By Miriam Mukama When a woman gives birth, usually it is joy. The newly born baby makes the mother a heroine of sorts and, she is thanked, given gifts and praised even in the humblest of communities where life hardships are too many. But Catherine Namukasa, 22, despite giving birth …
Read More »Pedal power brings cheap energy to rural Rwanda
By Steve Terrill The lights Daniel Ntibaziyandemye uses for his nocturnal fishing trips are charged by pedal-powered generators that offer an affordable means of creating energy, even for the poor. The small generator, which stands knee-high inside a wooden frame, is operated by what looks like a recumbent exercise bike …
Read More »Scramble for Kampala land
By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi Lukwago, Musisi, Land Board fight to control prime city plots Immediately the now indicted George Agaba took office at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), he raised uproar with directives he made about the management of the city’s public land. As acting Director for Physical Planning, Agaba …
Read More »Kampala land bonanza
By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Museveni aide blocks donor project, wants Shs 1bn, State House cited in major land scams A land dispute between President Yoweri Museveni’s Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi and the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) is standing in the way of a US$4.5 million (Shs 9 billion) project. …
Read More »Higher education rebooted
By Tracy Gwambe But new policy on compulsory computer classes for HSC students tests school resources Up a dusty road in Kawempe Division of Kampala district lies Kawempe Royal College; a mixed day and boarding school behind a small blue gate. One of the teachers here, Shamira Naluyingi, is feeling …
Read More »Chinese fever
By Haggai Matsiko When Museveni wears Beijing’s big boots On Feb. 21, the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), acquired a third of Uganda’s newly discovered but potentially huge oil reserves in a US$ 2.9 million farm-down deal with the British firm, Tullow Oil and France’s Total. Nothing official yet, …
Read More »DP standoff
By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi Ssemogerere offers advice but party’s troubles are bigger than just removing Mao Standing at the headquarters of the Democratic Party at City House, Second Floor, it is difficult to imagine why controlling Uganda’s oldest political party is a do-or-die job for some people. A few meters …
Read More »Anywar to the rescue
By Rukiya Makuma Without her courage nodding disease would still be hidden away in northern Uganda She was desperate to call attention to the gravity of a rare disease ravaging northern Uganda that is crudely called “nodding disease”. Opposition firebrand Beatrice Anywar, however, never imagined how ferrying some of the …
Read More »Mission impeachment
By Agather Atuhaire Ninth parliament chews off more than it can bite? They started their term with fire when they rejected four of President Yoweri Museveni’s proposed ministers and went on to disagree strongly with many of his policies. They have since in Museveni’s “way” in fight against corruption, forced …
Read More »Exposed
By Haggai Matsiko Charity NGOs or money making machines? When it first went viral with over 100 million viewers, a video about catching the notorious warlord Joseph Kony had swung Uganda into celebrity limelight. But when Kony 2012 producer, Jason Russell of the NGO, Invisible Children, suffered a mental meltdown …
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