In The Magazine

Uganda’s tax overhaul draws praise—and alarm—from civil society Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | A coalition of over 50 civil society organizations under the Tax Justice Alliance Uganda (TJAU) has raised critical concerns over the Government of Uganda’s proposed Tax Amendment Bills for the 2025/26 financial year, warning that certain changes …

Experts say the region’s mineral certification mechanism remains patchy, under-implemented, and hindered by political and regulatory gaps ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | Fourteen years since 12 governments in the Great Lakes region unanimously agreed to create a foolproof international system for certifying and auditing minerals that have been blamed for fomenting …

Fund aimed at creating 500,000 jobs annually and lifting 11million Africans out of poverty by 2030 ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | The Global AI Summit for Africa, held in Kigali, Rwanda from April 3–4, galvanized the continent’s ambition to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable development. A …

A region on edge leaves Ugandan leader with limited options ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | President Yoweri Museveni dashed to South Sudan in early April for a quick meeting with his South Sudan counterpart, Salva Kiir, due to mounting fears of an escalation that could plunge the fragile country back into …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a bold effort to democratize digital access, MTN Uganda has launched the Kabode Supa smartphone—an enhanced device available through its flagship “Mpola Mpola” device-financing scheme. With an upfront cost of just Shs 45,000 and daily payments as low as Shs 900, the telecom giant …

Why it could usher in economic catastrophe by reducing demand for US exports while increasing the cost of living domestically COMMENT | CHRIS LEHMANN | So far Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day”—his midweek announcement of a battery of reciprocal tariffs intended to punish longtime US trading partners—has been greeted with a ringing …

Analysts say the new tariffs suggest that the renewal of the initiative is extremely unlikely COVER STORY | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | In what has been described as one of the most disruptive moments in trade history, U.S. President Donald Trump on April 02 unleashed sweeping tariffs on nearly all …

How the American president is using the playbook his predecessors have used for far too long THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda |  I am an admirer of President Donald Trump because I find him more realistic about issues and brutally frank in the way he expresses himself. He lacks the hypocrisy and …

Following in the footsteps of its Ottoman forefathers, Ankara sees Africa as a core part of its global political and economic engagement ANALYSIS | RAPHAEL PARENS & MARCEL PLICHTA | Turkey is not the largest power interested in Africa. Its economic engagement, arms sales, and foreign aid are dwarfed by one …

Road accidents cost Uganda US$1.2 billion annually, which is about 5% of its GDP ANALYSIS | CLAUDE RAISARO | Every day, 10 people die on the roads of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. Road accidents cost Uganda US$1.2 billion annually, which is about 5% of its GDP. The cost typically arises from healthcare spending. Families …