He was a senior army officer. In the early 1990s, one of the most prominent newspapers reported that he had fled Uganda because of reports that he was to be arrested. The front page news report claimed he had fled to the US and that “sources at Entebbe Airport” had seen him board a plane….
In mid-1999, when Ugandan troops clashed with Rwanda’s army in Kisangani, eastern DR Congo, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire was unexpectedly caught up in the crossfire. Otafiire was then serving as Museveni’s chief security advisor on DRC, having been dropped from the cabinet. Which religious leader talked Museveni out of marrying Winnie Byanyima? As bullets flew…
In 2012, President Museveni was invited to Turkey by Recep Erdogan, then Turkish Prime Minister, for a state visit. On the visit, he was accompanied by a couple of local MPs. While there, the Ugandan delegation was treated to a state dinner by the Turkey leader. One of the Ugandan MPs overloaded his plate with…
During the NRM CEC meeting in October 2014, which stripped Amama Mbabazi of his Secretary General post, his wife, Jacqueline(then the head of Women’s League), revealed that she had not supported the lifting of the presidential term limits in 2005, a move spearheaded by her husband. Jacqueline even said that on the day the amendment…
Felix Kidibya For nearly 40 years, President Museveni has shaped Uganda’s political, economic, and social landscape. His leadership has produced undeniable achievements; rural electrification, expanded road networks, increased access to safe water, universal education, and, above all, lasting peace and security. These accomplishments have defined the stability many Ugandans enjoy today. However, on the darkest…
He was a relatively junior officer but well respected. In one of the meetings chaired by Museveni at Republic House after the NRA had captured power, the officer urged senior NRA leaders not to “play with their women like you have been doing in the bush”. His comments, directed at no one in particular, angered…
By Brenda Nagudi Over the past decade, Uganda’s insurance industry has undergone a quiet but profound transformation. What was once a small, misunderstood sector is now a growing pillar of financial stability for households, businesses, and the wider economy. Between 2014 and 2024, gross written premiums more than doubled, reaching about Shs 1.76 trillion in…
He was an outspoken male minister in the late 80s and 90s. However, one day, he “offered his female secretary a lift” from work. The two later got involved in an accident about 11 km from the office in South-east the Kampala. They survived with minor injuries, but the minister didn’t want the story published…
During the investigations into the closure of Greenland Bank by Parliament, Dr Suleiman Kiggundu, the bank’s former managing director, told MPs that Gen Salim Saleh had contacted him several times through “one of his aides” to see whether he could use Greenland Bank to purchase shares in UCB. Kiggundu revealed the name of “the aide”,…
The 30th edition of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) concluded in Belém, Brazil with a landmark deal that promises a dramatic scaling up of climate finance but stops short of binding commitments on fossil fuels. After two weeks of intense negotiations among nearly 200 countries, delegates adopted what has been dubbed the Belém Political…
At least 11 children have died from measles in Napak, Karamoja sub-region, since the outbreak was declared two weeks ago, the ministry of Health said. In a situation update, the ministry reported a cumulative total of 74 cases and 11 deaths across all 12 sub-counties in the pastoralist communities. The ministry confirmed the outbreak on…
It is not a secret that President Museveni once toyed with the idea of marrying Winnie Byanyima, soon after taking power. But in the midst of this indecision, one senior religious leader urged Museveni to reconsider the decision because he was still legally married to Janet Museveni. Museveni initially brushed off these concerns but he…
Next Media has announced a nationwide call for organisations to join its expanding Creative Media Skilling and Work Transition programme, a move that some analysts believe will help the company strengthen its influence in the face of competition from several digital content creators. The plan has a sweetener: Next Media will fund partner organisations that…
A group of military officers say they have seized control of Guinea-Bissau amid reports that the president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, has been arrested. Shortly after gunshots were heard in the capital, Bissau, government sources said that Embaló had been detained. The officers then appeared on state TV, saying they had suspended the electoral process, as…
Paul Lwanga, a long-time lieutenant of Next Media CEO Kin Kariisa, may be on his way out of the company, according to multiple sources. Having risen through the ranks from Human Resources Officer to Chief People Officer, to Chief Operations Officer, and then to General Manager of Hillcom (a Next Media subsidiary), insiders have told…
Ugandan coffee exporters secured deals $ 3 million ( at the recently concluded China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, the ministry of Agriculture has said. Uganda’s top coffee exporters, such as Meg Rai Coffee, Kwezi Coffee, Inspire Africa, and Elgon Coffee, showcased their products at the expo and held one-on-one meetings with Chinese buyers,…
The government has announced plans to vaccinate about 44.5 million animals against foot and mouth disease (FMD) in a nationwide exercise scheduled to start early next year. In a statement, the minister of State for Agriculture, Bright Rwamirama said the campaign, slated for the January-February cycle, will be conducted twice a year. It will replace…
Bekar Ismail Kampala’s transport system is stretched to the limit. Every day, thousands of people spend long hours in traffic or stranded at chaotic taxi stages. Fares change without warning, stages are poorly mapped, and road safety feels like a gamble. The city’s population keeps growing, and the informal transport sector, taxis, bodas, and minibuses,…
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a $31 million grant-based payment for a landmark climate project in Uganda, recognizing the country’s tangible achievements in curbing deforestation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is the first results-based payment project approved by the GCF Board for Uganda, and for Africa, and also for a Least Developed…
Busoga College Mwiri, one of Uganda’s oldest and most prestigious boys’ boarding schools, is marking a symbolic moment this Saturday, November 1, 2025. The school, established in 1911, will unveil a new main gate, a project fully financed through donations from its alumni. It is a moment that should inspire pride. Yet, beneath the surface…
At least nine people, including three children, perished in mudslides triggered by heavy rains in the districts of Bukwo and Kween, the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) said on Thursday. According to URCS, the first incident occurred Thursday morning in the district of Bukwo, where a mudslide buried a home, killing three children from one…
In 2015, ahead of the 2016 elections, the Electoral Commission (EC) announced that it was retiring the voters’ register that had been used in the 2011 elections. The commission said it would instead compile a new register using information from the national ID database managed by NIRA. The EC’s justification was that the new system…
By Adam Al-Mahdi Kungu In June 2025, Ukraine and the Council of Europe set up a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. Their goal? To put Russia’s leaders on trial for starting the war. Washington, Brussels, and Kyiv are already cheering. This tribunal is not about fairness. It’s just another weapon in…
Panic has gripped workers at the Naguru-based Next Media following reports that the company could slash the number of staff by the end of December. More than 20 people from various departments could be affected, four people with knowledge about the ongoing meetings by top management told Bbeg Media. The decision to lay off some…
In July, Uganda agreed to take on an unspecified number of third-country nationals who have a pending asylum claim in the US but cannot return home due to safety concerns. In other words, these are people who should likely be protected as refugees, but are no longer wanted in Donald Trump’s America. According to the…
Raila Amollo Odinga, who has died at the age of 80, was something of a paradox in post-independence Kenyan politics. A leader who repeatedly ran for president, he never won – in part due to the 2007 election being manipulated in favour of Mwai Kibaki. Despite this, Odinga will be remembered as a figure who…
The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has recorded a sharp fall in both AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections. Speaking during a sitting of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tom Etti, the Director for Partnership at UAC said there was a 64% reduction in annual AIDS deaths from 56,000 in 2010 to 20,000 in 2024 and…
By Patrick Gathara Kenyans are wont to refer to Raila Odinga, the long-reigning 80-year-old opposition leader who died on Wednesday, as the “Enigma of Kenyan politics,” a reference to the title of a 2006 biography of him penned by the Nigerian author, Babafemi Badejo. His unequalled ability to survive, even thrive, at the top of…
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister and a towering figure in African politics, passed away this morning at the age of 80 in Koothattukulam, Kerala, India. Authorities confirmed that Odinga suffered a cardiac arrest during his daily morning walk and was pronounced dead at 9:52 AM at Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Eye Hospital and Research Centre. Odinga,…
Senior officials from member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Monday began a meeting in Kampala ahead of a foreign ministers’ conference to address challenges facing the movement amid rising geopolitical tensions. Jeje Odongo, the minister of Foreign Affairs who opened the NAM midterm ministerial review meeting, called for collective effort and renewed commitment…
In Eastern Ukraine, where bombs and gunfire never stop, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands strong. Once a comedian, he’s now a wartime leader, begging the world for help to fight Russia. He says, “We will not give up,” and many admire his courage. But there are whispers that some people close to him—old friends and business…
By Leonard Egesa There is a great deal of mocking and disparaging commentary on social and traditional media channels that has been given to the narrative that the National Unity Platform (NUP) made a big mistake in denying the outgoing Busiro East MP, Medard Lubega Sseggona, a ticket to defend his seat in the coming…
Fred Buyi’s few belongings hang from the ceiling of a tarpaulin tent in Bunambutye resettlement camp, pitched on the hot, scrubby plains outside Mbale in eastern Uganda. Space is tight and privacy is scarce. Sanitation facilities are shared by dozens. Each morning, long queues stretch towards the distribution point where displaced families line up for…
My name is Simon Mwebesa, and at 26, I should be out there building bridges or drawing plans for the roads that wind through Kampala’s busy hills. Instead, I am staring at the same cracked wall in my small rented room in Kawempe, wondering if today I will finally eat something better than Kikomando. It…
Benjamin Agaba Dear African presidents, Since European colonial powers divided Africa and imposed arbitrary borders, certain groups, such as the Tuareg—nomadic Berber-speaking people of the Sahara—have consistently rebelled against these artificial boundaries, particularly in Mauritania, Algeria, Mali and Niger. The Tuareg reject these imaginary borders, which vanish into the harsh desert dunes, and continuously challenge…
For nearly 40 years, President Museveni and his National Resistance Movement (NRM) have shaped Uganda’s future. Since the first post-1995 Constitution election in 1996, Museveni has made bold promises in every campaign, offering improved livelihoods, jobs, education, and healthcare. From the 1996 manifesto, Tackling the Tasks Ahead, to the latest plans for 2026–2031, he has…
The mood at the new Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters today in Lweza was quiet. At 10 am, President Museveni, aged 81, arrived with First Lady Janet Museveni. With a few aides and security guards, he handed in his nomination papers as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate for the January 2026 election. Justice Simon Byabakama, the…
If you came of age in the early 2000s in Uganda, one tabloid stood out like the fiery chilli it claimed to be: The Red Pepper. If you wanted the juiciest scoops on celebrities, politicians, and everyday personalities, Red Pepper was your go-to source. It had been christened Kamulali in the local dialect, a direct translation…
For those with a long memory, 2012 was the year that brought Dean Lubowa Saava, a fiery journalist, to national prominence. It all started in Luzira, a suburb of Kampala, when an eviction, overseen by George Agaba, the then-director of planning at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), turned deadly. One person lost their life…
Next Media has opened an internal investigation into allegations that some of its editors, reporters, and video journalists have been benefiting “financially” from news sources and subjects. Impeccable sources told Bbeg Media that the probe is headed by Sauba Luwaga, the head of internal audit. Luwaga is one of Kin Kariisa’s most trusted lieutenants at…
Family ties are shaping Parliament. People who die in office are increasingly succeeded by close relatives — children, spouses or even siblings — and often with strong support from political parties and local communities. At least five members of the current Parliament have succeeded their relatives, and in previous Parliaments, multiple members did as well….
Yesterday, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) delegates conference at Kololo Independence Grounds was marked by intense political developments, strategic victories, and surprising withdrawals, signaling shifts within the ruling party’s leadership ahead of the 2026 elections. One of the biggest victors was Jacqueline Mbabazi, wife of former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, who was elected…
“We are THE KAMPALA JOURNAL. “The Truth Command Centre. It starts here.” That’s the tagline of The Kampala Journal’s official X account, which has 45,442 followers. It’s boisterous. It’s emphatic. But one problem with it, it is not accurate. In a country where many people eat and drink politics, few accounts on X stir as…
Yesterday during NRM’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, former speaker Rebecca Kadaga made a passionate plea to be retained as the party’s second national vice chairman. Kadaga faces stiff competition from Speaker Anita Among. Efforts to have one of the candidates step down for another have failed. Here is Kadaga’s speech in full. ****************************************************** Your…
By Bob Twinomugisha Africa’s structural transformation is progressing slowly, raising questions about why economic growth hasn’t shifted resources from low- to high-productivity sectors. Agriculture, employing over half of Africa’s workforce and contributing one-fifth of GDP, grows at a sluggish 0.37% annual total factor productivity, below the global 0.74%. Africa remains at the bottom of global…
In a city where boda boda riders and motorists dodge potholes like a clever hare evading a hunter’s trap, one name often sparks heated debates: Hamis Kiggundu. Known simply as Ham, this youthful businessman has built a vast empire in real estate, agriculture, and more, rising faster than a matooke plant in fertile Buganda soil….
Digital financial literacy is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving digital age, where financial transactions increasingly occur online. As money transitions from physical cash to digital formats like mobile money and e-commerce, understanding how to navigate these platforms securely is essential for personal safety, financial security, and overall well-being. The wisdom shared by Rose Tumwemere in…
Mary Karooro Okurut, whose candle burned out yesterday at 70, did not sire any biological children, but she was a mother to many. She embraced motherhood through mentorship. Former students who went through her guidance at Makerere University recall her as a guiding force and motherly touch. “She was a mother to many,” recalled one…
By Oweyegha-Afunaduula The news of the demise of environmentalist Frank Muramuzi early yesterday, ( August 11 2025), found me when I was still in bed recuperating from an illness. I had not heard that he was sick. All the time I was involved in environmental struggles in Uganda, East Africa, Nile Basin and the World,…
President Museveni follows only 22 individuals/institutions on his X account. He has 3,640,655 followers as of mid-day August 11, 2025. This is not surprising. What is, is the choice of people or institutions that he follows. For instance, Museveni does not follow the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) account-@MODVA_UPDF. As the commander in chief, some…
