Uganda bets on ICGLR’s mineral certification mechanism as it battles for legitimacy in the global gold market COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | For years, Uganda has carried the uncomfortable label of being “the gold laundering capital of Africa.” Watchdog reports, including investigations by the UN Panel on the Illegal Exploitation of …
Read More »Buganda next after NRM fire in Busoga primaries
Violence to hit high in Parliamentary elections COVER STORY | JOSEPH WERE | A pattern of campaign violence, candidate harassment, and voter bribery that has emerged during the just concluded NRM primaries will likely spill into the 2026 general elections. That is the view of many expert election observers and analysts. …
Read More »The Iran-Israel war
The calculations and the fears COVER STORY | AGENCIES | Facing a massive attack on its homeland, the Islamic Republic’s response has been restrained, driven by vulnerability and the need to avoid U.S. intervention. Its strategy appears aimed at preserving deterrence and diplomatic options while managing internal fallout amid mounting civilian …
Read More »Uganda among world’s top 10 neglected crises
Introverted, nationalistic donor policies are worsening the neglect of people in crisis and displacement-report COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country, and continues to serve as the region’s pressure valve, absorbing the fallout from multiple neighbouring displacement crises. However, its ongoing struggle to fend for close …
Read More »Inside Uganda’s plan to end HIV/AIDS by 2030
The government is now targeting 15,000 Ugandans for new HIV/AIDS data study COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | On May 29, the Ministry of Health launched the third round of the Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA 2025) survey, a study that is geared towards gathering vital statistics on the progress …
Read More »How Uganda plans to spend Shs72.4tn
Navigating growth ambitions amid debt rising for the FY 2025/26 COVER STORY | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s Parliament has approved a national budget of Shs72.4 trillion (approximately US$20 billion) for the fiscal year 2025/2026 (July-June), marking a slight increase from the previous year’s Shs72.1 trillion. Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija is set …
Read More »Pope Leo XIV
He was a long-standing ally of Francis, who repeatedly called for peace COVER STORY | AGENCIES | Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago was elected pope on April.08, becoming the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church. He has chosen the papal title of Pope Leo XIV. The 69-year-old cardinal, …
Read More »Why Isimba Dam is giving UEGCL boss sleepless nights
Defects have been flagged at the 183MW Isimba Hydropower Plant, but contractor is reluctant to fix them COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | For many hydroelectricity producers around the world, rainfall is a welcome blessing that ensures a steady power supply. But for Harrison Mutikanga, the CEO of the Uganda Electricity …
Read More »Pope Francis 1936 – 2025
Why his papacy mattered for the continent – and for the world’s poor and marginalised COVER STORY | STAN CHUN IIO | The death of Pope Francis at his residence on April 21 marks the end of a significant era for the Vatican and the global Catholic following of 1.3 billion …
Read More »The Great Lakes region has an ‘illegal minerals’ problem
Attracting ‘proper’ mining companies could bring peace, say experts COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | Barrick Gold Corporation was until 2019 the largest mining company in the world. With operating revenue of US$12.922 billion (Uganda’s GDP is about US$50 billion), Barrick Gold is the kind of mining company that experts think …
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