COLUMNISTS

COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | Following my recent essay on China Town and local enterprise in Uganda, reactions have been mixed. While some welcome the availability of affordable goods, it’s crucial to consider the long-term impact on Uganda’s economy and society. The rise of China Town in Lugogo, Kampala, echoes …

An Open Letter to the Ugandan Public COMMENT | Gertrude Kamya Othieno | As we collectively strive towards socioeconomic transformation, it is crucial to address a growing concern that impacts our economic landscape. Our government has introduced several commendable initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, and the …

How we lost our collective identity through the glorification of money and what can be done about it THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda |  I argued in this column last week that the neoliberal attack on the state in Uganda eroded public ethics in public service. Some readers feel I did …

  COMMENT | Olivia Nalubwama | The National Resistance Movement (NRM) government of Uganda is out here doing good like a shifty-eyed Father Christmas in August —  sprinkling favors like tax waivers worth UGX13.391 billion to eight taxpayers. The eight taxpayers: J2E Investment Corporation Limited (J2E), Nicontra Limited, Busoga University, Nkumba University, …

COMMENT | Samson Tinka |   Time really flies. Uganda Airlines marked 5 years in the sky on 28th Aug 2024. That was the date an inaugural flight departed Entebbe for Nairobi. We celebrate these five years because this is a milestone for the national career. The naysayers gave the airlines …

Why the disaster at the KCCA landfill for city garbage is a sign of worse disasters to follow THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | The collapse of the garbage-filling dump at Kiteezi is symptomatic of the wider governance crisis that has engulfed our country. Uganda is in disarray, without a central …

What the inauguration of Kagame for another term told about the Rwanda he is building THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | And so it was that on August 11 we were in Kigali for President Paul Kagame’s inauguration. It happened that a well-known Rwandan with Ugandan roots hosted a wedding of …

How Kenya’s Gen Z have exaggerated expectations of their government and president THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | I am writing this article from Nairobi where young, educated Kenyans are keeping President William Ruto busy. At the beginning of these protests, naïve commentators commended Ruto for conceding to the demands of …

How our political debates over development focus on peripheral issues while ignoring the fundamental problems THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | I believe that human beings are inherently religious. We have axiomatic faith in particular beliefs based on our moral intuitions. These are kept alive through narratives. The great British economist, …

Why our president is caught in contradictions that he can neither grasp nor overcome THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | So, President Yoweri Museveni declared a “tough war” on corruption; promising to apprehend all thieves and send them to jail. Then young people decided to march onto parliament, the seat of …