Experts react to Museveni strategy Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Respond to fire with fire. That appears to be the strategy behind President Yoweri Museveni’s recent restructuring of the police force and deployment of military generals to head four of its 19 directorates. According to security experts, however, more …
Read More »National health insurance scheme
Is it targeting the wrong people? Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Falling ill and having to visit a healthcare facility is a frightening experience for most people. Feeling anxious, uncertain and maybe even helpless is common even among people living in countries with highly developed care. In Uganda, a …
Read More »Hepatitis B in Uganda
Country leads in tackling growing health challenge Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Up to 6% of people in Uganda are infected with Hepatitis B; a virus that can cause acute and chronic liver infections (cirrhosis) which is incurable. That means if you are in a place with 15 people; …
Read More »Rethinking tax incentives
Researches, experts say there is limited evidence to show these offers attract investors Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Tax incentives are part of Uganda government’s top priorities for attracting foreign investors and new businesses. From prospective investments in agribusiness to hospitality, and from steel to textile industries, tax incentives …
Read More »Ebola Zaire tests Uganda’s response
WHO warns big outbreaks becoming `new normal’ The Independent | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | On June 9, a 5-year old boy travelled from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with his mother after attending a burial of his grandfather who succumbed to Ebola; the deadly hemorrhagic fever. The grandfather was a pastor …
Read More »Police crime report
Defilement cases rise again Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Vanessa Nakasagga, 14, was home alone when Musa Ssemwanga a neighbor came into their house and performed sexual acts on her. She suffers epilepsy, a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures, periods of …
Read More »Medical marijuana’s high side
And why it shouldn’t be covered in smoke of secrecy Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Since the government started awarding licences to private companies that are seeking to venture into growing marijuana legally, many users of the drug for recreation have become bolder and convinced about its `goodness’. 28 …
Read More »Foreign direct investments rebound
As players in oil and gas sector registers more activity Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Foreign direct investment into Uganda rebounded in 2018 owed to positive growth in the economy and the prospective investments in the oil and gas sector. Latest data from the Bank of Uganda shows that …
Read More »Digital tax stamps: A waste of tax payer’s money?
Studies show new initiative will merely benefit the contracted firm Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | On April 12, the Uganda Revenue Authority announced that it had rolled out digital stamps to combat illicit trade and seal revenue leakages. This move follows Kenya and Tanzania that have already done so. …
Read More »‘Uganda still safe for tourists’
Kelley Mac Tavish is the Executive Director Pearl of Africa, Tours and travel Limited. She spoke to The Independent’s Patricia Akankwatsa about the state of Uganda’s tourism opportunities. First, can you briefly describe your company? I opened a tour company in Uganda in 1999 called Pearl of Africa, Tours and …
Read More »