus, examining it, and putting it back incorrectly – which they think leads to infertility,’ she added. RHHJ has intensified community outreach to encourage early screening and treatment.

Throughout this month, the organisation is spreading awareness about breast cancer, culminating in a Run, Walk, and Ride event on October 25, under the theme ‘Because Every Woman Matters.’ Ms Nakami noted that the number of cancer patients in Busoga has been increasing steadily.

‘Over the past seven years, our data show a sharp rise in cancer cases. Since 2018, the majority of patients we have cared for have been cancer patients,’ she said. Dr Anna Kabona, an associate consultant in Public Health at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, stressed that seeking treatment late makes cancer management difficult.

Herbert Olowo is well-known in the banking sector. His emotions may still be stable but are mixed after he won the September leg of the Monthly Mug at Uganda Golf Club (UGC) at the weekend.

He won the tournament presented by Stanbic Bank with a best score of 64 nett to outclass the field at the par-72 course.

‘I am very excited to have won the Monthly Mug. I woke up feeling good and when I got to the course, it was amazing. Even on a stroke index one, I got a par. I enjoyed myself. And I am looking forward to my handicap dropping,’ he added.

Olowo beat the field of 100 players to the top accolade including men’s Group A and Group B winners Michael Obalim and Steven Katwiremu respectively. Both scored 69 nett each.

In the women’s category, Berna Musanabera and Hasifa Karungi stood out while Peace Namusisi from Namulonge Club emerged as the guest winner of the day.

STANBIC UGC MUG

SEPTEMBER LEG RESULTS

Overall Winner: Herbert Olowo 64 nett

Guest Winner: Peace Musisi (Namulonge) 68 nett (c/b)

GROUP WINNERS – MEN

GROUP A

Winner: Michael Obalim 69 nett

Runner-Up: Shaban Ram 72 nett

GROUP B

Winner: Steven Katwiremu 69 nett

Runner-Up: Baris Aksoy 70 nett (c/b)

GROUP C

Winner: Hannington Mulumba 71 nett (c/b)

Runner-Up: Virdee Amerjeet 72 nett (c/b)

LADIES’ RESULTS

GROUP A

Winner: Berna Musanabera 77 nett

Runner-Up: Gloria Mbaguta 78 nett

GROUP B

Winner: Hasifa Karungi 76 nett

Runner-Up: Sarah Nduhukire 82 nett

SENIORS

Senior Winner (M): Kishor Datani 69 nett

Senior Winner (L): Jenina Nasimolo 74 nett

Kyambogo University Vice Chancellor Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya has pledged full institutional support to newly elected Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) president George Wagoogo as the university prepares to bid to host the 2027 AUUS Games.

Wagoogo, a senior sports tutor and associate professor at Kyambogo University, was recently elected as the fifth AUUS president, marking a major milestone in his long service to university sports. He previously served on the AUUS Executive Committee for four years.

On Monday, the Kyambogo University community held a special ceremony to officially receive Wagoogo. The event was attended by top administrators, including Bridget Mugume, the Dean of Students, who pledged close collaboration with AUUS to promote sports and healthy lifestyles in universities.

‘The Dean of Students’ Office looks forward to working closely with AUUS to promote sports development and a healthy lifestyle. We are in this together, and I believe in our collective strength, knowledge and skills for service to our country,’ Mugume said.

In his acceptance remarks, Wagoogo expressed gratitude to Kyambogo University for the support throughout his election and pledged to leverage the institution’s strategic location, facilities and expertise to advance university sports nationally.

‘I am deeply honoured to stand before you today, humbled by the trust placed in me as AUUS president. Kyambogo University will play a pivotal role in hosting most of the Association’s activities. Together, we shall nurture talent, lobby for more sports infrastructure, and enhance opportunities for our student-athletes at all levels,’ Wagoogo said.

Wagoogo also led a moment of silence in honour of members of the Muni University delegation who perished in a road accident while returning from the AUUS elections.

Institutional backing

Prof. Katunguka, himself a former sportsman, congratulated Wagoogo and assured him of the university’s full backing as he assumes leadership of the umbrella body for university sports.

‘Your role is to promote sports in all universities in the country, not only Kyambogo. But when you come from here, I think the big things will start here,’ Prof. Katunguka said.

‘Sports is not cheap. You will need to mobilise resources, buy equipment and engage partners. But I can assure you of our support and that of the government, which has shown commitment to improving sports at all levels.’

Prof. Katunguka shared personal reflections on how sports shaped his life during his days at Makerere University, noting that active involvement in games such as basketball, table tennis and lawn tennis kept him disciplined and healthy. He encouraged Wagoogo to instill a similar spirit among students and staff to build a vibrant sports culture.

‘Whenever I get time, I still exercise. Sports keeps you alert, fit and disciplined. We hope you can get that spirit of sports into our students. We are lucky that Kyambogo has a department of sports – use it to expand your empire,’ he said.

Eyes on 2027 AUUS Games

The Vice Chancellor’s assurance comes at a crucial time as Kyambogo University prepares to bid for the rights to host the AUUS Games in 2027. The Games bring together thousands of student-athletes from universities across Uganda to compete in multiple disciplines.

Wagoogo’s leadership tenure will run for the next four years, during which he is expected to spearhead resource mobilisation, infrastructure development and discipline reforms across university sports in the country.

Health and fitness experts have called for urgent reforms to curb the rising fatal and other life-threatening incidents in Ugandan gyms and military recruitment exercises. The experts indicated that the incidents highlight critical safety lapses like inadequate health screenings and poor emergency preparedness.

The recent death of 22-year-old Solomon Dono, who collapsed and died during a UPDF recruitment in Apac District on August 15, despite on-site medical aid, joins a troubling pattern that includes businessman Abas Kasagga’s alleged fatal heart attack in a Kampala gym in April. Kasagga was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kibuli Hospital, a nearby facility where he was rushed to. These are not isolated cases. Mustafa Katende’s 2018 gym collapse and the death of Margaret Kabasa during a fitness test in Pallisa in May all highlight the magnitude of the problem.

Many exercise-related incidents are unreported because they are not fatal. ‘As physiotherapists, we usually take exercises as medicine. Just like medicine, you take it according to what is affecting you,’ explains Mr Isaac Kakooza, former president of the Uganda Association of Physiotherapy (UAP), now with Mobile Phyzio Uganda. Mr Kakooza emphasises the importance of understanding one’s health status before starting a fitness routine.

‘There are specific types of exercises which each individual is supposed to do depending on their fitness level,’ he says, adding:’Some people get these kinds of problems (attacks), because sometimes they don’t go into that length of finding out their state of health.’ The physiotherapist paints a scenario where individuals with pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure or heart problems might unknowingly exacerbate their situation through ill-advised exercise.

‘When someone goes to the gym, the gym first of all is supposed to have a professional who can, for example, take the person’s blood pressure,’ Mr Kakooza asserts. ‘Someone could be having high blood pressure. when you do exercise, your blood pressure also goes up, (meaning the condition can worsen). This means you are not supposed to be doing certain types of exercise,’Mr Kakooza says.

Col David Opeero, the head of the UPDF recruitment team in Apac District, in comments about the death of Dono, says they always do preliminary health checks before the fitness drill and have a robust emergency response system and team, which tried to rescue Dono. ‘During the run, one of the participants collapsed. He was put in the ambulance that was following them, the way we evacuate any other participant who faints in the run,’ he explains.

‘He was brought to the hospital, first aid was administered to him, unfortunately, he didn’t make it, he died.’ Col Opeero further explains that in the recruitment process, ideally there are four stages. ‘The first one is to identify and confirm that we have the right people who are short-listed, then document verification,the third one is the preliminary physical check done by the medical officers, then the fourth one is the short run, and eventually the medical examination,’ he says. Dr Charles Oyoo Akiya, the commissioner for Non-Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at the Ministry of Health, highlights how one can exercise safely.

‘First of all, do a general fitness check by a qualified health worker, know your general health status: heart condition, blood pressure, blood sugar, and so on,’ he says. ‘Secondly, ensure the gym is safe and the equipment is in good mechanical condition. Thirdly, a qualified/ licensed or professional instructor is available to guide you. And forth, first aid services are handy, including emergency referral systems,’ he adds. Mr Kakooza says weightlifting, although essential in muscle strengthening, greatly strains the cardiovascular system (heart and blood pathways), causing a significant concern that should be balanced well with health safety.

Danger signs

‘When you’re lifting something heavy or exerting a lot of force, your body will demand energy. And then when it demands too much energy, of course, it goes hand in hand with demanding more oxygen, and by that, your heart will be required to pump or to overwork so that it can supply that kind of blood. And if it’s overworking beyond its limits, of course, anything can happen to you,’ he explains. Mr Kakooza stresses the significance of recognising one’s limits during exercise. The point of panting, he explains, should allow for continued conversation. Reaching a level where breathlessness prevents speech is a danger sign, indicating an intensity that might be too high. ‘When you’re doing exercises, you can reach a point when you’re panting. That panting has to be at a certain level where you can pant, but while you can still talk.

But when you reach a level where you pant and you cannot even talk, you’re just trying to catch your breath, that’s not a good intensity level,’ he says. ‘If you’re so fatigued so quickly at a simple exertion during an exercise, it’s good to go for a check-up to see why your body demands so much oxygen and you’re not taking it in the way it is required. Usually, it’s good to first see a cardiologist and see whether there’s any problem,’ he adds. The physiotherapist also advises seeking medical check-ups for persistent fatigue during simple exertion, as it could signal underlying health issues. The absence of mandatory health screenings and professional guidance in many gyms is a worrying trend.

‘When they go to these gyms, they don’t even ask those things, they just all of a sudden jump on something and they just start doing without anyone asking them these, without anyone measuring their blood pressure,’ Mr Kakooza laments. UAP, has long advocated for stricter regulations within the fitness industry. ‘It would be good for each gym to have a physiotherapist supervising it. Just like you see pharmacies are supervised by pharmacists. So gyms are also supposed to be supervised by physiotherapists,’ Mr Kakooza advises. He points to the recent regulation by the National Council of Sports mandating physiotherapists in sports clubs, highlighting their crucial role in guiding training, preventing injuries, and managing emergencies.

Echoing the need for greater oversight, Dr Akiya acknowledges that gyms are largely private entities regulated by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities. Dr Akiya also reminds the public that physical activity doesn’t solely rely on gyms. Simple activities like walking, jogging, dancing, and sports can be equally beneficial and accessible. For gym owners, Dr Akiya’s message is clear: ‘They must employ professional instructors, physiotherapists, first aiders, etc., and ensure a safe environment within their gym facilities.’

JKL Lady Dolphins can confirm their place in the National Basketball League finals with victory over UCU Lady Canons when the two sides face off tonight in Game Four of the semifinal series at Lugogo Indoor Stadium.

The defending champions have won back-to-back games to take a 2-1 lead in the series having lost the opener.

Wednesday night’s 65-61 win saw the four-time champions dig deep and rely on their experience to get over the line and put one foot in the finals.

The Lady Canons led by nine points (34-25) going into the halftime break and despite leading by as many as 14 points at some point, JKL came back in the fourth frame to snatch the victory.

Four-time MVP Hope Akello recorded 20 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the game while Brenda Ekone registered 17 points and eight rebounds.

For the Lady Canons, Matrina Anyango got a team-high 15 points and collected five rebounds while Shillah Lamunu had a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Backs against the wall

UCU’s Game One victory now looks a distant memory, with tonight’s assignment putting the university side in a win-or-go-home situation.

Nicholas Natuhereza’s charges shot three-for-29 from three-point range on Wednesday and will need much better percentages to get past a more experienced JKL side.

The scoring burden has largely rested on Lamunu’s shoulders in the series and more senior players like Bridget Aber and team captain Hajara Najjuko will have to do more for UCU to stay alive.

Stopping Ekone’s transition has also proven a challenge in the last two games and that has seen her score 33 points and help the defending champions take charge of the series.

Akello has also dominated the paint to pour in 36 points the last two games. Limiting the duo could be the start of a comeback for UCU but that is easier said than done.

National Basketball League Playoffs

Semifinal result

Game Three

JKL 65-61 UCU

Game Four, Friday -Lugogo

UCU vs. JKL, 7pm