NEWS ANALYSIS

Karuma, Isimba power raises new questions Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | On the face of it, Uganda’s sole national electricity distributor, Umeme Ltd, has a stronghold on the sector. It has seven more years on its concession, has recently posted stellar financial and operational performance, and – with workers’ …

Auditor General lists weak government departments | Political will to do things is zero, says civil society  NAADS (corruption), Ministry of Finance (domestic arrears, funding shortages) Public universities (unapproved salaries) Local governments (low absorption), URA (tax exemption follow-up, low targets, missed royalties gold) Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development …

Ugandan traders fear losses but Coca-Cola offers hope Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | A trader without a market now; that is Peter Musiige, the manager of a small plant that has been exporting recycled plastics to China. He lost his market when the Chinese government on Jan.01 started implementing a …

Longest-serving central bank boss feted at inaugural lecture Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | The launch on Jan.11 of the Tumusiime Mutebile Centre of Excellence was the perfect moment to fete the long-serving governor of the central bank.  At the helm since 2001, Mutebile is the longest serving governor the …

Surprises in 2018 budget:mFinance Ministry makes right moves, but timing could be wrong Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | For years now, Uganda’s budget making process has been dominated by debates about four contentious issues; the government’s huge investment in infrastructure, domestic resource mobilisation, the size and rate of external …

What experts think is important in regard to president’s message Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Gideon Badagawa, the executive director at the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), says President Yoweri Museveni’s New Year speech with regard to value addition was well-intentioned. “The concentration of the speech on value addition …

How a clan system and external players are complicating the country’s reconstruction    Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | When I flew to Mogadishu, Somalia’s sandy capital,  on December 16,  2017; I was filled with a heady mix of anxiety and excitement because of the image we all have of …

Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s private sector remains stable amidst a slight reduction in the activity, according to the latest monthly survey conducted by Stanbic Bank. Stanbic Bank Uganda Purchasing Managers Index for manufacturing and services declined slightly from 54.9% in November to 54.3% in December 2017. However, the …

Uganda: Why Stella Nyanzi’s radical rudeness scares the government Wade McMullen & Rebecca Sheff | AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | Stella Nyanzi elevates provocative activism into art. Frustrated with governance issues in Uganda last year, the human rights defender and academic dared to call President Yoweri Museveni a “pair of buttocks” on Facebook. Ugandan authorities arrested her, …

 Karuma, Isimba hydropower projects to add 783MW Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s electricity supply is expected to increase later this year as government switches on Isimba and Karuma hydropower dams amidst low electricity demand. The government is set to launch Isimba (183MW) and Karuma (600MW) hydropower dams – …