Finance ministry figures released on April 9 show fourth-quarter disbursements of Shs17.444tn, lifting total releases to Shs77.001tn—106.4% of the approved budget and 95.1% of the revised plan Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The government has released more funds than initially approved for the current financial year ending …
Read More »New tax proposals could hit the poor and small firms
Mobile money operators also highlighted the effect of digital transaction taxes on usage, noting that higher costs are already prompting some consumers to revert to cash Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda’s proposed tax measures for the 2026/27 financial year have drawn criticism from civil society groups, …
Read More »Uganda pours billions into its urban future
Urban centres are projected to contribute up to 70 per cent of the country’s GDP, underscoring the importance of structured urban development NEWS ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda is set to roll out a Shs 2.1 trillion urban infrastructure programme next financial year, backed by the World …
Read More »Pearl Bank records Sh47.3 billion profit after tax
Kampala, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | Pearl Bank’s full evolution from PostBank to its current identity has got another boost, with Pearl Bank’s latest financial results for the year ended December 2025 telling a story of strong growth. Profit after tax rose 34 percent to sh47.3 billion, customer deposits climbed 43 …
Read More »Returning humans to the Moon
I watched Artemis II lift off — and witnessed the first humans venture to the Moon since 1972 COMMENT | GORDON OSINSKI | Even from a distance of several kilometres, the Artemis II rocket looked huge. Then, there was a moment that felt like an eternity, as around 2,600 metric …
Read More »Women’s rights are trade rights
Gender inequality is weakening Uganda’s trade competitiveness COMMENT | GARD BENDA NTEGYEREIZE | Uganda’s expanding footprint in regional and global trade, particularly through the East African Community (EAC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signals a strong trajectory toward economic integration and growth. Yet beneath this progress …
Read More »When fools go to war
COMMENT | FEDERICO FUBINI | Although one might be hard-pressed to find similarities between the wars in Ukraine and Iran, Donald Trump’s April Fools’ Day speech from the White House has brought the parallel into sharper focus. To be sure, Ukraine is a democracy (however imperfect) aspiring to European integration, …
Read More »Kyankwanzi, Tenfold Growth Strategy and two things the 2026–2031 government should focus on
MORRISON RWAKAKAMBA | COMMENT | The ongoing Kyankwanzi retreat discussions have mostly focused on the prosperity of Ugandans. In consideration of the foregoing, the most vital document presented and discussed over and over again was “Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy”. This document outlines a journey map that would take Uganda from a …
Read More »Daycare attendant recounts horrific sequence of Ggaba toddler murders
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Phibby Namutebi, a caretaker at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, says she struggled to save the children from the assailant who chased her with a knife. Her testimony closed the first day of the trial of Christopher Onyum Okello, the suspect in the brutal …
Read More »IGG orders Jinja Southern Division Mayor to refund funds
Jinja, Uganda | URN | The Inspector General Of Government has directed the outgoing Jinja Southern Division mayor Nasser Ashiraf and 21 other staff to refund sh33.7 million that they irregularly received in the form of allowances. According to the IGG, the money was meant to facilitate supervision of different government …
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