BLOGS

COMMENT | Juan Manuel Santos | On my first day in office as Colombia’s president just over 15 years ago, I met with the leaders of four indigenous peoples in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta – the Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa, and Kankuamo. As we stood together in the shadow of …

“Perhaps contexts are far less universal than circumstances” — S.R. Karugire COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI |  Africa, our ancient continent, has since 2024 witnessed no fewer than twenty presidential elections. This year alone, Tanzania, Malawi, Cameroon, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire have all held polls. In Uganda, our electoral season is …

  COMMENT | NNANDA KIZITO SSERUWAGI |  After President Museveni captured power in 1986, Uganda adopted a “no party” or what was commonly known as the “movement” political system. Under this system, political parties were banned from campaigning, sponsoring candidates or holding rallies. President Museveni and the NRM argued that the …

This ‘new normal’ requires new thinking COMMENT | QIMIAO FAN & DIJI CHANDRASEKHARAN BEHR |  When daily news reports on the impact of yet another disruptive flood in Kampala, or the rising cost of matooke due to prolonged droughts, it raises public concern and frustration. Yet the effects of climate …

COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI |  For the past few days, a video showing Hassan Bassajabalaba addressing mourners at his mother’s funeral has been trending on social media. It has been trending because in it, Hassan B, as he is commonly called, decries the inefficient state of our healthcare system. The …

For civil society, this is not just about technology but how public resources are planned, utilized, and monitored to ensure that innovation serves citizens  COMMENT | HELLEN DIANA ZAWEDDE | Uganda’s decision to deploy artificial intelligence (AI)–powered drones to enhance border security marks a milestone in the country’s digital transformation. The …

  COMMENT | FLAVIA NTAMBI LWANGA | As Uganda celebrates 63 years of independence, it is an apt moment to reflect on our digital transformation journey. The clear message is: digital literacy is becoming an indispensable way forward. In a rapidly digitizing world, from finance and transport to education and …

    COMMENT | OBED K KATUREEBE | The contested Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) President General, Jimmy Akena, has embarked on a campaign of blaming President Yoweri Museveni for his recent political misfortunes. Akena missed the nomination deadline to stand as a presidential candidate for the 2025/26 elections due to …

  COMMENT | PAUL NEGEMI | In Runyankore we say: Agyenda mpora, ahika hare; loosely translating into ‘Even one who walks at a slow pace will still go far.’ But when it comes to our progress in health as a country, a slow walk is no longer sustainable. Access to quality …

If you can’t measure it, you can’t deliver it or ensure evidence-based public decision-making COMMENT | CHRISTOPHER KANAKULYA | As Uganda enters the implementation phase of the National Development Plan IV for FY2025/26–2029/30, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) stands at the centre serving as the central pillar that transforms ambitions into …