How Museveni letter trapped Muhwezi Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | On Tuesday July 27, the new Minister for security, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi made a humbling return to the headlines of Ugandan news media when he made a statement to parliament regarding the controversial vehicle tracking deal between Uganda …

  God is watching as MPs cruise in Shs200 million vehicles to burials of unvaccinated voters who die of COVID-19 COMMENT | MICHAEL WOIRA | We are at a time when everyone is seated at home; very worried and sad, because they are not working and they are financially out …

Nairobi-based lender M-KOPA is expanding into the Nigerian market, and have hired an ex-Andela executive for the job | DAVID THOMAS | Kenya’s M-KOPA, which offers underbanked customers finance to acquire solar lighting, smartphones, TVs and domestic appliances, is expanding into Nigeria after a successful pilot project. M-KOPA, which means …

Future performance remains uncertain due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Stock turnover at the Uganda Securities Exchange recorded a 74% growth in the second quarter of this year to Shs5.9bn compared to the previous session as energy and banking dominated trading. Electricity distributor, Umeme, …

Leaving planet earth in crisis is a terrible idea? | THE INDEPENDENT | The four minutes billionaires Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos spent in a state of weightlessness on the edge of space recently were historic feats in the burgeoning space tourism business, but many critics say Branson, Bezos …

Billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos enter space race | THE INDEPENDENT | The sky over the Spaceport America in Las Cruces, New Mexico, was afire with lightning on the night of July 10. The storm was sufficiently fierce to postpone Virgin Galactic’s planned rollout of its twin airships, mothership …

Financial scandal rocks inner circle of Pope Francis | THE INDEPENDENT | The Vatican has set a July 27 trial date for 10 people, including a once-powerful cardinal and papal contender, on charges related to the Holy See’s 350 million-euro investment in a luxury London real estate venture. It is …

Maternal deaths increase as health workers shift to care for COVID-19 patients Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Uganda’s response to COVID-19 has negatively impacted maternal, child and neonatal health, according to data by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA says the biggest and longest lasting impact is …

Vaccine linked to rare condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves Africa, the continent with the world’s lowest vaccination rate, is going ahead with plans to procure Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine undeterred by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s warning about the inoculation. The FDA earlier this …

Why do we feel such a strong urge to share a juicy piece of gossip? | FRANK T. McANDREW | According to a Wall Street Journal article, some communities in the Philippines consider gossiping so horrible that they have outright banned it. But aside from the difficulty of enforcing this …