COLUMNISTS

By Andrew M. Mwenda Those arguing against corruption are not wrong but neither are the leaders who depend on it Recently, I said on my NTV show that the existence of corruption in a country does not automatically impede its ability to develop. With those words, I let loose the …

By Patrick Kagenda Political opposition leader, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, spoke to The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda about why he has formed a militia-like force called the TJ Team. What prompted you into raising a militia force? In the first place it is a misnomer to call it a militia. I …

By Agather Atuhaire 2016 parliament election cycle tosses planning into the unknown Who will pass Uganda’s next budget? That is the question on the lips of finance policy makers since unforeseen procedures related to the new budgeting cycle in an election year started emerging.  Under the old budgeting cycle, the …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Ugandans seem unhappy with Museveni but they don’t seem to be willing to accept his opponents either. Here is why We are exactly six months away from elections and recent opinion polls are already giving us a glimpse of things to come. The polls reveal that …

By Alvin Cheng-Hin Lim Facts belie America’s critique that China is in Africa for resource extraction only In his recent state visit to Kenya and Ethiopia—his fourth presidential visit to the African continent—US President Barack Obama argued that Africa’s economic engagement with the US offers the best opportunity for economic …

By Mike Ibrahim Okumu The culture of earning without effort leads to low productivity, more shirking and theft at work Corruption can be categorised as grand, bureaucratic/petty, and legislative. Grand corruption involves the executive undertaking public policy choices that do not necessarily benefit the general public but rather are in …

By Agather Atuhaire How politics defeated financial logic In the run-up to the last presidential and parliamentary elections in 2011, Irish Times reporter Jody Clarke wrote a story under the headline “How to keep winning elections –Uganda style”. It reported on the frustration caused by last-minute demarcation of new electoral …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How corruption becomes a necessary vice for successful politicians who win elections by denouncing it Here is a thought experiment. Imagine you are a presidential candidate for the 2016 elections in Uganda. You have all the good policies and ideas. And you want to build a …

By Gerald Padde Auku Only 16% own any form of land and formal government processes marginalize this majority working force To Ugandan’s, land means more than just a piece of soil or real estate, it is a link to the past and long seeded heritage that combines a sense of …

By Morris DC Komakech Focus should be less on colourful campaigns and more on safeguarding the ballot boxes Many commentators have criticised opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s decision to run for President for the fourth time after he had vowed never to contest in the same elections with President Yoweri Museveni, …