As the editor of Bbeg Media and previously as a news reporter, I have covered many stories about Uganda’s oil sector over the years. But nothing prepared me for the eye-opening tour I joined with about 20 other editors and senior journalists from 30 September to 3 October 2025. Organised by the Petroleum Authority of…
Two former rivals from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Nandala Mafabi and Gen Mugisha Muntu, were nominated as presidential candidates for the 2026 elections today. Mafabi, the FDC’s long-time secretary general, was the first to show up at the Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters in Lweza. He promised to “put money in the pockets” of…
Paul Mawanda Kyabaggu, the founder of Bukoola Chemical Industries, one of Uganda’s top agro-chemical companies, has died. He was said to be in his late 80s. Close family members say he had been ill for some time with high blood pressure, which led to his death earlier this week. His passing marks the end of…
Airtel Uganda posted impressive results for the first half of 2025, showing how the company is riding the wave of digital demand while navigating challenges like falling voice call revenues. From the results, the telecom firm’s financial position as of June 30, 2025, reveals a healthier balance sheet with more cash on hand and less…
For over three decades, Northern Uganda was a fortress of opposition against the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). The scars of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict ran deep, turning elections into battlegrounds of resentment. Yet over the last three election cycles, the region has shifted, politically. Peace has washed away old grudges, and today,…
Dr. Patricia Ojangole, the managing director of Uganda Development Bank (UDB), has urged the government to support the scaling up of national development banks like UDB if they are to make a real impact in the lives of the people. Ojangole was speaking on the second day of the Uganda Development Finance Summit organised by…
President Museveni has dominated Uganda’s political scene for nearly four decades. This is not news. Here is what is: During this time, a pattern has emerged within the National Resistance Movement (NRM), a party that he leads and shepherds like a personal kiosk: prominent figures face humiliation, demotion, or even legal troubles, yet they rarely…
Climate activists from across Africa, united under Oilwatch Africa, convened in Uganda to strengthen their resolve for climate justice, challenge exploitation in the oil sector, and demand reparations for African nations grappling with the impacts of climate change. In a vibrant discussion co-hosted by the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), the activists issued a…
In a country and party (NRM) where loyalty to President Museveni often decides your political future, Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister, may have sealed her fate over the weekend with a rant that rubbed the president the wrong way. During a tense National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at State House Entebbe, Kadaga made…
As Uganda gears up for the 2026 general elections, political aspirants have startedrolling out posters and banners across the country. Go to any town or village in Uganda. All the electricity poles, walls and doors of shops, schools, fences are plastered with posters of aspirants vying for various positions during the 2026 elections. Some aspirants…
Cultural activisists from community groups, government, universities, and local communities have called for the preservation of Uganda’s intangible cultural heritage. The call was made at a national dialogue organized by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) with support from UNESCO. The major focus of debate was the UNESCO 2003 Convention, which Uganda joined in 2009….
Yesterday, at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) headquarters in Kampala, the ruling party unveiled a new campaign poster for President Museveni. This poster is for the 2026 elections. It shows Museveni smiling, wearing his famous white hat and shirt, against a bright yellow background. His campaign tagline for 2026-2031 is: “Protecting the Gains As We…
In the aftermath of the November 2016 massacres in Kasese, several things happened in the life of Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, who commanded the attacks. First, Elwelu maintained a straight face and justified the unreasonable use of force amidst condemnation at home and abroad. Second, President Museveni promoted him from Major General to Lieutenant General,…
Since his incarceration in November 2024 over charges of treason, veteran opposition behemoth Dr. Kizza Besigye has endured trying times. His main lawyer, Martha Karua, had to be tossed up and down to secure a practicing licence while the case was still in the General Court Martial. His other lawyer, Eron Kiiza, was abruptly detained…
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), has appreciated the socio-economic contribution played by Uganda’s indigenous minority groups. This appreciation was revealed as Uganda joined the rest of the world to mark the 2025 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The function at Ndere Centre brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, and Indigenous Minority…
In the way they handle political dissent in their respective countries, President Museveni and Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, are birds of the same feather. First, both leaders rely heavily on the state security apparatus to suppress opposition. Museveni has been accused of violent crackdowns, abductions, and torture of opponents like Dr Kizza Besigye…
If you are a heavily indebted businessperson in Uganda, sinking under the weight of a bank loan with no hope of repaying it, what do you do? For many, they would let the bank foreclose their mortgaged properties and lick their wounds. But if you are of the stature of Hamis Kiggundu, Patrick Bitature, Amos…
Duncan Abigaba, a young political activist and supporter of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) does not hide his love for Russia. “I like Russia,” he told Bbeg Media in an interview. “ I love the fact that it has managed to develop and grow economically in spite amidst so many challenges.” Because of continually praising…
As the director of Finance and Administration at the Population Secretariat in the early 2000s, David Bahati never grew tired of recounting his poverty-riddled childhood. He would tell anybody who lent him an ear that “I am a survivor” and that his life journey from a hopeless orphan in Ndorwa West to a manager in…
One of the bitterest episodes in tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia’s storied business life is the way he lost Crane Bank Limited to DFCU in January 2017. Bank of Uganda determined that Crane Bank was undercapitalized, opening the way for DFCU to take it over at a cost of Shs 200 billion. Crane Bank was the crown…
The deceased former secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi, owns a 0.20% stake in DFCU Limited, making him the third largest individual shareholder in one of Uganda’s leading financial institutions. Only Sudhir Ruparelia (0.29%) and businessman Rakesh Gadani (0.26%) owned more individual shares in the institution than Muhakanizi, according to the bank’s annual report for…
If you take DFCU Bank to court armed with a street-side lawyer, you had better be ready to deal with a formidable and experienced army of lawyers that the bank has retained to fight its legal wars. It is very unusual for a company, let alone a wealthy individual in Uganda, to retain the services…
In a recent meeting with the editorial staff of Next Media, Col Edith Nakalema, the head of the State House Investors Protection Unit, had one major question: Why do some of you hate the NRM government? The question set off a chain of dramatic and animated reactions highlighting the complex relationship between the state and…
Until she went against her husband’s advice in 2006 not to stand in Ruhaama, Janet Kataha Museveni had never wielded real political power. She was the archetypal first lady, content to stay in the background and fearful of getting in the way of her powerful companion, President Museveni. In the first two decades of her…
The Court of Appeal has ruled that businesman Mohan Musisi Kiwanuka has been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia since 2017, and is therefore incapable of managing his affairs. It has also ordered that the businessman convenes a family meeting within 30 days to appoint a manager of his estate. The meeting, court ordered should…
Joy Kabatsi, 71, has served as head of the legal department at State House and as minister of State in the dockets of Agriculture and Transport. She has also been an influential figure in Sembabule politics for nearly three decades. In this interview with Bbeg Media, she reveals why she wants to unseat Lwemiyaga MP…
Mathias Mpuuga yesterday launched the Democratic Front with a call for opposition parties to unite against President Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2026 elections. Mpuuga, a seasoned politician known for advocating electoral reforms, emphasized the need for collective action. “Only through unity can we achieve meaningful political change,” he told the crowd,…
Kira Municipality is poised for a pivotal parliamentary contest in 2026 that pits Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), against George Musisi, a lawyer backed by the National Unity Platform (NUP). Ssemujju, a seasoned journalist-turned-politician who has represented Kira since 2016 (he first represented Kyadondo East in 2011), remains a formidable…
As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) renews its leadership at the grassroots, senior party members are positioning themselves to play an influential role within the party. The biggest battle for local supremacy within the NRM is taking shape in Rukungiri district, where Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde and Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi will face off for…
As Uganda gears up for the 2026 general elections, a wave of veteran politicians, including Brig Emmanuel Rwashande, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, Alice Kaboyo, and Jacqueline Mbabazi, have announced their intentions to vie for parliamentary seats. These figures, who have previously held senior government positions and, in some cases, had retired from active politics, have…
The business relationship between MTN Uganda and VAS Garage Limited kicked off inconspicuously. One late afternoon in 2012, VAS Garage, a mid-sized content creator and developer, was approached by MTN. For some time, MTN had been impressed by the firm’s creativity in content development and wanted the two to partner and make some money. In…
The body language of the gathered leaders from the Peoples’ Front for Freedom (PFF) was ominous at today’s press conference. When Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the pressure group’s spokesperson, said they would storm the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) to protest the delay in registering the group as a political party, he said it with…
On the morning of Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Claire Nassali Mugabi, as always, woke up to prepare to go to her workplace. She made a pick of clothes she was going to wear (she favoured Orange tops), applied her usual thick red lipstick. As she was heading out of her house, a WhatsApp message flashed…
New research has revealed that the 1,443km oil pipeline will affect Greater Masaka’s tourism potential and alter its rich biodiversity. The research conducted by the Inclusive Green Economy Network-East Africa (IGEN-EA), a network of civil society organizations, reveals that part of the pipeline will affect River Kibale/Bukora in Kyotera and Rakai districts. The river is one of…
With the 2026 election only months away, Joyce Bagala, the Mityana Woman MP, stands at a crossroads: should she remain ambiguous about her ties to Mathias Mpuuga or should she publicly embrace NUP to secure her political survival? There is no doubt that Bagala’s journey into politics has in many ways been shaped and guided…
Some of Justice Lydia Mugambe’s friends thought her maid was her sister. “She [Mugambe] addressed her respectfully and the two would often share jokes,” said one of the people who spoke to Bbeg Media. “She trusted her with her life. With her maid, Mugambe was so comfortable and never worried about the safety of her…
The Observer, one of Uganda’s most authoritative and analytical newspapers, is looking for a buyer, Bbeg Media has learned. Pius Muteekani Katunzi, the managing director of The Observer, told Bbeg Media that they had talked to some prospective investors about buying the paper. “We have been in talks with a couple of people. There are…
To use the tired cliché, “It is the D-Day” in Kawempe North today as voters head to the polls to elect a replacement for Muhammad Ssegirinya, who died in January. The two main contenders are National Unity Platform’s Elias Nalukoola Luyimbazi, a seasoned city lawyer, and NRM’s Faridah Nambi, daughter of the party’s vice chairperson,…
Dr Douglas Singiza was once a strong advocate of homosexuality and a vociferous defender of human rights. Don’t laugh. “The discourse on homosexuality in many African countries is silently premised on the notion that sodomy is a capitalistic creation, an offshoot of the individualism of the middle-class elite of Europe. In this respect, homosexuality is…
Peering at Justice Dr. Douglas Singiza from the dock as he read his judgment regarding an appeal to have his court-martial conviction overturned, Eron Kiiza let out a half smile and winked at one of his admirers in court. Dressed in a dark blue blazer and a white shirt, the 43-year-old lawyer had the kind…
The passing of Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige, affectionately known as BMK, in September 2021 marked the end of an era for one of Uganda’s most illustrious entrepreneurs. BMK’s journey from humble beginnings in Masaka District to establishing a vast business empire, including the renowned Hotel Africana in Kampala, has been well documented in his memoirs: My…
We reported yesterday that the US government was planning to lift sanctions slapped on Speaker Anita Among and ministers Agnes Nandutu and Mary Goretti Kitutu. We also reported that the new Donald Trump administration was planning to reinstate Uganda’s AGOA status, which Joe Biden suspended in December 2023. Our highly placed sources in the government…
Sources within the government have told Bbeg Media that they have received signals that the Donald Trump administration could lift sanctions imposed on senior Ugandan officials by the Biden government last year. Some of the beneficiaries of this move, sources said, are likely to be Speaker Anita Among and ministers Agnes Nandutu and Mary Goretti…
Actors within the civil society space have called for the unconditional release of Dr. Kizza Besigye amid concerns about his failing health. At a press briefing held at the Center for Constitutional Governance, members argued that Besigye’s continued detention was not only a violation of his rights but it was also a slap in the…
The friction between Uganda Law Society (ULS) President Isaac Ssemakadde and High Court judge Musa Ssekaana has escalated into one of the most high-profile legal battles in Uganda’s recent history. On Friday, Ssekaana sentenced Ssemakadde to a two-year prison sentence for contempt of court, deepening the conflict and polarising the legal fraternity. Ssemakadde, who was…
For years, as the chairperson of the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba was vocal about his dissatisfaction with certain NRM policies, particularly those related to economic management and poverty alleviation. As an academic and a poverty eradication expert, he frequently questioned the effectiveness of initiatives such as Bonnabagagawale (Prosperity for All),…
First Lady Janet Museveni tends to invoke God whenever she wants to wriggle out of tight situations. When President Museveni opposed her intention to stand for Parliament in Ruhaama in 2006, she said she was “responding to God’s call to serve her people.” She won. It is within the same spirit in early 2019, at…
As Uganda edges closer to the 2026 general elections, many media organizations find themselves in a state of panic, grappling with an exodus of senior journalists and a grim economic environment. Traditionally, the election season has been a lucrative period for media houses, attracting increased viewership, readership, and advertising revenue. It has also been a…
Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has built his political brand on the premise of fighting for the common Ugandan. At the vigil for the late Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya organized by the National Unity Platform (NUP) which he leads, Kyagulanyi told supporters that he loved the legislator because he was not an ‘elite.’ “Ssegirinya…
President Museveni’s decision to appoint Karooli Lwanga Ssemogerere as acting High Court Judge is likely to raise some eyebrows and spark debate in Uganda’s political and legal circles. See, Karooli is the son of Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, Museveni’s former political opponent who stood against him in the 1996 election. Ssemogerere, who died in 2022, was…
