COLUMNISTS

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 LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | On Friday October 11, 2024, lawyer and human right activist, Nicolas Opiyo, posted a tweet of his “short musing.” It was a very personal attack on the intellectual competences of Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces …

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 …

COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | Following my article “How Europe Launched a World Rampage from 1492”, I today explore the hidden agendas behind colonialism and imperialism, and the symbolism that supported their expansion. For too long, the British Empire’s “civilising missions” have been glorified, masking the subjugation and control driving …

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 …

How our nations’ pursuit of foreign ideologies is an impediment to our growth and transformation THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | By Andrew M. Mwenda | My friends and I have been engaged in a debate about the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in development. There is widespread belief that development requires …

COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | I have received a great deal of interest regarding my previous article on the “Honourable and Ow’ekitiibwa” debate, which has prompted me to delve deeper into the origins of Ow’ekitiibwa in Uganda’s political corridors of power. The title Ow’ekitiibwa, commonly translated as Honourable in Luganda, …

The evolution of “Honourable” suggests a deeper issue in how political titles are perceived and used COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | The title “Honourable” was introduced to Uganda’s Parliament as an import from British tradition. In the UK, “Honourable” denotes a person of high integrity, and failing to meet these …

Why blaming Museveni for runaway corruption is politically appealing and why it is misleading THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | President Yoweri Museveni has presided over the worst levels of public sector corruption in Uganda’s history. The scale and scope of corruption grows every year. Indeed, corruption could easily be the …