In The Magazine

By Independent Team On May 23, just one day before President Yoweri Museveni was due to announce the first names in his post-election cabinet, then-Vice President Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya received an important phone call. It was the president’s secretary with a single message: “the president will not nominate you for …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The worst danger for the government in troubled times like these is to adopt a public policy position over matters it has no control over Uganda is in bad times and almost everything seems to be going wrong. The country’s electricity supply is drying out rapidly; …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Parliament approved a Shs 10.3 trillion budget, up from the Shs 9.8 trillion minister of finance announced in June. The revised budget has been criticised as unbalanced. The Independent’s Mubatsi Asinja Habati spoke to Felix Okot Ogong, a legislator who sits on Parliament’s Committee on Budget. …

By Haggai Matsiko Ladislus Rwakafuzi, a senior Human rights Lawyer in Kampala, spoke to The independent’s Haggai Matsiko about the trial Kenyan suspects of the July 11 bomb attacks, including Kenyan lawyer, Al’Amin Kimathi. Some people say that governments use the war on terror as a pretext to crush dissenting …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Museveni guarding against outsiders but the danger is internal, say experts On Aug. 2 Uganda’s oil rich western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo showed once again that it can erupt into insecurity at any time. Barely three months to the tense November 28 presidential …

By Haggai Matsiko Lawyers, public bicker over whether terrorist bombing convicts should have got only 25 and five years in jail for killing 80 people The 25 and five year jail sentences awarded to the self-confessed terrorists involved in the July 11, 2010 twin-bombings in Kampala have sparked heated debate …

By Rukiya Makuma Birth and death records go digital At 12 noon on Sept.14, Joseph Mutebi, was all wrapped up in shawls and cuddled up in his mother’s tender embrace. He was just one day old and, with baby eyes still tightly closed, was totally oblivious of the excitement he …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Government Primary schools opened for third session without teachers in classrooms and Makerere University remains closed. Teachers and lecturers are demanding pay rises which the government has rejected. The Independent’s Mubatsi Asinja Habati spoke to renowned educationist Prof. William Senteza Kajubi about this and more. When …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati University’s problems go beyond pay and strikes Prof. Venasius Baryamureeba, 42, likes to be photographed with a smile. Lately, however, the smile has not been eye-deep. His hair, which he likes to keep in a close-cut afro, is still neat but anyone will tell you that …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The assumption behind a lot of literature on democracy is that people would care more about their welfare in elections Africa’s poor performance at delivering public goods and services impersonally to anonymous citizens is often attributed to the continent’s democratic deficit. Democratic theory expects that if …