The minister of State for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, has said a team from the ministry have gone to the school in Soroti where a student died under mysterious circumstances last week. His remarks followed Speaker Anita Among’s instructions for the government to investigate and present a report on the recent cases of deaths…
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…
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…
Phew! Have you caught your breath yet? 2025 is threatening to be the shortest 12 months we have ever had in a long time. Nearly every day brings with it an event whose impact will take years to unpack but we have to move on quickly because of what happens next. A quick rundown! Besigye…
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,…
When Benedict and his family arrived in Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2024, Jesuit Refugee Services became his compass, offering more than just food aid. The English lessons he received turned a foreign place into a navigable pathway to independence. So last week’s news of the closure of the organization set…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
On Friday, February 14, Ugandans were shocked when retired Colonel Dr. Kizza Besigye appeared in court looking gaunt and frail. Dr. Besigye was offered a chair to sit by a prison warder as he waited for the hearing of his trial in court to proceed. He seemed visibly out of breath and had lost a…
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…
Dembe FM may have reopened on February 14, but its ardent listeners would have noted that something was missing: the big names that made it soar to high levels. Where is Isaac Katende popularly known as Kasuku? Where is Sam Gombya, Ssenga Nantume? The radio has retained some old-timers like Shafik Kayima and Mike Sebalu….
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….
Officials from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority have told Parliament that the government owes the body Shs 109bn, a factor that has hindered its operations. Fred Bamwesigye, the director general of UCAA, said this money excludes Shs 63bn owed by Uganda Airlines. The officials today appeared before the parliamentary committee on Physical Infrastructure chaired by…
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?”…
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…
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…
Dr. Kizza Besigye’s frail physical appearance in court last week brought some to tears, raising fears that the worst could happen to the opposition behemoth. In a panic, a minister went to visit him at Luzira, and Besigye was finally rushed to a clinic in Bugolobi yesterday amid tight security. His condition remains precarious, according…
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…
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…
Smart 24 TV, a business-oriented television station, has sent all its reporters on leave to ostensibly enable management make changes in programming. Sources at the TV station told Bbeg Media that the reporters were told to wait for one month when they will be told the next move. “They told us that they are going…
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…
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),…
The reported push to make Germany and Japan permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should send alarm bells ringing across Africa. For decades, African nations, under the African Union (AU), have consistently demanded fair representation on the UNSC. If the global powers move ahead with granting permanent seats to Germany and Japan…
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…
Under the previous O-Level examination assessment system, it was easy for schools, parents and other stakeholders to grade the performance of students. UCE results were graded based on aggregates and divisions (first to fourth). This made it easy for school owners and other stakeholders to determine what “good performance” entailed. If say 290 out of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Uganda’s public transport sector has long faced significant challenges, including disorganization, high operational costs, and a lack of streamlined leadership structures. While digital transport platforms have made their way into Kampala, their services remain largely inaccessible to many areas across the country. However, a ground-breaking solution has emerged: The United Boda-boda Riders Cooperative Union, a…
Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini has been named the new Aga Khan, spiritual leader of millions of Shia Ismaili Muslims around the world. He will take on the role from his father Prince Karim Aga Khan, who died on Tuesday at the age of 88. The appointment was made after Prince Karim’s will was unsealed, the Aga…
Political players and actors have urged the Independent Electoral Commission to extend the days for updating the voter’s register but the electoral body says the time is adequate. Julius Mucunguzi, the spokesperson of the commission told Bbeg Media that the remaining five days were adequate for people to register. “We think the remaining days are…
“We thank God for giving us a leader like Kin. He is the visionary and our guiding light. Please God give him more life.” These were some of the words of Joseph Kigozi, in his opening prayer at a staff retreat for senior managers at a hotel in Kololo in early 2019. Some managers at…
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…
The Commonwealth Voters Privileges Rights Association (COWE VOPRA) and KUUNGANA KUJENGA KENYA (KKK) (Sauti ya mnyonge) are registered non-governmental organizations whose registration purpose was among other things to promote peace and justice. We have noted that the African Union (AU) has said its summit will be held between February 15–16, 2025 at its headquarters in…
