Author: Evans Kalyango
In Ayivu Division, Arua City, Ociba Islamic Primary School—one of the area’s long-established government-aided primary schools—is grappling with worsening infrastructure challenges that have raised concern among education stakeholders, parents, and local authorities. What was once a community-driven institution that began as a Qur’anic school in the 1980s has, over the decades, evolved into a government-aided school offering both secular and Islamic theological education. It was later taken over by government in 1997 under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme. Yet, despite its long history, its physical structures tell a different story—one of aging buildings and growing safety risks. School authorities…
The Kasese District Public Accounts Committee has given the Accounting Officer of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council until May 8, 2026, to submit written responses to unresolved audit queries raised in the first and second quarters of the 2025/2026 financial year. The directive follows growing concerns over financial management and accountability within several local government entities in the district. Officials from Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council, alongside accounting officers from Kitabu, Kahokya, Kisinga, Kilembe, Bwesumbu, and Kyondo sub-counties, were summoned by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer to explain a series of audit concerns. Among the issues raised were the alleged absence of…
Kevin Acila had built her entire world in darkness; but it was a darkness she had learned to navigate with remarkable strength. She was just 17 when her vision began to fade. What started as a blur slowly turned into darkness, until she could no longer recognize faces, paths, or even her own reflection. In a rural community where access to specialized healthcare is limited, Acila’s condition remained untreated, unnamed, and misunderstood. Despite this, life moved on and in 2018 she married Yubu Akwanga, a man who at the time did not know she was blind but who chose to…
By Dr. Sarah Bireete The Attorney General has significantly amended the controversial Protection of Sovereignty Bill, but no amount of redrafting can heal the Achilles heel of the Bill: the Certificate of Financial Implications that accompanied it into Parliament does not comply with the law. The Bill is therefore invalid. What is a Certificate of Financial Implications, and why does it matter? Before any Bill can be introduced in Parliament, the law requires it to be accompanied by a Certificate of Financial Implications, a document issued by the Minister of Finance that tells Parliament what the Bill will cost, what…
By Phillip Karugaba There is an unwritten rule, supported by parliamentary precedent, that where substantial amendments are made to a Bill, that Bill must be withdrawn, redrafted, re-gazetted and reintroduced to Parliament at first reading. The rationale for this rule is that the Bill is no longer that which was presented to the public, and the public have not had an opportunity to comment on the amendments. Such withdrawal was done by the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka on the Public Service Pension Fund Bill, on May 23, 2023 before the Deputy Speaker Hon. Tayebwa, and for the Sexual Offences Bill…
By BUATRE George In many professions today, management follows clear systems, rules, and measurable results. However, teaching stands out as a unique profession that does not easily fit into these structured approaches. School leaders and administrators often find it more complex and challenging to manage teachers than other professionals such as doctors, engineers, or lawyers. This situation is not because teachers are unwilling to cooperate, but because of the nature of their work, their professional identity, and the environment in which they operate. This discussion explains why teachers are often difficult to manage, while maintaining respect for their important role…
KAMPALA: The Court of Appeal in Kampala has upheld a High Court ruling confirming Soroti University as the lawful owner of the disputed land in Aputon Village, dismissing an appeal filed by four residents of Soroti District. The appellants, Augustine Erimu, William Aceng, Geresem Eotu and Charles Okia, had challenged a March 2023 decision by High Court Judge Henry Peter Adonyo, which dismissed their counterclaim and confirmed that Plot 51, Block 7 in Aputon Village belongs to the university. The dispute originated in the Magistrate’s Court but was later transferred to the High Court due to jurisdictional limitations. By the…
Leaders across the Sebei sub-region have joined members of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in mourning the death of their coordinator, Kalifani Chemutai, who died following a fatal road accident in Kenya. Chemutai, a NUP mobiliser and the former parliamentary aspirant in Kapchorwa Municipality, reportedly lost his life on the night of April 29, 2026, in Endebess area, Trans Nzoia County, while riding a motorcycle towards the Suam border point into Uganda. According to Caleb Noah Cherotich, the NUP coordinator for Sebei sub-region, the deceased had travelled to Kenya to visit his sister before the tragic incident occurred. He explained…
SERERE: The police in Serere District are investigating the murder of a 19-year-old student, Miriam Acam, who was fatally stabbed on Saturday evening in Ocaapa Central Ward, Ocaapa Town Council at approximately 7:30 p.m. Acam, a student at Serere Senior Secondary School, had reportedly visited her boyfriend, Julius Lazarus Otim, 23, a chapati vendor and resident of Ocaapa Town Council, when the incident occurred. According to preliminary reports, Acam and Otim locked themselves inside a house when a fight broke out. Witnesses indicate that the couple was seen together in Otim’s room around 7:00 p.m. on the same day. Shortly…
The Police have arrested one of the bodyguards to the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, for allegedly shooting and injuring a female driver near her residence on MacKinnon Road, Kampala. Security sources say the suspect, Corporal Humphrey Muhanguzi, allegedly shot at a woman in her Toyota Harrier for failing to give way to the Speaker’s convoy. However, others say the suspect accused the victim, who was returning from prayers at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero, of driving through a route restricted to the Speaker’s residence. The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Rachael Kawala, has confirmed the suspect is in police custody as…