COLUMNISTS

By Julia Spiegel & Noel Atama In the months since the armies of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan launched Operation Lightning Thunder, a joint military offensive against the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, the threat to civilians in the region has dramatically intensified. Efforts to negotiate …

By Julia Spiegel & Noel Atama In the months since the armies of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan launched Operation Lightning Thunder, a joint military offensive against the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, the threat to civilians in the region has dramatically intensified. Efforts to negotiate …

By Odoobo C. Bichachi Why a limping Museveni remains solid against toothless opposition According to the recently published findings of the Uganda Afrobarometer Survey conducted between July and September 2008, most Ugandans are dissatisfied with the way the country is being run not just on issues of bread and butter …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The election of Jacob Zuma as President of Africa’s richest and most sophisticated country, South Africa, once again manifests the pitfalls of democracy in Africa. Zuma was on trial for rape (but was acquitted) and corruption (charges of which still remain). If he was a candidate …

By Margaret Wakuri Madanda Colin Barigye’s piece ‘œFreedom Vs efficiency’ that appeared in The Independent (Issue 058) made interesting reading. Barigye takes on Andrew Mwenda’s seeming inconsistencies. He cites examples that when President Kagame, for instance, punishes corrupt officers, Mwenda praises him yet when President Museveni does the same, Mwenda …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Dear Colin, I read your letter regarding my views on the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, with interest and disappointment. Although you raise some legitimate issues, I was disappointed by its innuendoes and insinuations where you accuse me of being “journalist of fortune” and of ‘selling …

By Robert Shaka It has been a tradition for the media to shy away even on policy matters affecting the operations of the UPDF and other sister security institutions. While the concerns of both the political and military leadership is understandable, we cannot discharge our responsibility to help this institution …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why, given the apparent democratic space in Uganda compared to Rwanda, is the delivery of public goods and services in our country so poor compared to our southern neighbour? Colin Barigye, in last week’s issue argued that such services are easy to deliver under a dictatorship …

By Prof. Michael Madill Federalism seems to have acquired new life as a cure-all for economic and political problems in Uganda. State House, ministries, kingdoms and districts are grappling enthusiastically once again with the possibilities of redistributing power. But key figures are entering into a debate in which they will …

By Wanyama Wangah If you are a depositor with Pride Microfinance, banking just got a lot easier today. Once you walk into their banking hall, you join a queue (if there is any) or just walk up to the cashier without filling any slips. At the cashier’s counter, you are …