Government has the capacity to mobilise equipment and manpower and respond quickly to emergencies COMMENT | HARRISON E. MUTIKANGA | The recent locust invasion, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, extreme hydrological events with increased precipitation and rising Lake Victoria water levels, degraded lake catchment, and the subsequent potential threats to dam …

Wamkele Mene was recently appointed Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. Due to the effects of COVID-19, free trading for countries that have ratified the agreement cannot begin on July 1, 2020 as was originally scheduled. He spoke to Kingsley Ighobor about the way forward. Describe …

It’s critical for the public to be aware of limitations of wearing masks to avoid infection risk and false security ANALYSIS | DR. BRUCE TUMWINE RWABASONGA | President Museveni on May 19 extended the national lockdown due to COVID-19 and announced that the government planned to procure and issue face …

How coronavirus will change the way we work together | RACHEL MORRISON | As lockdowns are relaxed around the world and people return to their workplaces, the next challenge will be adapting open office spaces to the new normal of strict personal hygiene and physical distancing. While the merits and …

World health body says pandemic will be slower but longer | THE INDEPENDENT | Eighty-three thousand to 190 000 people in Africa could die of COVID-19 and 29 million to 44 million could get infected in the first year of the pandemic if containment measures fail, a new study by …

It is deeply disconcerting that mechanisms for holding government agents accountable are usually not effective in Uganda COMMENT | EDWARD SERUCACA JNR | Amidst the fight against a new enemy, the coronavirus disease Covid-19, old foes are rearing their ugly heads.  In mid-April, the Independent MP Francis Zaake of Mityana …

A new study investigates which materials are best to use for homemade face masks | THE INDEPENDENT | A team of researchers claims to have found the best materials for homemade face masks: a combination of either cotton and chiffon or cotton and natural silk, both of which appear to …

Astrid R.N. Haas, the Policy Director, at the International Growth Centre explains: The power of cities comes from the number of interactions they enable, between people, firms and markets – they are centres of social interaction. For all their virtues, however, cities have a major downside. They are a fertile …

How COVID-19 is offering hints of change | THE INDEPENDENT | The COVID-19 crisis has magnified the excessive use of force by security forces in Uganda is pervasive and entrenched.  This despite Uganda, like many countries around the world, having deployed its national armed forces for a noble cause of …

Many were surprised that Nkurunziza would step aside after a referendum in 2018 extended the presidential term to seven years | THE INDEPENDENT | Burundi held a peaceful on May 20 to pave way for President Pierre Nkurunziza to step aside but fear remains that disputes over results could lead …