London, UK | XINHUA | The novel coronavirus has existed worldwide and broke out whenever and wherever favorable conditions occurred rather than starting in China, an Oxford University expert has told The Telegraph. “I think the virus was already here — here meaning everywhere. We may be seeing a dormant …
Read More »Spreading COVID-19 controversy
Asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic: what is the difference? Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Do asymptomatic people carrying the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the coronavirus disease COVID-19 transmit it? This question came to the forefront in Uganda recently after a video clip of Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 World Health …
Read More »Inside Uganda’s election budget
Why opportunities that theoretically exist to cut wasteful public spending are politically impossible THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | This year, Uganda has been hit by three major disasters: a locust invasion, floods and COVID-19; a combination of which will shrink economic growth. COVID-19 has been the most …
Read More »Elections could kill Uganda economy
What international money lenders fear most about 2021 Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Increased government spending and borrowing as President Yoweri Museveni seeks re-election could destabilise the economy in FY2020/21. That is the view of the latest report by the international credit rating agency, Fitch. It is backed by …
Read More »WHO urges countries to “wake up,” “take control” of COVID-19
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged countries hit by coronavirus disease to “wake up” to the pandemic situation on the ground and to “take control” of the spread of the virus. “People need to wake up. The data is not lying. The situation …
Read More »Covid-19 presents agriculture sector opportunities
Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | The worldwide spread of coronavirus pandemic is exposing opportunities for agriculture sector in schools and beyond, experts in this field say. Speaking at a virtual meeting organized by Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) and Agri-Food Systems Education Network on July 3, Victoria Sekitoleko, the former minister …
Read More »EU authorizes remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The European Commission has authorized anti-viral drug remdesivir for the treatment against coronavirus on Friday, making it the first drug authorized at the European Union level for the treatment of COVID-19. “Today, the European Commission granted a conditional marketing authorization for the medicine remdesivir,” the European …
Read More »Uganda revises stand on COVID-19 Travel Certificates
Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandans returning from abroad will no longer have to obtain a negative COVID-19 certificate before entering the country. This new development comes after many of the returning Ugandans reported that they were unable to procure the tests. In some countries like United States, …
Read More »The 2021 `scientific election’
Are the organisers of the COVID-19-defined general elections informed by science, panic or opportunism? COMMENT | JOSEPH MUKASA NGUBWAGYE | The Electoral Commission (EC) of Uganda on June 16 launched a revised road map for the 2021 general elections. The most controversial pronouncement was that the process, including campaigns and …
Read More »COVID-19: 11 Ugandans back from Afghanistan test positive
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & PROSSY NANSUBUGA | Uganda’s COVID-19 confirmed cases have jumped to 889 , with 11 of them from a group of 91 that returned in the past week from Afghanistan. The returnees from Afghanistan are all under quarantine. Results from 2,170 samples tested on 29 …
Read More »