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How every action taken by Besigye since his arrest has played into the president’s hands THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Since he was abducted from Nairobi, Dr. Kizza Besigye has been involved in a series of tactical battles in court. Yet each victory he has secured has left his strategic …

How politics in Kinshasa combines with international power politics to undermine regional efforts for peace in DRC THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Once again, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is on fire. This week, M23 rebels captured the strategic town of Goma and are now advancing on Bukavu. At …

The reasons, risks and costs of Uganda new shift in economic policies and diplomatic relations THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | We are a week away from celebrating NRM’s 39th year in power and the country is going through a major economic and diplomatic policy shift. The government is moving away from …

How Uganda’s opposition leader turned himself into a warmongering power-hungry politician THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | In a sting operation, Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Defense Intelligence and Security (CDIS), formerly the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), kidnapped Dr. Kiiza Besigye from Nairobi. Besigye is a leading figure in opposition politics, the …

The president’s brother’s insights about Uganda’s political economy and what it tells us about our country THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | And so, on Monday this week I visited Gen. Salim Saleh in Gulu and we sat down to a long conversation about Uganda’s economic woes. Saleh has been studying …

Why the arrest and detention of the leaders of our city is a cynical political gimmick THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | The arrest and detention of the top executives of KCCA for the disaster that happened at Kitezi landfill is sad. I know for a fact that President Yoweri Museveni …

How assigning a name to something changes public perceptions of its character THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Words are used to obscure the truths. Attach a label to something, and people will see it in a particular way. For instance, in Uganda, a person who is a born-again Christian is …

The life of a reporter, editor, lecturer, media proprietor, legislator, presidential press secretary and corporate guru THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | On Friday, September 27, Ivan Okuda called me announcing the death of Onapito Ekomoloit. It was as shocking as it was surprising. I had talked to Onapito only a …

Why firing top leaders at KCCA is an excuse and not a solution to the problems of our capital city THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | This week, President Yoweri Museveni fired the top leadership of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). This was because a report by the Inspector General of …

How this newspaper’s work is laced with endemic racism that may even be unconscious to the author THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Most Western journalism on Africa has always been ghetto journalism. Now in last week’s story about Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, this British newspaper, The Telegraph, took journalism to the …