By Isaac Mufumba Last week members parliament went native. They nearly had a fist-fighting in the House. The opposition MPs broke a door of the parliament to force themselves inside after being blocked from re-entering the House where they had walked out to protest the Deputy Speakers refusal to allow …

By Dicta Asiimwe While speaking to The Independent on April 28, 2010, the government chief whip Daudi Migereko said: It is not realistic to expect a completely independent parliament, which is why our constitution provides for the government chief whip to be a member of cabinet. This independence of the …

By Rukiya Makuma Women and children often face hard times when the head of the family dies. The situation is compounded if there is poverty and disease. Jane Nalwadda, 48, is a typical case. Her husband died in 2000 leaving her to fend for their 10 children. Soon after he …

By Jocelyn Edwards Margaret Ngoya, 15, awoke in early hours of Mar. 7 to the sound of gunshots.  The soldiers who had invaded her village in northern Karamoja yelled her family and their neighbours to come outside. When they brought us outside, I was beaten.  They used the handle of …

By Courtney C. Radsch Although Uganda’s country’s constitution provides for the right to freedom of expression including ‘freedom of the press and other media,’ several laws negate these constitutional guarantees and the government is increasingly cracking down on critical journalists and media houses. Several statutes, like the Press and Media …

The Independent Team As a donor country, the American taxpayer needs to know the dollars being sent to this country are being wisely spent You have held discussions with several people. What impression do you have about Uganda’s 2011 presidential elections? These are important elections. It’s important for this country …

By Abbey K.Semuwemba There are numerous coalitions, organisations and federations that have been formed regionally and worldwide. Some have worked and others have failed. The difference with the East Africa Federation is that some states are going through serious economic and political reformation particularly Rwanda and Kenya. Uganda appears still …

By Matsiko wa Mucoori & Mubatsi Asinja Habati Development partners share the concern of Uganda’s civil society and media about the increasingly high levels of spending on governments administrative structures. These are resources that could otherwise be invested in infrastructure, basic education, health care, and clean drinking water for the …

By Iva Skoch A billion condoms, 40,000 sex workers CAPE TOWN, South Africa  The taxi drivers hustling around the bars on Long Street in Cape Town say they are ready for all the soccer fans that will flood the city in June for the World Cup. So are hotels, restaurants, …

By Maya Prabhu A story of abused authority and the victimised vulnerable Helens* work environment is more dangerous than most. On the night-time streets and alleyways of Kampala, her short skirts and revealing blouses flag down cruising clients, but also attract unwanted, and all too frequently violent, attention. Crucially, Helen …