By Haggai Matsiko Gaping illiteracy, poverty and ethnic tensions stand in the way of participatory governance Along the dusty roads of Kaluguuza, a small town in Kibaale district, western Uganda, Moses Kahwa, a local shopkeeper, passionately debates the upcoming elections with other local self-proclaimed political analysts. Baguma cannot win Matia, …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Now health experts debate wisdom of switching chemical sprays Lying on flat land near the swampy Lake Kyoga, Apac district in northern Uganda, Lango sub-region, is not only the most malaria infected region of Uganda, but perhaps of the entire world. A study conducted from 1994 …

By The Independent Team An estimated 2.85 billion people worldwide were at risk of contracting malaria in 2009, according to a report published in the journal PLos Neglected Tropical Diseases. Researchers mapped out the prevalence of the common malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax and found that it was more widespread than …

By The Independent Team Scientists have discovered a new metabolic pathway used by malaria-causing parasites that apparently helps them survive inside human blood cells. The finding, by researchers supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, clarifies the picture of …

By The Independent Team In a bid to reduce on its costs of production, Nile breweries has stepped up its campaign to use locally grown beer making products. The company which had all along been importing Barley grain from West Germany has embarked on having the Barley grown locally in …

By Rukiya Makuma Independence babies that wont grow up 2010 is the year for Africa as 17 countries celebrate 50 years of independence since colonial rule. Africans resisted the colonialists on grounds of segregation, slavery, exploitation and domination. But 50 years after, how have these countries performed? Are they still …

By Haggae Matsiko Independent reporter buys birth certificate for Shs 35,000, offered passport for Shs150,000, no questions asked It is Thursday afternoon when I arrive at the reception of the Registrar of Births and Deaths office at Amam House near the Central Police Station in Kampala. I tell the receptionist …

By Timothy Kalyegira Africa has become important not just as an intelligence listening post and army and naval base for counterterrorism originating in the Middle East, but also as a haven and breeding ground for home-grown terrorism ranging from the Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb that acts to destabilise North Africa, …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati & Isaac Mufumba Voter expectations give Parliamentary Scorecard a reality check While officiating at the launch of the Parliamentary Scorecard 2008-2009 on July 28, Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi amused attendees. He narrated how a group of wailing people approached him during the Constituent Assembly and asked …

By Patrick Kagenda Gideon Badagawa is the Chief Executive at Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU). He spoke to Patrick Kagenda. What challenges do you face at PSFU? The major challenge today is that of the East African Community economic integration. The pace at which it’s unfolding is way beyond the …