The government seeks to create 150,000 jobs for the youth Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | US based Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm, Helpware, has welcomed the government’s newly launched BPO policy, saying it will boost the country’s global competitiveness and attract foreign investment to the sector. The policy, developed by …
Read More »Mpox vaccines roll out
Sex workers have been twice victimised, first by the virus and then by the stigma, but advocates hope the government will prioritise their safety Kampala, Uganda | ESTHER NAKKAZI | When Brian Lubega, a 30-year old resident of Kawempe in Kampala, heard a radio announcement about mpox vaccine distribution in his …
Read More »Stanley bia, the Sunglasses Artist
The youthful artist’s series of paintings of different personalities wearing sunglasses interrogate how these fashionable objects empower self esteem. ART | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | He’s shy and an introvert. If you’re in a room with him, you may miss him out save for his glasses which he never takes off. “I …
Read More »NSSF Smartlife Flexi hits Shs5 billion in savings
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Just three months after its launch, the National Social Security Fund’s (NSSF) flagship voluntary savings product, Smartlife Flexi, has surpassed Shs5 billion in savings, with informal sector micro-savers leading the charge. Praised for its flexibility, the product targets informal sector workers and the self-employed, while …
Read More »Telecom experts push for lower cross-border call charges in Africa
The workshop urged regional governments to accelerate policy alignment to extend affordable mobile services to all member states Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Telecommunications experts have called for urgent policy changes to cut the cost of cross-border mobile services in Africa, as the continent moves towards a seamless digital market. …
Read More »Parliament approves $190 million for Umeme concession buyout
However, critics have raised concerns about the government’s capacity to manage the distribution network efficiently Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a significant move that marks the end of an era, the Ugandan Parliament has approved a $190 million buyout of Umeme Limited’s concession, effectively paving the way for the …
Read More »Winner Global Scoops Shs40bn Road Project in Nansana
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Nansana Municipality is set for a major infrastructure boost as Winner Global Enterprises Ltd signed contract documents for a Shs40.9 billion road construction and upgrading project under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Program (GKMA-UDP). The project, which aims to enhance road infrastructure and …
Read More »Violence in South Sudan is rising again
INTERVIEW | What’s different this time, and how to avoid civil war? A rise in political tensions in South Sudan and an escalation of violence in the Upper Nile State have raised fears of a return to civil war in the world’s youngest nation. In early March 2025, neighbouring Uganda sent …
Read More »Will the United Nations survive Trump 2.0?
Paradoxically, the breakdown of the multilateral order the US helped establish could catalyse greater international cooperation COMMENT | JAYATI GHOSH | Of all the geopolitical stunts Donald Trump has pulled since returning to the White House, the United States’ votes at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on March 4 stand …
Read More »New HIV prevention drug for babies
A dissolvable oral dispersible film of dolutegravir could transform treatment ANALYSIS | MELODY CHIRONDA | In the fight against HIV, one of the most vulnerable populations – newborn babies – is often overlooked. It is estimated that 120,000 new HIV infections occur in children aged 14 years and younger every year, …
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