Nile basin ministers’ tour of mega Ethiopian dam leaves sour taste for Egypt Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia | RONALD MUSOKE | At 8:10 am on an already warming Sunday Feb.23 morning, three light aircraft taxied off the tarmac of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They were carrying a group of about 24 people, …
Read More »Fear of renewed war in South Sudan
Juba tense after arrest of opposition politicians, army generals COVER STORY | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | The political situation in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, is tense following the arrest of politicians and to army generals aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar. The unrest comes amid growing concerns over instability …
Read More »Museveni’s sweet victory
How every action taken by Besigye since his arrest has played into the president’s hands THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Since he was abducted from Nairobi, Dr. Kizza Besigye has been involved in a series of tactical battles in court. Yet each victory he has secured has left his strategic …
Read More »China enters the annual ‘two sessions’ political season
BEIJING | Xinhua | It is early March, which in China typically signals the start of the annual “two sessions” political season. So what are the “two sessions”? The “two sessions” are the annual meetings of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, …
Read More »Beauty queen to gun for Youth MP slot in Northern Uganda
Kotido, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Former Miss Tourism Uganda 2017 winner, Challa Elma Kapel, 27, has announced she will contest for elections to become youth MP Northern Uganda in the next general elections. Kapel will run under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, and says she is confident the competitiveness …
Read More »No change in Uganda’s corruption
Powerful politicians to blame, says Transparency International COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda remains one of the most corrupt countries on earth despite President Yoweri Museveni’s government putting in place numerous interventions to fight it. This is the main revelation of the global anti-corruption non-profit, Transparency International, in its latest …
Read More »Challenge of the Congo
How politics in Kinshasa combines with international power politics to undermine regional efforts for peace in DRC THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Once again, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is on fire. This week, M23 rebels captured the strategic town of Goma and are now advancing on Bukavu. At …
Read More »What 2025 portends for Uganda
The challenges and opportunity for Museveni at 80 years as he enters this important election year THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | This is an election year. President Yoweri Museveni has entered it with many tactical advantages. The leader of the largest opposition party, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, has …
Read More »What next for former LOP Mathias Mpuuga?
Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Former Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga is poised to announce his next political step as the 2026 general elections approach, following a fallout with Kavule based National Unity Platform (NUP) party. Mpuuga, who represents Nyendo-Mukungwe in Parliament, clashed with NUP, over leadership differences and a …
Read More »Winnie Byanyima’s activism tested
The UNAIDS boss is leading the charge to free her husband, opposition politician Kizza Besigye ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | Just days after her husband, opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, was thrown in jail, Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, had to coordinate the launch of the World AIDS 2024 …
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