In The Magazine

By Julius Businge So what if Mutebile reduces bank rate but lending rates stay up? The recent strike of traders against banks over high lending rates put Esther Nakitende in a tight spot. The clothes seller on William Street in downtown Kampala city followed instructions from the Kampala City Traders …

By Haggai Matsiko Besigye (1999), Bidandi (2003), who is next after Kyankwazi? Until recently, it was unheard of for an NRM party member to boycott summons by President Yoweri Museveni to the National Leadership Institute at Kyankwanzi which is respected as a sort of shrine where party folk go for …

By Stephen Kafeero and Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi In an attempt to revive vibrant debate at Makerere University, the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) hosted former South African President Thabo Mbeki on Jan. 19. The Independent’s Stephen Kafeero and Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi captured the highlights of the question-and-answer session on …

By Erik Solheim The most important of all financial flows are the illicit funds that pour out of so many developing countries OSLO – Poverty is not only about not having enough money. It is also about exploitation and oppression, and about armed conflicts and wars that make it impossible …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Is the standoff between government and traders the tip of an irreparable breakdown of their relationship? Last week, striking traders paralysed business in Kampala. Negotiations between their association, KASITA, and the government did not yield much. As with all previous strikes and demonstrations in Uganda over …

By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi UPC boss’s strictness on money issues, leaves him isolated as Pulkol, Rurangaranga, Odit  launch a battle for control Few Ugandans have CVs as illustrious as UPC President Olara Otunnu’s. He was granted the special O1 immigration status by the United States, which is reserved for “few …

By Agather Atuhaire Why the economy is the main loser The government announcement of a new electricity tariff regime on Jan.12 could still backfire but, on paper, it looks like a perfect stroke. Part of the problem is that the tariff regime does not address the real problems in Uganda’s …

By Stephen Kafeero Fighting malaria the wrong way kills 20 people every minute in Uganda On December 19, 2011, a speeding lorry at Namanve, near Kampala city, hit a taxi and killed 6 of the 16 people on the taxi. Several others were injured. The story was headline news. There …

By Andrew M. Mwenda But who benefits most from subsidies to UMEME? A cabinet sitting on Wednesday Jan. 11 discussed increasing electricity tariffs by 40 percent. Cabinet should remove these subsidies altogether because they are not economically sustainable and benefit the rich at the expense of poor citizens. Over the …

By Andrew M. Mwenda It is not corruption per se but the fragmentation of power that explains Uganda’s crisis. Two things stand in contradiction of one another regarding corruption in Uganda: On a positive note, it seems not to have undermined economic growth – at least, not yet. Uganda has …