By Joan Akello Kenya’s Vice President William Ruto recently said his government is trying to expedite negotiations to sign EPAs before the October 2014 deadline. The Independent’s Joan Akello spoke to EU officials at the EU Delegation in Kampala about the development. What does this mean for EAC, EU and …

By Albert Rudatsimburwa Will Mary Robinson’s intervention as UN envoy make a difference in troubled DR Congo? The recent visit to Rwanda of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, alongside heavyweights such as the President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, and former Irish President turned UN Special Envoy to …

By Esther Dyson The trick to finding the right people, enlisting allies, and with their help, managing a campaign to achieve a goal Long ago, I used to run a conference called PC Forum. People would say to me, “If only I could sit next to Bill Gates….” Just last …

By Henry Zakumumpa After winning extension on enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, LDCs are targeting pharmaceuticals 2016 deadline After intensely heated and acrimonious negotiations, The World Trade Organization (WTO) on  June 11 agreed an eight-year deadline extension on enforcement of  trade marks, patents and copyrights  which are largely held by …

By Okello Lucima Access, equality, and equity must underline post-secondary education funding The government intention to kick-start students’ loan schemes has drawn both applause and skepticisms. This promise has for a long time been on the NRM policy shelf and basket of empty pledges, the government had to do something …

By Haggai Matsiko & Ronald Musoke Good news: Why the minority private sector is praising it Bad News: Why the majority poor are cursing A day after Finance Minister Miria Kiwanuka presented 2013/14 FY budget, a meeting of the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU) on June 14 praised her …

By Independent Team & Agencies Was President Museveni right to join the heated exchanges with Egypt? If a single drop of the Nile is lost, our blood will be the alternative,” Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi warned on June 10, “We are not warmongers, but we will never allow anyone to …

By Abushede Angella People should also cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing The hospitalisation of former South African President, Nelson Mandela has once again drawn attention to the medical challenge posed by lung infections among the elderly. Mandela is 94-years old. He was rushed from his home in Johannesburg …

By Tumusiime K. Deo Whenever someone is delivering a very predictable message, the audience is always going to nap They slept in 2007, slept in 2008, slept in 2009, slept in 2010, slept in 2011, slept in 2012, and even in 2013 they slept again each time the President was …

By William White It is impeding the necessary process of deleveraging, threatening the `independence’ of central banks, raising asset prices The world’s central banks are engaged in one of the great policy experiments in modern history: ultra-easy money. And, as the experiment has continued, the risk of failure – and …