Column

For policymakers, the contribution lies in widening access. Entry-level smartphones remain out of reach for many households, partly because taxes significantly increase the retail price. COMMENT | SYLVIA MULINGE | At the beginning of each year, leaders from across MTN’s markets gather to align on our shared ambition: driving digital …

  COMMENT | CAROLYNE MUYAMA | On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel carried out military strikes against Iran, accusing Tehran of developing a nuclear weapons programme. In a dramatic turn of events, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the attack. Within hours, tensions across the …

    How the current conflict in the Middle East is reordering the world and may risk a dangerous escalation THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | The joint USA-Israel attack on Iran has set the Middle East on fire and risks a global conflict of unimaginable proportions. It is …

For a toll system to succeed in Kampala, public transportation must be improved by increasing bus frequency and reliability, improving road conditions, and expanding routes to underserved areas. COMMENT | NANTEZA SARAH KYOBE |  City tolls are fees charged for entering specific parts of the city to decrease traffic, reduce pollution, and …

Now that she has consolidated her power in Japan’s legislature,  what she will do with it? COMMENT | ADAM SIMPSON | Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has delivered her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections she called shortly after taking office. Now that she has consolidated her …

  COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | In western Uganda lies Kasese — home to the country’s highest peak, Margherita Peak, the crowning summit of Mount Stanley within the majestic Rwenzori Mountains. That our highest point bears the name of an Italian queen is perhaps history’s subtle reminder that even geography …

  COMMENT | OBED K KATUREEBE | Throughout history, brave men and women have sought peace with their opponents. They showed courage, empathy, and a willingness to put the nation first. Sometimes, they choose to work with their enemies and turn them into partners. Ever since Yusuf Nsibambi and other politicians …

  COMMENT | JANE NALUNGA |  On 25–26 February 2026, African ministers responsible for trade will gather in Maputo, Republic of Mozambique, under the African Union (AU) framework. This meeting comes just weeks before the Fourteenth Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), scheduled for March 2026 in …

COMMENT | MICHAEL JJINGO | Let’s face it, our education system has taught students how to find x, recite Shakespeare, and cram the digestive system of an insect. But one thing it still struggles to teach is how to create value, solve real problems, and, more importantly, earn money without …

COMMENT | ANDREW PI BESI | Lately, I have been reflecting on the Roman Empire and its establishment some 27 or so years before the birth of Christ the Messiah. One of its most enduring political thinkers was Marcus Tullius Cicero. When, like many, I read on social media of Ms. …