Cover Story

By Haggai Matsiko President’s 30-year grip shaken as party primaries throw up new leaders President Yoweri Museveni is weaker. No he is stronger. Those are the contrasting views from the recent NRM party primaries and National Conference.  And Museveni was out to make a statement about it when on Nov.1 …

By Agather Atuhaire Mbabazi ghost haunts party diehards going into 2016 Blood. Teargas. Supporters beaten, some killed, and candidates in punch-ups. Those were the scenes in the recent Oct.27 election of flag-bearers for the 2016 parliamentary and local government elections. It was a continuation of the violence seen earlier in …

By Ronald Musoke The French could scuttle Chinese plans for Uganda oil Tullow Oil Uganda, Total E&P Uganda, and the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) are the three partners in Uganda’s upstream sector. But a rift appears to be starting to emerge in their relationship over the routes the …

By Haggai Matsiko Museveni safe if voters punish `confused’ opposition in 2016 A day after The Democratic Alliance (TDA) failed to agree on a single joint presidential candidate, a top Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) official swore that if confidantes of presidential aspirant Amama Mbabazi wanted to fight, the FDC …

By Haggai Matsiko A spying operation by Uganda’s top security agencies that has since 2011 targeted and aimed to crush opponents of President Yoweri Museveni, a new report has claimed. The operation codenamed ‘Fungua Macho’ loosely translated as ‘open your eyes’ has involved planting surveillance tools in top hotels and …

By Ian Katusiime Most turning points historically occurred at election time Among the five East African nations of Uganda, has arguably had the most turbulent political history since it attained independence in 1962. As it celebrates its 53rd independence anniversary – with the 2016 general elections three months away, political …

By Haggai Matsiko The implications for 2016 elections The Sept.29 ruling by the Constitutional Court that put an injunction on election of special interest groups’ legislators has created excitement amongst sections of political pundits – just months to the 2016 polls. It is being viewed as a pointer that the …

By Agather Atuhaire Just six years ago, Henry Peter Mayega was a member of the opposition Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party. Then he switched sides to the ruling NRM party. Today he is Uganda’s ambassador designate to the Peoples republic of China. At any time these days, Mayega is all …

By Independent Team What it really says about Ugandan politics Until Aug.17, the de facto leader of the Opposition, Retired Col. Kizza Besigye and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi were on opposite sides in Uganda’s two-horse race politics. Unknown by many people, a major swift occurred that morning when Mbabazi …

By Agather Atuhaire Why experts want both Besigye and Mbabazi to contest Journalist Daniel Kalinaki starts his book titled, Kizza Besigye and Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution with an April 2011 meeting between former FDC President Kizza Besigye and Western donors and diplomats. At the meeting, the author says Besigye was scolded …