Author: Evans Kalyango
By Phillip Karugaba Your Excellency, you have congratulated the NRM MPs for passing the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, and dismissed its critics as shameful and disgusting. You have invoked the 1971 coup as a cautionary tale about foreign interference. With respect, our response addresses what your statement said, and, more importantly, what it did not say. There is a Luganda proverb, “nantabuulirilwa alisabala obw’ebbumba” the one who refuses to be advised embarks in boats made of clay. It is in that spirit that this response is made and in the same spirit that Ugandans responded overwhelmingly to the Bill.…
Police in Busoga East have arrested three men accused of creating fake social media accounts impersonating First Daughter Natasha Karugire and businessman Hamis Kiggundu in an alleged online fraud and extortion scheme. The suspects have been identified as 27-year-old Hassan Mugoya, 22-year-old Ashiraf Kyakatuka, and 20-year-old Asuman Isanga. They were arrested on Wednesday night at around 11:00 pm from their hideout in Nampirika ‘A’ village, Nakalama Sub-county in Iganga District. According to police, the arrests followed a complaint filed by businessman Hamis Kiggundu at Kiwatule Police Station on 5th May 2026, reporting that unknown individuals were impersonating him through parody social media…
Hundreds of sand miners, loaders, and truck drivers in Kasese Municipality say their livelihoods are under threat following a crackdown on illegal sand mining along River Nyamwamba. The protests emerged after police and the National Environmental Management Authority arrested four people accused of illegally extracting sand from the Nyamwamba River valley. The arrests are part of intensified enforcement operations targeting rivers, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive areas across Kasese District. For many residents, however, the operation has triggered anxiety over survival. Yakub Nsimbe, a truck driver involved in transporting sand, says more than 400 people in Kasese Town depend directly on sand…
The Electoral Commission has scheduled a stakeholders’ meeting ahead of the forthcoming Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election following the death of Woman MP-elect Helen Nakimuli. The meeting, convened by Justice Simon Byabakama, the Electoral Commission chairperson, will take place on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Kalangala District Council Hall grounds starting at 8:00 am. The planned engagement marks one of the first official steps by the Commission since Nakimuli, a member of the National Unity Platform, died on April 19, 2026, following an unsuccessful surgery at Alexandra Medical Centre. According to Electoral Commission spokesperson Julius Mucunguzi, the meeting is…
Special Police Constables (SPCs) deployed during the 2026 General Elections are demanding payment of alleged outstanding salaries and allowances from the Uganda Police Force and the Electoral Commission, saying they have not been fully compensated for their work. In October 2025, the Uganda Police Force recruited about 100,000 Special Police Constables to support security during the election period. The recruitment targeted Ugandans aged 18 and above with at least a Primary Leaving Examination certificate and was intended to boost manpower during the polls. Recruits underwent a one-month basic training programme and were deployed on three-month contracts with a monthly salary…
A turn-man has died while 17 students and teachers from Gulu Secondary School are nursing injuries following an early morning road crash in Kiryandongo District along the Gulu-Kampala Highway. The accident happened at around 5:30 am on Thursday at Kigumba Town and involved an Isuzu school bus registration number UAX 944N belonging to Gulu Secondary School and a stationary Mitsubishi Fuso truck registration number UAU 856A. According to Albertine North and South Regional Police spokesperson Julius Allan Hakiza, the school bus was transporting students to Jinja for a school tour when the driver attempted to overtake another vehicle but reportedly experienced…
The High Court in Masaka has dismissed an application by former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa seeking to compel a United States-based woman to deposit security for costs in an ongoing land ownership dispute. In a ruling delivered by Justice Fatuma Nanziri Bwanika, the court declined to order Alice Nambooze Osaga to deposit security for costs in Civil Suit No. HCT-06-LD-CS-0017-2025, in which she is challenging ownership of land located on Mawogola/MSK 547 Folio 6, Block 83 Plot 520. Osaga sued Kutesa and another party, accusing them of fraudulent acts that allegedly deprived her of ownership of the contested land.…
As expected, parliament of Uganda has this evening passed the controversial Protection of Sovereignty Bill after the Joint Committee of Internal Affairs and Defense and Legal and parliament affairs presented their majority report which was signed by over 50 members from both committees. This was followed by a Minority report which was read by Erute South MP Jonathan Odur. Other Individual members like Gilbert Olanyah, Betty Nambooze, Wilfred Nuwagaba, Medard Lubega Ssegona and Abdallah Kiwanuka were also give some minutes to present their dissenting views. The Government Chief Whip then moved a motion for the house to forego the 3…
At least six additional survivors of the River Nguse boat tragedy in Kagadi District have emerged from Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, bringing the total number of survivors to seventeen (17). The incident occurred last Tuesday at around 8:30 p.m. in Kyaleni Cell, Pacwa Town Council, Kagadi District, where more than 20 people are feared dead. Police reports indicate that the locally made canoe was carrying 39 passengers alongside several bags of charcoal. The victims are believed to have been mainly charcoal burners and farmers returning from Kikuube District, where they had gone for charcoal burning and farming activities. Following the accident, joint…
A joint parliamentary committee has proposed major amendments to the controversial Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, warning that its original draft could unintentionally criminalize legitimate economic activities and disrupt Uganda’s financial stability. The Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, together with the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, presented their report on Monday following consultations with more than 224 stakeholders clustered into 60 groups. The report attempts to balance national security concerns with constitutional freedoms and economic stability, following mounting criticism from civil society, financial institutions, legal experts, religious leaders, and sections of Parliament. According to the committee, stakeholders identified major inconsistencies…