By Haggai Matsiko IGAD tight-fisted as parliament sends Museveni to war without a budget One day before parliament on Jan.14 debated the deployment of Uganda army troops to South Sudan, the U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice issued a statement that could have serious implications for President Yoweri Museveni’s Juba …
Read More »Who killed Karegeya?
By Haggai Matsiko & Andrew Mwenda Karegeya, Nyamwasa split In mid 2013, the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) had scheduled an election for its leaders in South Africa for Aug 8. However, in the weeks preceding the election, the party experienced infighting and consequently the election was postponed. Two camps had …
Read More »Speculators fighting `Umeme’
By Haggai Matsiko Minister Muloni warns against forces behind MPs demand for cancellation of electricity generation, distribution concessions It is hard to single out a Managing Director in Uganda, who has had as rough a time as Charles Chapman’s four years at Umeme, the country’s major power distributor. In just …
Read More »Kony surrender
By Haggai Matsiko Could he be conning the world again? Recent claims that rebel war-leader Joseph Kony is in surrender talks with his handlers in the Central African Republic (CAR) have sparked optimism, pessimism, and deja vu. The claims erupted after CAR’s interim-President, Michel Djotodia, announced that Kony, who has …
Read More »Government squeezes money thieves
By Haggai Matsiko Shs700 billion lies idle under new finance system Bank of Uganda’s latest figures for October show a buoyant economy with the 2012/13 growth figures revised upwards from 4.3% to 5.8%. However, the same figures show contractions from August in the agricultural and manufacturing indices. Anecdotal evidence from …
Read More »M23 dilemma
By Haggai Matsiko Museveni, Kagame regional clout dealt a blow. Regional leaders left in the dark as Kinshasa, UN pound M23 out of DR Congo. The Nov.11 meeting in Kampala where the delegation from the DR Congo refused to sign a peace deal with the M23 rebel group might have …
Read More »Intelligence in crisis
By Haggai Matsiko Loopholes expose Uganda to terror threats On Oct.15, the US Embassy in Kampala issued an unexpected security alert to its citizens with a warning that it was “assessing reports that a Westgate-style attack may soon occur in Kampala.” “Embassy officials are sharing all information with the Ugandan …
Read More »Chaos in FDC
By Haggai Matsiko How the tussle between top party guns over Mafabi’s job is giving Muntu headache Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President, faced a tough choice on Nandala Mafabi, his former opponent, a head of a top party governing body meeting on Oct.22. A move …
Read More »Oil refinery threatened
By Haggai Matsiko World Bank sucked into wrangle over compensation budget of Shs74 bn Battle lines have been drawn between the government on one hand and activists and locals over the compensation and resettlement of residents to be evicted to create space for oil refinery infrastructure in Hoima, western Uganda. …
Read More »What next after Museveni warns Belgium on DR Congo?
By Haggai Matsiko Kabila’s European allies have eyes on country’s mineral wealth The Kampala talks between the DR Congo government and the M23 rebel group might collapse if Kinshasa’s new internationally-powered attitude and that of her backers does not change. Collapse of talks in Kampala, many observers fear, will spark …
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