Why Uganda’s economy is dominated by multinational capital and what cannot be done about it THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | We begin from where we stopped last week. Uganda’s growing economy served three critical purposes: It increased government revenues, gave greater confidence to donors to give more …
Read More »Uganda’s strategic dilemma
Why Uganda’s economy is dominated by multinational capital and what cannot be done about it THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Uganda is facing a dilemma. The country is investing tens of billions of dollars in huge infrastructure projects – dams, airports, highways, bridges, railways, water systems etc. …
Read More »The Rwanda-Uganda conflict
How Kampala has mismanaged her relations with Kigali and why Rwanda closed her border THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Let me do what politicians always do – claim they run for office due to popular demand. Many people have been asking me to comment on the heightened …
Read More »Fortune favours the bold
Why government of Uganda should heavily invest in Kiira Motors even in the face of many impediments THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Uganda wants to manufacture cars. It doesn’t have any comparative advantage in this field. It does not produce iron ore from which to make …
Read More »Museveni’s AU speech
THE LAST WORD: Why there is a big disconnect between Museveni the intellectual and Museveni the politician THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week, President Yoweri Museveni delivered an impressive speech to fellow African Union (AU) heads of state in Addis Ababa about the need for regional …
Read More »Impunity at Bank of Uganda
THE LAST WORD: How institutional independence allowed the central bank to indulge in gross mismanagement and incompetence THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week was the most shameful for Bank of Uganda. During hearings before the parliamentary committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) it …
Read More »Wrong thinking on health services
THE LAST WORD: Why expecting a Ugandan peasant to have the same quality of healthcare as an American is madness THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week, I attended the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)’s monthly State of the Nation seminar on public spending and …
Read More »Michela Wrong’s war on Kagame
THE LAST WORD: How racial prejudice led The Guardian to publish an article that is basically a hit job on Rwanda THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | On January 14, The Guardian newspaper in England published a 5,800 word long article by Michela Wrong titled “Rwanda’s Kashogi.” It accused …
Read More »URA’s unnecessary headquarters
THE LAST WORD: Why government of Uganda’s approach of owning buildings to save on rent is economically unproductive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week President Yoweri Museveni officially opened the new Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) head office building in Nakawa. As a work of art, the …
Read More »Uganda’s growing public debt
PUBLIC DEBT: Why is it growing? Is it prohibitive, unsustainable? Kampala, Uganda | ANDREW M. MWENDA | On January 10, I watched with increasing depression a debate about Uganda’s national debt on the NBS Frontline show. Although the Minister of State for Finance, David Bahati, made many good arguments …
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