In The Magazine

THIS WEEK: Reports indicate that Nandala Mafabi, the secretary general of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) is set to take on his boss, Mugisha Muntu for the party presidency in an election slated for November. Muntu’s term as president ends on Nov 22. It will be the second time the …

THIS WEEK: Kampala traders are up in arms over increased property and commercial tax in the city levied by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). Some of the properties include business arcades which house majority of businesses in the city. Several of the traders who appeared at the valuation court at …

THIS WEEK: KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi has criticized the haphazard nature in which public land in the city is allocated, saying it is an impediment to the development plans of KCCA. While appearing before the commission of inquiry into land management chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, Musisi said Buganda …

THIS WEEK: The ongoing feud between Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director and Minister for Kampala Beti Kamya is paralyzing work at City Hall, the headquarters of the city authority. It all started when Musisi distanced herself from the KCCA Bill, largely engineered by Kamya. While appearing on a radio …

THIS WEEK: Lawrence Mukiibi, the fallen proprietor of St Lawrence schools; a chain of secondary schools in Uganda has been praised for the value of hard work he espoused and encouraged others to nurture. Professor Mukiibi succumbed to a heart attack at Norvik hospital on May 28. He has been …

In the Independent this week: Mayor Byamukama on how he was tortured COVER STORY How I was tortured: Mayor Geoffrey Byamukama narrates ordeal. THE LAST WORD The Jacob Zuma tragedy: How one man has brought South Africa’s democracy and Mandela’s “miracle” from honour to shame! NEWS NALYSIS Business feels Chinese pinch: …

China’s `One belt, one road’ initiative should not be treated as ploy to replace U.S. as dominant power By Keyu Jin Later this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping will host a summit for many of the leaders of the 65 countries engaged in his “one belt, one road” (OBOR) initiative, …

Praising strongmen without also mentioning their human-rights abuses condones repressive practices By Aryeh Neier US President Donald Trump has made his affinity for authoritarian leaders abundantly clear. When Trump entertained Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the White House in April, he praised the Egyptian military ruler for doing “a fantastic job.” …

Move would force citizens, companies, and policymakers to bring all Africans into the financial sector By Carl Manlan India has lately been pursuing an ambitious goal: a cashless economy. Despite early missteps and frustrations, it will turn out to be a change for the better for the country’s 1.31 billion …

Asserting that ordinary people cannot form valid opinions on issues of democracy or governance is over-stated By Francis Kibirige The Independent magazine Issue Number 469 of May 12 – 18 carried an article titled `Afrobarometer: Right poll, wrong people.’ This article raised two major issues relating to public opinion polling. …