NEWS ANALYSIS

BRUSSELS | Xinhua | European shares dropped this week as a broad sell-off took hold, fueled by mounting concerns over the fallout of “Trumpcession,” a term coined by economists to describe the turbulence triggered by “erratic” trade and economic policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. The escalating strain in transatlantic …

Safaricom approach revamps top telecom NEWS ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | MTN Uganda CEO Sylvia Mulinge is having quite the start to the new year. MTN just made a profit of Shs641bn—a 30% increase–from last year’s earnings of Shs493bn. In February she was named CEO of the Year at the …

Opposition win in chaotic poll leaves NRM shabby ahead of 2026 COVER STORY | IAN KATUSIIME | After two weeks of chaotic campaigning where baklava masked soldiers dragged and arrested candidates from nomination booths, beat up journalists, and fired live bullets at civilians, Kawempe North Constituency is calm. And it …

The intensifying competition between telecoms and Starlink for broadband access marks a new era of connectivity for rural regions, as both strive to bridge Africa’s digital divide. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | As Elon Musk’s Starlink continue to cannibalise small internet service providers in major African cities and telcos …

US President Donald Trump’s recent quip about Lesotho as a nation “nobody has ever heard of” has inadvertently catapulted the small African kingdom into the global limelight. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | An offhand remark by US President Donald Trump about Lesotho has unwittingly ignited a surge of curiosity …

ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Ukraine has substantial supplies of key minerals, but some are now in Russian-occupied territory. Ukraine has agreed to the outline of a major deal that would give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits, a senior official in Kyiv has told the BBC. Kyiv has faced growing …

Mwezi Mugerwa to receive $50,000 ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | The Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation, has named Mwezi “Badru” Mugerwa the Winner of the 2025 Indianapolis Prize Emerging Conservationist Award. This honour—only the second given to date—is presented to a conservationist under 40 who …

USAID closed, jobs cancelled, operations scuttled as President implements Project 2025 ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | Within just 50 days of taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump is radically shaking up American foreign policy. Trump’s assault on the U.S. State Department has affected U.S. embassies further afield like those in Uganda. …

Nile basin ministers’ tour of mega Ethiopian dam leaves sour taste for Egypt Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia | RONALD MUSOKE  | At 8:10 am on an already warming Sunday Feb.23 morning, three light aircraft taxied off the tarmac of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They were carrying a group of about 24 people, …

Malaria remains the leading cause of illness and death among children under five in Uganda Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda is set to become the 18th country to roll-out malaria vaccination, starting April 2, as the country accelerates efforts to curb the deadly disease. The four-dose vaccine will be …