By Joan Akello French is fast becoming a global language in regional and international integration. Uganda is grabbing the opportunity not only for linguistic but also for economic reasons. The International Francophone Organisation (OIF recorded a population of nearly 96.2 million Francophones on the African continent, among whom are the …
Read More »Uganda needs to improve its negotiation skills
By Joan Akello Foreign direct investment has increased over the years in Uganda and the East African region but civil society organizations say Uganda has not benefited much because of poor negotiation in various bilateral agreements. In a half day workshop organized on Mar. 20, Southern and Eastern African Trade …
Read More »Besieged banker
By Joan Akello UDBL’s Sejjaaka under siege as Kampala’s lone development bank faces financial squeeze The Uganda Development Bank Ltd has been ailing for decades. But even by its own poor record, something that happened after 2009 marked a new low. The bank’s profit for the year dropped from Shs11 …
Read More »Women no longer at ease
By Joan Akello and Ian Katusiime Is the reduced gender activism today really a bad thing? Winnie Byanyima. Miria Matembe. Joy Kwesiga. Speciosa Kazibwe. Joyce Mpanga. Betty Bigombe. Victoria Sekitoleko. Sylvia Tamale. Ruth Mukama. Maxine Ankrah. Rose Mbowa. Janat Mukwaya. Gladys Kalema. Rebecca Kadaga. Karooro Okurut. There was a time …
Read More »LDCs lobby for TRIPS extension
By Joan Akello Uganda and other Less Developed Countries (LDCs) are lobbying for an extension of the transition period beyond 2016 to become TRIPS compliant. The civil society organizations and private sector in the East African Community are pushing for this extension to buy more time for the countries with …
Read More »Ugandans should drink more coffee
By Joan Akello Many Ugandans still believe that when you drink coffee you will die, and this accounts for its stunted domestic consumption, experts say. Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said, “Coffee is a historical principal export of Uganda, generating over 50% of all commodity exports revenue. Over 40% of the …
Read More »Describe yourself in two sentences.
By Joan Akello I am a son of a chief. A public officer trying his best to serve the public What is your claim to fame? My character and work speak. Where ever you post me, you will never find me wanting. When I write, speak, I attract people around. …
Read More »Telecoms gear for turf wars in 2013
By Joan Akello Market leader MTN has been losing market share but is piling up innovations “Do you have a Warid line?” That is becoming a familiar question as relative newcomer on the Uganda mobile telephone market Warid Telecom mounts pressure on the competition. Although another player, K2 telecom was …
Read More »Franco-German treaty marks 50 years
By Joan Akello On January 22, the Embassies of France and Germany in Kampala celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Franco-German Friendship Treaty called the Elysee Treaty. French Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle issued a joint statement to mark the event. “For centuries, …
Read More »Umeme unveils “hero at zero”
By Joan Akello This morning, Umeme, the sole electricity provider launched a promotion to reward customers who have paid their power bills promptly. The promotion dubbed Hero at Zero begins today and will run for 90 days. Mrs. Florence Nsubuga Chief Operations Officer said “The promotion is aimed at reaching …
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