Despite recent legal reforms, Uganda’s mining companies keep their true owners hidden, stalling transparency and accountability in a sector worth billions of dollars COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | When Uganda was admitted into the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) fold in August 2020, it was hailed as a political and …
Read More »Federalism and Uganda’s unfinished political settlement
Whether Uganda takes the federal path or not, the country can’t escape debate on how power is distributed, and who benefits from status quo COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | When Frank Bulira Kabinga stepped onto the podium at the Nation Media Group’s televised Presidential Debate on November 30, the Revolutionary …
Read More »Museveni, the Indian Ocean, and the politics of being landlocked
Why a single remark about future wars rippled through East Africa and what lies beneath the rhetoric COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | When President Yoweri Museveni warned recently that future wars might erupt over access to the sea, the remark raced through East Africa’s political bloodstream with that familiar cocktail …
Read More »Africa’s biodiversity at a crossroads
From Gaborone, leaders pledge unity, funding, and action to protect the continent’s vulnerable natural wealth Tlokweng, Botswana | RONALD MUSOKE | The early morning air in Tlokweng, on the eastern outskirts of Gaborone, was thick with anticipation as delegates from across Africa gathered in Botswana’s capital for the inaugural Africa Biodiversity …
Read More »Inside Africa’s bid to finance its own infrastructure
Luanda Summit signals a historic shift toward continental self-reliance in development funding NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | In Luanda, the Angolan capital, where the Atlantic Ocean breeze carries both the promise of prosperity and the weight of unmet potential, African leaders gathered there recently for a defining conversation about the …
Read More »Inside Uganda’s highway of death
A bus driver’s tale of plying the Kampala-Gulu highway COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | A long-haul bus rolls into Namayiba Bus Terminal in downtown Kampala from the northwesten city of Arua. The driver, who requests anonymity for fear of repercussions from bus companies and authorities, has just completed a grueling …
Read More »Why Uganda’s oil refinery remains behind schedule
Delayed construction heightens importance of missing piece in fast-advancing oil dream Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | When Uganda’s Petroleum Authority shared its latest update on the Lake Albert Development Project on Sept.30, the numbers told a story of motion and momentum. From the Tilenga oilfields in Buliisa to the Kingfisher …
Read More »EU considering delaying ‘bad law’ on coffee, again
Good news for Ugandan lobbyists who fear loss of EU market COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | On Sept. 23, the European Commission quietly sent a letter that set off ripples across global trade, agriculture, and environmental advocacy circles. In it, Environment Commissioner, Jessika Roswall, admitted that a proposed law …
Read More »From bush patrols to finish lines
Inside the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, where men and women on the frontline of conservation share their struggles, triumphs, and hopes for Africa’s future Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | On Sept. 20, at dawn, the horizon above Murchison Falls National Park in northwestern Uganda was stitched with jagged lightning, thunder growling …
Read More »Hope rises in Bulape as DRC mounts swift Ebola response
Swift action, strong partnerships, and early signs of recovery are fueling optimism in Kasai Province as Congo confronts a new outbreak NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | When the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed a new outbreak of Ebola on Sept.4, memories of past outbreaks came rushing back. Fear …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price