In The Magazine

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Any candidate can tally and announce his results but he cannot declare him/herself winner. Presidential candidate Kizza Besigye of the Inter-Party Cooperation has vowed to tally and announce results of the Feb. 18 elections. But the Electoral Commission, the Police, government functionaries and the NRM’s presidential …

By Andrew Mwenda Past experiences show that America is willing to countenance democracy only when it produces outcomes favourable to its interests. The current protests in Egypt have placed the United States in a big dilemma. America is a leading advocate of democracy around the world. Yet often times, the …

By independent reporter Rwanda, Uganda ties strained as Gen. Saleh and Rwandan dissidents are accused of training mercenary force The meetings and their plans have already raised concerns in the region because the African Union (AU) already has a force led by Uganda and Burundi in Mogadishu propping up the …

By Andrew .M. Mwenda The electoral promises President Museveni is making to win elections now – UPE and USE – are creating conditions like those of Ben Ali. The revolution in Tunisia that has toppled President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali is the most exciting event in Africa today. First, …

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati An opinion poll by the research firm, Synovate Uganda, published by The New Vision newspaper has generated debate about who commissioned it. Virginia Nkwanzi is the Country Manager of Synovate Uganda. The Independent’s Mubatsi Asinja Habati spoke to her The New Vision published an opinion poll …

The best solution for that country is to allow Ouattara and Gbagbo to contest in the real court of effective state formation – the military President Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast has refused to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo is in effective control of the Ivorian state; Ouattara …

By mubatsi asinja habati The proposed Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Bill 2010 that seeks to regulate activities of the cultural leaders has sparked a row between Buganda kingdom’s Mengo-based government and the central government. The Buganda Parliamentary Caucus MPs say the Bill should be revised before it is …

By matthew stein  A homegrown system that places participation and responsibility above criticism In the majority of countries across the world it is expected for opposition parties to act and speak in a certain manner. Especially during election time, criticism and rebukes, even delivered with vitriol, are accepted. Candidates spend …

By Joseph Were Donors fear the President is either raiding the reserves at Bank of Uganda or printing new money World Bank Country Director John Murray McIntire who flew into Uganda on January 12 landed right into the middle of a perfect storm brewing between the government on one hand …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The recent indictment of leading and powerful Kenyan politicians by the International Criminal Court (ICC) presents as a serious dilemma. By all conventional accounts, Kenya is one of the most successful democracies in Africa. It has a free press. It has a multiparty political system. It …