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 …
Read More »As aid budgets shrink, refugees in East Africa show a path to self-reliance
From Bidi Bidi in Uganda to Dollo Ado in Ethiopia, refugee families are proving that economic opportunity can be as important as humanitarian assistance NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | When Viola fled South Sudan with her one-year-old daughter, survival was her only concern. The journey to Uganda’s Bidi …
Read More »How unsafe food became normal in Uganda
The dangerous everyday habits behind the country’s growing food safety crisis Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | The young man making your morning Rolex barely notices the cloth anymore. Darkened by grease, flour, charcoal dust, and countless washes and rinses, it hangs from the side of the stall …
Read More »Human Rights Watch renews scrutiny of US-Africa health deals
Concerns growing over the privacy, security, and sovereignty of Ugandans’ health data NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | A new report by Human Rights Watch has renewed scrutiny of a new generation of health cooperation agreements between the United States and African governments, raising concerns about data-sharing provisions, pathogen …
Read More »Washington’s critical minerals gambit
Inside Trump’s plan to rebuild global supply chains without China NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | On Feb. 4, delegations from more than 50 countries streamed into the U.S. Department of State for a summit that Washington D.C views as foundational to the next era of industrial power. Foreign ministers, …
Read More »Ugandan travellers and US visa crackdown
The US$15,000 visa bond places travellers under sharper scrutiny as Washington tightens enforcement COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | When U.S. Ambassador William W. Popp stepped-up to address the press at the American Centre in Kampala on Feb. 5, he was carrying a message that blended diplomacy with warning. The United …
Read More »How data centres are reshaping Africa’s power market
From Johannesburg to Kampala, Africa’s digital ambitions are now inseparable from the strength of its power grids Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Africa’s digital economy is beginning to recast the continent’s electricity landscape, with data centres emerging alongside households, factories and mines as a significant new source of power demand. …
Read More »Are Ugandan farmers trading coffee beans to Europe for data?
Access to European markets increasingly depends on surrendering precise farm data under EUDR rules Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | In the lush highlands of eastern and western Uganda, coffee farmers have long relied on fertile soils, predictable rains, and generations of agricultural knowledge to sustain their livelihoods. Today, however, …
Read More »
The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price