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…
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…
One of the key moments lost in the excitement of the historic ruling by the Supreme Court on Friday was the reunion of two legal minds—Caleb Alaka and Erias Lukwago, who started out in the legal profession together. The two, who had once formed a formidable legal partnership before parting ways in 2005 due to…
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…
The Supreme Court today dismissed an appeal lodged by the government over the trial of civilians in the General Court Martial (GCM). The government had challenged a Constitutional Court ruling that upheld that it was “unconstitutional” for civilians to be tried in the army courts. Michael Kabaziguruka, the former Nakawa MP had petitioned the Constitutional…
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…
The government has confirmed an outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SVD) in Kampala following positive test results from three National Reference Laboratories. The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Health Dr. Diana Atwine, told journalists today that measures were being undertaken to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. She said a 32-year-old male…
Joseph Kigozi’s future at Next Media hangs in balance after a consultant recommended to management that the position of deputy CEO be scrapped from the management structure, impeccable sources have told Bbeg Media. Our sources told us that management had adopted this position and at the moment, Kigozi has no defined role at Next Media….
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…
MPs have discouraged the government from acquiring land for Bunyoro University at Shs4.9 billion. The 100 acres of land in question is located in Buhimba Town Council, Hoima City and was offered to government by Dr Henry Wamani, a resident of Hoima on condition that Shs4.9 billion is paid as compensation for his pine tree…
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…
