OBITUARY | Ronald Musoke | Christopher Columbus Sembuya, the remaining founder of Sembule Group of Companies, one of Uganda’s indigenous companies renowned in its prime years for making radio and television sets, “landline” telephones and even street lights passed away quietly in Kampala Hospital on Jan.11. But, in perhaps a …
Read More »Rotarian Mutebile: The tough economist with a heart for humanity
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile will be remembered for encouraging people not to worry about the level of individual prominence they have achieved in life, but worry about the individuals around them that need to be helped to become better. In one of his statements as a Rotarian, …
Read More »Holiday reading
Five picks from a great year for African writing BOOKS REVIEW | THE INDEPENDENT | Leading Kenyan author, journalist and academic, Prof. Peter Kimani has listed an exciting analytical compilation of essays edited by renowned Uganda journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo among his top five picks for this Christmas holiday reading. Prof. …
Read More »Ending silence around gender-based violence
The period between November 25 and December 10 has been earmarked around the world as “the 16 days of action against gender-based violence.” The Independent’s Ronald Musoke spoke to Susan Achen, the Programme Coordinator, Women’s Rights and Access to Justice at the Uganda Women’s Network, about this year’s event. …
Read More »How start-ups can position and benefit from global acquisition
Kampala, Uganda | TECH FEATURE | In 2020 Beyonic, a home-grown Ugandan startup providing digital payments solutions in five countries was acquired by MFS Africa, the largest digital payments hub in Africa. In a young entrepreneurial ecosystem like Uganda where many startups are fast strapped for cash, and where the …
Read More »National Payment Systems Act: will new regulations deliver growth in fintech sector?
BUSINESS FEATURE | THE INDEPENDENT | It’s been thirteen years since the Ugandan payments landscape was disrupted by the First mobile money system. In 2009, MTN Uganda introduced the first mobile money transaction service and today, the sector has grown to more than 170 private players consisting of mobile …
Read More »Which Uganda Coat of Arms?
There have been distortions about the actual image of the national emblem and the symbolic meaning of some of the imagery which adorn the heraldic device THE ARTS | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | The Uganda Coat of Arms is a national emblem which adorns most government buildings including the Parliament, Judicial …
Read More »How COVID-19 has expedited child labour in Uganda’s coffee industry
Mbale, Uganda | DIANA TAREMWA KARAKIRE | When Uganda imposed a lockdown last year to contain the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, the government ordered the closure of all education institutions, businesses, including land and sea borders. Since then the consequences on economic activities have been dire. With schools closed and many jobs lost …
Read More »How to bridge the digital divide and advance literacy
New challenges as world celebrates International Literacy Day Kampala, Uganda | FEATURE | Long before digital platforms went from a luxurious accessory for learning to a necessity for education continuity in the current climate, Robert Atwine, a Digital Education Enthusiast, had been working to streamline EdTech solutions in Uganda. With …
Read More »How to re-open schools
Innovation needs to speed up FEATURE | EDUCATION | Long before the second wave of the pandemic, questions about the future of education dominated public discourse in Uganda. Shamim Nirere of Izere Education not only had the question lingering on her mind, she found some answers too. “The future of …
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