By Independent Team On May 23, just one day before President Yoweri Museveni was due to announce the first names in his post-election cabinet, then-Vice President Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya received an important phone call. It was the president’s secretary with a single message: “the president will not nominate you for …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The worst danger for the government in troubled times like these is to adopt a public policy position over matters it has no control over Uganda is in bad times and almost everything seems to be going wrong. The country’s electricity supply is drying out rapidly; …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Museveni guarding against outsiders but the danger is internal, say experts On Aug. 2 Uganda’s oil rich western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo showed once again that it can erupt into insecurity at any time. Barely three months to the tense November 28 presidential …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati University’s problems go beyond pay and strikes Prof. Venasius Baryamureeba, 42, likes to be photographed with a smile. Lately, however, the smile has not been eye-deep. His hair, which he likes to keep in a close-cut afro, is still neat but anyone will tell you that …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The assumption behind a lot of literature on democracy is that people would care more about their welfare in elections Africa’s poor performance at delivering public goods and services impersonally to anonymous citizens is often attributed to the continent’s democratic deficit. Democratic theory expects that if …

By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi New US law to expose details of Shs 1.3 trillion Tullow deal When Tullow Oil pays US$140 million (Approx. Shs 395 billion) to the government this month, it will mark the first time such a deal will have been struck without secrecy in Uganda. It will …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Since April, Ugandans have sustained protests over many issues including wages, commodity prices and foreign exchange rates Here is widespread discontent in most of Uganda against President Yoweri Museveni and the NRM. The mainstream opposition should, however, not think that this automatically means there is widespread …

By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi How Museveni pushed ministers, Bank of Uganda to give him billions over market deals City businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba’s hold on President Yoweri must be quite strong. In two years, the president has written numerous letters, chaired meetings, and ordered various officials to pay him billions of …

By Andrew M. Mwenda MI6 was spying on Libyan dissidents in Britain and passing the information to Gaddafi New revelations of the secret relationship between Libyan intelligence under Maummar Al Gaddafi and America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Britain’s MI6 are shocking but not surprising. America and Britain have always …

By Andrew M. Mwenda & P. Matsiko wa Mucoori Was the opposition planning to use him in post-election uprising? The government intelligence alleges that renegade Col. Edison Muzoora who died mysteriously on or around May 27 this year, was at the centre of an opposition plan to create post-election violence …