The Independent Uncensored News Views And Analysis

What kind of candidate are you?

Whether in trees or on the road, campaign posters provide insight and at times, a good laugh. As election momentum builds in the country for NRM primaries and the general election, the capital city is awash in campaign props. Dangling from trees and electric wires, or plastered on telephone booths and wooden poles, faces and slogans are made to be seen and read. As elections draw closer some of them might even become campaign tunes. Each candid...

Reclaiming national culture

Why Maisha and Uganda’s film movement is providing more than just entertainment The National Theatre was filled with activity and excitement on Aug. 13 the opening night of the inaugural Maisha African Film Festival. Amongst the socialites, decked out in their finery, were numerous young, talented actors, editors, screenwriters and directors who had all gathered to celebrate a gathering storm of success for Ugandan film. In the auditorium Peo...

Photo exhibition reviles violence against women

Pain, agony, anguish, torment described the recently concluded photo exhibition at the AU Summit and Nommo gallery. If there were ever any observers with misgivings about the ability of a picture to speak a thousand words, as the age-old adage goes, their doubts were assuaged by the power of the black and white pictures that carried heavy emotive messages. Women took turns to echo their displeasure about the vice of violence against women, invoki...

Have you checked your windscreen wipers?

Most decisions made by drivers are based on a clear unobstructed view of the road ahead, which makes good visibility essential, especially during wet weather. This means that windshield wiper blades are among the most important driving safety components on any motor vehicle. Windshield wipers have a squeegee effect – each time the thin rubber blade moves across the windshield the droplets of water are pulled away from the driver’s field of ...

Is UPC pulling out of IPC?

On August 17, the interparty cooperation (IPC) nominated the long waited potential candidates to vie for the cooperation’s presidential candidate in the 2011 elections to compete with President Yoweri Museveni. The IPC brings together five opposition parties, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), Conservative Party (CP) and the newly formed Social Democratic Party (SDP). Four of the five...

NRM absence clouds Party Forum launch

Opposition party officials doubt ruling party’s commitment Five years late, the National Consultative Forum is finally here after it got off to a bumpy start. Designed to provide a platform through which political parties and organisations liaise with the Electoral Commission (EC), it was, ironically launched with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) being absent. Article 20(A) of the Political Parties and Organisations (PPOA), provides for...

Is Mao seeking to work with IPC or is he playing politics?

Last week the police blocked a meeting by the DP faction led by Samuel Lubega at Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall in Kampala. The meeting was to discuss terms under which they would join the Interparty Cooperation, a loose alliance of five political parties (UPC, FDC, CP and SDP). The faction relocated the meeting to Kabusu suburb and resolved to join the IPC. The officially recognised DP led by Norbert Mao later said at a press conference that they h...

Given Rwanda’s history, Commonwealth impressed with elections -Ahmed Salim

The former Tanzanian Prime Minister sat down with The Independent’s Managing Editor Andrew Mwenda to discuss the recent Rwanda elections. Salim was sent to Rwanda to lead the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) to observe preparations for the election, assess the process and make future recommendations. As the head of the commonwealth observer team in Rwanda, what is your assessment of the campaign process? The campaign was interesting. The foc...

Bank systems leave homes unwanted

Real estate developers want banks to change mortgage rules Joseph Kironde’s house in Kansanga, an up-market residential suburb of Kampala, looks somewhat misplaced amid the storied multi-roomed properties behind high wall fences and fancy gates. Kironde’s house is a four-roomed affair, with whitewashed walls, sitting on the edge of a well-kept lawn and no gate. Kironde, 62, is very proud – and lucky, to have it. Owning a house is the drea...

We are best in environmental and social management

Marilyn Hill is the Country Manager of Neptune Oil in Uganda. The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda spoke to her. When do you start your day?   I start my day at 7 a.m. with overnight emails received and to make plans for the day whether in Kampala or in West Nile where our company is exploring for oil.  What challenges do you face on the job? Neptune is exploring a new license with features that are totally different from the areas of oil ...

Rwandan secrets (Part 1)

Untold stories about President Kagame and the Rwanda government Since President Paul Kagame recent election victory, the vast majority of Rwandans in and outside the country have been in festive mood. On the night the election results were announced, I was in the Belgian capital, Brussels, a key site of anti-Kagame and anti-RPF activism. I was watching TV Rwanda on the internet and the scenes of jubilation as the thousands of people in and outsi...

Kony faces mutiny from his commanders

(This information was obtained through the UPDF interception of the radio communication between Kony and his commanders in the bush in 2004) TO:         DGISO INFO:     AC.                :DDG FM:        D/IT DT:         17/6/04 Kony, Otti, Lukwiya, Abudema, Ocan Bunia, Kapere, Dominic, Lotiba, Lagulu, Angola and Tabongo “were on air. Kony; Ordered Angola to be in charge and command the grou...

The plastic solution

 The smart, sensible and economic way to deal with buveera  Lubwama Isma crosses the road at city square with a sack of plastic bottles hanging over his shoulder. He looks around in all directions and puts his sack down to pick a few more plastic bottles before continuing towards Nakawa where he sells the scrap. As he rummages through garbage piles for plastic bottles, people routinely mistake him for a scavenger. “They at times hull...