By Morris DC Komakech The debate raging between top American entrepreneur and former Microsoft CEO, Bills Gates, and the world celebrated micro-economist, Jeffrey D. Sachs of the Earth Institute at Columbia University touches on the core of Global Health. (Refer to Uganda’s The Independent magazine: Why Jeffrey Sachs matter by …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why Uganda should move away from a winner-take-all electoral system in favour of proportional representation I argued in last week’s column that in Uganda’s specific context of mass poverty, electoral competition tends to eliminate public-spirited candidates (or patriots) in favour of crooks. Therefore as our democracy …

By Ronald Musoke Reality check for government’s quest for sciences As the Uganda National Examinations Board released the 2013 A-level results on March 27, the first insight into whether the government’s recent policy to force students pursue Science subjects was a wise move came to the fore. A total of …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why parliament will either increase its term of office from five to seven years or raise its wages threefold Some Members of Parliament have proposed that their term be extended from five to seven years. This proposal is going to gain momentum. If it is not …

By Ronald Musoke When the results of the 2013 Primary Leaving Exams were released on Jan.31, Moses Edibu, a 13-year old pupil of VH Public School in Lira Municipality was devastated. He had hoped to score aggregate 4; the highest grade, but instead scored 5. He spent the whole day …

By Andrew M.Mwenda Understanding the popularity of Museveni and Besigye through evolutionary science To understand the incentives that drive citizens who vote and the politicians who seek their votes, we may need to appreciate the lessons of evolutionary psychology especially in regard to male-female sexual relations. (I am sorry for …

By JM Kavuma-Kaggwa How Obote ended the life of Uganda’s first President and why Uganda should value his legacy as a great leader and freedom fighter. Sir Edward Muteesa II, the first president of Uganda, was born on November 19, 1924 and died on his birthday in 1969. If he …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Before resigning as President Yoweri Museveni’s Principal Private Secretary (PPS) in 2010, Amelia Kyambadde had served as private secretary to Museveni from 1979, spent five years in exile in Sweden and later returned to the same job in 1986. Currently, she is the Minister of Trade, …

By Henry Zakumumpa Before this African literary great, many thought that white men were the ‘owners of words’ It has been a tragic year for African literature thus far. First it was Francis Imbuga. The Kenyan dramatist of the Betrayal in the City fame succumbed to a stroke in Nairobi …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How the electoral process in Kenya produces powerful political families that use identity to wield power Many factors may have influenced the 2013 election in Kenya. But three of these stand out. The first is the influence of political families who have held sway over Kenya’s …