By Bob Roberts Katende On August 25, Aswa County MP Reagan Okumu presented a list of 200 people he claims were killed by the UPDF in northern Ugandan at the height of the LRA insurgency. Why did he bring it out now? The Independent’s Bob Roberts Katende spoke to him …
Read More »Give Darfur war a chance
By Andrew M. Mwenda I have increasingly grown sceptical of international humanitarian intervention. Although largely driven by moral reasons, it has often inflicted more harm than good on its intended beneficiaries. It is with this view that I went for a public lecture by Prof. Mahmood Mamdani at Makerere University …
Read More »2011 polls: Is EC playing foul on voter register?
By Andrew M. Mwenda On June 25, fifteen companies submitted bids for a contract with the Electoral Commission (EC) to update the Voter Register. According to the bid documents, each bidder was supposed to submit three envelops: a technical proposal, a financial proposal and a third envelop was supposed to …
Read More »Kagame is a tolerant leader
By Eric Kabera Critics of Rwandan President Paul Kagame – including complimentary ones – unfailingly cite two flaws: that he is illegitimate because he hails from the minority; two, he is intolerant of freedom of expression. The first charge is easily disposed of. Why for example has no one found …
Read More »Cabinet worried about who Otunnu represents
By Independent Reporter Is he simply the Trojan horse of yet unknown forces? The two-week whirlwind tour of the country by recently returned former UN under-secretary general Olara Otunnu is raising political temperatures in the country and worrying the NRM government in spite of the nonchalant attitude it has taken …
Read More »Why Uganda has no citizens
By Andrew M. Mwenda Last week, I was in Stanbic Bank to pay tuition fees for my niece, Cynthia. My sister Florence died when Cynthia was only seven. Now she is 19, pretty, vibrant, ambitious, intelligent and ready to take on the world and change it. Although she qualified for …
Read More »Rich Baganda, poor Acholi
By Joseph Were New report reveals economic imbalance among Uganda’s tribes From a distance it looks like a giant quilt of different shades between brown and black spread on the side of the gradually slopping hill. Getting nearer, however, reveals tinny brown unbaked brick buildings, squashed next to each other …
Read More »Can Otunnu revive UPC’s fortunes?
By Joe Powell On Saturday evening at the Serena the UPC stalwarts turned out in their droves, resplendent in bright red ties, shirts and kitenges, often accessorised with Obote pin badges. Alongside the UPC supporters were prominent members of other opposition parties, including Prof. Latigo, Jack Sabiti, Ken Lukyamuzi, Akbar …
Read More »Otunnu comes with message of opposition unity
By Bob Roberts Katende Asubo Macorious, is a strong Uganda Peoples Congress supporter. He left his home area, Arua on Friday at 9:30pm destined for Kampala then to Entebbe Airport; to welcome a person, not personally know to him, but one he believes has the ability to bring the change …
Read More »Colonialism reclaiming Africa?
By Andrew M. Mwenda Colonialism is back; bold and unashamed. The West has decided to reclaim leadership in Africa. Only last week, I watched US Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton, give instructions to Kenyan politicians on how they should manage the affairs of Kenya. She demanded that the democratically …
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