Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | iKON Awards has held a reunion for iKON fellowship program 2025 at Reach a Hand offices, Lungujja. The gathering brings together alumni, mentors, filmmakers, and partners of the iKON Young Filmmakers Fellowship Programme for a day of connection, reflection, and storytelling. The reunion is …
Read More »African drone pioneer Zipline is now delivering burritos in the U.S
Rwanda-born Zipline, famed for delivering blood and vaccines across Africa, is now dropping burritos in Texas for the American fast-food chain, Chipotle. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Zipline, the Rwanda-born drone logistics company, is now delivering Chipotle burritos to homes in Rowlett, Texas, the company said in an …
Read More »Weighing Kenya new banking policies
Kenya has introduced new banking policies. An economist weighs them up Nairobi, Kenya | AGENCIES | The Central Bank of Kenya has made two significant changes in the country’s banking sector. The first is to lift a decade-long moratorium on licensing new banks. Second is to raise capital requirements, the amount of money …
Read More »Why deforestation is causing heat deaths to soar
Deforestation-induced warming linked to 28,000 deaths a year SPECIAL FEATURE | Xilena Pinedo | Halting deforestation is not just an environmental issue but also a public health imperative, say researchers after a study found compelling evidence on the rise in heat deaths linked to tree loss. The study published in Nature …
Read More »Pharmacists and store managers are central to drug accountability
COMMENT | SAM OTUKEI | In the fight against medicine stockouts and theft in Uganda’s public health facilities, much attention is rightly given to the supply side—how and when National Medical Stores (NMS) delivers drugs. But once those deliveries reach a health facility, the responsibility shifts. At that point, …
Read More »Namasagali kick-starts Grimes Memorial activities
SPECIAL REPORT | Namasagali College in Kamuli, Uganda has kick-started a series of activities to mark the first anniversary of the death of their longest ever serving headteacher, Mill Hill Missionary (MHM) Rev Fr Damian Grimes. Fr Grimes taught in Uganda from 1959 and was between August 1967 and December …
Read More »TMR International Hospital performs first life-saving heart surgery – cost-free
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a landmark achievement for Uganda’s healthcare landscape, TMR International Hospital successfully completed its first-ever closed-heart surgery, performing a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) ligation on a 9-month-old infant from Kagadi District. The surgery, which can be life-saving if conducted on time, marks a historic …
Read More »Trump’s Britain visit leaves unsettling tech pact, lingering disputes
LONDON | Xinhua | U.S. President Donald Trump’s second state visit to Britain wrapped up Thursday night in royal pomp and friendly rhetoric. But showy ceremonies could not hide the gaps in results: while a splashy technology deal and new investment pledges drew concerns, trade rows persisted, and the split …
Read More »Uganda seeks new IMF bailout after $1bn facility lapses
Lender’s decision is expected early next year Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | Uganda is negotiating a new funding programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the expiry of its previous $1 billion facility last year, as the East African nation faces mounting debt and rising financing costs. Ramathan Ggoobi, …
Read More »Energy Conservation Bill hits snag
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament has stood over debate on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill, 2024, stopping the proposed law from progressing to its second reading. According to the report of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, the object of the Bill is to establish a …
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