The Uganda Development Bank (UDB) has reported significant year-on-year growth for 2024, showcasing robust performance across key metrics. According to its financial report for 2024, the bank’s loan portfolio grew to Shs 1.67 trillion, a testament to UDB’s continued commitment to fostering Uganda’s socio-economic development. The Bank’s total assets grew by 3%, from Shs 1.67…
The Appellate Division of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) will today hear an appeal filed by four civil society organizations seeking to reverse a judgment made by the First Instance Division of the EACJ that the case had been filed out of time. The case was brought following continued environmental and human rights…
Molly Katanga, who is facing murder charges at the High Court, was last week denied bail for the third time, despite her deteriorating medical condition. Justice Rosette Comfort Kania ruled on Thursday that the seriousness of the murder charge against her outweighed any personal circumstances. The judge said she should stand trial while on remand,…
Parliament has amended its rules of procedure to provide for election of the four backbench commissioners dropping the current system of selection by parties. The House Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline, which reviewed the current rules and provided suggested amendments, said this would “give MPs greater control over the election of commissioners, reducing the…
Former FDC leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, has been slapped with fresh treason charges at Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court. Besigye was wheeled into court at 9.30 am today amid tight security. He was charged alongside Obeid Lutale and UPDF officer Capt. Denis Oola. Besigye’s lawyers and many of his supporters were caught unaware of the development…
For the second consecutive year, Ankole sub-region registered the highest number of theft cases in Uganda, according to the 2024 Annual Crime Report released by police yesterday. The sub-region topped the theft charts in 2023. The 2024 report shows that a total of 61,529 cases involving theft of any kind were registered by the police…
A family law expert Dr. Diana Musoke has warned that the Marriage Bill, 2024 has the potential to destroy the institution of marriage if enacted into law. Dr. Musoke said the proposals in the bill seek to discourage the country’s long held perception on the purpose for which marriages exist. She questioned why the Bill…
The Court has sent Dr. Kizza Besigye back to Luzira after it heard the presiding judge, Douglas Singiza, said the former FDC leader was unwell and need not have been paraded in court. “He is unwell and should be taken back to prison. “This is an administrative order. If a prisoner is sick, I can’t…
The European Union Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Johan Borgstam, is visiting Uganda as part of a broader mission to the region. The European Union views regional political processes as indispensable in addressing the escalating crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and attaches great importance to Uganda’s central role….
Parliament is looking into a proposal by the government to borrow $190 million (approx Shs 700bn) from Stanbic Bank to facilitate the buyout of Umeme Limited. The proposal was tabled by Henry Musasizi, the minister of state for Finance. The matter was pushed to the Committee on National Economy for review. Umeme started the process…
President Museveni has said incarcerated opposition lynchpin Dr Kizza Besigye does not require forgiveness but a quick trial to get out of his current ordeal. Commenting on Besigye’s predicament for the first time, the president acknowledged the public anxiety surrounding his detention but maintained that the key question should be: “Why was Dr. Besigye arrested?”…
Phoebe Kasacha has been a traditional African dancer and performer for decades . In an interview with Bbeg Media Kasacha explained that she learnt traditional dances during her childhood. The mother of two children is still physically active and now she wants to take African traditional dances to the international stage. “I believe other people…
Uganda’s total public debt for the 2023/2024 financial year stood at Shs 54 trillion, implying that, on average, each living Ugandan is indebted to the donors to the tune of Shs 1.1 million. The figure also reveals a strong appetite for borrowing by the government. Broken down, at Shs 54 trillion, it means the government…
Former Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga has lost the bid to become the next chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). In the vote conducted on Saturday afternoon, Raila was narrowly eliminated from his bid to replace Moussa Faki in the sixth round. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti was voted the seventh AUC chairperson since…
Airtel Uganda and Trace Africa have joined hands to celebrate African Music excellence and digital empowerment. The partnership comes ahead of the Africa Trace Awards to be held in Zanzibar between February 24 and 26. The awards will also culminate the Airtel #SmartaWithData campaign, an initiative to enable customers to make informed decisions about their…
Justice Musa Ssekaana has sentenced Isaac Ssemakadde, the president of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), to two years in prison for contempt of court. Ssemakadde had been accused of using abusive and insulting statements against Ssekaana on social media. The case emanates from a case filed by Mugisha Hashim Mugisha against Ssemakadde. It is alleged…
Dr Kizza Besigye today appeared before Buganda Road Magistrates Court but his physical outlook sent many people into whispers. Dressed in a checkered shirt, a frail-looking Besigye kept glancing at people from the dock without his usual demeanor and confidence. It was clear that he had lost weight. Many people at the court were shocked…
The recent declaration of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda has sent shockwaves through the tourism industry, with tour operators experiencing massive cancellations and financial losses. The Ministry of Health recently announced that a nurse at Mulago had succumbed to the virus while several people had been isolated. Uganda’s tourism sector, one of the country’s leading…
Lawyer Erias Nalukoola has been selected as the National Unity Platform flag bearer in the forthcoming by-elections for Kawempe North. Nalukoola emerged winner with 71.4% according to NUP’s chairperson of the party’s election committee, Mercy Walukamba. He defeated his closest challenger Umar Magala by more than 20 percentage points. Nalukoola thanked the party for entrusting…
Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary in the ministry of Health has advised health workers affected by the 90-day suspension of USAID funds, to be “patriotic” and work as volunteers as the government works out modalities of integrating them into the health care system. In a scathing letter dated January 30, 2025 and addressed to staff…
The Electoral Commission has extended the deadline for new voters to register to February 17. The exercise was supposed to conclude today but in a statement, Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC chairperson, noted that appeals from various stakeholders and observations by some field staff had necessitated the move. “During the extension, the exercise will continue…
Heathen’s supporters left the Kings Park Arena with heavy hearts after witnessing a stunning last-minute defeat to the Stanbic Black Pirates, with the final score reading 33-31. The match, filled with drama and unexpected twists, showcased the resilience of the Pirates as they overcame a significant deficit in the second half. The Black Pirates kicked…
Outgoing Principal Judge Flavian Zeija is the new deputy chief justice replacing Richard Buteera who retired last year. Zeija’s appointment is among a raft of judicial changes announced by President Museveni yesterday. The president also elevated Muzamiru Kibeedi to the Supreme Court and appointed eight Justices of the Court of Appeal, and 21 acting judges of…
Microhaem Scientific (MHS), a Ugandan medical supplies company funded by the Uganda Development Bank (UDB), has dispatched its first consignment of locally manufactured diagnostic kits to the Government of Uganda through the National Medical Stores. MHS produces diagnostic kits that enhance the efficiency, convenience, and accuracy of malaria, HIV, and sickle cell disease diagnoses. Patricia…
Joseph Kigozi has been given marching orders by Next Media, nearly 15 years after he joined the company as a sports analyst before climbing the ranks to become deputy CEO. In a communication to staff today, Next Media said Kigozi will now become an outside “consultant” , an ambiguous role. But sources close to Kigozi…
Journalist Gabriel Buule, a writer for the Daily Monitor, has found himself in a spot of bother after making a bold suggestion on his X platform regarding the upcoming Kawempe North by-election. In a post yesterday Buule wrote: “Dear NUP, if it’s about serious leadership, [Erias] Nalukoola has every quality and I encourage you guys…
President Museveni has criticized the decision by the Supreme Court barring the trial of civilians in the army courts saying it is a wrong one. In a terse statement posted on his X handle, the president insisted that trying civilians in the court martial is aimed at defending people against criminals armed with guns. The…
Elison Karuhanga, a senior advocate and partner at Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA) has welcomed the Supreme Court decision outlawing the trial of civilians in army courts saying it was long overdue. Speaking to Bbeg Media moments after the ruling, Karuhanga said for a long the Uganda Law Society and other entities had made the argument…
Maria Lugira, an African traditional singer, has big dreams. In the last two years post she has been working with school pupils and youth in communities in Uganda, and this has helped her gain invaluable experience. She has trained school choirs and other young people in African traditional music. The 24-year-old was born in Masaka…
Agnes Nabiteeko is a renowned African traditional fashion designer and craft maker. The 35-year-old mother of two learned the African traditional crafting skill at a tender age from her grandmother. She says she started living with her grandmother when she was five years. Her parents were poor and could not afford to take care of…
The European Commission, via its Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), has delivered 10,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine to Uganda to support the country’s response to the ongoing Mpox outbreak. This delivery is part of over 215,000 doses donated by HERA to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to…
President Museveni and the First Lady Janet Museveni have performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City. The construction of the $ 129 million state-of-the-art facility is to be undertaken by an Egyptian firm SAMCO National Construction Company and Khater Sports and is projected to take a record period…
Stanbic Bank Uganda has unveiled a new campaign dubbed Kiri SupaDupa which aims at breaking barriers to access to finance for newly employed individuals, especially the youth. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB) young people face numerous institutional barriers when sourcing funding for their personal or commercial ventures with lack of collateral, limited credit…
Christine Kagimu, a mother of six from a small town outside the Ugandan capital, Kampala, presses a button on her electric-powered induction cooker and quickly brings a pot of water to the boil. Two solar panels on Kagimu’s roof power the device, a welcome upgrade from the pricey, soot-spewing charcoal stove she once used for…
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi is not taking part in regionally brokered talks aimed at ending the rebel assault on the key eastern city of Goma, state media has reported. Kenyan leader William Ruto had invited Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to a virtual summit, as corpses lay on the…
