By Julius Mucunguzi Shaka Ssali and Andrew Mwenda: My two mentors On Sept.20, while in Washington DC for the annual meetings of Commonwealth finance ministers, I met two men who have been my professional mentors: Dr Shaka Ssali of Voice of America, and Andrew Mujuni Mwenda of The Independent Magazine. …
Read More »Mulago doctors fight to save dying babies
By Stephen Kafeero But lack of facilities at the Special Care Unit imposes tough choices on them When you arrive at the entrance to the Special Care Unit (SCU) of Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, the personnel politely ask you to take off your shoes. It is a good …
Read More »Money lending racket exposed
By Julius Businge Bank of Uganda to introduce consumer protection mechanism What would make you borrow Shs 500,000 from a money lender at an interest rate between 15% and 30% per month? Many reasons but at the heart of each is on common feature; desperation – you want money badly. …
Read More »Karamoja’s long walk From cattle rustling to modern life
By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Moses Lotyong, 19, is in P.3 at Panyangara Primary School in the remote district of Kotido in the drought- prone Karamoja. At Lotyong’s age many Ugandans from other parts of the country are in university. His 11-year-old sister is in P.5 at the same school. Lotyong …
Read More »Education that makes workers shine
By Mike Mahigigi Uganda lags while Kenya and Tanzania show simple ways to unlocking their potential There is worldwide consensus that youth aged 14 to 30 years are the most potentially economically dynamic segment of any population. Unfortunately in Uganda, 50 percent of youth, especially females, are not engaged in …
Read More »Hope and scepticism as Makerere becomes collegiate university
By Rukiya Makuma In July this year, Makerere University will be officially operating as a collegiate university. A collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Previously run around 110 departments, 21 academic units, Makerere will now operate under eight …
Read More »The actor becomes the protector
By Matthew Stein Focus on stability could be Museveni’s ticket to the region Towards the end of November, just as nominations for parliamentary flag bearers were to begin, Gulu, once home to the country’s worst internal insurgency, was brimming with election fever. In the streets, pedestrians, some wearing shirts bearing …
Read More »When terrorists struck Kampala
By Mubatsi Asinja Habati , Joyce Mirembe Nakayima & Rukiya Makuma The year 2010 will probably be remembered most for the terror attacks on Kampala. On July 11, Ugandans came to a painful reality with the gruesome twin terror attacks at Ethiopian Restaurant in Kabalagala and Kyadondo Rugby Club in …
Read More »Strange killer of Abim
By Mubatsi Asinja Habati & Rukiya Makuma Delayed diagnosis causes anxiety as over 30 people die A forty-one year-old man from Wipolo village, Morulem subcounty in Abim district was the first recorded victim. He complained of headache and stomach pain on Oct 2 and by Oct. 7 he was dead. …
Read More »Unusual expectations
By Marjoke A.Oosterom Acholi man says of President Museveni: “If you have many children, you cannot love all of them equally”, another wants to vote for the World Food Programme instead I am a development researcher based in the Acholi sub-region of northern Uganda. Recently, I was taken aback when …
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