William Pike’s account of the clash between Museveni’s utopia and Uganda’s hard reality THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | A The capture of power by President Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) in January 1986 was a moment of great hope. Blood had been shed, lives lost, careers …
Read More »Uganda Parliament mourns MP Muhanga’s mum Constance Adyeri Muhangazima
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s parliament on Tuesday observed a minute of silence in memory of Constance Muhangazima ‘Mama Adyeri’, mother to Burahya County MP Margaret Muhanga, journalist Andrew Mwenda and UPDF Maj Gen Kayanja Muhanga. She died aged 84 on Monday and was buried Friday in Kanyandahi , Fort Portal. …
Read More »Fortune favours the bold
Why government of Uganda should heavily invest in Kiira Motors even in the face of many impediments THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Uganda wants to manufacture cars. It doesn’t have any comparative advantage in this field. It does not produce iron ore from which to make …
Read More »Financial management key in healthcare delivery – PS Atwine
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr Diana Atwine has called for a tracking system that will ensure that all allocations to health facilities are utilized efficiently. Atwine said billions of Shillings and supplies channeled to healthcare delivery get wasted, in the hands of medical personnel …
Read More »URA’s unnecessary headquarters
THE LAST WORD: Why government of Uganda’s approach of owning buildings to save on rent is economically unproductive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week President Yoweri Museveni officially opened the new Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) head office building in Nakawa. As a work of art, the …
Read More »Uganda’s growing public debt
PUBLIC DEBT: Why is it growing? Is it prohibitive, unsustainable? Kampala, Uganda | ANDREW M. MWENDA | On January 10, I watched with increasing depression a debate about Uganda’s national debt on the NBS Frontline show. Although the Minister of State for Finance, David Bahati, made many good arguments …
Read More »The value of loyalty
The value of loyalty: What the story of a simple attendant at a fuel station can help us learn about building successful organisations THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | On Tuesday January 8, 2019 I passed a Total service station in Luzira to load Mobile Money. Because there was …
Read More »Museveni’s land politics
Why the president’s defence of squatters is humane but economically retrogressive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | During his New Year speech, President Yoweri Museveni reiterated his commitment to defend squatters being evicted by “land grabbers”. Yet he also promised to protect the ownership rights of title holders. In …
Read More »Museveni and African hairstyles
THE LAST WORD: Why the President’s emphasis on hairstyles to assert the African identity addresses the form and ignores the substance THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | On December 30, 2018, President Yoweri Museveni tweeted thanking Miss World Africa, Quiin Abenakyo, for heeding his “advice” to keep her hair …
Read More »Uganda’s painful truths
Why the always-blame-government-for-every problem mantra is popular but destructive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW MWENDA | Many Ugandans are angry feeling the country is not going in the right direction. This is especially so among those who feel they can do better, which is understandable. However, they always attribute their frustrations …
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