By Dicta Asiimwe Uganda offers promises, Kenya pumps in money, Tanzania looks inward In her 2010/11 Financial Year budget speech, Finance Minister Syda Bbumba said she envisages that the East African Community (EAC) Common Market which comes into force on July 1 will “stimulate greater productive efficiency, higher levels of …

By John Njoroge The governments failure to act on high level corruption will have implications, and donors under the Joint Budget Support Framework are currently considering a range of actions. This may include withholding disbursements, reductions in aid or re-programming away from direct budget support. These were the final remarks …

The Independent Team The Independents Mubatsi Asinja Habati spoke to Dismas Nkunda, co-director of the International Refugee Rights Initiatives (IRRI) about the first review conference of the Rome Statute, which establishes the International Criminal Court (ICC). How did ICC choose Uganda? I don’t know. There is a notion that they …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati What did the first-ever Review Conference of the Rome Statute, which founded the International Criminal Court (ICC), in Kampala achieve? Between May 31 and June 11 2010,  delegates from 111 state parties to the 1998 Rome Statute, non-state parties like the United States of America, NGOs, …

By Samuel Olara It is generally accepted that election boycotts have no place in a functioning democracy – participation being at the heart of the democratic process. However, boycotts could have a monumental role to play in a non-functioning democracy where fair competition is practically impossible. The problem lies in …

By Bob Roberts Katende & Isaac Mufumba Kiboko Squad: Opposition prepare to fight back Group compared to Mungiki He moves with a swagger. Wearing dark eyeglasses, he keeps rubbing his clenched right hand fist that reveals heavily scarred knuckles against his left hand palm throughout the interview. Thats Juma Ssemakula …

The Independent Team Forum for Democratic Change mobiliser Anne Mugisha who recently returned from exile in the United States talked to The Independent’s Bob Roberts Katende about her plans in the forthcoming general elect ions. Below are excerpts. What incident triggered your fleeing from the country and how did you …

By Patrick Kagenda John Wafula who has been the Chief Executive at Uganda Clays Kajjansi leaves office at the end of this year. The Independent`s Patrick Kagenda talked to him. What have been the challenges during your time as CEO? I joined Uganda Clays in Dec. 1992 and the biggest …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati The ignored agriculture transformers that the government should target The key to addressing the hunger crisis in Uganda is to boost smallholders farming, especially among women, says a new report by ActionAid, an international anti-poverty agency. It adds: The reason is clear; most of the hungry …

By Jocelyn Edwards UPDF pushes in more force but local leaders want Community Security System On April 24, a force of UPDF soldiers surrounded a kraal in Jie County in Karamoja and began firing on the animals and people inside.  In a cordon and search operation the army says was …