SPECIAL REPORT | As unreliable rainfall leaves smallholder farmers across the country counting losses, the government is preparing to expand irrigation infrastructure. Solar-powered pumps could help farmers take greater control of water; but affordability, access to water and the delivery of public programmes will determine whether the technology reaches …
Read More »Uganda’s fight against HIV is far from over
The East African country’s HIV progress is running into a stubborn diagnosis gap, as prevalence stands at 7.3% among women and 4.1% among men COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda’s HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 years and above has remained at 5.9%, with women almost twice as …
Read More »If Africa is generating more electricity, why are millions still without reliable power?
Uganda’s seven-decade electricity journey reveals the gap between generating electricity and getting it reliably into homes, businesses and communities Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | On April 29, 1954, Uganda switched on a new chapter in its economic history. At Owen Falls, where the Nile leaves Lake Victoria, the country’s …
Read More »Olara Otunnu’s long road to the UN’s top job
From Kampala to New York, Islamabad, Riyadh, Paris and Moscow, Otunnu has turned his late campaign into a diplomatic roadshow COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | At 76, Olara Otunnu has embarked on an extraordinary diplomatic odyssey, travelling from capital to capital with former Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, …
Read More »US steps up Ebola support to Uganda with delivery of antibody treatment
Donation adds to U.S.-backed efforts to strengthen Uganda’s Ebola preparedness and response Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | The United States has delivered an experimental antibody treatment for Ebola to Uganda as the country strengthens its preparedness against another possible cross-border spread of the disease from the Democratic …
Read More »Uganda finally gets Ebola clearance from WHO
But the virus is still advancing next door in DRC Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Uganda finally got the Ebola declaration it had effectively claimed for itself a month earlier. On Thursday, Aug. 27, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and …
Read More »Who pays after a road accident in Uganda?
SPECIAL REPORT | Uganda’s roads are claiming more lives than ever before. But for those who survive, the greatest struggle often begins after the wreckage is cleared. As debate grows over whether the country should establish a road accident fund, victims, lawyers and road safety experts are asking whether …
Read More »Selling paradise: Amos Wekesa’s uphill battle to market Uganda amid crises at home
For years, tourism entrepreneur Amos Wekesa has traversed continents persuading the world that Uganda is one of Africa’s most rewarding tourist destinations. But as epidemic outbreaks, travel advisories and domestic political discontent converge, the country’s most vocal tourism ambassador finds himself defending not just Uganda’s image abroad, but also …
Read More »Martha Karua, Dr Kizza Besigye and the case that crossed borders
Kenyan constitutional lawyer and veteran politician Martha Karua embraced the brief to defend Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye after his abduction from Nairobi in November 2024. Nearly two years later, she finds herself barred from entering Uganda, in a legal and political saga that is testing the boundaries of justice, …
Read More »Uganda leads regional push to strengthen vaccine research and manufacturing
CONNECT-VAS project brings together four African countries to build stronger vaccine systems and reduce reliance on imports Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | When scientists, policymakers, regulators and development partners gathered in Kampala on June 11 for the inception meeting of the Collaborative Network for Vaccine Research in West …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price